5.8.3. Sampling during lab analysis

During lab analysis of surface collections from survey all diagnostic materials were analyzed, however only non-diagnostic lithics from select regions were investigated with the detail of the Phase II lab analysis. Non-diagnostic lithics from the obsidian source area were examined in Phase II, however in the collections from Blocks 2 and 3 only non-diagnostic surface lithics from within 200m of the excavation units in each block were examined comprehensively. Additionally, collections of non-diagnostic materials were examined on a site specific basis outside of the 200m buffer.

Sampling in the lab was required of the collections from the Q02-2u3 (Maymeja workshop) excavation materials. Although only 25% of the 1x1m was collected, the unit was almost entirely made up of cultural material and consisted of flaked obsidian artifacts. At the lab facilities at CIARQ all cores and bifaces were removed that remained in the collections from Q02-2u3, and then the collection was further sampled down to 5% by weight of the 25% from the original 1x1m test unit. From this subsample (1.25% of the original 1x1m unit) all complete flakes were recovered and the resulting sample was between 150 and 300 complete flakes for each provenience from Q02-2u3, which was an appropriate number for the analysis.