9317327 ASHLEY Advanced petrological and geochemical analysis of stone artifacts provides a unique opportunity for resolving questions about prehistoric societies, including migration and trading routes by the earliest Americans. This dissertation research will focus on the study of chert outcrops and the correlation of their petrological and geochemical signatures with those of chert artifacts from prehistoric sites in northwest Alaska. The petrological correlation will be made using microscopy, electron microprobe analysis of mineral inclusions and microfossil identification. The geochemical correlation will be based on statistical results of neutron activation analysis of trace elements. ***
