Adrian L. Burke | Université de Montréal (original) (raw)

Journal articles by Adrian L. Burke

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2014

Cliche-Rancourt is the only Paleoindian site with fluted points known in Quebec and its lithic as... more Cliche-Rancourt is the only Paleoindian site with fluted points known in Quebec and its lithic assemblage is therefore the only one available to explore the daily life of early Paleoindians in southern Quebec. Visual identification of the lithic sources was fairly straightforward with the dominant lithic source already known from contemporaneous sites. Red chert provenance is identified with the Munsungun area while rhyolites come from either Mount Kineo in Maine or the Mount Jasper-Jefferson regions in New Hampshire. The discovery of a new locus in 2009 (locus 5) in the southern portion of the site led to the recognition of unknown varieties of lithic raw materials. To help characterize these possible new sources, XRF analyses were conducted and the opportunity was taken to analyze some key artifacts from the primary Paleoindian occupation area to verify their geochemical nature and geological origin. A new picture of the lithic source network at Cliche-Rancourt emerges from these geochemical results and some implications are discussed at various geographic levels.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2016

Since Precontact times, First Nations' groups from northeastern North America used steatite to ma... more Since Precontact times, First Nations' groups from northeastern North America used steatite to make many arti-facts, such as ornaments and vessels. Only a few studies have been dedicated to this topic, such as on steatite vessels from northern Dorset sites and from Eastern North America. In these regions, steatite vessels are common. In the regions occupied by Iroquoian groups during the Late Woodland period in the St. Lawrence Valley, many beads and some pipes have been discovered but steatite vessels are nonexistent. Steatite quarries are known for steatite vessels, but not for the Iroquoian region. Consequently, tracing the geological origin of steatite materials and the distribution of artifacts represents a scientific challenge. The aim of both archaeological and geological approaches is to define the origin of materials via a precise and accurate geochemical characterization. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was chosen for its micro-destructive feature , and provides a precise measure of the chemical composition of the materials. The results presented here have allowed us to highlight the use of steatite from only carbonate rocks and not steatite hosted in ultramafic rocks, which is different from most of the previous studies. Moreover, relationships between a limited number of sources and some archaeological artifacts have been identified.

Geoarchaeology, 2011

The purpose of this paper is to show the effects of lithic artifact surface weathering on whole ... more The purpose of this paper is to show the effects of lithic artifact surface weathering on whole
rock non-destructive polarized energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (P-ED-XRF) major and
trace element determinations. Chemical results for a weathered and subsequently mechanically
ground subset of New Hampshire Ossipee archaeological flakes, cataloged as hornfels, show that
both groups of elements are variably affected by weathering. A graphic approach is developed
and proposed to highlight the role and importance of immobile elements. A case is made and
an analytical method is proposed for the routine use of P-ED-XRF spectrometers to determine
the chemical makeup of lithic artifacts and therefore provide a data set compatible with existing
geochemical databases and literature. The use of specific variation diagrams is adopted to
portray the weathering trend. Internationally approved geochemical rock type diagrams are
used to correct the rock type previously assigned to Ossipee artifacts and in turn narrow down
potential quarry sources

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2012

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the benefits of adopting non-destructive energy dispers... more The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the benefits of adopting non-destructive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) as a first-order technique to determine chert whole-rock geochemistry for archaeological sourcing. Chemical signatures for the Touladi and La Martre prehistoric quarries from the lower St. Lawrence and Gaspé Peninsula region of Quebec, Canada, are determined and serve as references to test the provenance of regional chert artifacts. Chert experimental flakes, created from quarry geological hand samples, are analyzed and used to validate the method. Archaeological flakes and tools recovered from three archaeological sites are analyzed and tested against quarry samples. Geochemical diagrams and Principal Component Analysis are used to establish artifact-quarry relationships. The effects of surface weathering on the geochemical analysis of archaeological chert artifacts are presented. Sample restoration and research avenues are discussed and proposed to further enhance the robustness of future chert geochemical data sets.

