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4 Chert Sourcing in the Northern Lesser Antilles The Use of Geochemical Techniques in Discriminating Chert Materials Sebastiaan Knippenberg and Johannes J. P. Zijlstra Introduction One of the main topics in the present volume is the use of archaeometric techniques in determining the source of specific materials used by the Amerindian populations of the Caribbean realm. In the opening chapter of this volume, Hofman and colleagues mention that the introduction of these techniques in this area occurred relatively late as compared to other parts of the world, despite the fact that the Caribbean island archipelago lends itself well to archaeometric investigation of different materials, in particular rocks. With regard to rocks, the Lesser Antilles form an excellent stage to perform this type of research. First, the islands in this region have different geological histories (Martin-Kaye 1969; Wadge 1994; see also Knippenberg 2006). This has resulted in a situation in which neighboring islands provide totally different settings with regard to rock material availability. Second, it can be stated that several islands are unique in this respect, such as St. Martin, Antigua, and La Désirade (Figure 4.1) (Bonneton and Vila 1983; Christman 1953; Martin-Kaye 1959; Montgomery et al. 1992; Multer et al. 1986; Weiss 1994). They are especially the islands, which host some very distinguishable and very unique rock materials, which crop out over a relatively small area and which have been used by the indigenous populations (Knippenberg 2006). The discovery of significant amounts of siliceous, flaked stone artifacts at the Archaic and Early Ceramic Age sites of Norman Estate and Anse des Pères on St. Martin, initiated the research aimed at finding the source of these stone types, whereby petrographic and geochemical analytical techniques were used in sup- 44 / Knippenberg and Zijlstra port of more traditional macroscopic analysis (Knippenberg 1995, 1999a, 1999b, 1999c). Encouraged by the results of this preliminary study, the investigation was extended to include more sources on the islands of Antigua, St. Kitts, and Puerto Rico. In particular, attention was addressed to natural distribution of chert, which occurs as crypto- to microcrystalline, tabular, nodular, and diffuse precipitates of silica, in volcanic siliciclastic and biogenic calcareous sediments of the Lesser Antilles islands. This work has formed the basis on which the distribution of different chert rocks used as raw material for the manufacture of flake tools among the northern Lesser Antilles during the Ceramic Age was specified. The discussion of this distribution and the underlying exchange mechanisms responsible for it are beyond the scope of this chapter. They are extensively dealt with elsewhere (Knippenberg 2001, 2006). Figure 4.1. Map of the northern Lesser Antilles showing the islands with studied chert sources in bold font and sampled archaeological habitation sites indicated by rectangles. 1: Sorcé; 2: Anse des Pères; 3: Spring Bay 3; 4: Kelbey’s Ridge 2; 5: Golden Rock; 6: Sugar Factory Pier; 7: Trants; 8: Morel; 9: Anse à la Gourde (see also Table 4.4.). Geochemical Techniques in Discriminating Chert Materials / 45 The quality, appearance, and composition of chert changes with time and is a function of the early processes of genesis in the rock of formation, but also of later processes that occur during burial, erosion, exposure, weathering, and even after the manufacturing into artifacts. In order to improve the understanding of the variability of the different cherts, the investigation of the prearchaeological history of chert, and of the related petro-physical and geochemical properties needs to be addressed. Therefore, in this study four aims were specified. The first objective was to map available chert sources and determine the relation between the quality, geological environment, and the geologic history. Second, the morphological and geochemical characterization of source materials had to be specified with the aim to identify objective criteria by which sources can be discriminated. In close relation to this source characterization, which focuses on the geochemistry of the chert, it was also attempted to find explanation(s) for why sources differ chemically . This provides a stronger empirical basis for source discrimination, and may yield guidelines for future research. Finally, a number of artifacts were analyzed and the sources were specified using multivariable statistical techniques. Cherts in the Region The Caribbean in general and the Lesser Antilles in particular host a wide variety of chert types, on a restricted number of islands though. In the northeastern Caribbean chert only occurs on Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Kitts, Antigua, La Désirade , and Martinique (Bérard 1999a, 1999b; Bérard...

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