Arrowhead materials
The stones arrowheads and tools were made from: what each one looks like, how to tell it from its look-alikes, where it comes from and which point types were made from it.
Rock types
The broad kinds of stone. Each page lists the named stones of that kind.
Agateagate (banded or patterned chalcedony)Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana
Argillite, hornfels, slate and siltstonefine-grained mudrocks (baked, metamorphosed or unaltered)Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and more
Basalt and other fine-grained volcanic rockfine-grained volcanic rock (basalt, andesite, dacite, basaltic andesite)Washington, Oregon, Idaho and more
Chalcedonychalcedony (fibrous microcrystalline quartz)Virginia, Mississippi, Ohio
Chert (and flint)chert (sedimentary silica rock)All regions
Jasperjasper (iron-rich chert)Pennsylvania, Virginia, Mississippi and more
Obsidianobsidian (volcanic glass)Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada and more
Quartzquartz (vein and crystal)Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota and more
Quartzitequartzite (silica-cemented or metamorphosed sandstone)Maryland, Virginia, Mississippi and more
Rhyolite, felsite and metavolcanic rockfelsic volcanic rock (rhyolite, felsite, dacite, tuff and their metamorphosed forms)Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and more
Silicified wood and other silicified sedimentssilica-replaced wood and silica-cemented or baked sedimentVirginia, North Dakota, Texas and more
Named stones
Stones from a known quarry or outcrop, grouped by where they come from.
Mid-Atlantic
- Brook Run jasperjasper (brecciated, hydrothermal)Virginia
Catoctin and South Mountain metarhyolitemetarhyolite (slightly metamorphosed volcanic rock)Maryland, Pennsylvania- Delmarva and Chesapeake coastal chert and pebble jasperchert, jasper and orthoquartzite (gravels and bedrock of the Coastal Plain)Delaware, Maryland, Virginia
- Flint Run jasperjasper (iron-rich chert)Virginia
- Greenbrier and Kanawha chertschert (nodular and shale-hosted)West Virginia, Virginia
- Iron Hill jasperjasper (ferruginous chert from weathered gabbro)Delaware, Maryland
- Little Cattail Creek chertchert (with chalcedony and some jasper)Virginia
- Lockatong and Brunswick argilliteargillite (Triassic mudstone and siltstone, in places baked to hornfels)New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- Mount Rogers rhyolitemetarhyolite (metamorphosed rhyolite lava and welded tuff)Virginia
- Oriskany stones: Ridgeley quartzite and Shriver chertorthoquartzite (Ridgeley) and bedded chert (Shriver) from one formationMaryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and more
- Potomac-region quartzitesquartzite (metamorphosed silica-cemented sandstone; cobble quartzite)Maryland, Virginia
Midwest/Ohio Valley
- Attica chertchert (Mississippian, Borden Group)Indiana
- Banded slate (glacial)slate / banded argillite (Precambrian, carried south as glacial erratics)Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and more
- Bayport chertchert (nodular, Upper Mississippian)Michigan
- Brush Creek chertchert (Pennsylvanian, in marine limestone)Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and more
- Burlington chertchert (sedimentary; nodules and beds in limestone)Missouri, Illinois, Iowa
Cedar Valley Group chertschert (Devonian, nodular; lag and gravel deposits)Minnesota, Iowa- Cobden and Dongola chertsnodular chert (blue-gray, Mississippian)Illinois
Flint Ridge flintflint/chert with chalcedony and jasper bandsOhio- Galena, Oneota and Shakopee chertschert (Ordovician, in dolostone and limestone)Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and more
Gunflint silicairon-formation chert (Precambrian)Minnesota- Harrodsburg, Allens Creek and Holland chertsfossiliferous chert (Mississippian and Pennsylvanian limestones)Kentucky, Indiana
- Hixton silicified sandstoneorthoquartzite (silica-cemented sandstone)Wisconsin
- Jasper taconiteiron-formation jasper (Precambrian)Minnesota
