Obsidian Use Project
www.obsidianuseproject.org The utilization of Obsidian, a natural volcanic glass, within the Anatolian communities is the core of the Obsidian Use Project. Obsidian extracted from two regions, Central Anatolia (Cappadocia) and Eastern Anatolia (Bingöl, Van Lake area) were widely diffused in the Near-East. These raw materials were transported over hundreds of kilometers the most probably through exchange networks. Mechanical properties of obsidians allow the manufacture of a wide range of objects through different kinds of techniques and methods of knapping and polishing. Objects are mainly, for the periods under study, tools and secondarily, bracelets, pendants, vessels or mirrors. Obsidian is therefore for archaeologists a key element to study multiple technical practices related to different kind of subsistence or craft activities: harvesting,
