Under the shadow of Mt. Whitney lies California's Owens Valley, the deepest valley in North America. This is a landscape of contrasting environments from snow-capped spires to desert valleys, from volcanic moonscapes to verdant marshlands. Unlike the miners of the California gold rush who sought gold for the easy riches it would bring them, the native cultures of the region sought a different rock, precious to them for their very survival: Obsidian. Black glass. With advances in the analysis of obsidian, archaeologists are taking a second look at what ancient arrowheads, points and flakes can tell them.

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Length: 26:47 min. Country: USA Language: English Producer: Phil Gross (Cinnabar Video), and Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc Producers Web site: N/A Distributor: Cinnabar Video Distributor Web site: http://www.cinnabarvideo.com Copyright: 2002 by California Department of Transportation

Festival Screenings and Awards:

Telly Award
Daily Viewing: Mono Lake Basin Visitor Center