Keokuk chertchert (nodules and beds in Mississippian limestone)Iowa, Illinois, Missouri- Liston Creek chertchert (Silurian, nodular and bedded)Indiana
- Mill Creek cherttabular and nodular chert (tough, coarse grained)Illinois
Newman Limestone and Boyle chertschert (Devonian dolomite and Mississippian limestone)Kentucky- Norwood and Bois Blanc chertschert (Great Lakes Devonian cherts; unsourced)Michigan
Upper Mercer flintflint/chert (black, beds in Pennsylvanian limestone and shale)Ohio
Wyandotte chertnodular chert (blue-gray, in Mississippian limestone)Indiana, Kentucky
Zaleski, Plum Run and Delaware chertschert/flint (three separate Ohio units)Ohio
Northeast
- Cheshire quartzitequartzite (vitreous, Cambrian)Vermont
- Hardyston jasperjasper (iron-rich chert replacing quartzite)Pennsylvania, New Jersey
- Helderberg chertschert (limestone-hosted, silicified limestone)New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and more
- Maine and New Hampshire rhyolitesrhyolite and felsite (volcanic rock)Maine, New Hampshire
- Munsungun Lake chertchert (thin beds in volcanic rock, with mudstone and wacke)Maine
- Normanskill chertchert (radiolarian chert in Ordovician shale)New York
Onondaga chertchert (nodules and beds in Devonian limestone)New York, Pennsylvania
Ozarks
Plains
Arkansas novaculitenovaculite (microcrystalline quartz rock, chert-like)Arkansas, Oklahoma- Bijou Hills quartzitesilicified sediment (quartzite)South Dakota
- Boone chertchert in cherty limestoneArkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma
Catlinite (Minnesota pipestone)argillite (claystone)Minnesota, South Dakota- Day Creek chertchert in dolomiteOklahoma, Kansas
- Florence chertnodular chert in limestoneKansas, Oklahoma
Fort Union porcellaniteporcellanite (clay, shale and siltstone baked by burning coal)North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming
Knife River flintflint/chert (silicified lignite or peat origin); found as secondary gravel and lag piecesNorth Dakota- Ogallala quartziteopal-cemented sandstone and conglomerateKansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and more
- Plattsmouth and Winterset chertsnodular chert in limestone (Pennsylvanian)Kansas
Rainy Butte chertsilicified wood (iron-rich chert)North Dakota
Sioux quartziteorthoquartzite (Proterozoic)Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa- Smoky Hill silicified chalksilicified chalk or chalky marlKansas, Nebraska
- Spanish Diggings stoneschert and orthoquartzite from a quarry districtWyoming
- Swan River chertchert (mostly glacial cobbles)North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota
- Tongue River silicified sedimentsilcrete (silica-cemented ancient soil layer)North Dakota
White River Group silicateschalcedony and chert from volcanic-ash-rich Oligocene bedsColorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and more
Rockies & Great Basin
- Bear Gulch obsidianobsidian (sintered vitric ash pyroclasts)Idaho
- Big Southern Butte obsidianobsidian (peralkaline rhyolite dome)Idaho
- Browns Bench obsidianobsidian (ash-flow tuff glass)Nevada, Idaho, Utah and more
- Green River Formation tiger chertlake-bed chert (banded)Wyoming
- Kremmling chertchert in Miocene basin sedimentsColorado
- Madison Formation chert (Montana chert)nodular chert and chalcedony in limestoneMontana
- Malad obsidianobsidian (banded pyroclasts in pumice)Idaho
- Modena and Panaca Summit obsidianobsidian (nodules in perlite and float)Utah, Nevada
Obsidian Cliff obsidianobsidian (volcanic glass)Wyoming
Phosphoria Formation chertmarine chertWyoming, Montana, Idaho- Timber Butte obsidianobsidian (intrusive rhyolite dome glass)Idaho
- Topaz Mountain obsidianobsidianUtah
- Tosawihi chertopalite and chert (hydrothermally altered volcanic ash)Nevada
- Trout Creek jasperjasper (iron-rich chert)Colorado
- Wildhorse Canyon obsidianobsidianUtah
Southeast
Agatized (silicified) coralchalcedony replacing fossil coralFlorida- Allendale chert and Georgia Coastal Plain chertschert (silicified grainstone)South Carolina, Georgia
