Steatite artifacts

Allen, R.O., Luckenbach, A.H. and Holland, C.G. (1975). The application of instrumental neutron activation analysis to a study of prehistoric steatite artifacts and source material. Archaeometry 17 69-83. 

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis to a Study of Prehistoric Steatite Artifacts and Source Materials, Archaeometry (1975) 17(1), 69. 

One important group of lithic artifacts are those made of the softer stones such as steatite. These cultural objects are in general symbolic or decorative objects or are used as containers. These objects reflect an expansion of activities beyond the immediate quest for food. Soapstone is particularly interesting because it occurs in relatively few areas and yet was widely used. Its utility comes from its soft, easily carvable texture and its coeflBcient of thermal expansion which allows heating without cracking. 

The use of trace element analysis to determine the provenance of archaeological materials has expanded rapidly in the last decade. It is now a well-established technique for the identification of obsidian source deposits (J), and is nearly as established for turquoise (2), steatite (3), and some ceramic materials (4). Native copper has received much less attention. Friedman et al. (5), Fields et al. (6), and Bowman et al. (7) used trace element analyses to determine the type of geological ore from which copper was extracted. However, only our efforts (8) and the work of Goad and Noakes (9) have focused on collecting and analyzing native copper from all potential deposits of a given region to provide a data base for statistical comparison with artifact trace element compositions. 

The name soapstone comes from the fact that the stone is very soft. From a formal point of view, soapstone is a compact form of talcum powder (steatite), the fundamental chemical formula of which is Mg3Si40i6(0H)2. This basic silicate is the softest one on the scale ofMohs. Nowadays, soapstone is used to produce artistic artifacts such as statues as well as utensils such as pottery (Fig. 8.7). Care must be taken in its manipulation, due to its possible inhalation toxicity [3]. 

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