A phased archaeological research program that emphasizes obsidian studies tailored for a locality context sparse in obsidian is reported here. Working hypotheses regarding the antiquity of use of the Los Vaqueros watershed, economic ties, and changes in obsidian procurement strategies and settlement-sybsistence were tested. Several revised testable hypotheses are advanced that may explain study results and the nature of the inferred changes. Research implications for use of the proposed methodology in similar obsidian-poor localities are evaluated.