Variations in fluvial reworking of Polish moldavites induced by hydrogeological change

Abstract

Moldavites as ejecta glasses are fragile and transient: they are quickly abraded in fluvial conditions, this was confirmed by tumbling experiments. In the present study, multiple tumbling experiments were conducted to simulate the hydrogeological conditions of deposition of moldavites found in several different gravel pits. These experiments threw new light on the evolution of tektites during reworking. It appears that the original glass shape and mass as well as environmental conditions such as river velocity and the type of sediment with which they are associated are all important variables. However, the experiment did not simulate other significant variables, such as the variability of environmental energy. With given advantageous conditions, moldavite glasses could probably have withstood dozen kilometers of reworking, but this assertion is not sufficient to constrain the distance to their supply areas.