Presented at the 26th Annual Conference on New England Archaeology: "Through theKaleidoscope: Refocusing the Lens." May 13, 2006, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA.

1. Bridging the Gap:
Characterizing Champlain Valley Chert
Matthew T. Boulanger
Archaeometry Laboratory, Missouri University Research Reactor
Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri–Columbia

2. Champlain Valley Chert
► Commonly cited by
archaeologists working
outside the state
 Typically in Paleoindian
contexts
► Identified visually
► Black, sometimes
mottled chert
► Several potential
sources

3. Geological Context
Northern Valley
► Mid-Upper Ordovician shales
► Hathaway formation
► Melange-type deposit
► Chert is black
 Sometimes mottled grey-green

4. Geological Context
Central–Southern Valley
► Upper Cambrian–Lower Ordovician
dolomites
► Ticonderoga, Whitehall, and Cuttings
formations
► Bedded chert within dolomite
► Chert is black
 Sometimes mottled

5. Champlain Valley
Burlington
►4 known quarries
 Northern Valley
►Brooks Farm
►Lazy Lady Island
 Central Valley
►Thompsons Point Middlebury
 Southern Valley
►Mount Independence

6. Archaeometry
“The application of scientific techniques and
methodologies to archaeology”
► Physical and chemical dating
► Environmental analyses
► Mathematical and computer methods
► Remote sensing and geophysical survey
► Conservation sciences
► Artifact studies of provenance, technology, and use
Tite, M.S. (1991) Archaeological Science - Past Achievements and Future Prospects.
Archaeometry 31 139-151

7. Archaeometry Gap
What is it?
“…the ever-widening gap between the
analyses we could do on our sites and
artifacts, and those we can actually afford to
do”
(Luedtke 2002: 4–5)

8. Neutron Activation Analysis
► Samples are crushed
► Resulting fragments are selected
► 2 analytical samples are:
 Prepared
 Irradiated
 Counted
► Short (8 elements)
► Medium (7 elements)
► Long (17 elements)
► Statistical analyses of elemental data

13. “Missisque is a corruption of Masseepsque,
The place of arrow flints…”
- J. Watso, quoted by R. Robinson
“Missisquoi, comes from: Masipskoik…
where there is flint…”
- J. Laurent
Quoted in Day (1998) Abenaki Place-Names in the Champlain Valley.
In In Search of New England’s Native Past: Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day
M.K. Foster and W. Cowan (eds) pp 242-243

14. “…and afterwards, he [the river maker] became old,
and probably was tired, then he made Bitawbakw
[Lake Champlain]. And then he sat on a rock in
that Lake, and he changed himself, he himself [did
it], on that rock. That rock can be seen from
Burlington, and it is called Odzihozo…”
- A. Obomsawin
Quoted in Day (1998) The Western Abenaki Transformer.
In In Search of New England’s Native Past: Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day
M.K. Foster and W. Cowan (eds) pp 189

15. “In that quarter dwell the Michtassini – or, in French,
Mistassinis. They derive this name – which comes from
michta, “great,” and assini, “stone” – from a great rock in
their river…they have a veneration for that rock [and do not
pass by] without leaving some token of…reverence for
Tchigigoutcheou – who, according to their myths, has by
preference chosen his residence there.”
R.G. Thwaites (ed) (1900) The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents: Travels and Explorations of the
Jesuitr Missionaries in New France, 1610-1791 (The Original French, Latin, and Italian Texts, with
English Translations and Notes) Vol. 68, pp. 45

16. Future Directions
► Continue to refine source
“fingerprints”
 Obtain samples from
documented and undocumented
quarries
► Conduct studies that tie artifacts
back to sources
► Test hypotheses & move
beyond gross generalizations

17. Future Directions

18. Ackowledgements
► Douglas Frink, Charity Baker, Allen Hathaway, Jessica Dow,
and Donald Tall
► Dr. Michael Glascock and Robert J. Speakman of the MURR
Archaeometry Laboratory
► Elsa Gilbertson and the Mount Independence National Historic
Landmark
► Special thanks are extended to Dr. Dena Dincauze, Dr.
Mitchell Mulholland, Dr. Richard Boisvert, and Ms. Kerry Lynch
for providing information concerning the distribution of chert
artifacts in their areas of study
► Lastly, thanks to Dr. Barbara Luedtke.