New archaeological ‘high definition’ sourcing sharpens understanding of the past

A new method of sourcing the origins of artefacts in high definition is set to improve our understanding of the past. Dr Ellery Frahm at the University of Sheffield developed the new technology to better study Mesopotamian obsidian tools unearthed in Syria, where cultural heritage is threatened by the ongoing conflict. The research brings five decades of research full circle and presents a significant advance in the field. While at the University of Sheffield from 1965 - 1972, Professor Lord Colin Renfrew developed a technique that matched stone tools made of obsidian, naturally occurring glass, to their volcanic origins based on their chemical fingerprints. Considered one of the greatest successes in scientific archaeology, matching artefacts to specific volcanoes was a significant leap forward in understanding trade, , and cultural change in the ancient world. Nearly 50 years later, Dr Frahm's work is the next major advance in obsidian sourcing. Previously it was only possible to match an artefact to a particular volcano or lava flow, sometimes covering dozens of chemically uniform square kilometres.