Provenance studies of obsidian artifacts in Anatolia: new data from Agean costal sites

Baklatepe and Limantepe are settlements located along the Aegean coast of Anatolia in the Izmir region. The excavations revealed that these sites have been continuously inhabited since the Late Chalcolit hic up to the Early Byzant ine periods (Baklatepe) and since Neolithic t imes up to the present day (Limantepe) . In this study, 40 obsidian and 6 flint artifacts from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age levels of these sites were investigated with an interdisciplinary approach using fission-track (FT)dating, and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) techniques. Based upon thei r FTages the obsidian artifacts were classified in two groups. The main group of 37 samples is characterized by FT ages varying between 148 ± 0.47 and 1.80 ± 0.20 Ma,with a mean value of 1.65 ± 0.05 Ma, and low U content (around 3 ppm) These data allow attributing this group to the Aegean Melos Island obsidian sources. The second group is represented by only 3 samples, characterized by a lower FT age (around 1 Ma) and a significantly higher U content (around 9 ppm). This group was identi fied as origina t ing from the volcaniccomplex (Central Anatolia). INAA studies have been carried out on 33 obsidian artifacts at the TRIGA Mark II research reactor of the University of Pavia following the techniques which have been routinely used by the Radiochemist ry Group. Results fully agree with those obtained with FT dating: most artifa cts originated from the Melos -Demenegaki flow, and only 3 samples from Central Anatolia . INAA analyses of the f lint artifacts revealed that these samples, unsuitable for application of FT dating, can be easily discriminated from the obsidian artifacts based on their chemical prop erties, especially considering the trace elements contents. Compa rison with data obtained on samples from other settlements of Anato lia and Italy proved that INAA is an efficient technique for discriminating flint artifacts originat ing from different sources