This year’s virtual conference includes presentations by specialists on a wide array of obsidian studies—from natural geologic sciences to anthropology. Following the goal of our prior conferences, we remain global in scope and showcase contributions from nearly all geographical regions. We have assembled three full days of presentations and posters on themes that include:• Obsidian Sourcing Studies in Archaeology• Analytical Methods• Lithic and Technological Concerns• Theoretical and Cultural Concerns

A radical/polar crossover annulation between allyl-substituted arenes and electron-deficient alkenes is described. Cobalt-catalyzed hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) facilitates tandem radical C-C bond formation that generates functionalized tetralin products in the face of potentially problematic hydrofluorination, hydroalkoxylation, hydrogenation, alkene isomerization, and radical polymerization reactions. The reactions proceed under mild conditions that tolerate many functional groups, leading to a broad substrate scope. This powerful ring-forming reaction very quickly assembles complex tetralins that are the formal products of the largely infeasible Diels-Alder cycloadditions of styrenes.

We report the structural revision via synthesis of the abietane diterpenoid plebeianiol A. The synthesis was accomplished by a short and convergent sequence that featured our previously established cobalt-catalyzed hydrogen-atom-transfer-induced radical bicyclization. We further connected plebeianiol A as the likely biogenetic precursor to another previously reported ether-bridged abietane. Finally, we demonstrated that the key cyclization event is efficient with the A-ring diol protected as two different cyclic acetals or in unprotected form.