Themed thread: Rare/unique artifact materials from your area.

[LandSeig]

Post your points/artifacts that are materials unique to your area. All pictures welcome and please add a description explaining material as well. For instance one of my favorite local is petrified wood or petrified palm, it comes in a lot of different colors locally. I have found chalky white with jet black interior, black/red, and light blue palm wood. Some knaps better than others.

One I found:

One I knapped:

 

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[CreekSide]

I believe these are all the same type of material enjoyed by many periods

 

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[CreekSide]

Another R&V variation of colors

 

[11KBP]

Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk

Out here in the Central Great Plains one of the predominant chert sources is called Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk which is oftentimes shortened to “Smoky Hill jasper”. This lithic source is found in the upper layer of the Smoky Hill chalk member of the Niobrara Formation. The Niobrara Formation is within the Cretaceous geologic time period. It is also known by other names including Niobrara jasper, Republican River jasper, Graham jasper and several others.
The below exhibit is one of several I made up to show materials specifically from the Smoky Hill jasper sources.

Additional notes concerning the above exhibit:

1. The upper left hand corner basically demonstrates the fact that Smoky Hill chert
was utilized by all Central Plains cultures from Paleo to Late Prehistoric.

2. Upper right hand corner shows the color range of Smoky Hill but it is not all
inclusive, there are other variations.

3. Bottom left corner provides examples showing the different patinas Smoky Hill chert can
acquire with the coal black patina being the most dramatic change in surface coloration.

4. Bottom right hand corner provides examples of banded Smoky Hill chert which is oftentimes
confused with petrified wood.

Artifacts made from Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk. The black piece exhibits a deep black patina which is sometimes observed on river found pieces.

Two Large bifaces of Smoky Hill. I might add that in it raw form it is usually found in tabular lenses.

 

[CreekSide]

Some really nice examples

 

[newnan man]

Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk

Out here in the Central Great Plains one of the predominant chert sources is called Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk which is oftentimes shortened to “Smoky Hill jasper”. This lithic source is found in the upper layer of the Smoky Hill chalk member of the Niobrara Formation. The Niobrara Formation is within the Cretaceous geologic time period. It is also known by other names including Niobrara jasper, Republican River jasper, Graham jasper and several others.
The below exhibit is one of several I made up to show materials specifically from the Smoky Hill jasper sources.
View attachment 2152673


Additional notes concerning the above exhibit:

1. The upper left hand corner basically demonstrates the fact that Smoky Hill chert
was utilized by all Central Plains cultures from Paleo to Late Prehistoric.

2. Upper right hand corner shows the color range of Smoky Hill but it is not all
inclusive, there are other variations.

3. Bottom left corner provides examples showing the different patinas Smoky Hill chert can
acquire with the coal black patina being the most dramatic change in surface coloration.

4. Bottom right hand corner provides examples of banded Smoky Hill chert which is oftentimes
confused with petrified wood.

View attachment 2152675
Artifacts made from Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk. The black piece exhibits a deep black patina which is sometimes observed on river found pieces.

View attachment 2152676
Two Large bifaces of Smoky Hill. I might add that in it raw form it is usually found in tabular lenses.

Thank you, I had never heard of that material before.

 

[Rockdog]

Really nice frame. I really like the bifaces. Are these all personal finds?

 

[ToddsPoint]

Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk

Out here in the Central Great Plains one of the predominant chert sources is called Smoky Hill Silicified Chalk which is oftentimes shortened to “Smoky Hill jasper”.

Very nice display. I’ve knapped this stuff and they called it “Niobrara Jasper”. Very nice material.

 

[11KBP]

Really nice frame. I really like the bifaces. Are these all personal finds?

Yes, all artifacts in these images are personal finds of mine and my dads.

 

[11KBP]

Very nice display. I’ve knapped this stuff and they called it “Niobrara Jasper”. Very nice material.

