The East Terrace Site - Raw Material Sources

The East Terrace Site
Raw Material Sources

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Different qualities of stone were used in the flintknapping process. Chipped stone tools were usually made from stone with crystals so small they are visible only under the microscope. Like glass, the finer the crystal, the higher the quality of the material. Lower quality materials are present in stream channels or at rock outcrops near the site. They were often made into simple, expedient tools that required little effort to produce. They were discarded after a short period of use. Sources of the high grade materials used in the manufacture of spear points, knives, and other patterned tools are rare in the St. Cloud area.

By identifying where high quality stone materials came from, archaeologists are able to study patterns of procurement. In the case of East Terrace, stone probably came from the Knife River Flint quarries in North Dakota, the Grand Meadow Quarry in southeastern Minnesota, the Silver Mound Quarry in west-central Wisconsin, and various sources in southeastern Iowa. Much of this high quality material was probably traded from group to group. The poorer quality stone was most likely collected by the people who used and discarded the artifacts at East Terrace.

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