Obsidian Hydration
OBSIDIAN HYDRATION
There are two ways of Obsidian Hydration. One is to determine if the artifact is older or younger as the other is a calendar date of AD/BC being used. The decision of which one to use is relative or absolute dating depends on the environment's condition. The dating of Obsidian Hydration artifacts, which is based on the fact that a freshly made surface of obsidian will absorb water from it's surroundings to form a measurable hydration layer. For example, cracking of the lava flow on a cooling area, which is identified when a surface is exposed and where the dating now takes place and is being processed. There are different rates on different obsidians: some hydrate rapidly; whereas, others take their sweet and precious time and it continues until the surfaces are saturated. Obsidian Hydration is based on a fresh surface that is created on a piece of obsidian in a manufacturing process. Obsidian's contain roughly 0.2 water when a piece is being broken, cracked, or fractured. Water from the atmosphere is immediately attracted to it's surface and begins it's diffusion into the glass. The process of hydration continues until the fresh obsidian surface contains 3.5 percent of water, the saturation point of the process. To be observed under a microscope, the results of the hydration must be identified into thin sections out normal to the surface. A diffusion front can be recognized by a change of the inner edge of the hydration rind, which is refractive index. These rinds of hydration are more dense than the unhydration inside. Hydration observant can tell archaeologist how long it has been since the surface was created or processed, also known as flintknapping. Obsidian Hydration has three steps to determine it's calendar date from the artifact. They determine 1) the hydration rate, 2) the thickness of the hydration rim and 3) the soil temperature and soil relative humidity at the archaeological site. The hydration rate determines every
There are two ways of Obsidian Hydration. One is to determine if the artifact is older or younger as the other is a calendar date of AD/BC being used. The decision of which one to use is relative or absolute dating depends on the environment's condition. The dating of Obsidian Hydration artifacts, which is based on the fact that a freshly made surface of obsidian will absorb water from it's surroundings to form a measurable hydration layer. For example, cracking of the lava flow on a cooling area, which is identified when a surface is exposed and where the dating now takes place and is being processed. There are different rates on different obsidians: some hydrate rapidly; whereas, others take their sweet and precious time and it continues until the surfaces are saturated. Obsidian Hydration is based on a fresh surface that is created on a piece of obsidian in a manufacturing process. Obsidian's contain roughly 0.2 water when a piece is being broken, cracked, or fractured. Water from the atmosphere is immediately attracted to it's surface and begins it's diffusion into the glass. The process of hydration continues until the fresh obsidian surface contains 3.5 percent of water, the saturation point of the process. To be observed under a microscope, the results of the hydration must be identified into thin sections out normal to the surface. A diffusion front can be recognized by a change of the inner edge of the hydration rind, which is refractive index. These rinds of hydration are more dense than the unhydration inside. Hydration observant can tell archaeologist how long it has been since the surface was created or processed, also known as flintknapping. Obsidian Hydration has three steps to determine it's calendar date from the artifact. They determine 1) the hydration rate, 2) the thickness of the hydration rim and 3) the soil temperature and soil relative humidity at the archaeological site. The hydration rate determines every