Thanks ToddsPoint.
The problem of using “Niobrara” as the name for identifying the silicified chalk sources found in Kansas and Nebraska is the fact that the Niobrara formation extends from Canada to New Mexico but the silicified chalk outcrops are only found in the Smoky Hill member of the Niobrara formation. Using the term Smoky Hill chert or jasper is more appropriate as it narrows down the actual lithic outcrop by incorporating the geological member’s name.

 

[newnan man]

Heat treated Florida Coral. You can see dark specs which were polyps. Even with a little bit of the stem missing this is one of my favorite points.

 

[Midden-marauder]

Knox Chert Variant

That's gorgeous. I see some of these beautiful points made of colored stone, natural glasses and crystal and I can only imagine the pleased look on the faces of those who made them. They are truly works of art in some cases

 

[Rockdog]

Heat treated Florida Coral. You can see dark specs which were polyps. Even with a little bit of the stem missing this is one of my favorite points.View attachment 2152830

That is real purdy! I see why it's a favorite.

 

[CreekSide]

That's gorgeous. I see some of these beautiful points made of colored stone, natural glasses and crystal and I can only imagine the pleased look on the faces of those who made them. They are truly works of art in some cases

I feel the same way

 

[Rockdog]

I feel the same way

That's half the fun in hunting. Trying to imagine who made it. Why they made it and how it got where you found it.

 

[ToddsPoint]

These were found by my head hunting partner. This is Payson flint. Old time collectors called it Brown Co flint because many artifacts made of it were found there. The source wasn’t found until the 70s in Adams Co, the county next to Brown. It’s only found in one small creek. Present landowners keep everyone out. The flint works great raw and was never heated. The source was evidently covered up after early archaic times and no woodland points were made from it. Paleo and early archaic only.

This is Paoli flint, also known as Carter Cave. It’s totally exotic for our area. Beautiful material.

This one is unknown material. A one off we’ve never seen before.

Indy Green, also called Attica flint. This material turns up occasionally but is generally fairly rare. The source is over 100 miles.

 

[CreekSide]

These were found by my head hunting partner. This is Payson flint. Old time collectors called it Brown Co flint because many artifacts made of it were found there. The source wasn’t found until the 70s in Adams Co, the county next to Brown. It’s only found in one small creek. Present landowners keep everyone out. The flint works great raw and was never heated. The source was evidently covered up after early archaic times and no woodland points were made from it. Paleo and early archaic only.View attachment 2152925

This is Paoli flint, also known as Carter Cave. It’s totally exotic for our area. Beautiful material.View attachment 2152926

This one is unknown material. A one off we’ve never seen before.View attachment 2152927

Indy Green, also called Attica flint. This material turns up occasionally but is generally fairly rare. The source is over 100 miles.View attachment 2152928

Amazing

 

[LandSeig]

These were found by my head hunting partner. This is Payson flint. Old time collectors called it Brown Co flint because many artifacts made of it were found there. The source wasn’t found until the 70s in Adams Co, the county next to Brown. It’s only found in one small creek. Present landowners keep everyone out. The flint works great raw and was never heated. The source was evidently covered up after early archaic times and no woodland points were made from it. Paleo and early archaic only.

Those are some awesome points, you know they knew of all the good spots out there to get material. No telling the material that was used up or lost and nobody knows where it came from like your unknown point.
Maybe we will see some manning fused glass, I know it’s super rare as well.

 

[newnan man]

Those are some of the nicest points I've ever seen.

 

[ToddsPoint]

This is called Utica banded. It outcrops along the IL River in LaSalle county IL. It was mainly used locally and doesn’t come in large pieces. We found a quarry up there and the flint was in a layer about 2” thick right near the top of the bluff overlooking the river. A good 10’ was dug away to expose and recover the flint. Utica, IL is about 160 mi north of where this point was found.

 

[Charl]

Oolitic chert, most likely sourced in Pa. Only piece I’ve found in Rhode Island. Jack’s Reef.