Outstanding 2 1/8" Knife River Flint Folsom

[TundraPlugger]

This is not a personal find of mine but you all know I wish it was!
It is a 2 1/8" Folsom point made of extremely patinated Knife River Flint from Williams County, ND.
The stone is starting to have small pits forming in its surface where it is deteriorating.

Enjoy!

 

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[CaptEsteban]

Beautiful point.

While I prefer finds to be kept as found, some need some restoration to last when exposed to a different environment.
Here is one method that works well. You can try it on a broken point to see how you like it.

- ArrowHeads.com

 

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[Tnmountains]

Its beautiful!

 

[OntarioArch]

Time, the moisture content of the soil, pH level of the soil (aka bison urine), UV radiation, and even temperature have a lot to do with how that particular flint (and other geologically similar silicified lignites) patinate.

Somewhere I read that "microbial life" could be added to these environmental factors that result in patination. Do you agree, J. ?

 

[Buckleberry]

Somewhere I read that "microbial life" could be added to these environmental factors that result in patination. Do you agree, J. ?

Creek staining (tannin broken down) and algae deposits would be microbial.

 

[joshuaream]

One side up one side down in South Dakota soil.View attachment 1985994View attachment 1985992

That point is still one of the nicest and rarest ones I've held.

 

[joshuaream]

Somewhere I read that "microbial life" could be added to these environmental factors that result in patination. Do you agree, J. ?

Short answer is yes.

Long answer:
There are three likely groups of bacteria that could impact patina, but it's not something that many researchers are throwing money and time towards figuring out.

Manganese eating bacteria that effectively pull electrons from some types of trace metals, which is a form of oxidation. Those trace elements are often times the reason that two geologically similar materials can look so different, so a minor change here could impact the surface layer of a relic.

Iron eating bacteria that produce a brown slime that you'll see in plumbing sometimes, can effectively rust some types of chert/flint. (Usually those that are brown, reddish or green, or have little hints of those colors.)

And the big group is what is know as silicate solubilising bacteria, which can degrade/chelate the silica structure of quartz/flint/chert over time allowing all of the other factors to get into the surface of the rocks.