- Bangor chertchert (blue-gray to blue-green, translucent)Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia
- Camden chertchert (novaculitic; Devonian)Tennessee, Alabama
Dover chertchert (nodular, in limestone)Tennessee- Florida cherts: Suwannee, Ocala and Tampa Baychert (silicified limestone)Florida
Fort Payne chertchert (nodular and bedded, in Lower Mississippian cherty limestone)Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and more- Gulf Coastal Plain gravel chertschert gravel (pebbles and cobbles)Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee
- Knox Group chertchert (from dolomite; Ridge and Valley)Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama
- Kosciusko quartzitesedimentary orthoquartzite (quartz-cemented sandstone)Mississippi
- Tallahatta quartziteorthoquartzite (silica-cemented sandstone)Mississippi, Alabama
- Tuscumbia chertchert (nodular, in Paleozoic limestone)Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee
- Uwharrie and Carolina Slate Belt metavolcanicsfelsic metavolcanic rock (rhyolite, dacite, rhyodacite and tuff)North Carolina, South Carolina
Texas & Southwest
Alibates agatized dolomiteagatized (silicified) dolomite: chert/chalcedony that replaced dolomiteTexas- Brushy Basin chertchert from silicified volcanic ashUtah, Colorado
- Burro Mesa chertsilicified volcanic tuffTexas
- Cerro del Medio obsidianobsidian (rhyolite dome glass)New Mexico
- Cerro Toledo obsidianobsidian (rhyolite tephra glass)New Mexico
Chinle Formation petrified woodsilicified (petrified) woodArizona- Dakota / Burro Canyon quartzitesilicified sandstone (orthoquartzite)Colorado
- Edwards chertchert (nodular and tabular, in limestone; also reworked into gravels)Texas
- El Rechuelos obsidianobsidian (rhyolite dome glass)New Mexico
- Georgetown chertchert (ledge flint, nodules and flat cobbles)Texas
- Government Mountain obsidianobsidian (rhyolite dome glass)Arizona
- Manning fused glassnatural glass (volcanic ash fused by burning lignite)Texas
- Mount Taylor obsidianobsidian (rhyolite glass)New Mexico
- Mule Creek obsidianobsidian (marekanite nodules in perlitic rhyolite)New Mexico, Arizona
- Narbona Pass chertchertNew Mexico, Arizona
- Pedernal chertchert and chalcedony in a stratiform nonmarine bedNew Mexico
- Potter chertsilica-cemented siltstone / fine-grained quartzite (gravel cobbles)Texas
- Rio Grande gravel chertgravel chert (cobbles from river and old gravel beds)Texas
Superior obsidianobsidian (marekanite nodules in perlite)Arizona- Tecovas jasperchert (often called jasper) from the Tecovas FormationTexas, New Mexico, Oklahoma
- Uvalde gravel chertgravel chert, chalcedony, quartzite and other silica cobblesTexas
- Van Horn quarry stonesagate (jasper), felsite and chert from named quarriesTexas
- Vulture obsidianobsidian (marekanite nodules in perlite and tuff)Arizona
West Coast & Plateau
- Batza Tena obsidianobsidianAlaska
- Bodie Hills obsidianobsidianCalifornia
- Borax Lake obsidianobsidianCalifornia
- Casa Diablo obsidianobsidian (rhyolite flow glass)California
- Coso Volcanic Field obsidianobsidianCalifornia
- Elk Pass obsidianobsidianWashington
Franciscan chertradiolarian chert (deep-sea bedded chert)California
Glass Buttes obsidianobsidian (rhyolitic volcanic center)Oregon- Hozomeen chertradiolarian chert (metamorphosed oceanic chert)Washington
Medicine Lake Highland obsidianobsidian (rhyolite flows)California- Monterey chertchert and siliceous shale (Miocene marine)California
- Napa Glass Mountain obsidianobsidianCalifornia
Newberry Volcano obsidianobsidian (flow glass)Oregon- Obsidian Cliffs obsidian (Oregon Cascades)obsidian (dacite and rhyodacite glass)Oregon
- Plateau cryptocrystalline silicateschert, chalcedony, jasper, opal and petrified wood (cryptocrystalline silicates)Washington, Oregon
- Plateau fine-grained volcanic rockfine-grained volcanic rock (basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite and dacite)Washington, Oregon, Idaho
- Santa Cruz Island chertchertCalifornia
- Tuscan obsidianobsidian (glass blocks in volcanic mudflow rock)California