XVIII. XOYACULITE QUAEEIES, AEK. 



THE Arkansas quan-ies are possibly even more extensive than 

 those of Ohio. The stone in the best-known localities is a 

 fine-grained variety of chert called novaculite, vrhich occurs 

 in beds of great thickness and undetermined horizontal extent. The 

 phenomena of these quarries correspond closely in most respects vrith 

 those of Flint Ridge. Their examination, however, has been super- 

 ficial, and at best there is little promise of discoveries that will add 

 greatly to our present knowlege. In 1891 the writer visited one of the 



quarry groups located on a high forest-covered ridge 

 Qu.-,rries N..ar Hot jj ^' Indian Mountain, about 2 miles in a northeast- 



erly direction from the railway station at Hot Springs, 

 Ark. The evidences of quarrying consist of a number of pits and ex- 

 cavations dug in and about the crest of the ridge, which is composed 

 of massively stratified novaculite weathering out in irregular graj^ish, 

 rough-sui-faced outcrops, which protrude from the crest or project 

 on the slopes, forming shoil bjoken cliffs 10 to 20 feet in height. 

 The largest excavation is on tlie narrow crest of the ridge near 



the highest point (see map, fig. 77). It is almost cir- 

 Tiie I'ittings cular in outline and about 150 feet in diameter and 25 



feet in depth. The rim of the conical depi-ession is 

 irregular, being higher at the center of the crest of the ridge and 

 lower at the sides. On the eastern side the rim is broken down as a 

 result of extensive digging on that side of the crest. The process 

 of excavating this great conical pit was, no doubt, about as 

 follows: An outcro]) of particularly desirable rock was discov- 

 ered and was gradually wcjrked out and followed beneath the 

 surface. As fragments of suitable size and qiuility were obtained 

 tlioy were thrown or carried to the margin of the pit and broken up 

 and trimm('(l with liammerstones into approximate shape for the 



desii('<l tools, tlie refuse gradually forming heaps 

 'j'he nejf'ctage and I'idges about the excavation. At the present 



time the enormous accumuhitions of shop refuse have 

 (kiscended on the interior of the mine, partially filling it, and upon 

 tlie exterior they form slides of broken bits of the i-ichly colored rock, 

 i'eaching far- d(jwii the slopes of the ridge. This encircling wall 

 of refuse is composed largely of chips and partially shaped frag- 

 ments, the latter representing all stages in the development of 

 190 



