Arenmcseiry 1,2 (2009) 0-28 slot: HOIHER. 1475-47 4.209.008 PARTICLE-INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE) ANALYSIS OF OBSIDIAN FROM TEOTIHUACAN* J. GAZZOLA,' M. SANCHEZ DEL RIO, C. SOLIS* and T. CALLIGARO* “instinae Nacional de Autropolagla e Mishuria (INAL Meziew Ci *Eucuipcan Sviechrotvon Radiation Fuciliy. BP 220, 38083 Greable Codes, France Unstitnio de Fisicu, Dpto. Fisicu Esperivental. Universidad Nacieweul Auiinome de Mexico. OF510 Mexiew 0.F “Cemice de Recherche et Restowration dex Muséex de France, CNRS UMR-I71, Palais uu Lanwre, 75001 Paris, France A collection of 30 archaeological obsidian samples studied in the framework of the Préci: udadela Project (Teotihuacan, Mexica) hus been analyzed using particle-induced X-ray emis- sion (PIXE) with the external beam line of the Accéléraeur Grand Lowne d’Analyse Elémeniaire facility (C2RMF, Paris) and of the Instituia de Fisica (UNAM, Mericu). This work addresses the provenance of these obsidian samples, with the purpose of determining if they come from the obsidian sources exploited by Teotihuacans (mainly Quunba and Sierra de Pachuca}, from ather sources, or arrived via commercial exchanges with other regions. For ‘that, the elemental compositions derived from the PIXE spectra have been compared with data Published in the fiterature on the basis of instrumental neuron activauion analysis, From the concentrations of selected key elemenis (No, K Mn, Fe, Zn, Rb, Si: Zr), it was possible 10 unombiguously assign the provenance of most samples. Many originate from Iwo major sources, ainely Sierra de Pachuca (Hidalgo) «net Otuniba (Mexico), which were the main obsidian deposits used by the Teorihuacons. However, some semples exhibit a compositional fingerprint mauching other provenances, i.c., Paredén (Puchla) cud Zacualtipan (Hidalgo), KEYWORDS: OBSIDIAN, PIXE. TEOTIHUACAN. INTRODUCTION Obsidian is a volcanic glass composed mainly of silica (usually 70% or more) and other oxides. An example of averaged composition (de B. Pereira ef al 2001) contains SiO: (77%), ALO; (13%), Nag (4.5%), KO (4.5%) and CaO (0.5%). Obsidian deposits are formed by rapid solidification of volcanic lava Mows. resulting naturally amorphous material. The quick solidification from a liquid phase (magma) implies a quite uniform chemical composition, which is:mot always the case for sedimentary or metamorphic rocks. Although the major element content of obsidians from different origins may present some variability that could help to identify the geological provenance, the trace element compositions, which vary strangly from source to source, usually permit the assignment of samples to geological sources. This allows for the assessment of trade routes and cultural exchange networks along which the materials may have moved. The compositional uniformity of a restricted number of potentially exploitable obsidian deposits, the markedly different trace-element composition of these sources, the availability of comprehensive compositional databases of Mexican obsidian sources (Cobean 2002), and the availability of non-destructive methods of trace-element analysis, Jike particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), explain the success of the provenance studies on Mexican obsidian. '*Reccived 29 Scplember 2008: accepued 22 April 2009 © Unhvenity of Ostord, 2009ya ra de'Pachuca y \ ATULA , *Pacht A iG : ok AeBeronbo '_ *S.duan def Rio. > eT a ico - *Tizayuca jcoeamu A TeOTINUACAReIS” »CALPULALP# Mexico DF A CALDCTLAHUACA Toluca‘ ‘ a+ 20Km. ‘ es - a Figure | Mup of the main obsidian deposits near Teotihuucan, busedt ou Cobsan, 2002, ‘The obsidian material analyzed here comes from. the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan, located 45 km northeast of Mexico City, in the Valley of Mexico. The first occupation of the region began about 200 Bc and the definitive destruction of the city is dated to about Ab-650. During the Classic period, Teotihuiacan was one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica, extending over an area exceeding 22 km? with a population of ¢. 200 000 inhabitants. The destruction and abandonment of ‘Teotihuacan in c. ap 650 were duc to multiple reasons, including overpopulation, internal conflicts, economic dependence (Gazzola and Gomez. 