Archaic tools, spearpoint shards, and chips/sharpening flakes, these were collected by me and Tracy Gillette in Thonotosassa, Hillsborough County Florida, over 4 decades. They exhibit well the glass-like nature and colorful qualities of heat treated agatized coral chalcedony. At the bottom see pictures of the large coral heads the NA mined and heat treated to make these weapons and other works of ancient lapidary art. Most of those solid heads were of one or two species, and comprised the major part of the Tampa Formation. That fact alone makes the variety of fossil corals found at Ballast Point very special.
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Looks like colorized flint.
ReplyDeletethanks for writing, it is in some ways like flint but more like pure quartz. it gets these colors and its sharpness because its almost pure quartz, and then heat treated. the NA had it down well, and they heat treated a lot of rocks, including flint. some of that ohio flint is not too colorful until the fire is put to it, but it is a true art, heat treating. son anderson of hillsborough county told me heat treating is the hardest part of knapping....b
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