15 Facts About Obsidian

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth.

Obsidian is produced from felsic lava, rich in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium.

Obsidian is hard, brittle, and amorphous; it therefore fractures with sharp edges.

Obsidian is formed from quickly cooled lava, which is the parent material.

Obsidian is mineral-like, but not a true mineral because, as a glass, it is not crystalline; in addition, its composition is too variable to be classified as a mineral.

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Obsidian is found near volcanoes in locations which have undergone rhyolitic eruptions.

Obsidian can be found in the eastern U S states of Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Obsidian bladelets were used in ritual circumcisions and cutting of umbilical cords of newborns.

Obsidian artifacts are common at Tell Brak, one of the earliest Mesopotamian urban centers, dating to the late fifth millennium BC.

Obsidian was valued in Stone Age cultures because, like flint, it could be fractured to produce sharp blades or arrowheads in a process called knapping.

Obsidian played an important role in the transmission of Neolithic knowledge and experiences.

Obsidian has been found in Gilat, a site in the western Negev in Israel.

Obsidian mirrors were used by some Aztec priests to conjure visions and make prophesies.

Obsidian was used on Rapa Nui for edged tools such as Mataia and the pupils of the eyes of their Moai, which were encircled by rings of bird bone.

Obsidian is used by some surgeons for scalpel blades, although this is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use on humans.