Sourcing Obsidian and Pitchstone from the Wakanui Site, Canterbury, New Zealand

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2010-10-01

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24

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2

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IN NEW ZEALAND, THE UTILITY AND AVAILABILITY of obsidian is evidenced by its common presence in archaeological assemblages. Obsidian’s physical properties facilitated the easy production of flakes with extremely sharp edges, and made it an important raw material for the first colonizers of Aotearoa. The presence of obsidian in stone assemblages from the earliest known archaeological sites indicates that sources were rapidly located and utilized. Place names often acknowledge the presence of obsidian sources by the incorporation of mata (obsidian, quartz, flint or chert; a sharp cutting stone) or tuhua (obsidian; specifically Mayor Island obsidian).

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Easter Island, Rapa Nui

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