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Isotope sourcing of prehistoric willow and tule textiles recovered from western Great Basin rock shelters and caves - proof of concept

January 1, 2006

Isotope and trace-metal analyses were used to determine the origin of plants used to manufacture prehistoric textiles (basketry and matting) from archaeological sites in the western Great Basin. Research focused on strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (18O/16O) isotope ratios of willow (Salix sp.) and tule (Schoenoplectus sp.), the dominant raw materials in Great Basin textiles. The oxygen-isotope data indicated that the willow and tule used to produce the textiles were harvested from the banks of rivers or in marshes characterized by flowing water and not from lakes or sinks. The strontium-isotope data were useful in showing which plants came from the Humboldt River and which came from rivers headed in the Sierra Nevada.

Publication Year 2006
Title Isotope sourcing of prehistoric willow and tule textiles recovered from western Great Basin rock shelters and caves - proof of concept
DOI 10.1016/j.jas.2006.02.012
Authors L. V. Benson, E.M. Hattori, Howard E. Taylor, S.R. Poulson, E.A. Jolie
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Journal of Archaeological Science
Index ID 70028585
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse