Color:  Lafayette Chert has broad range of color.  Most commonly ranges from brown to tan, greyish tan, yellowish tan, or cream.  Less commonly white and black, pink and red, or olive gray to greenish gray occur.  Mottling is commonly seen, and rarely banding may be present.  Cortex ranges from a brown, reddish brown, or grayish brown.

Texture: Medium to fine grain

Luster: Waxy

Silica Fabrics / Fossils:  Primarily non-fossiliferous, but may have fragments of crinoid and bryozoa

Patina:

Heat Treatment: 

Knapping: 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution Comments:

Lafayette Chert is associated with the Lafayette gravels of the lower Ohio, and Illinois River and throughout the Mississippi Embayment and Ozark Escarpment into Arkansas's Eastern Lowlands.  Occurs down the lower Ohio River valley (Mounds Gravel Chert) to the confluence of the Illinois and Ohio River (Grover Gravel Chert) and down the edge of the Ozark Escarpment from northeastern Arkansas to Helena Arkansas (Crowley's Ridge Chert), and down the Mississippi Embayment (Citronelle Chert).

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