Under the direction of Dr. Robert Benfer, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Missouri, Mr. Michael Elam will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. During the course of fieldwork in 1991 Mr. Elam collected obsidian (volcanic glass) samples from the archaeological site of Monte Alban, located in the Valley of Oaxaca in central Mexico as well as from other sites in the region. These cover the Terminal Formative, Classic and Postclassic periods and date from ca. AD 1 - 1520. These materials, which have been returned to the U.S. with Mexican government approval, will be subjected to two kinds of analysis. A subseries will be dated by means of obsidian hydration. Secondly, concentrations of 28 elements will be determined through neutron activation analysis and through comparison with samples from known geological deposits the origin of the archaeological specimens can be pinpointed. With these data, Mr. Elam will be able to determine how exchange in obsidian materials changed over time and the role which Monte Alban played in this process. Obsidian has provided a focus for many archaeological studies in Middle America. Prehistorically, it was a rare and extremely valuable material both because it was easy to flake into tools and because it produced razor sharp cutting edges. Since obsidian results from volcanic eruption, it is found only in discrete highly localized areas. Because chemical composition differs from region to region, it is possible to analyze archaeological specimens and match them to a specific source. Thus, it is possible to determine how obsidian moved through prehistoric social systems and gain insight into both their economic and political organization. Monte Alban exhibits the characteristics of many other Middle American centers. It rose, achieved a regional dominance as the center of a small state, and then declined. The processes which underlie this transformation however are not well understood and this research will help to elucidate them. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to a large number of archaeologists. It will shed new light on the role which trade played in the emergence of social complexity and will assist in the training of a promising young scientist.
