Any flint hunters out there?

[free2wander]

As my wife and I travel, I always find myself watching the ground, especially when I'm out in the "boonies". Occasionally I am fortunate enough to be able to bend down and pick up a rock that was lost by another man anywhere from 400 to 10,000 years ago. I then wonder, "was this lost by accident, was he hunting his dinner, or was it a matter of survival in the never - ending battle of man vs man?" Anyone else out there have that same compusion?

[NLOVNIT]

You betcha! I'm from OH & just love our state stone. My dad was a paleontologist/gemologist & overall "rockhound" all his life. I went with him on his outtings many times. Traipsing through local stream beds, after the winter thaw & spring rains, to see what's been uncovered, finding choice flint pieces at Flint Ridge, OH (back when you were allowed to do so). We'd also stop at a local farm, after they had turned over the land in the spring, asking permission to search for arrowheads possibly unearthed. Over the years he donated collections to Heidelburg College in OH, Rockford College in IL & a couple other colleges I don't remember.

After he passed away, I inherited his massive fossil collection & his modest flint collection. I donated the fossils to The Ohio State University & am looking to donate his flint collection to The Ohio Historical Society (which runs Flint Ridge, where the majority of his collection came from). Daddy loved finding "pictures" in the flint & I have many beautiful pieces of flint jewelry he made for me.

Below are photos of 2 of his displays at a local show & my favorite of his flint pieces, appropriately named "Lucifer" (once split, had mirrored images he glued together to make the piece) - also seen at the bottom middle of the flint display.



Lori-

[CorsairIIAT]

I live not far from a dormant Volcano in the Upper Mojave Desert. Here it can be very cold in winter to very hot in summer. My understanding of how onyx is made is from a volcano blow that is cooled very fast. I have found alot of onyx in this area while out hiking. So some 100,000 - Millions of years ago there was an eruption during winter.

[rmmpe]

I have an interest in Obsidian and have a bit.

If properly flaked, it is sharper than a scalpel (and I have the scars that lay testament to my ineptitude).

However, as a kid I used to collect Flint Arrowheads and spear points in the Delaware Valey.

Neat stuff.

[hamguy]

Originally Posted by rmmpe

I have an interest in Obsidian and have a bit.

If properly flaked, it is sharper than a scalpel (and I have the scars that lay testament to my ineptitude).

However, as a kid I used to collect Flint Arrowheads and spear points in the Delaware Valey.

Neat stuff.

Come to AZ. We have all sorts of obsidian. Apache tears. There used to be a mine near Superior, AZ where you could collect any amount of these little slicers in the rough.

[Dennie]

I have a good collection from Alabama along the Chat. river and south Al. I have been a collector for many years and have started others in collecting. Some of my collection can be seen in local libaries. Getting harder to find places to look but still love it.