SUPERIOR

Sections 7,8,9,16,17 R12E T2S USGS Picketpost Mtn and Superior 7.5' Quads, Tonto National Forest (and private), northeast Pinal County, Arizona. The Superior obsidian locality is one of the most well-known glass sources in the Southwest (Reynolds et al. 1986). The perlite here was mined historically and "Apache Tears" are sold by individuals owning land on the source.

At Superior, the nodules are definitely eroding from perlite. Reynolds et al. exhibit a photograph of marekenites embedded in the perlite matrix (1986). Nodules are most common on the east slope of Picketpost Mountain within a rhyolite/perlite regolith and in small washes eroding north into Queen Creek. No nodules were recorded embedded within perlite, but marekenites were recovered with perlite still attached. Nodule densities are up to 20 per m², but the nodule sizes are generally less than 5 cm in diameter. Some are 'on sale' that approach 8 cm. The density and nodule size recorded are probably skewed by the heavy collection that has occurred here in recent years.

Cortical material is primarily a thin whitish perlite, with black glass showing. The aphyric glass is consistently nearly transparent brown; a few nodules show some small bands. The glass is an excellent knapping material, second to none in the study area and equaled only by Vulture, Sauceda, and Antelope Wells.

Reduction of the nodules is actually uncommon at the source. This may be due to common prehistoric knowledge concerning the consistent good quality. Hankat Cave (AZ U:16:6 ASU), an Archaic period rockshelter about 20 km south exhibited a relatively large proportion of cores, flakes, debitage, and bifaces of Superior obsidian in the assemblage (Ackerly 1986; Chapter 8, this study). Many reduced nodules and Archaic projectile points were less than 5cm in diameter, suggesting that the nodule size found today may not be too different than during the Archaic period. The source material does appear in other Archaic through Classic Hohokam contexts in central Arizona (cf. P. Brown 1982), so the glass was commonly used (Ebinger 1984; Shackley 1986b; 1986c). Reynolds et al. (1986), Wilson and Roseveare (1945); Wilson and Moore (1959b) and the above are references for this source.

Raw elemental concentrations for Superior (Picketpost Mtn) source standards. All measurements in parts per million (ppm).

`SAMPLE`	`Ti`	`Mn`	`Fe`	`Rb`	`Sr`	`Y`	`Zr`	`Nb`	`Ba`
`1`	`764.792`	`496.256`	`7868.058`	`131.159`	`21.377`	`27.426`	`98.907`	`34.506`	`237.033`
`2`	`708.877`	`455.838`	`7518.094`	`125.691`	`20.304`	`24.009`	`96.124`	`32.089`	`238.850`
`3`	`807.983`	`497.862`	`7859.557`	`129.290`	`16.229`	`20.507`	`100.657`	`32.411`	`254.606`
`4`	`755.987`	`492.547`	`7785.529`	`128.389`	`16.118`	`25.014`	`97.928`	`33.131`	`250.318`
`5`	`830.744`	`472.913`	`7708.371`	`129.974`	`19.074`	`23.347`	`104.945`	`29.257`	`239.130`
`6`	`778.245`	`478.204`	`7926.753`	`132.729`	`20.997`	`24.332`	`94.464`	`31.882`	`250.877`
`7`	`795.609`	`499.892`	`7827.319`	`129.608`	`21.692`	`28.734`	`99.703`	`32.689`	`241.578`
`8`	`898.692`	`536.639`	`8175.418`	`136.316`	`20.078`	`25.276`	`101.288`	`35.442`	`242.325`
`9`	`718.389`	`479.033`	`7915.058`	`127.574`	`18.724`	`26.186`	`101.411`	`29.963`	`244.648`
`10`	`829.324`	`478.722`	`7870.016`	`130.044`	`17.717`	`26.428`	`100.036`	`35.020`	`248.500`
`11`	`795.502`	`503.501`	`8065.265`	`133.471`	`20.369`	`27.296`	`99.714`	`32.780`	`240.008`
`12`	`1298.103`	`490.711`	`8022.268`	`128.439`	`15.891`	`25.996`	`100.973`	`31.497`	`241.366`
`13`	`831.688`	`474.975`	`7810.181`	`130.301`	`19.601`	`23.883`	`101.700`	`32.020`	`239.274`