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Although glass is a manufactured material, there exist several
forms of naturally formed glass. When lightning strikes a mass
of sand containing the right combination of minerals, objects
called fulgurites are formed. Brittle, glassy tubes, fulgurites
preserve the shape of the lightning strike as it diffuses through
the sand. Tektites, smooth, dumbbell-shaped glassy objects, are
the result of molten blobs of rock thrown up into the air when a
meterorite hits the earth. Volcanic glass, or obsidian, is formed
when the intense heat of a volcano fuses sand. Hard, black, and
shiny, obsidian forms sharp edges when broken and can be easily
worked to make bowls, mirrors, jewellery, knives, arrows, and
spearheads. The Native
peoples of western Canada traded obsidian
from the Yukon and Alaska up and down the Pacific coast.
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What Is Glass? |
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Canadian Glass Practical Glass | Industrial Glass | The Glass of Science and Medicine Inspirational Glass | Further Reading | Web Sites | Credits |
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Date created: November 30, 1998Last updated: June 19, 2001
© Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
