REMAINS OF A PUZZLE: THE DISTRIBUTION OF VOLCANIC GLASS ARTIFACTS FROM SOURCES IN NORTHEAST CHINA AND FAR EAST RUSSIA

Abstract

Previous geochemical studies of volcanic glass artifacts dating to the Late Palaeolithic in northeast Asia have revealed a wide distribution of artifacts from sources in China, Korea, and Far East Russia. Through an analysis of lithic technology, this study sheds new light on the variety and complexity of the social, technological, and landscape factors that shaped the long distance movement of stone artifacts.

Keywords:

• volcanic glass
• exchange
• northeast Asia
• artifact distribution

Acknowledgements

This project was founded by Australian Research Council (ARC) in collaboration with The Centre of Frontier Archaeology, Jilin University, China. We also would like to pay special respect to colleagues in the Department of Archaeology, Jilin University, without whose help, this project would be impossible. Special thanks to N. Kluyev and I. Sleptsov at the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok. Thanks to Grant Cochrane for his insights.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Trudy Doelman

Correspondence to: Trudy Doelman, Department of Archaeology, SOPHI, University of Sydney, A14, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Email: [email protected] Peter Jia, Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Peter W. Jia

Robin Torrence, Anthropology, Australian Museum, Sydney, College St, NSW 2010, Australia

Robin Torrence

Vladimir K. Popov, Far East Geological Institute, 159 Prospect 100-letiya, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia