![]() Obsidian’s glass-like texture makes it incredibly sharp and it has been used in the place of surgical scalpels. Because of its rich color and shine, it is often found in jewelry and decorative elements as a semi-precious stone and is even used as mirrors. Obsidian was likely seen as an embodiment of these elements too for the people who brought it to the earthwork complexes here in the Scioto River Valley.Įven today obsidian is viewed as a very special material. In this natural space we can feel a connection to the earth and the forces of nature that are larger than us. Visitors to Yellowstone National Park come to see the steam propel up to the sky from geysers, marvel at the rich colors of the pools surrounding the thermal features and take in the terraces and rock formations formed by the volcanic activity and the movement of glaciers. The spiritual connection is still felt today. The material is formed from volcanic activity deep in the earth that rises up to the surface and is retrieved from a place surrounded by natural wonders. These spear points were broken intentionally, likely ritually destroyed before they were buried.Īrcheologists believe that for the ancient people in the Scioto River Valley, obsidian was strongly connected to the spiritual world. Four out of five of the obsidian spear points at Mound City were found broken alongside other ritual artifacts and human remains. They were likely only displayed or used during religious events. These spear points were not for hunting or everyday use-they were ceremonial. The largest obsidian spear, found in Hopewell Mound Group, is over 17 inches long and six inches wide. The obsidian found within the earthworks in the Scioto River Valley was shaped into large, elaborate spear points. Obsidian is a strong material, yet it can be easily shaped by chipping away flakes in a process called knapping. Either way, the journey from Yellowstone to Ohio was a life-changing event for those who completed it. The material was likely brought to Ohio by ancient peoples either making quests to the source to experience the journey as a religious experience similar to a religious pilgrimage or vision quest or was carried by those coming from faraway lands to participate in the ceremonial events occurring at the earthwork complexes in the Scioto River Valley. This leads archeologists to believe that the material was not traded down-the-line but carried directly to the Scioto Valley. In the vast amount of land between Ohio and Wyoming there is hardly any presence of obsidian other than in Hopewell sites. Note the horizontal break in the middle of the point, indicative of its ceremonial use. All the matches from Ohio obsidian artifacts can be traced back to the Yellowstone region.Īn obsidian spear point from the Hopewell culture. We know this from scientific studies on obsidian that compare the elements found in the obsidian in Ohio to different possible source sites in North America through techniques like x-ray fluorescence (XRF) which measures the chemicals in rocks, minerals, sediments, and liquids. The obsidian artifacts found in Hopewell Culture National Historical Park came from Obsidian Cliff in Wyoming, inside Yellowstone National Park, and Bear Gulch in Idaho, just west of the National Park boundary. However, the obsidian found in the earthworks here in the Scioto River Valley seems to be only black in color. Obsidian is naturally occurring glass that is jet black in color but can also be brown, tan, or green. What was it about this material that motivated the people who participated in the Hopewell culture to obtain it and place it within their magnificent earthworks in Ohio? Well, even today obsidian continues to be valued for its properties and its connections to the earth, a similar connection was likely true for the people who lived in the Scioto Valley 2,000 years ago. The nearest volcano is over 1,500 miles away in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. You might be wondering, “What is obsidian doing in the Scioto River valley in Ohio? There are no volcanoes here!” This is a reasonable question. It is naturally forming glass (a type of igneous rock) that is only formed from the rapid cooling of lava, so it only occurs in places where there are volcanoes. Obsidian Cliff in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
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