What Obsidian is. :
What Obsidian is. Obsidian is lava, that is cooled. Now, so is granite and basalt, but these cool slowly so crystals form and these crystals hold the molecules together. Obsidian cools very rapidly, so there are no crystals to re-enforce the bond. This is why it flakes and chips so easily. Without the crystals it becomes a glass, and at the edges of obsidian that has been chipped you can see through it.
Indian uses for obsidian :
Indian uses for obsidian The Indians that lived in, what is now called California, called obsidian “sacred glass from the sky” and used it to make arrowheads and axes, they even invented myths to explain why it came here, and why they used it.
The Native Americans and the modern Americans. :
The Native Americans and the modern Americans. One of the uses of obsidian that our two time periods both use is obsidian needles. These needles occur naturally and can be anywhere from pencil lead sized to a two by four sized piece. Some people use them for sewing now and then, but just now we use them for wind chimes also. These shards occur if the obsidian cools beyond the threshold of crystallization and then it cracks and splinters.
Modern American :
Modern American We, meaning surgeons and doctors, use obsidian tools such as scalpels because they have the sharpest edge that we can get without a laser. One of these scalpels costs about 85 dollars.
Obsidian knapping :
Obsidian knapping We (Modern Americans) also knap (to flake or crush parts of the obsidian) obsidian. We use more advanced tools like iron and rasping stones made from manmade stuff like concrete to file and smash off parts of the obsidian. We also use old whalebone for knapping but the whalebone is shaped like a pen.