The obsidian excavated from the Janghung-ri paleolithic site in Cheolwon are chemically classified by analyzing the principal compositions using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM)-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy(EDS) and their provenance classified by analyzing the trace elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy(ICP-MS). In Addition, based on the obsidian analysis data of the paleolithic age published and Baekdusan(mountain), where is the Korean obsidian provenance, a number of obsidian excavated from Janghung-ri paleolithic site are studied about the correlation with them.
At first, as the results of chemical classification by analyzing the principal compositions, all of the obsidian are acidic rock, rhyolite and subalkaline series, and three obsidian show relatively much different principal compositions. This result show that a number of obsidian excavated from Janghung-ri paleolithic site are constituted with two kinds of obsidian differed from the principal compositions. This is corresponded to the classification result of the trace elements. Comparing the previous obsidian analysis published with obsidian excavated from Janghung-ri paleolithic site, the latter is classified by two different kinds of obsidian chemically, in that, one is similar to Baekdusan(mountain) as chemical compositions and the other belongs to the obsidian from Sangmuyong-ri, Yanggu. Therefore some of the obsidian excavated from Janghung-ri paleolithic site might be come from Baekdusan(mountain) and the provenance of the rest are not clear so far, but they are much correlated with the obsidian from Sangmuyong-ri, Yanggu.
By mean of the further studies about the obsidian of the paleolithic age to make database, it could help to figure out the correlation and provenance of the paleolithic sites.