Outcrops in Southwestern Illinois along Mill Creek, Lingle Creek, and Cooper Creek in Union and Alexander counties along the Mill Creek valley.
Color ranges from cream to tan to yellow and from greyish brown to greyish orange to greyish white to black.
An earthy to porcelaneous luster, grainy and somewhat porous, opaque. Hard to knapp so often heat treated. A typical banded pattern occurs in Mill Creek chert. The bands run parallel to the outer surface of the lenticular nodule. The interior of the nodule is coarse in texture, but the knapping characteristics are favorable.
It's use was mostly during the Mississippian to late prehistoric period for the manufacture of hoes and spades. See, http://arrowheads.com/index.php/flin...pades-and-hoes
for more info on these.

photo courtesy of Rmartin

photo courtesy of pkurt

photo courtesy of Speedmaster
Color ranges from cream to tan to yellow and from greyish brown to greyish orange to greyish white to black.
An earthy to porcelaneous luster, grainy and somewhat porous, opaque. Hard to knapp so often heat treated. A typical banded pattern occurs in Mill Creek chert. The bands run parallel to the outer surface of the lenticular nodule. The interior of the nodule is coarse in texture, but the knapping characteristics are favorable.
It's use was mostly during the Mississippian to late prehistoric period for the manufacture of hoes and spades. See, http://arrowheads.com/index.php/flin...pades-and-hoes
for more info on these.
photo courtesy of Rmartin
photo courtesy of pkurt
photo courtesy of Speedmaster