Porcellanite

[Saguache]

I've had this piece for a while and believed it to be Montana porcellanite from the Yellowstone River in the eastern part of the state. Research makes me somewhat uncertain of that so I thought I'd get some opinions. The color is a light grey and the large flaked face has a dull sheen and is very smooth. The worked lower edge in the second picture and finger flakeing shows that it is designed as a fist size scraper. Other cortex surfaces & some previously flacked areas are highly polished.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Tdog]

 

[Saguache]

I just came across some info about Arkansas Porcelain Novaculite which [in the second picture] looks exactly like my piece.

https://www.arrowheads2013.com/q-vi-24.html


Tdog...thx for your help answering the question...

 

[Ponchosportal]

Simply a variety of chert (SiO2).

 

[Quartzite Keith]

Don't know if this helps any, but I bought some porcellanite a year ago for knapping. Below are pictures of one of the large flakes I have left. I also got a small piece that was chocolate brown. You found it in the right neck of the woods. Looks kind of polished, was it in an area where sand/grit was blowing over it?

 

[Relicgrubber]

Tdog...whatch you been smokin' dude...?

The real question I have is "whatchu been smoking" that makes you see a rock altered by man?


Maybe post close-ups of the chattered edges to convince me it has been altered by the ancients...

 

[Ponchosportal]

Porcellanite is a variety of chert.

 

[Tdog]

Tdog...whatch you been smokin' dude...?
Tdog...thx for you help answering the question...

Hey friend, when I read your initial post and saw those pics (specifically the 2nd pic), I realized that you think the edge is flaked on that piece. I only wanted to point out that to me, it doesn't look flaked other than by natural forces. I don't think I actually answered your question but I didn't want to stir up anything more to take away from it. I could have just let it go altogether.

 

[Huzzah!]

View attachment 1749819

Looks like an alien’s head.

I’m not saying Aliens, but, aliens.

And that is a great piece of material!