A Methodology for Gleaning Human Behavior From Spectral Chert Nanometers With Application at a Terminal Pleistocene Site in Tennessee, USA

Abstract

Chert sourcing is conducted at various spatial scales from regional to local to match the scope of the human behavioral question asked. Understanding where past peoples acquired tool stone resources can span hundreds of kilometers from mountain ranges to open plains and across broad river valleys as the study attempts to both quantify and differentiate various material types and exploited deposits. However, to successfully characterize (quantify and differentiate) each potential source, data collection at a microscopic scale is often necessary. The study's primary goal is to examine the benefit of reflectance spectroscopy data at the nanometer scale using diagnostic atomic, molecular, and structural information locked inside chert to match artifacts to a geologic/geographic source. Working at Carson-Conn-Short, a terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherer site along the Tennessee River, United States, the analysis of 58 artifacts identified seven sources and sub-sources. This study demonstrates how the collection of thousands of electromagnetic reflectance data per chert sample and artifact allows for the reconstruction of group mobility, social networks, selection decisions, and the use of a landscape of lithic resources. A case study using a terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherer site along the Tennessee River, United States is given to illustrate how human behavior can be learned from source data at the nanometer scale.