I went hunting with a friend last Sunday in the same creek as the weekend before. This was his first time. Other than paying more dues, we came up with very little. However, I did pick up three pieces of chert that are approximately the same size, one I believe to be an artifact (bottom row, far right), perhaps a scrapper of some sort. What perks my interest about them is that it is obvious that all three have spent some time polishing in the creek, leaving different patinas. Two of them I believe to be of the same chert (bottom row – middle and right hand rocks). Yet, one has a darker patina and no evidence (in my opinion) that it was ever worked by man, while the other one has a much lighter patina, more like a clear coat, and it looks like every single surface was exposed recently by work of some sort (fracturing by nature or by the hand of man – especially the chipping). Assuming that the two pieces are the same chert, my question is why do two pieces of the same chert have much different patinas? My uneducated guess is that one of them has been worked recently (past few thousand years – giving it a “fresher” appearance) and the other much longer ago. I plan on fracturing the darker patina one to see if its color matches the lighter one?
Lastly, my friend found the fourth rock that looks like a fin. It, too, is chert and I believe it is totally natural, but he asked that I post it to get your opinion on how it was formed this way ---- thanks.
Lastly, my friend found the fourth rock that looks like a fin. It, too, is chert and I believe it is totally natural, but he asked that I post it to get your opinion on how it was formed this way ---- thanks.
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