2007). Even as a ruin, this city retained great importance and was never Jost. Around ap 100, and probably before, Teotihuacan con- = trolled two of the largest obsidian sources in Mesoamerica: Otumba (Charlton 1970) and Sierra de Pachuca (Pastrana and Sterpone 2007). The control and mining of these sources (Fig. 1) by the Teotihuacan state, the manufacturing of weapons, tools, and omaments in the Teotihuacan workshops, and the strategies undertaken for their distribution and ade were fundamental for the development of this great city and the economical and political control of hundreds of commu- nities over a large geographical region (Spence 1981), Luxury artefacts were also produced and exchanged with the elites of foreign regions with the aim of extending the political control over remote territories The Preciudadela Project. carried out through Inssiauo Nacional de Antropologia ¢ Historia (INAH) under the direction of J. Gazzola, aims to characterize the oldest population and construction phases in the city of Teotihuacan. The excavations in the La Ciudadela complex have unearthed some of the oldest Teotihuacan constructions. An example of these early constructions, dated around ab 50-100, can be seen in Compound 1, tocated south of the *Pl ‘The compound was occupied by an elite class dedicated to religious and astronomie activities and the storage of materials. A total of 383 obsidian artefacts were found in the 2002-4 season, consisting of everyday objects and waste from living. activities. They were recovered from the © University of Oxford, 2009. Avchincomenny 2009) 9-00PIXE anatysis of obsidian from teotiuacan 3 floor layer of Compound 1. Due to the lack of evidence of their manufacture. it is assumed that materials were fabricated in specialized workshops located outside the excavated surface of Compound 1, The study of this material has enabled us to suggest aspects of the behaviour of the inhabitants of this city during the period AD 1-1S0 (Gazzola and Gomez 2007), Among the various materials recovered, such as ceramics. lithics or bones, obsidian was one of the most abundant. The diversification and quality of the artefacts indicate that commercial relationships between the Teotihuacan and other population groups started at the most ancient times, The identification of obsidian sources has a long history in archacological research, Mest lytical techniques rely on elemental analysis, using different excitation mechanisms, such as instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) (Glascock and Neff 2003), X-ray fluorescence (Giauque eral, 1993), laser ablation ICP-MS (Barca e7 al. 2007), electron probe microanal and PIXE (Bourdonnee er al. 2005: Summerhayes e/ al. 1998). A few studies. use « combir of such techniques (Bellot-Gurlet er ai, 2005). These techniques have been applied to determine the provenance of obsidian from many different regions of the world, such as. the Great Basin in the USA (Hughes 1984), South America (Bellot-Gurlet et al. 19992, 1999b; Craig ef af. 2007; Seelenfreund ef wi, 1996), or southern Europe and the Middle East (Canter e/ uf. 2006: Gratuze 1999; Tykot 2002). Some publications address Mexican obsidian (Mosheim and Althaus 1988; Tenorio eral. 1998; Neff e/ al. 2000; Esparza e/ af. 2001; Ponomarenko 2004: Calligaro ef ul. 2005; Carballo er ai. 2007; Smith et af. 2007). The most comprehensive compositional database ‘of Mexican obsidians can be found in Cobean (2002), complemented by Cobean er al. (1991), Regarding Teotihuacan, Glascock and Neff (1993) studied more than a hundred archaeological samples from the Feathered Serpent Temple by INAA with the aim of establishing obsidian Provenance. They found that Otumba and Sierra de Pachuca were the main sources, but assigned a few samples to other sources. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this study, 2 collection of 50 obsidian artefacts has been analyzed at two PIXE facilities. Most PIXE analyses were carried out in Paris at the Accélérareur Grand Louvre d'Analyse Elémentaire (AGLAE ) facility, based upon a2-M¥ tandem accelerator (NEC Pelletron 6SDH-2). An external Proton beam of 3 MeV with a diameter of about 100 jim was used and the sample was scanned over a 0.5 x 0.5mm! area to obtain an average composition. Objects were placed on a 3-dimension al sample holder monitored by a video camera allowing the accurate positioning of the impact point of the proton beam, visualized as a luminescent point. X-ray spectra were recorded using (wo Si (Li) detectors oriented 45° relative to the proton beam, the first being. dedi€ated to the low-energy X-rays (0.5-10 keV) emitted by low-Z major elements of the obsidian matrix (Na-Fe). and the second dedicated vo the high-energy X-rays (5-40 keV) emitted by high Z elements at trace level (Fe-U). The low-energy detector, equipped with an ultra-thin window, was operated ina 3 litre/min helium Mow. A. 50-pim Al filter was placed in front of the high-cnergy dete o absorb the intense Si line. Spectra were acquired with a fixed dose corresponding to an irradiation with a S-nA current for about 7 min. Elemental concentrations were obtained by processing spectra with the GUPIX code (Maxwell ef al. 1989, 1995), which takes into account all physical matrix effects (proton energy loss, X-ray self-absorption and secondary fluorescence in sample) and X-ray detection (detector specifica tions, filters, ete.). The quantification of the composition is performed in two steps, using a link to @ so-called pivot element appearing both in low and high-energy specira (Fe in the present case). Ina first step, the major constituents (Na-Fe) of the samples are derived from the © Lniversity sf Oefaek, 200%, Archarenuetey ee, + (20K)