Obsidian was widely used for cutting and scraping tools during the Old and New Stone Ages, starting in the Lower Paleolithic by early Homo (ca. The spread of Palmarola obsidian is much greater than previously thought, while in Malta, Pantelleria obsidian was specifically selected for burial accompaniments on Gozo.
One overall accomplishment is the documentation of long-distance travel routes in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas of the central Mediterranean, based on the distribution proportions and quantity of obsidian artifacts from different geological sources, apparently following a down-the-line prehistoric exchange system.
Obsidian scalpel studies portable#
While elemental analyses were used for identifying specific sources starting in the 1960s, the development of non-destructive and especially portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers has revolutionized the number of artifacts tested since 2010, allowing statistically significant numbers for potential comparisons based on variables including time period, open-water distance, visual and physical properties, and cultural contexts. Maritime transport was necessary for access to the Italian and Greek island sources, with the distribution of artifacts over distances up to 1000 km. In Europe and the Mediterranean, there are just several island sources, and a few in one inland region, all having been used since the beginning of the Neolithic period, ca. Volcanic obsidian was widely used in ancient times for stone tools, with its highly glassy nature making it sharper than other lithics for cutting purposes.
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