CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY Number 48 December 1989 CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN CALIFORNIA OBSIDIAN STUDIES Richard E. Hughes Editor With Contributions by Mark E. Basgall, Robert L. Bettinger, Jonathon E. Ericson, David A. Fredrickson, M.C. Hall and R.J. Jackson, Richard E. Hughes, Thomas L. Jackson, Thomas M. Origer, Christopher M. Stevenson and Barry E. Scheetz ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY Affiliations Mark E. Basgall Robert L. Bettinger Jonathon E. Ericson David A. Fredrickson M. C. Hall Richard E. Hughes R. J. Jackson Thomas L. Jackson Thomas M. Origer Barry E. Scheetz Christopher M. Stevenson Far Western Anthropological Research Group P.O. Box 413 Davis, CA 95617 and Department of Anthropology University of California Davis, CA 95616 Department of Anthropology University of California Davis, CA 95616 Program in Social Ecology and Department of Anthropology University of California Irvine, CA 92717 Department of Anthropology Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Archaeomety Laboratory Department of Anthropology University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Department of Anthropology California State University Sacramento, CA 95819 and Archaeological Research Facility University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 Office of Historic Perservation Depatmnent of Parks and Recreation P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296 Biosystems Analysis, Inc. 303 Potrero Street, Suite 29-203 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 and Archaeological Research Facility University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 Anthropological Studies Center Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Materials Research Laboratory The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 Archaeological and Historical Consultants, Inc. P.O. Box 482 Centre Hall, PA 16828 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY Number 48 December 1989 CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN CALIFORNIA OBSIDIAN STUDIES Edited by RICHARD E. HUGHES Department of Andtopology California State University, Sacramento and Archaeological Research Facility University of California, Berkeley With Contributions by Mark E. Basgall, Robert L. Bettinger, Jonathon E. Ericson, David A. Fredrickson, M.C. Hall and R.J. Jackson, Richard E. Hughes, Thomas L. Jackson, Thomas M. Origer, Christopher M. Stevenson and Barry E. Scheetz ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACIITrY DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY Copyright ? 1990 by Archaeological Research Facility, University of California at Berkeley Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Editor's Preface Most of the papers in this volume were first presented at a symposium I organized and chaired at the annual meeting of the Society for California Archaeology in Santa Rosa, California, March 28, 1986. At my request, the authors subsequently revised and expanded their oral presentations to the versions appearing here. Although the paper by Bettinger was not presented at this symposium, it is included here because of its clear relevance to the "current directions" theme of the volume. My own contribution was revised and expanded from a paper first presented at the annual meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, held in Redding, California, March 25, 1988. Several individuals offered assistance during the time these papers were being revised, reviewed, and prepared for publication. Clement Meighan, Irving Friedman and Fred Stross offered constructive comments on various papers and John Graham, former Coordinator of the Archaeological Research Facility, and its new Director, Kent Lightfoot, deserve thanks for providing technical support crucial to completing the volume. Marie Floyd, Publications Manager, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley, skillfully transformed the manuscripts into monograph form. I would like particularly to acknowledge the generous assistance of Don Frazier for helping us to bring this volume to publication. Don has a long-term interest in, and enthusiasm for, western North American prehistory (the Great Basin in particular), and I am pleased to express thanks and gratitude for his unfailing support. Finally, I extend very special thanks to Suzanne Sundholm, formerly of the Archaeological Research Facility, for all manner of assistance during the time these papers were being revised and fmalized for publication. Throughout our long association, Suzanne's organizational and editorial skills, and facility with the English language, have transformed many a rough manuscript into a polished piece of work. This time was no exception. Thanks. R.E. Hughes December 1989 Table of Contents Editor's Preface Richard E. Hughes i GEOCHEMICAL STUDY A New Look at Mono Basin Obsidians I Richard E. Hughes OBSIDIAN HYDRATION STUDIES: INDUCED RATE RESEARCH Toward Flow-Specific Obsidian Hydration Rates: Coso Volcanic Field, Inyo County, California 13 Jonathon E. Ericson Induced Hydration Rate Development of Obsidians from the Coso Volcanic Field: A Comparison of Experimental Procedures 23 Christopher M. Stevenson and Barry E. Scheetz OBSIDIAN HYDRATION STUDIES: EMPIRICAL RATE RESEARCH Obsidian Hydration Rates in Califomia 31 M. C. Hall and R. J. Jackson Establishing an Hydration Rate for Fish Springs Obsidian 59 Robert L. Bettinger Hydration Analysis of Obsidian Flakes Produced by Ishi During the Historic Period 69 Thomas M. Origer REGIONAL STUDIES Late Prehistoric Obsidian Production and Exchange in the North Coast Ranges, California 79 Thomas L. Jackson Spatial and Temporal Patteming of Obsidian Materials in the Geysers Region 95 David A. Fredrickson Obsidian Acquisition and Use in Prehistoric Central Eastern Califomia: A Preliminary Assessment 111 Mark E. Basgall Inside back cover Aff'liations