Arctic, 2013

Oral and written historical records indicate that the Mackenzie Inuit traveled up the Mackenzie R... more Oral and written historical records indicate that the Mackenzie Inuit traveled up the Mackenzie River from the Arctic Coast to procure lithic raw material in the interior from a quarry at the mouth of the Thunder River, which is known locally by the Gwich'in of the lower Mackenzie Valley as Vihtr'ii Tshik. We evaluate this proposition using non-destructive polarized energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence to compare the geochemical signatures of the lithic raw material from Vihtr'ii Tshik (MiTi-1) and flakes and tools from the Mackenzie Inuit village of Kuukpak (NiTs-1), which is located more than 400 km downriver of the quarry source. The concentrations of nine selected elements—three major elements expressed as oxides (SiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 T, and K 2 O) and six trace elements expressed as metals (Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, and Ce)—are compared using descriptive statistics, spider diagrams, and principal components analysis. The geochemical effects of chemical weathering on the surfaces of artifacts are evaluated by measuring element concentrations before and after removal of the weathering rind from select artifacts. The results of our analyses demonstrate that the lithic raw material available at Vihtr'ii Tshik is best characterized as chert, and that 86% of the flakes and tools from Kuukpak analyzed in this study are chemically similar to the raw material from Vihtr'ii Tshik. Historical records and archaeological data indicate that the people of Kuukpak traversed a complex social landscape to obtain stone from Vihtr'ii Tshik through direct procurement. RÉSUMÉ. Les traditions orales et écrites historiques indiquent que les Inuits du Mackenzie remontaient le fleuve Mackenzie en quittant la côte arctique et allant vers l'intérieur des terres afin d'obtenir de la matière première lithique d'une carrière qui se trouvait près de l'embouchure de la rivière Thunder. Les Gwich'in de la basse vallée du Mackenzie appellent cet endroit Vihtr'ii Tshik. Nous évaluons ces révélations en utilisant la technique de fluorescence par rayons X en mode dispersion d'énergie (géométrie polarisante, méthode non destructive) afin de comparer les signatures géochimiques des roches trouvées à la carrière Vihtr'ii Tshik (MiTi-1) avec celles des éclats et des outils en pierre provenant d'un site villageois inuit appelé Kuukpak (NiTs-1) qui se trouve à 400 km en aval de la carrière. Les concentrations de neuf éléments chimiques — trois éléments majeurs exprimés sous la forme d'oxydes (SiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 T et K 2 O) et six éléments traces exprimés sous la forme de métaux (Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba et Ce) — sont utilisées pour calculer des statistiques descriptives et des diagrammes-araignées, et réaliser une analyse multivariée par composantes principales. Nous évaluons aussi les effets géochimiques causés par l'intempérisation de la surface des artefacts en mesurant les concentrations d'éléments avant et après l'enlèvement de celle-ci sur des artefacts sélectionnés. Les résultats de nos analyses chimiques démontrent que la roche provenant de la carrière Vihtr'ii Tshik est un chert, et que 86 % des éclats et outils analysés dans cette étude provenant du site villageois Kuukpak montrent des affinités géochimiques au chert de cette carrière. Les documents historiques et les données archéologiques nous indiquent que les gens de Kuukpak devaient naviguer à travers une géographie culturelle complexe afin de se procurer directement le chert de la carrière de Vihtr'ii Tshik. Mots clés : analyse géochimique, fluorescence par rayons X en mode dispersion d'énergie, Inuits du Mackenzie, Déné, Kuukpak, économie des matières premières lithiques, carrières, chert de la rivière Thunder, traditions orales Révisé par la revue Arctic par Nicole Giguère.

Arctic, Nov 22, 2013

ABSTRACT

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Recherches amérindiennes au Québec, 2009

Journal canadien d'archéologie, 2012

FRANÇAIS: La cornéenne est un matériau lithique fréquemment retrouvé sur les sites archéologiques... more FRANÇAIS: La cornéenne est un matériau lithique fréquemment retrouvé sur les sites archéologiques préhistoriques du Québec méridional. On l’associe généralement aux occupations de l’Archaïque post-laurentien (4500–3000 A.A.), mais cette étude montre que l’utilisation de ce matériau n’est pas exclusive à cette période. Les analyses physico-chimiques présentées ici permettent d’identifier une source potentielle et vraisemblablement principale de ce matériau, la cornéenne du mont Royal. La pétrologie de ce type de roche indique un métamorphisme essentiellement thermique opérant dans l’environnement immédiat de massifs intrusifs. Il faut donc considérer la cornéenne présente sur les autres collines montérégiennes en tant que sources potentielles, même si celles-ci sont à ce jour non documentées par l’archéologie.

ENGLISH: Hornfels is a lithic material frequently discovered on prehistoric sites in southern Quebec. It is commonly associated with Terminal Archaic (or “post-laurentian” Archaic [4500–3000 B.P.]) occupations, but this study demonstrates that such an association can be misleading. The results of the physical and chemical analyses presented here also indicate that Mont Royal, a small hill located in the city of Montreal, is the most probable source of hornfels used in prehistoric times. Outcrops of hornfels exist on some other Monteregian Hills, but to this day there are no archaeological indications that they were exploited by aboriginal groups.

