Monte Arci

Tykot, R.H. (1997). Characterization of the Monte Arci (Sardinia) obsidian sources. Journal of Archaeological Science 24 467-479. 

A mildly silica undersaturated to saturated series (trachybasalt to trachyte) with a moderate alkali content and a Na- to mildly K-alkaline affinity. This comprises most of the Plio-Quatemary rocks, including some lavas from Monte Arci. 

A silica oversaturated series (basalt-dacite-trachyte-rhyolite) having a tholeiitic affinity. The large majority of Monte Arci rocks fall along this trend. 

Volcanic centre Monte Arci Capo Ferrato Rio Girone Logudoro Montiferro Orosei-Dorgali ... 

Cioni R, Clocchiatti R, Di Paola GM, Santacroce R, Tonarini S (1982) Miocene calc-alkaline heritage in the Pliocene post-collisional volcanism of Monte Arci (Sardinia, Italy). J Volcanol Geotherm Res 14 133-167 Cioni R, Laurenzi MA, Sbrana A, Villa IM (1993) 40Ar/39Ar chronostratigraphy of the initial activity of the Sabatini volcanic complex (Italy). Boll Soc Geol It 112 251-263... 

For Sardinia, the exploitation of multiple sources was noted prior to the actual identification and characterization of each outcrop. The obsidian sources in the Monte Arci region of Sardinia have now been thoroughly documented and geochemically characterized 18, 19), while the results of recent fieldwork by this author on the other islands are expected to add significantly to earlier studies on Lipari 20), Palmarola 21, 22), and Pantelleria 23, 24). The western Mediterranean sources are briefly described here ... 

Sardinian A. Type SA obsidian is black, glassy, and highly translucent. Abundant nodules up to 40 cm are typically found in soft perlitic matrices at Conca Cannas and Su Paris de Monte Bingias in the southwestern part of Monte Arci. Individual microlite crystals are visible in transmitted light, often with some flow orientation. 

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