Have you found a broken stone and wondered if it was part of an ancient tool, or just a natural rock? Dr. Connie Arzigian shows what to look for on broken or chipped stones-what features are made by humans when making stone tools, and how they differ from natural breaks. Check the timestamps below to learn more about chipped stones in general, and how to recognize them.
Dr. Connie Arzigian is an MVAC Senior Research Associate and Senior Lecturer, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology
Here’s what the video covers, and some links for further information:
Timecodes
00:00
00:06 - Introduction
01:10 - What is Chipped Stone?
07:57 - Raw Materials
12:30 - Characteristics of a Flake
17:02 - Summary and Sources for Further Information
Knife River Chalcedony or Knife River Flint was quarried from a site in North Dakota, though the raw material can be found from a wider area. It was one of the most popular stones that was widely traded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynch_Quarry_Site
For more information on how people work stone, see
https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/past-cultures/native-knowledge/technologies/#Lithics
Artifact Identification
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse works mainly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and can provide information related to that region. If you would like information on artifacts, email a description of the item and where it was found, and attach a picture of the artifact with a scale to show its size. For more information visit MVAC’s website at: https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/contact/.
For information on other regions, we suggest contacting the appropriate state archaeologist from the following list: https://sites.google.com/view/state-archaeologists.