The Obsidian Cliff Plateau, Prehistoric Lithic Source, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Davis LB, Aaberg SA, Schmitt JG. 1995. The Obsidian Cliff Plateau, Prehistoric Lithic Source, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. National Park Service. Denver, Colorado.
The Obsidian Cliff Plateau is famous as a slong-suspected source of archeological obsidian found east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. While it is one of a number of glassy rhyolite flows in the Yellowstone rhyolite plateau, it is set apart by the intensity and duration over which it was exploited when compared to any other Central Rocky Mountain obsidian source and most other North American quarries. Early Native Americans were using Obsidian Cliff plateau obsidian at least 11,000 years ago. The National Park Service contracted with Montana State University to obtain technical data to support the development of a National Historic Landmark nomination for the Obsidian Cliff plateau. The 1989 archeological reconnaissance of the Obsidian Cliff plateau yielded several products useful for research and management: 1) a map of specific archeological obsidian procurement loci; 2) an extensive literature review; 3) a selective compilation of Obsidian Cliff plateau flow geological and archeological geochemistries from Montana archeological sites, and comparable data for other archeological obsidian specimens from interior Western North American sources; and 4) a draft National Historic Landmark nomination.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Davis, Leslie; Aaberg, Steven; Schmitt, James
- Date of Issue
- 1995
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- HIST , YELL
- Keywords
- Archeology, ehistory, lithic, technology, Yellowstone