Hi folks,
I've been collecting for some 50 years and have some insights on lithics in central N.C.
The most prolific materials are undoubtedly Quartz and Metavolcanics.I have noted Several varieties of quartz in my collection.There is your "garden-variety" milky quartz, which constitutes most of my quartz finds.Vein quartz is evident in a couple of varieties, one which as the name implies has 'veins' of milky quartz and clear quartz. Another variety known locally as 'Sno-flake' quartz, has the appearance of wet snow on a windshield.This characteristic is apparent when an example is viewed against a light source.Crystal quartz has the appearance of glass and has similar flaking characteristics.While used by most pre-Colombian cultures, it was highly prized by Clovis people.
Metavolcanics encompass a range of metamorphosed igneous rock, most notably rhyolite.Rhyolite, (or meta-rhyolite) is formed in a volcanic environment at or near the earth's surface,usually in volcanic flows.Several varieties are found in N.C. Aphyric rhyolite is fine-grained and often exhibits flow-banding (which is most apparent when weathered).When fresh the color is a dark, almost-black, grey. Weathered examples develop a chalky patina that can be off-white to cake-batter yellow in color. Porphyritic rhyolite is notable for small inclusions or 'specs' of quartz or feldspar in a light to dark grey matrix.It's texture ranges from fine-grained to 'sugary'.Rhyolitic tuff formed not in magma flows but as ash or dust.It has a variable texture and color, ranging from fine-grained to sugary and in various shades of green to light gray in color.The Uwharrie Mountains in south-central N.C., particularly the area around Morrow Mountain, is the source of these varieties of rhyolite. This material is often identified as "silicified slate".
Metasedimentary stone was used to some degree, most notably argillite was occasionally used .The soft nature of this stone and less-than-desirable flaking quality usually precluded its use for other than utillity tools such as choppers.When fresh its color is dark green, otherwise it appears in various shades of light greens and greys. The most notable metasedimentary lithic is green metasiltstone, and is quite rare. It is a very fine-grained, waxy material, comparable to high-grade chert.The color ranges from dark to light lime green. The source of this stone is unknown, but probably in the southern Uwharrie Mountains.
Several varieties of chert were imported from surrounding states, such as coastal plains chert (South Carolina and Georgia), Knox and ridge and valley chert from Tenn., plus a few that are unidentified as to source. Jasper artifacts are present but the stone source remain unknown to date.
That's my take on lithics, hope you find it useful! (Ref.I. Randolph Daniel,(1998) "'Hardaway Revisited")
I've been collecting for some 50 years and have some insights on lithics in central N.C.
The most prolific materials are undoubtedly Quartz and Metavolcanics.I have noted Several varieties of quartz in my collection.There is your "garden-variety" milky quartz, which constitutes most of my quartz finds.Vein quartz is evident in a couple of varieties, one which as the name implies has 'veins' of milky quartz and clear quartz. Another variety known locally as 'Sno-flake' quartz, has the appearance of wet snow on a windshield.This characteristic is apparent when an example is viewed against a light source.Crystal quartz has the appearance of glass and has similar flaking characteristics.While used by most pre-Colombian cultures, it was highly prized by Clovis people.
Metavolcanics encompass a range of metamorphosed igneous rock, most notably rhyolite.Rhyolite, (or meta-rhyolite) is formed in a volcanic environment at or near the earth's surface,usually in volcanic flows.Several varieties are found in N.C. Aphyric rhyolite is fine-grained and often exhibits flow-banding (which is most apparent when weathered).When fresh the color is a dark, almost-black, grey. Weathered examples develop a chalky patina that can be off-white to cake-batter yellow in color. Porphyritic rhyolite is notable for small inclusions or 'specs' of quartz or feldspar in a light to dark grey matrix.It's texture ranges from fine-grained to 'sugary'.Rhyolitic tuff formed not in magma flows but as ash or dust.It has a variable texture and color, ranging from fine-grained to sugary and in various shades of green to light gray in color.The Uwharrie Mountains in south-central N.C., particularly the area around Morrow Mountain, is the source of these varieties of rhyolite. This material is often identified as "silicified slate".
Metasedimentary stone was used to some degree, most notably argillite was occasionally used .The soft nature of this stone and less-than-desirable flaking quality usually precluded its use for other than utillity tools such as choppers.When fresh its color is dark green, otherwise it appears in various shades of light greens and greys. The most notable metasedimentary lithic is green metasiltstone, and is quite rare. It is a very fine-grained, waxy material, comparable to high-grade chert.The color ranges from dark to light lime green. The source of this stone is unknown, but probably in the southern Uwharrie Mountains.
Several varieties of chert were imported from surrounding states, such as coastal plains chert (South Carolina and Georgia), Knox and ridge and valley chert from Tenn., plus a few that are unidentified as to source. Jasper artifacts are present but the stone source remain unknown to date.
That's my take on lithics, hope you find it useful! (Ref.I. Randolph Daniel,(1998) "'Hardaway Revisited")
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