Fine-grained volcanic lithic sources of eastern Idaho

This research focuses on the geochemistry and archaeological exploitation of fine-grained volcanic (FGV) lithic sources in eastern Idaho. By combining energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) characterization of these sources with a discussion of their exploitation at 27 precontact archaeological sites, this paper provides one of the few overviews of these important resources. The geological context of each source is discussed, and the XRF results are used to classify the volcanic rock types, in turn demonstrating how these sources can be distinguished based on their elemental signatures. Moving forward, our hope is that the current study can contribute to the reconstruction of lithic procurement strategies and associated conveyance zones for FGV that can add nuance to the wide range of existing studies focused on obsidian.