Obsidian source characterization and hunter-gatherer mobility: An example from the Tucson Basin

Obsidian source characterization is another tool that can be used by archaeologists to examine hunter-gatherer mobility strategies by allowing them to reconstruct the potential geographic extent of group mobility. In this paper, data on obsidian source characterization from nine Archaic sites in the Tucson Basin of southern Arizona are used to determine whether changes in obsidian procurement ranges are associated with a reduction in residential mobility documented in the area between the Middle and Late Archaic/Early Agricultural periods. Analysis of the data reveals that not only do procurement ranges change, but procurement strategies may also have changed. It is argued that obsidian source characterization is a useful tool for examining group mobility when used in conjunction with other site data.