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I picked up this rock in central Texas while bow hunting pigs. It seems very heavy for its size. 1 pound, 8.7 ounces. It is not magnetic, and will not register on the metal detector. When scratched, a red powder is produced. Were these rocks crushed to make red ochre? What is the scientific name?
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Fayette County, southern Illinois -
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Looks like you have a chunk of hematite aka red ochre. Most hematite is not magnetic unless it has magnetite in it. You can grind it to dust and mix it with water to make natures first paint. Natives also mixed animal fats in to make it bond and coat thicker.Last edited by Artifascination; 12-05-2022, 01:39 PM.SE ARKANSASComment
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Charlie, I think Art covered your question about as well as one could. I would only add that Magnetite is an iron ore but it is black and crystalline in nature, ( much like coal). It is very magnetic and can be ground down to make ochre, but it only produces a black pigment.North Central KentuckyComment
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Here are some different types of hematite that I found on one of our sitesSE ARKANSASComment
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Looky this article “What the Ancient Pigment Ochre Tells Us About the Human Mind”
Archaeologists are learning how we evolved our cognitive abilities with the help of ochre, an ancient pigment used for everything from body paint to sunscreen.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/pla...tion-of-humans
What y’all think of author-professor’s theory re usage ochre ? Pretty intriguing I think…. but brain’s cognitive functions my other hobby!
Last edited by Cecilia; 12-05-2022, 10:28 PM.Digging in GA, ‘bout a mile from the Savannah RiverComment
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Here’s an example of a shale pebble showing someone extracted limonite, or yellow ochre….
Rhode IslandComment
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