Obsidian Cliff
|
Obsidian Cliff
|
|
| File:Obsidian Cliff YNP1.jpg | |
|
Obsidian Cliff
|
|
| Nearest city | Mammoth Hot Springs, WY |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Area | 3,580 acres (14.5 km2)[1] |
| Architectural style | No Style Listed |
| NRHP Reference # | 96000973 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1996[2] |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996[3] |
Obsidian Cliff, also known as 48YE433, was an important source of lithic materials for prehistoric peoples in Yellowstone National Park near Mammoth Hot Springs, WY. The cliff was named by Philetus Norris, the second park superintendent in 1878.[4] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1996.[1][3]
The cliff was formed from thick rhyolite lava flow that occurred about 180,000 years ago. The vertical columns are cooling fractures that formed as the thick lava flow cooled and crystallized. The Cliffs stand at an elevation of nearly 7,400 ft. above sea level and go on for about half a mile. The cliffs also extend between 150 and 200 feet above Obsidian Creek. The flow consists of obsidian, a dark volcanic glass. The obsidian is most abundant at the base of the cliff and slowly tapers off to larger concentrations of pumice at the top. Obsidian from this site was first quarried here about 12,000 years ago. Early natives of North America placed a high value on the obsidian that came from this cliff as well as other similar obsidian deposits in the area because numerous tools could be fashioned from obsidian - most popularly knives, spear/arrow tips, and other sharp edged objects. In fact, obsidian from Obsidian Cliff was so sought after in early America (before the time of Columbus) that it was traded as far away as Ohio and Canada.
Many studies have been done on the composition of the obsidian from Obsidian Cliff and how the obsidian from Obsidian Cliff was distributed. This research has provided evidence of the direction and extent of prehistoric trade networks.[5]
It is located about 13 miles (21 km) south of Mammoth Hot Springs, on the east side of the Mammoth-Norris section of the Grand Loop Road.[1] The Obsidian Cliff Kiosk, just north, is also listed on the National Register. Obsidian Cliff is also located on the northern end of Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. and Accompanying nine photos, from 1884, 1889, 1920 and 1989 PDF (32 KB)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Obsidian Cliff National Historic Landmark at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Obsidian Cliff. |
|
Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
Historic structures and other attractions in the Mammoth Hot Springs area
|
||
| Structures and History |
 |
|
| Geography and Geology |
||
|
||
Media related to 
- Pages with broken file links
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Landforms of Yellowstone National Park
- Cliffs of the United States
- Landforms of Park County, Wyoming
- Volcanism of Wyoming
- Native American history of Wyoming
- National Historic Landmarks in Wyoming
- Natural features on the National Register of Historic Places
- Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming
- Landforms of Wyoming
