Materials Identification Guide

Indiana Lithic Material

 











Name Natural Non-heat treated points Heat treated points Color details Primary found in: Associated Formation / Member
Allens Creek Chert
Muldraugh variation
AKA: Floyds Knob Chert
Mottled and ranges in color from gray, tan, brown, and blue.  May be translucent.  Central to southeastern Indiana Muldraugh Formation of the Sanders Group
Argillite   Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray. Indiana  
Attica Chert
AKA: Indiana Greenstone and Independence Chert
Ranges from a greenish gray to gray or blue-gray with occasional mottled or streaked with swirls of light to medium green Central and west central Indiana Muldraugh Formation of the Borden Group
Bailey Chert   Extreme southwestern Indiana Bailey Formation Limestone
Banded Slate     Indiana  
Bayport Chert Varies from light brown to a medium gray.  White quartz inclusions can form white clouds or bulls eye forms in the material, Banding may be present. Extreme northeastern Indiana Bayport Limestone formation
Beech Creek Chert   Indiana Beech Creek Limestone formation
Bisher Chert
AKA: Highland Chert, Lilley Chert
Ranges in color from a white to yellow including mottled tan and creams. Extreme southeastern Indiana Bisher Dolomite formation
Bowling Green Chert   Southeastern Missouri Bowling Green Member of the Edgewood Limestone Formation
Brassfield Chert
AKA: Clifton Chert / Agate, Belfast Chert
Artifacts tend to range in color from light greenish to blue or light tans mottled with yellowish red to milky white Southeastern Indiana Brassfield Formation 
Broyle Chert Vary in color from yellows to tan or blues.  The cortex is white and chalky.  Rarely may be translucent Southeastern Indiana Middle Devonian  chert
Bryantsville Chert
AKA: Burton Chert
Ranges in color from a light gray to a grayish brown color  Southern Indiana Levias Member of the Ste. Genevieve Limestone formation
Burlington Chert Varies from white to gray or tan.  Banding and mottling may be present. Western Indiana Burlington Formation
Carter Cave Chert
AKA for Paoli Chert
  Translucent and ranges in color from yellow to tan, red, and orange.  Rarely green and blue are present West central to southwestern Indiana Paoli Limestone formation
Cedarville - Guelph Chert
AKA: Shawnee Chert
Primarily a mottled white to light gray or light blue  numerous fossils giving a  speckled appearance with vugs or quartz present Northeastern Indiana Cedarville-Guelph formation 
Clear Creek Chert Ranges from a slight yellowing gray to white Central to southwestern Indiana Overlies the Backbone Limestone formation
Cobden- Dongola Chert
AKA: Anna Chert, Hornstone, and St. Louis Ball Chert
  Shades of dark gray to blue-gray which may be solid or have dark gray bands Extreme southwestern Indiana St. Louis Limestone
Coffee Creek Chert
Jeffersonville Chert variation
Semi-translucent and variegated ranging from a bright white to a light gray, very pale brown, slightly pinkish white in color with a milky or creamy appearance Southeastern Indiana Jeffersonville Limestone formation
Columbus Chert Ranges in color from a white to a light gray Extreme northeastern Indiana Columbus Limestone Formation
Crab Orchard Banded Chert
AKA: Gray Banded, Jelly Roll, Kentucky Stromatoporoid chert
Banded gray and white.  It has broad alternating bands of light to dark whites and grays followed by darker grays to almost black Southern Indiana Crab Orchard member
Crystal Quartz   clear colorless stone similar to clear glass Indiana  
Degonia Chert   Ranges from white to gray and blue Southwestern Indiana Degonia formation
Derby Chert Vary in color from a light medium gray to a medium dark gray.  White or dark gray banding may be present
Southwestern Indiana  
Ditney Chert   Southwestern Indiana Shelburn formation topping the West Limestone member
Dover Chert
Fort Payne variant
AKA: Elco Chert
  Range from a light tan to almost a black chocolate brown with swirls, bands, or streaks of light to dark Indiana Fort Payne Formation
Fall Creek Chert
Jeffersonville Chert variant
  Ranges in color from shades of whites to grays varying from light to dark gray. East central Indiana Jeffersonville Limestone formation
Ferdinand Chert Dark bluish gray fossiliferous chert
Extreme southwestern Indiana Mansdfield formation, Lead Creek member
Flint Ridge Chert /Chalcedony
AKA: Van Port Chert, Raccoon Creek Chert
White to bluish hues with bands of light gray, reds, and yellows Indiana Van Port Member of the Allegheny Formation
Fort Payne Chert   Ranges in color from black to a grayish blue, or white to a bluish white.  Bluish gray is the predominate color with bluish hues Extreme southern Indiana Fort Payne formation
Four Mile Creek Chert
AKA: Salamonie Chert
Ranges from a pink to an off white, light gray, light blue, or light bluish gray color.  Chalcedony inclusion may be present. Extreme southeastern Indiana Salamonie formation, Laurel member
Grassy Knob Chert Ranges in color from a pale yellowish gray to a light
olive brown
Southwestern Indiana Bailey Limestone formation
Haney Chert Color is white or light gray with specks of brown Extreme southern Indiana Haney Limestone formation
Harrodsburg Chert Ranges from commonly dark olive-brown to tan, although various shades of browns, tans, blues, and off-white, oolites form white speckles Southern Indiana Harrodsburg Limestone formation
Holland Chert
AKA: Upper Huntingburg Chert
High quality light gay to dark bluish gray chert Southern Indiana Holland Limestone formation
