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Welcome to |
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THE HOLLAND LITHIC LABORATORY |
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The Holland Lithic Laboratory is located at the Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York, and is maintained by John D. Holland. Its central feature is an enormous collection of chert and other lithic raw materials. Composed of approximately 22,000 samples from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, it is the largest lithic comparative collection in the North America. Begun in the early 1980s, Mr. Holland’s collection steadily grew and has been housed at the Museum since the early 1990s. In addition, Mr. Holland has also assembled large amounts of relevant geological and archaeological literature. |
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Prehistoric people fashioned tools from a variety of raw materials. In many parts of North America, chert was the material of choice. Also known as flint, chert is a form of microcrystalline quartz that is typically found as an inclusion in carbonate bedrock such as limestone or dolomite. These carbonate units were formed millions of years ago when sediment accumulated at the bottom of ancient seas. As the sediment hardened into rock, concentrations of silica crystallized to form chert, which like limestone often contains remnants of the ancient depositional environment in which it formed. The same fossils found in limestone can frequently be found in chert, though the original carbonate structure of these fossils will often have been replaced by silica. Numerous mineral inclusions also occur in chert, resulting in a wide range of colors and textures. Other materials utilized include obsidian (volcanic glass), novaculite, dacite, agate and rhyolite, among many others. |
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In many cases, chert from a particular geological formation will have a typical appearance. A knowledge of the geographical distribution of chert-bearing bedrock units and the range of variation of the chert in each formation can allow archaeologists to determine the source or sources of the stone material used by prehistoric peoples to make tools. As these tools were often carried far and wide, an understanding of prehistoric trade, migration, or other behavior might be achieved if their location of origin can be determined. Assembling a comparative collection of chert raw materials is a crucial step to identifying the geographical origin of chert artifacts. |
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My name is Mike Kagelmacher (on the right in the photo) and I am a Research Associate at the Holland Lithic Laboratory, Buffalo Museum of Science. I have an MA in anthropology from Kent State University and currently work as a CRM archaeologist and lithic analyst. Please feel free to contact me or John Holland with any questions regarding the Holland Lithic Laboratory, our research, or this web page. |
Don't forget to check out the links below!
Click here to view some of the lithic raw material samples in the collection.
Links to archaeological and geological resources
Awards and Recognition Jack Holland has Received
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