pXRF analysis is used to identify the geographic origins of obsidian artifacts from a seventeenth-century New Mexico Spanish homestead. Socio-economic factors that may have influenced the presence of obsidian sources found at the site are then examined. The analysis provides a needed starting point to begin addressing questions concerning the incidence of obsidian and other flaked lithics recovered at early Spanish sites in the region and demonstrates the potential of obsidian to investigate broader historical archaeological and anthropological issues. I conclude that interpretations concerning the presence of lithic artifacts at Spanish sites need to move beyond functional explanations (e.g. lack of metal or material properties) and, instead, incorporate analysis with documentary evidence (when available) and larger social and economic contexts.

pXRF 分析用于确定来自 17 世纪新墨西哥州西班牙宅基地的黑曜石文物的地理起源。然后检查可能影响在该地点发现的黑曜石来源的存在的社会经济因素。该分析提供了一个必要的起点，可以开始解决有关该地区早期西班牙遗址出土的黑曜石和其他片状石器发生率的问题，并展示了黑曜石在调查更广泛的历史考古和人类学问题方面的潜力。我得出的结论是，关于西班牙遗址存在石器文物的解释需要超越功能解释（例如缺乏金属或材料特性），而是将分析与书面证据（如果有）和更大的社会和经济背景结合起来。