192 THE FLORIDA ANTHROPOLOGIST

2006 VOL. 59(3-4)

 

Figure 1. Volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Atlantic regions (after Simkin 1981).

In some cases several fragments from the same piece or clast
were found together, thus the discrepancy between number of
pieces and number of artifacts.

Museum Collections

Thirty-six pumice artifacts were borrowed from the Histori-
cal Museum of Southern Florida (n=11), the Florida Museum
of Natural History (n=! 1), and the Florida Bureau of Archaeo-
logical Research (n=14). Table | provides a list of the pumice
artifacts obtained from each collection. These artifacts were
analyzed for all macroscopic categories described below, but
are not included in the statistical results discussed.

Macroscopic Analysis

Data on each pumice artifact was recorded on a separate
analysis sheet. Scaled drawings and photographs were made
for most of the pumice specimens. The following categories of
information, which are typically used in analysis of obsidian
(another volcanic glass) artifacts, were recorded for each
specimen:

Color: Hand Specimen

Colors noted for the weathered surface and at any breaks

were recorded using a Geological Society of America Rock-
Color Chart, which follows the Munsell system of describing
hue, value, and chroma. Colors observed ranged from light
pale yellow (2.5Y 7/2) to dark gray (1OYR 4/1). Common
colors (those with 5 or more examples) include dark gray
(10YR 4/1), gray (LOYR 5/1), gray to light gray (1OYR 6/1),
pale brown (10YR 6/3), light gray (IOYR 7/1 to 1OYR 7/2),
very pale brown (10YR 7/3 to 1OYR 7/4), brown (7.5YR 5/2 to
7.5YR 5/4), pinkish gray (7.5YR 6.5/2, 7.5YR 6/2), and light
brown (7.5YR 6/3 to 7.5YR 6/4).

Color: Texture

Color distribution, either on the surface or at fresh breaks,
was noted for each artifact. Typical variations include uniform
(color is evenly distributed), mottled (a variegated or patchy
distribution), banded (either distinct or indistinct bands of
color). In most cases color was uniformly distributed on the
specimens examined.

Surface Luster

Surface luster was examined at fresh breaks when possible,
though often no such breaks were present. Two major variants
of luster were noted—chatoyant, which is an iridescent or pearl-
like sheen (Figure 2), and earthy, which is a general lack of