Estudio del origen de algunas piezas arqueológicas elaboradas con obsidianas prehispánicas de Colombia usando fluorescencia de rayos X

A groundbreaking X-ray fluorescence (XRF) study reveals that obsidian artifacts from the San Agustín Archaeological Park, Colombia, did not originate from nearby geological sources. Instead, these pre-Hispanic tools and weapons likely traveled long distances through ancient trade networks. Researchers analyzed 21 archaeological pieces dating from the Early Formative to Recent periods alongside geological samples from five Colombian regions and one in Ecuador. The findings demonstrate that local populations relied on obsidians sourced from distant volcanic outcrops, challenging assumptions about regional material use. This study validates XRF as a robust method for tracing provenance in archaeology, offering new insights into pre-Hispanic trade and cultural exchange across South America.

Giovanny Sierra-Vargas, Montes, L., & Almanza, O. (2023). Estudio del origen de algunas piezas arqueológicas elaboradas con obsidianas prehispánicas de Colombia usando fluorescencia de rayos X. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.7761975