Materials Identification Guide

South Carolina Lithic Material

 










Name Natural Non-heat treated points Heat treated points Color details Primary found in: Associated Formation / Member
Allendale Chert
(Coastal Chert)		 Primarily tan to brown in various shades of "earth tones".
 Southern South Carolina  
Argillite
(Generic type)		   Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray. North America Varies
Bellvache Creek Petrified Wood     Northeastern South Carolina  
Black Mingo Chert
(Coastal Chert)		   Mottled white, light tan, and gray. Southern South Carolina Lang Syne Formation of the Black Mingo Group
Brier Creek Chert
AKA: Stoney Bluff Chert, Red Bluff Chert		 Ranges in color from white to cream, tan, and gray with mottling commonly present. Southwestern South Carolina Possible Suwannee Limestone Formation
Chattahoochee Chert
(Coastal Chert)		 Ranges from brown to a creamy tan with dark gray, black, and bluish white also occurring.  Clear chalcedony and mottling occurs.  Southwestern South Carolina Chattahoochee Limestone Formation
Chepultepec Chert
Knox Chert Variant
(Ridge and Valley Chert)		 Ranges from yellow to white and oolitic Northern South Carolina Chapultepec Member of the Knox Formation
Cid Meta- Mudstone   Thinly laminated tuffaceous argillite mudstone ranging from a bluish gray to a greenish gray. Northeastern South Carolina Cid Formation of the Albemarle Group
Copper Ridge Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)		 Ranges in color from medium to dark gray to black Northern South Carolina Copper Ridge Member of the Knox formation
Crystal Quartz   clear colorless stone similar to clear glass Eastern North America  
Erwin Quartzite 
AKA: Erwin - Antietam Quartzite, Hesse Quartzite		   Ranges from bright white to light gray, tan, brown, pink, or red.  A green brown variation is reported in Amherst County, Virginia Northern South Carolina Erwin Formation of the Chilhowee Group
Flint River Chert
AKA: Butterscotch Chert
(Coastal Chert)		 Ranges from a yellowish brown to a medium brown. Southwestern South Carolina Flint River Formation, Vicksburg Group
Fort Payne Chert
AKA: Iuka Chert, Lauderdale 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 Northern South Carolina Fort Payne Formation
Georgiates   Translucent olive green. West central South Carolina Chesapeake Bay Impact
Knox Chert   Dark blue to bluish gray with translucent mottling.  Red Knox Chert has a reddish color with slight mottling. Northern South Carolina Knox Formation
Lenoir Chert Dark Gray Northwestern South Carolina Lenoir Limestone Formation
Lisbon Chert
AKA: McBean Chert, Silicified Chert Hash
(Coastal Chert)		 Ranges from red to yellow or cream to blue.  Mottling or striping may be present.  Jasper and chalcedony also occur in this formation. West central South Carolina Lisbon Limestone Formation of the Clairbourn Group
Little River Metadacite   Opalescence bluish gray quart weathering to a crusty tannish white. West central South Carolina Little River Volcanics Series
Longview Chert
Knox variation		 Primarily reddish, but white to gray colors do occur Northern South Carolina Longview Member of the Knox formation
Morrow Mountain Rhyolite
AKA: Uwharrie Rhyolite		   Homogeneous dark gray to black and many shades of green, flow banding may be present. North central South Carolina  
Orthoquartzite
(Generic type) 		  Varies North America Varies
Quartz   Milky white with thin veins
 North America  
Quartzite   Varies from white to gray, or pink and tan in color North America  
Rhyolite   Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray Eastern North America  
Savannah River Agate Ranges from a light grayish brown or grayish white to a yellowish brown with vugs and mottling commonly present Southern South Carolina  
Suwannee Chert
(Coastal Chert)		 Ranges from brown to a creamy tan with dark gray, black, and bluish white with chalcedony, mottling, or banding may occur. Southern South Carolina Suwannee Limestone Formation, Vicksburg Group
Wolf Den Mountain Rhyolite   Ranges from a medium to dark gray with white speckles. Northeastern South Carolina  
Wyboo Chert
(Coastal Chert)		 Mottled with colors of white to light tan or yellow. Southern South Carolina