Notions de territoire et de mobilité: exemples de l'Europe et des premières nations en Amérique du Nord avant le contact européen. ERAUL 116 edited by Céline Bressy, Ariane Burke, Pierre Chalard, & Hélène Martin

Archaeologists working in northeastern North America continue to rely heavily on stone tool techn... more Archaeologists working in northeastern North America continue to rely heavily on stone tool technology and the sourcing of raw materials for their interpretations of mobility and territoriality among Paleoindians during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Hunter gatherer band ranges refl ected in the lithic raw material use on Early Paleoindian sites are presented for the region of eastern New York, southeastern Quebec and New England. While there has been a greater focus on the accurate geological sourcing of stone tool raw materials using petrography and chemical characterization within the last fifteen years, substantial basic research remains to be done. These studies, combined with a greater attention to the organization of stone tool technology (e.g., chaîne opératoire), should permit archaeologists to revisit and in some cases reinterpret the question of Paleoindian mobility and territoriality.

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2007

This article presents data on chipped stone tool production and distribution at a quarry source a... more This article presents data on chipped stone tool production and distribution at a quarry source area in eastern Quebec. Two chert quarries and a series of related lithic workshops were studied in order to characterize the tool forms being produced during the late prehistoric period. In ...

The LIR (Lithotheque Ireland) reference collection of flaked stone tool raw materials from Irelan... more The LIR (Lithotheque Ireland) reference collection of flaked stone tool raw materials from Ireland began in 2013, and is based on the geological prospection from two projects. The first (2013-2015) focused attention primarily on Carboniferous cherts from the northwest of Ireland, collecting 405 samples. The second (2015-2017) is currently collecting samples of the Cretaceous flint primarily from in situ contexts in the northeast of Ireland, but also includes beach surveys of Cretaceous flint from around the island; the first phase of geological prospection in Autumn 2015 collected 239 samples, with the geological prospection continuing in 2016. Therefore, to date the collection contains over 600 hand samples of chert and flint, along with a small number of other materials (siliceous limestone, tuff, mudstone). The physical reference collection is housed at the UCD School of Archaeology, University College Dublin and contains the geological hand samples along with the various thin sections of the samples that are used for petrographic analysis. The physical collection is complemented by an online database that is to be used alongside the physical collection, or can be used as a stand-alone resource. This paper provides an overview of the database's metadata and the processes of data entry and editing, to serve as a reference point for the database and the fieldwork undertaken to date, and to serve as a template for other researchers undertaking similar work on lithic reference collections.

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2014

This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the usefulness of X-ray florescence... more This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the usefulness of X-ray florescence (XRF) in identifying the composition of metal artifacts found at aboriginal sites in northwestern Ohio. In the late 1990s, we subjected 96 samples to XRF and documented our results. We then compared our data to that collected by more precise spectrographic methods to assess the effectiveness of the XRF method for this application. While not precise enough to source native coppers, we conclude that XRF is a cheap, nondestructive method for differentiating native copper from its European counterparts at sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Late Woodland sites.

Latin American Antiquity, 2007

This paper presents the results of obsidian characterization analyses for Middle and Late Postcla... more This paper presents the results of obsidian characterization analyses for Middle and Late Postclassic sites in the Yautepec Valley of Morelos, central Mexico. A large sample (N = 390) of obsidian blades from excavated domestic contexts at the site ofYautepix and from surface collected contemporary sites were assigned to a quarry source using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a subsample was also analyzed with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The use ofXRF allowed the authors to expand the number of artifacts initially analyzed by INAA. These larger samples of sourced material prove essential to answering research questions regarding regional economies, particularly with regard to issues such as production and exchange. This study demonstrates the complementarity of XRF and INAA and the specific advantages inherent in each of these techniques.

