Networks of Stone: Obsidian, Trade, and Connection

The materials that appear at Göbekli Tepe provide a window into the networks of exchange and connection that linked PPN communities across Upper Mesopotamia and beyond.

Obsidian is among the most informative of these materials.

This volcanic glass — sharp, lustrous, and brittle — was prized by PPN communities across the Fertile Crescent for its exceptional edge quality.

The best obsidian for tool-making had to be obtained from specific volcanic source deposits, and the major sources accessible to communities in Upper Mesopotamia were in eastern Anatolia, particularly around Lake Van and the volcanic fields of the area.

These sources were hundreds of kilometers from Göbekli Tepe.