• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2019

We estimated the provenance of the obsidian artifacts from Samgeori site at Yeoncheon, one of the prehistoric sites in South Korea. Pyroxene microlites are of hedenbergite to augite compositions, and intergrown and/or overgrown with Fe-oxides showing poikilitic texture. Major oxides contents for the matrix of the obsidian artifacts exhibit a narrow compositional range, especially SiO₂ contents being 73.0~75.5 wt.% of acidic rhyolitic composition. Also, rare earth element (REE) contents are relatively constant in the obsidian artifacts, and the chondrite-normalized REE patterns show a strong Eu negative anomaly. These mineralogical and geochemical features of the Samgeori obsidian artifacts were compared with those from both the Baekdusan obsidians and Japanese Kyushu obsidians which have been thought to be two major obsidian provenances around South Korea. It is suggested that the Samgeori obsidian artifacts were possibly originated from the Baekdusan obsidians.