Obsidians from the Sinbuk archaeological site in Korea - Evidences for strait crossing and long-distance exchange of raw material in Paleolithic Age

Geochemical analysis of obsidian artifacts from the Sinbuk Paleolithic site in southwestern Korea has been performed by laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS). As a result of this study, 23 samples among total 28 obsidians excavated from the site have been identified as belonging to at least four chemical groups, namely, two groups originating from the Paektusan volcano and two groups originating from sources on Kyushu, Japan. The results suggest seafaring between Korea and Japan during the Paleolithic. Other archaeological implications of these findings are discussed.