O Arqueólogo Português , 2011

This paper describes the assemblages from three Middle Paleolithic lithic extraction and prelimin... more This paper describes the assemblages from three Middle Paleolithic lithic extraction and preliminary reduction sites in the Sado River Basin, Alentejo, Por-tugal. The sites were discovered as part of the Sado River Drainage Survey (SRDS), the goal of which was to document the Palaeolithic occupation in the region and assess prehistoric land-use patterns over time. The three sites in question (Moin-hos 1, Moinhos 2, and Mina do Paço) are located on gentle slopes near jasper outcrops, in relatively elevated positions and exhibit low to moderate artifact densities, despite which assemblage sizes are relatively large. The distribution of lithics appears restricted to the plow zone. The three assemblages are very similar in terms of typological and technological attributes, with a dominance of discoid and centripetally prepared Levallois cores, and only moderate amounts of plat-form faceting on both cores and flakes. The few typological differences between the sites are primarily attributable to the varying quality of the locally available lithic raw material (jasper). Cores and waste products are common, but end-prod-ucts are rare, with most probably being exported to task or habitation sites by the knappers. Although retouched tools are scarce at both locations, Levallois flakes are more common at Mina do Paço. The regional context revealed by the SRDS suggests low population density and possibly even intermittent use of the Sado river Basin by Middle Paleolithic hominins.

Book chapter by Adrian L. Burke

Prehistoric Mines and Quarries: a Trans-Atlantic Perspective, edited by Margaret Brewer-LaPorta, Adrian L. Burke & David Field, 2010

Late Paleoindian bifacial technology is best understood within the context of local geology and t... more Late Paleoindian bifacial technology is best understood within the context of local geology and the constraints posed by the raw material. Geological characteristics of the material influence fracture and thus not only methods of extraction but also of artefact reduction. Theses natural constraints completely eliminate certain technological choices and oblige the flintknapper to apply certain gestures (gestes). Understanding the geological context present at the raw material source thus becomes a critical factor in understanding the organization of Late Paleoindian lithic technology.

De l’archéologie analytique à l’archéologie sociale, 2010

Nous espérons démontrer l'intérêt de cette approche en l'appliquant à la question de l'environnem... more Nous espérons démontrer l'intérêt de cette approche en l'appliquant à la question de l'environnement et les groupes archaïques au Témiscouata.

Conference poster by Adrian L. Burke

NYS GIS Conference, 2017

One of the remarkable features of Paleoindian lifeways in the late Pleistocene Northeast was thei... more One of the remarkable features of Paleoindian lifeways in the late Pleistocene Northeast was their extensive seasonal travel, as suggested by distances between proposed geologic sources of toolstone and sites where artifacts of those raw materials have been found. If Paleoindian sites can be linked to a toolstone source through geological analysis, regional terrain analysis using GIS (geographic information systems) can then yield insights on Paleoindian seasonal movements after toolstone acquisition. In eastern New York, Paleoindian peoples mined Normanskill chert for toolstone at outcrops in the Hudson Valley. Here, we combine (1) X-ray fluorescence (XRF) sourcing results that tentatively link Normanskill chert artifacts at Paleoindian sites to the West Athens Hill outcrop and (2) least cost path (LCP) analysis to model some seasonal pathways of Paleoindian peoples in the Northeast. The sourcing results confirm the presence of Normanskill chert in most of the assemblages analyzed, highlighting its importance as one preferred
toolstone for northeastern Paleoindians. And, by revealing possible pathways that these Paleoindian peoples may have used, the GIS analysis may provide a more realistic perspective on how these early peoples traversed the Ice Age landscapes of New York.

Books by Adrian L. Burke

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2014

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2016

Geoarchaeology, 2011

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2012

Arctic, 2013

Arctic, Nov 22, 2013

ABSTRACT

Recherches amérindiennes au Québec, 2009

Journal canadien d'archéologie, 2012

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2007

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2014

Latin American Antiquity, 2007

O Arqueólogo Português , 2011

Prehistoric Mines and Quarries: a Trans-Atlantic Perspective, edited by Margaret Brewer-LaPorta, Adrian L. Burke & David Field, 2010

De l’archéologie analytique à l’archéologie sociale, 2010

NYS GIS Conference, 2017

American Antiquity

Projections of Paleoindian range mobility in the late Pleistocene are typically inferred from str... more Projections of Paleoindian range mobility in the late Pleistocene are typically inferred from straight-line distances between toolstone sources and sites where artifacts of these raw materials have been found. Often, however, these sourcing assessments are not based on geologic analysis, raising the issue of correct source ascription. If sites of similar age can be linked to a toolstone source through geologic study, and direct procurement of toolstone can be inferred, geographic information systems (GIS) modeling of travel routes between the source and those sites can reveal route segments of annual rounds and aspects of landscape use. In the Hudson Valley of eastern New York, Paleoindian peoples exploited Normanskill chert outcrops for toolstone during the late Pleistocene. Here, we combine X-ray fluorescence sourcing results that link Normanskill chert artifacts at Paleoindian sites to the West Athens Hill source outcrop in the Hudson Valley with GIS least cost path analysis to m...