Atleast that's what I'm calling it for now.

Some geologists agree, some don't, and some just shake

their heads.

The first thing most artifact collectors, archaeologists, and

knappers say when I show them this stuff is, "They didn't

knap that!"� But I have collected a couple of 5 gallon buckets

worth of flakes and lithic debitage from the surface of the

source site in Person County, NC, and have turned in samples

to several of the different institutions that have NC lithic

collections as proof of it's prehistoric use.

It may not have been used much, but it was used some.



Here are a couple of blocks I cut from the rough.



Pics 1,2,3



As with all rocks you will find a variety within the same

species. Here are a few slabs for variety leaning against

a large piece of the rough.

Pic 4



But I have never seen a projectile point made from this

material and have only ever found one flake of the material

off the source site. I found this flake outside of Scotland

Neck in Halifax County about 80 miles east of the source.

It is sitting on a slab of some of the same material.

The slab is wet and the flake is dry for contrast.

Pic 5



One problem with getting a definite identification on this

rock is it's age, 550 million years give or take 50 million,

and the extent it has morphed or degraded into what we

now have. One identifying characteristic of Spherulitic

Rhyolites are radiating lines from the center of the spheres.

This material has none. Have they degraded away?

Another interesting trait of this material is there is no

difference in grain size anywhere in the material. Inside the

spheres is the same as outside of them. Could this be that

it has all morphed now to the same composition?

Here are a couple photomicrographs of the spheres to show

the homogenous make up of the material now.

Pics 6 & 7



I hope to add more pics of this material in the future.

Joe





