Connecticut Quartz

[Hoss]

2 and 7/8" long. This is a large one for quartz. This one is hard to type it has an unfinished stem like so many of the Lamoka types and small stem quartz types of the middle archaic here in southern New England. It is a nice knife for sure but what cultural affiliation?

[rmartin]

That is a sweet one Hoss! The base sure looks finished to me.

[Hoss]

Sorry Ray I should have added this before. Here is a shot of the cortex.

[gwyndolynn]

Maybe it was finished to the craftsman....did what it needed to do without risking a break on further flaking?

[gregszybala]

I think Gwyndolynn might be right. That is a pretty piece and nearly 3", nice.

[rokhedred]

Ohhh, this is beautiful!

[searchinghawk]

base looks intact,,i collect in new england,,i would say its a late archaic related point,,

[gwyndolynn]

after a few seminars and lectures, I have been educated on preforms...where they make it to further flake it when the need arises and the base needs to be formed for a specific purpose... but i still think that common sense would be to utilize it as a knife....

[shartis]

Nice point Hoss. Those big quartz ones are getting hard to come by now days.

[dmith7777]

That's a real nice Quarts piece there. I have never found one that nice. This point I found is most likely from Conn. I found it just two towns north of Woodstock in E.Brookfield Ma. is the best quarts point I have found and its missing about 1/4 of an inch off of the tip. It is a nice round dart point with a round socket type end.
   Attached files 

[Hoss]

Dana, That looks like a Squibnocket Stemmed point to me they are narrow but thick like that. Late Archaic  4,100 BP. Too bad about the tip ding.
Hoss

[GobyON]

Do you know where the indians found this material? Glacial material or is it traded from far away? I have found small quartz pieces like this that look worked in Northern PA. Beautiful point by the way.

[dmith7777]

This Quarts is found here and there all over New England, There is ledge in Mass. NY, Conn, Vermont, NH, and Maine with thick veins of clear crystal Quarts in it along with some Iron stained orange to red, yellow, brown, gray and white milky quarts. I would imagine quite a bit of this material has found it's way to Pennsylvania from trade, rivers and glacial washes if it is not a native stone from Penn. I have tons of small worked chips of crystal quarts in every color except greens and blues.

[dmith7777]

Ya the tip ding is a bummer, I was wondering what this point was, and after looking it up it seems that you are correct about the squibnocket stemmed. It was strange for me to find a point that is round instead of flat like just about every other type of point made, I almost tossed it when I found it. I think it may be have been difficult for them to work quarts thin.

[Hoss]

Most Quartz points in CT were made from cobbles found on beaches and in river and stream beds. I do not think I have seen a quartz quarry here in CT. I do know where some fine crystal quartz can be had but the only thing I can take there is a picture. It is in a State Park!     

[Paleolution]

That is a nice point.  I also think it's a knife, simply because the thickness of it.  I don't think it would fly very effectively?  The quartz and quartzite we find in my area are usually used as cutting or scraping tools.  A buddy of mine did a re sharpening study and found that although not as sharp as most other materials, quartz / quartzite hold their cutting edges better and don't have to be sharpened as often.  We rarely see points made of quartz here, but I have one that I am illustrating now that I may post.