Fig 1.
Keros and the obsidian sources considered in the study, plus distant sites mentioned in the text.
Compiled in QGIS 3.16.3 using a basemap made from Natural Earth data by O. Crowdy.
Fig 2.
Map showing the main sites mentioned in the text.
Compiled in QGIS 3.16.3 using a basemap made from Natural Earth data by O. Crowdy.
Fig 3.
The western tip of Keros and the islet of Dhaskalio, showing the location of the looted Special Deposit North, plus the sanctuary at the Special Deposit South, and the settlement on Dhaskalio excavated between 2006−08.
Reprinted from [2] under a CC BY license, with permission from Antiquity, original copyright 2012.
Fig 4.
Map of the Small Cyclades (Mikres Kyklades) between Naxos and Amorgos, the black dots indicating Early Bronze Age sites.
Reprinted from [7] under a CC BY license, with permission from the McDonald Institute for Archaeology, original copyright 2013.
Fig 5.
Plan of the trenches excavated at Dhaskalio, 2007−08.
Reprinted from [57] under a CC BY license, with permission from the McDonald Institute for Archaeology, original copyright 2013.
Table 1.
The quantity of obsidian from the deposits detailed in the paper, and the proportion of those assemblages elementally characterized. FS = flaked stone; SDS = Special Deposit South (data from [9,50]).
Fig 6.
6a Stone features recorded in the Special Deposit South; 6b obsidian finds by excavation trench within the Special Deposit South.
Reproduced from [59] under a CC BY license, with permission from the McDonald Institute for Archaeology, original copyright 2015.
Fig 7.
Techno-typological classes represented in the Kavos Special Deposit South, and Dhaskalio Phases A, B and C Melian obsidian assemblages, as determined by visual characterization (F1 = flake with 80–100% cortex; F2 = 5–80% cortex; F3 = 0–5% cortex; Prep = preparation piece; B/F = blade-like flake; Rejuv = rejuvenation; Und = undiagnostic).
Reprinted from [9] under a CC BY license, with permission from the McDonald Institute for Archaeology, original copyright 2013.
Fig 8.
Obsidian pressure blade cores and cortical production and rejuvenation flakes from the Special Deposit South, Kavos analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 9.
Obsidian initial (crested) and secondary series blades from the Special Deposit South, Kavos analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 10.
Obsidian prismatic pressure blades from the Special Deposit South, Kavos analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 11.
Obsidian prismatic pressure blades from the Special Deposit South, Kavos and core rejuvenation pieces analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Table 2.
The analyzed Kavos obsidian artifacts, by context, source, and blank type. (RS = Rock-shelter).
Fig 12.
General reconstruction of Early Bronze Age obsidian blade-core preparation and reduction sequence in the Cyclades. L. Labriola.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 13.
Obsidian pressure blade cores from Dhaskalio analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki, and those in purple, from East Göllü Dağ. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 14.
Obsidian cores, flakes and blades from Dhaskalio analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki, and those in purple, from East Göllü Dağ. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 15.
Obsidian pressure blades and rejuvenation flakes from Dhaskalio analyzed in this study; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 16.
Obsidian prismatic pressure blades from Dhaskalio; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki, and those in purple, from East Göllü Dağ. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 17.
Obsidian retouched prismatic pressure blades and flakes from Dhaskalio; all raw materials sourced to Sta Nychia, except those highlighted in grey, from Dhemenegaki. M. Milić.
Original copyright with the authors.
Table 3.
The analyzed Dhaskalio obsidian artifacts, by context, phase, source and blank type.
Fig 18.
Various obsidian types from the Keros excavations.
Reprinted from [9] under a CC BY license, with permission from the McDonald Institute for Archaeology, original copyright 2013.
Fig 19.
Bivariate contents plot of Zr vs. Sr for geological samples from the Aegean, Carpathians, and main central Anatolian obsidian sources considered in this study, detailing results of being analyzed by the pXRF for 60 and 120 seconds.
R. Moir. Original copyright with the authors.
Table 4.
Elemental compositions of Kavos obsidian artifacts as determined by pXRF. Values expressed in ppm [parts per million]; RV = recommended values.
Fig 20.
Bivariate contents plot of Zr vs. Sr for geological samples from the Aegean, Carpathians, and main central Anatolian obsidian sources, plus the 103 Kavos artifacts.
R. Moir. Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 21.
Bivariate ratio plot of Rb/Zr vs. Sr/Zr for geological samples from Dhemenegaki and Sta Nychia (Melos), plus the 100 Kavos artifacts.
R. Moir. Original copyright with the authors.
Table 5.
Elemental compositions of Dhaskalio obsidian artifacts as determined by pXRF. Values expressed in ppm [parts per million]; RV = recommended values; * = 60 seconds.
Fig 22.
Bivariate contents plot of Zr vs. Sr for geological samples from the Aegean, Carpathians, and main central Anatolian obsidian sources, plus the 104 Dhaskalio artifacts.
R. Moir. Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 23.
Bivariate ratio plot of Fe/Rb vs. Rb/Zr for geological samples from Dhemenegaki and Sta Nychia (Melos), plus the 104 Dhaskalio artifacts.
R. Moir. Original copyright with the authors.
Table 6.
Summary results of the Keros sourcing analysis by deposit. SN = Sta Nychia, DH = Dhemenegaki, EGD = East Göllü Dağ.
Table 7.
Relative proportion of Melian obsidian detailed by characterization studies in Early Bronze Age [EB] – Middle Bronze Age [MB] Aegean assemblages where the study sample is ≥ 10 artifacts. Data from [14,28,63,107] and this paper.
Fig 24.
Width/thickness ratios of prismatic blades (pressure end-products) from various EBA Cycladic and Cretan assemblages, the obsidian identified visually as Melian.
Data from [105], plus unpublished data from Malia and Sissi. T. Carter. Original copyright with the authors.
Fig 25.
Schematic representation of the reduction sequence stages represented in the (a) Sta Nychia, (b) Dhemenegaki, and (c) East Göllü Dağ obsidian assemblages from Phase C Dhaskalio.
Modified from an illustration by L. Labriola. Original copyright with the authors.