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Obsidian is a volcanic glass that produces sharp edges when chipped. Because it is a glass, forming obsidian into blades, arrowheads and scrapers without shattering requires a great deal of skill. Mesopotamia had to import obsidian from its sources in Anatolia, and so the presence of obsidian at sites in Syria, Iraq and the Levant attests to long-distance trade networks during very early periods.

 Map of Obsidian Trade

Name: Obsidian Tools

Material: Obsidian

Size:
37 mm (1.5 in)
49 mm (1.9 in)
32 mm (1.3 in)

Date: Zarzian

Place of Origin: Palegawra, Iraq

Location: Oriental Institute Museum

Source and Registration#: Oriental Institute Museum, OIM A66525, A66526, A66527

Gil Stein

Director of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago