Article Title：A feasibility study using silica polymorph ratios for sourcing chert and chalcedony lithic materials
Abstract：
Chert and chalcedony are composed of source specific weight percents of quartz and a silica polymorph called moganite. In this study, optical mineralogical techniques in polarized light and X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement are used to observe moganite and determine its weight percent in a series of samples from southern New England archaeological sties and museum collections. This study shows that while optical techniques show some promise, X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement are most accurate for determining moganite ration in archaeological materials. In combination, these three techniques are also useful for identifying other minerals present that can aid in lithic sourcing. Future work may continue to improve the effectiveness of silica polymorph analysis for lithic sourcing. However, routine use of X-ray diffraction and optical mineralogy should be immediately adopted by archaeologists to ensure more accurate identification and description of chert and chalcedony raw materials.
Keywords: lithic sourcing; silica polymorphs; moganite, chert and chalcedony; Northeastern archaeology
DOI: 10.1006/jasc.2000.0566
Source：JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
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