Flake
18149J
From: New Zealand | North Island | Northland Region | Whangarei
Curatorial Section: Oceanian
| Object Number | 18149J |
| Current Location | Collections Storage |
| Culture | Maori |
| Provenience | New Zealand | North Island | Northland Region | Whangarei |
| Period | Te Puawaitanga Period |
| Date Made | 1500-1800 CE |
| Section | Oceanian |
| Materials | Obsidian |
| Description | An obsidian flake, widely used for various purposes by the Māori prior to European contact. Obsidian was used throughout New Zealand (Aotearoa) as implements could be easily chipped from a core, and the edges would remain sharp. The main sources of obsidian in New Zealand are on the North Island; with Mayor Island, Northland, and the Coromandel and Taupo volcanic zones being the most common sources of obsidian deposits. |
| Length | 3.7 cm |
| Width | 2.4 cm |
| Thickness | 0.5 cm |
| Credit Line | Gift of William Pepper, 1891 |
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