[Aztlan] NEW DISCOVERY ON ANCIENT CHACO TURQUOISE SOURCES

[michael ruggeri]

Listeros,

30 years ago, archaeological scientists using neutron activation  
analysis proved that turquoise mosaics from Chichen Itza going back  
to 900 AD used raw material from the Cerillos mine near Santa Fe, New  
Mexico, over 2000 miles away. It was assumed that the large site of  
Chaco in New Mexico used turquoise from the same Cerillos mine.

The Journal of Archaeological Science reports that a new technique  
was used on 11 samples dating from 550-1050 AD from Chaco Canyon  
sites called source characterization which measures copper and  
hydrogen isotope ratios using ion mass spectrometry. The scientists  
found that only two of the 11 samples came from Cerillos and the rest  
came from Orogrande in southern New Mexico and #8 mine in northern  
Nevada and one from the Montezuma source in southern Nevada.

Norman Hammond wrote this news item for the London Sunday Times and  
suggests all Mesoamerican turquoise items should now be studied anew  
to understand the complexity of the ancient turquoise trade.
Journal of Archaeological Science 35; 1355-1369

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/ 
article3872341.ece

Here is a tiny URL;

http://tinyurl.com/4v566s



Mike Ruggeri's The Casas Grandes World and the Turquoise Road


http://tinyurl.com/33gpu2