Indian Creek Chert
AKA: Richland Chert
Beige to buff or tan with browns occasionally being present.  Variegated shades of dark grays or purplish grays may be present West central Indiana Ste. Genevieve Limestone formations 
Jeffersonville Chert
Ranges from white to cream or light yellow to tan and medium brown darker brown bands appearing jagged and interspersed West central Indiana Jeffersonville Limestone formation
Kaolin Chert Ranges from hues of golden tans to gray and reds.  Light banding may be present. Extreme southwestern Indiana Paleozoic Limestone formation
Kenneth Chert Varying shades of creamy white to light gray with mottle or speckled darker grays to almost black Northern Indiana Kenneth Limestone Member
Laurel Chert
AKA: Raisch-Smith Chert
Mottled and ranges in color from a off white to a light tan or light gray. Southeastern Indiana Laurel formation
Lead Creek Chert
Type I
AKA: Rockport Chert
Opaque, mottled, varying shades of gray commonly having a marbles appearance with patches or streaks of an orange, tan, or gray Southern Indiana Lead Creek Limestone Formation
Lead Creek Chert
Type II
AKA Plummer Chert
Opaque, variegated with shades of medium to dark gray.  Patches or streaks of orange, tan, or gray and white specks of fossils Southern Indiana Lead Creek Limestone Formation
Lead Creek Chert
Type III
AKA: Lieber Chert
Mottled and ranges in colors from a pale blue to a dark navy blue or black.  Southern Indiana Lead Creek Limestone Formation
Liston Creek Chert Mottled and ranges from light grays, yellows, and tans coloration.  Northern Indiana Liston Creek Limestone formation
Lost River Chert
AKA: Bowling Green Chert
Ranges in color from a bluish gray to a light brownish gray Southwestern Indiana Ste. Genevieve Limestone
Louisville Chert Varies in color from a very light gray to a medium light gray.  It is mottled and opaque and may have brownish specks Extreme southern Indiana Louisville Limestone formation
Muldraugh Chert Ranges in color from light to medium grays, pale brown to an light olive brown or dusty yellow.  Variegated or mottling or vugs may be present.. Eastern Indiana  Muldraugh Formation of the Sanders Group
Nethers Chert
Flint Ridge Chert variation
AKA: Ribbon Chert
Banded with colors ranging from light gray to black, pink to red, or tan to brown Indiana Van Port Member of the Allegheny Formation
New Castle Chert
AKA: New Chapel Chert
Ranges from a more common duller variegated light gray to a pale brown or a less common homogeneous bluish gray Extreme southern Indiana Silver Creek limestone formation
Onondaga Chert
AKA: Buttermilk Falls, Black Rock, Clarence, Coniferous, Diver's Lake, Edgecliff, Moore House, Nedrow, Seneca, Fort Erie Chert
Vary from light to dark gray to a mottled bluish gray to a dark brown or black or tan. Northeastern Indiana Onondaga Limestone Formation
Orthoquartzite   Varies Indiana  
Paoli Chert
AKA: Carter Cave Chert
  Translucent and ranges in color from yellow to tan, red, and orange.  Rarely green and blue are present Central to southwestern Indiana Paoli Limestone formation
Pipe Creek Chert
AKA: Tenmile Creek, Perkins, Plum Brook, Brook Chert
Ranges from gray to bluish gray or a pale brown, may be mottled or homogenous, light blue cloudy and quartz lined vugs may be present Extreme northeastern Indiana Tenmile Creek Formation
Quartz   Milky white with thin veins
Indiana  
Quartzite   Varies from white to gray, or pink and tan in color Indiana  
Ramp Creek Chert   Southern Indiana Ramp Creek Limestone Member, Muldraugh Formation
Rhyolite   Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray Indiana  
Shakopee Chert Ranges from white to gray with contrasting banding Northwestern Indiana Shakopee Dolomite formation
Sonora Flint
AKA for Wyandotte Chert
  Vibrant colorful flint that may range from tans to light gray-blue and dark brown to purples Southern Indiana Ste. Genevieve Limestone formation
St. Louis Green Chert
AKA: St. Louis Formation Chert
Varying shades from light gray green to yellow green Southwestern Indiana St. Louis formation
Stanford Chert Ranges from shades of medium gray with lighter and darker shades occurring with white and gray speckles Central Indiana Ste. Genevieve Limestone formation
Ste. Genevieve Chert  Ranges from light to medium blue, gray, and black, to olive gray and yellowish gray with gray concentric bands commonly present  Southern Indiana Ste. Genevieve Limestone formation
Sugar Creek Chert
Attica variant
Ranges in color bluish gray to olive gray variegated or a tan to a chocolate brown with white cloudy streaks with quartz inclusions Central Indiana Muldraugh Formation of the Borden Group
Transverse Chert Dark gray Extreme northeastern Indiana Transverse Limestone formation
Vienna Chert Ranges from a deep bluish black to a light grayish tan or pinkish Southwestern Indiana Vienna Formation
West Franklin Chert Ranges from a light gray to light bluish gray.  Commonly mottled with blue and with light brown streaks and chalky vugs Extreme southern Indiana  
Wyandotte Chert
AKA: Indiana Hornstone, Harrison County Chert
  Ranges in color from a medium bluefish gray to a medium light gray.  Banding is common and is various shades of gray Southern Indiana Fredonia Member of the Ste. Genevieve Limestone formation
Zaleski Chert
Upper Mercer Chert variation
AKA: Black Flint
Glossy black and commonly has white streaks Northeastern Indiana Zaleski member of the Allegheny Formation