Hixton Quartzite

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Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin
Near Hixton Wisconsin, there's a place called Silver mound. Known for it's silicified sandstone(sugar quartz) quarries, and ancient history of people through several thousand years of the stone ages coming there for this high quality knappable stone. It's really pretty stuff, too. Many colors to find there. The quarries an the entire hill area are off limits, but it's surrounded by large crop fields with lots of pieces of this stone lying around. I've been there a few times now, and always find flakes, chunks, and worked pieces, but still haven't found a finished point there. Getting close, though. Here's what I just finished cleaning from my trip there a few days ago. Thinking about doing some lapidary work on some pieces.
 

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Finished point!

So I went back there today with a friend. We both brought home some nice "worked edge" pieces, and decorative pieces, but I won the day with an actual complete point! Still trying to ID it as accurately as possible, but confident it dates from Archaic to early Woodland, so at least ~1000 years old; likely more.
Here are my best worked pieces from today. IH coin is a previous MD find.
 

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Awesome relics! I definitely want to find some native artifacts someday. Plenty of injun activity in my area, and I've heard many stories of points being found. Just havent been lucky enough to spot one yet. Keep us updated on your adventures, so cool!
 
Awesome relics! I definitely want to find some native artifacts someday. Plenty of injun activity in my area, and I've heard many stories of points being found. Just havent been lucky enough to spot one yet. Keep us updated on your adventures, so cool!
I've heard my share of those stories too. Had to go look for myself...lots of times. Lots of places. Eventually had some success here and there. I am awed whenever I find a piece of a tool or weapon from the stone age. I suggest you research how and where, then go looking!

Nice specimens!
Thank you. I agree!
So cool!. I've been wanting to hit up a couple farms in the area for some arrowhead hunting
Thanks. Do it before the crops get too big.
 
will it spark like a flint on carbon steel?

i understand different stones different parts of country. English flints always the best they say., we have chert flint in Georgia from ancient clay deposits. sparks good. i have read they used quartz in the other parts of country. i see a piece of chert looking like ours, the piece of flack that looks coated in light and dark inside. just curious.
 
i understand different stones different parts of country. English flints always the best they say., we have chert flint in Georgia from ancient clay deposits. sparks good. i have read they used quartz in the other parts of country. i see a piece of chert looking like ours, the piece of flack that looks coated in light and dark inside. just curious.

Good eye. There is a piece of flint in the 3rd photo, next to the clear & white crystal quartz. Neither of those stones are native to the area. Brought in from "stone age" peoples unknown who walked a looong way to get there! The rounded river rocks(hammer stones) I occasionally find there were also brought in, but probably from not far away. There are very few, if any, naturally occurring rocks in those fields, so any rock I see there has some kind of human transport history. Might be going back Sunday. Hope to see some good pieces after the rains came through!
 
yea that chert is more common next county west of me. We also have Ocmulgee National monument nearby, the mound builders on the river. they were Creeks, Muskogee Creeks and did much trading. we find points here of various strange stones and designs. always good to find.

one time i told a younger lady lawyer who ask what i did over the weekend, i went metal detecting, found a little stuff and a nice flint arrowhead. I Qoute " Your machine finds arrowheads?" 7 years getting a law degree took its toll i think......:laughing:
 
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