Uncommon Rhyolites

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Quick question, when it comes to rhyolites we find locally that we are not familiar with, what are some of the less obvious explanations? Is it possible to find a source of some oddball rhyolite on the shore, or some other place where there is no outcropping?

[OnewiththewilD]

As a generalization , in my opinion, the “uncommon” materials we find here usually date to the woodland periods and may have been brought in by trade or travel and not found or gathered from a local source

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Thanks for the reply. So should I assume they all come from some outcropping somewhere? Did the natives ever find naturally occurring chunks of rhyolite (possibly distributed by glaciers or by some other means) in which the source or outcropping could not be accounted for? I guess my real question is, are there oddball rhyolites that can be found that natives took advantage of? Are there materials which can't be identified because there is no known outcropping or source. Is that a possibility or is that not how it works?

[CMD]

Thanks for the reply. So should I assume they all come from some outcropping somewhere? Did the natives ever find naturally occurring chunks of rhyolite (possibly distributed by glaciers or by some other means) in which the source or outcropping could not be accounted for? I guess my real question is, are there oddball rhyolites that can be found that natives took advantage of? Are there materials which can't be identified because there is no known outcropping or source. Is that a possibility or is that not how it works?

Hard to say. Certainly, they would take advantage of glacial material, especially if they recognized it as the same stuff they or their trading partners quarried. Why not, after all? I know my friend from Martha's Vineyard has referenced unidentified rhyolites at times, but it would also be unfair to assume he knows every variety. But he knows more then I do.

And there must be stuff found on occasion for which there are no known sources. Development alone would result in that situation at times. It was only about 20 years ago that a local source of jasper was found, and it is assumed development in the Limerock region, where those prehistoric jasper workings were found, has destroyed other sources of jasper. Did Boudreau illustrate all rhyolites known for our region? I just don't know.

I'm just thinking off the top here, I cannot answer your questions with anything resembling authority. Many years ago, I was told that the blond quartzite so popular with Neville and Stark points was sourced in eastern Ct., but I know no more then that. There are archaeologists in our region who focus on lithic sources. How much of what they know can we expect to know? I suspect the vast majority of rhyolites we find can be found in Boudreau's lithic section. He provides many flakes and artifacts to illustrate most of the types he includes, but with range in color, and range in patina, it may be tough at times to make the match. I have one point made of Vinalhaven Rhyolite, so it would be silly to think I would actually be familiar with Vinalhaven Rhyolite. But I was able to recognize it from Boudreau's illustrations. Yet, so many flow banded rhyolites, I can never expect to be proficient at it if most of my finds are not rhyolites at all.

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Thanks for the info Charlie.

[Mainejman]

Rhyolite is the number one rock used here in Maine I would say...

[CMD]

The Vinalhaven Rhyolite I mentioned was sourced on the coast of Maine. And I have flakes of Munsungun(sp?) as well, both of which seem cool to me. I would love to know the actual distance traveled to source all the lithics I encounter here in RI....