Mississippian Flint Quarry

[ToddsPoint]

This is a large flint blade that was dug at Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma in the 30s. It was tentatively identified as being made from Kaolin flint from Union County in So IL. Photo by Pete Bostrum.

While looking for flint sources for knapping in Union Co IL I stumbled upon an ancient quarry. It was a low ridge with numerous pits. Maybe 10’ across and mostly filled now with debris. I found a nodule of flint poking out of the dirt near one of the pits. It filled my 5 gal bucket. It was big but had numerous flaws. I took it home and reduced it into bifaces then heated it. I then chipped several points from it. It’s pretty obvious the large blade came from this quarry.

I ran into the owner of the big blade at an arrowhead show near St Louis and showed him the points I made. He was very surprised. There’s little doubt the blade was quarried and chipped by people from Cahokia, then shipped to the Spiro site in Oklahoma where it ended up in the mound.

 

[pepperj]

You're talented that's a fact.
Thanks for sharing some your work again.

 

[newnan man]

Wow!!

 

[unclemac]

tell us more about the site. any pix? give us the lay of the land

 

[ToddsPoint]

tell us more about the site. any pix? give us the lay of the land

Sorry, no pics. I was driving down a rural road with a small creek running next to it. I got in the creek and it didn’t have much flint. Beyond the creek was a line of scrubby trees, then it opened to a farm field. I went up the hill into the trees and I noticed the pits. I’ve seen quarry pits in this county before and knew what they were. I didn’t have a shovel but dug around in one of the pits with a stick. The pits were full of leaf and tree debris but I could see broken pieces of flint in the bottom. They usually would dig a pit and extract the loose flint nodules. Then start another pit next to it. They’d toss the fresh debitage into the empty pit next to it so the pits are usually full of broken shatter and leaves and sticks turning to dirt. I noticed the nodule sticking out of an embankment that hadn’t been dug by Indians. I used a stick to dig it out. Normally flint is associated with limestone and you can track it back to the parent deposit. The limestone the Kaolin formed in eroded away long ago, leaving the flint behind. Then the Illinois glacier between 300,000 and 130,000 yrs ago moved the flint. It’s now found in the soil in several places in the county. It can come in big pieces and the Mississippians used it for spades, hoes and ceremonial items like the giant blade from Spiro and also maces and spuds. One deposit ended up in a creek with a lot of iron. It stained the flint and it goes crazy with color when heated.

It also makes really nice jewelry. Good deep color and takes a nice polish.

 

[unclemac]

great story, how old do you suppose those pits were?

 

[russau]

Gary these points are just Exquisite ! These just brightened my day! THANKYOU for posting these ! I just may need to drive that-a-way and look for some of that Kaolin after the weather gets cooler and my shoulder gets better ! OR see if anyone has some to sell ? That may save me LOTS of driving time !

 

[releventchair]

Outstanding!!
Dang can you knap... Well done!

Given traffic and trade from Cahokia; such exquisite work as that giant blade being related isn't hard to imagine. But still , what a blade!

I like the debris going into pits adjacent to the next work site(s).
Keeps sharp stuff less stepped on.

 

[rginn]

Outstanding work! I've been to Spiro Mounds a couple of times, and they had a large trade network. Been to the Trout Creek and Alibates flint quarries also. Sometimes people thought these prehistoric quarries were Spanish mining attempts.

 

[russau]

I know of a abandoned rock Quarry in the St. Louis area and I haven't been there in 50-60 years . Know that I read that Flint came from the Limestone I wonder if I could find some flint there ?? I know someone owns it and I think I know who it is . I'll have to ask them for permission to give it a look . Who knows , maybe I'll get lucky ?

 

[ToddsPoint]

You can sometimes find knappable flint at the quarries. They use dynamite to blast the limestone and that can ruin any flint in there. Around St. Louis the best place to find it is construction sites. The flint is loose in the soil. Look west and a bit north of the city. I found it on construction sites near Harvester, St Peters and also High Ridge just a bit south. If you look in the dark blue areas on this map on construction sites you should be able to find it.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Outstanding work! I've been to Spiro Mounds a couple of times, and they had a large trade network. Been to the Trout Creek and Alibates flint quarries also. Sometimes people thought these prehistoric quarries were Spanish mining attempts.

While on vacation we went through Trout Creek pass and looked briefly for the Jasper quarry. We had to be close but couldn’t find it. I had 3 uninterested people with me so we didn’t stay long. There’s an ancient quartzite quarry called “Spanish Diggings” in SE WY. Early settlers thought Spanish were digging for gold. Just Indians digging raw material for knapping.

 

[unclemac]

this is fascinating for me. Out west where I go, (NV and WA), materials like jasper, obsidian and carnelian are readily available and easy to find... so easy it would be like telling you son..."go get me a red one the size of my fist, I want to make something"...

 

[russau]

Yep Gary there's lots of construction going on out Interstate 70 in the areas you pointed out . I may just take a ride out that-a-way and give her a lookie-see !