Exceptional Artifact & Collectible Auction
Lot 158:
5 3/4" Etley found in Boone County, Missouri
This impressive Etley measures approximately 5 3/4 inches and is crafted from high quality Burlington chert. Recovered as a river find in Boone County, Missouri, the piece exhibits a light naturally developed river patination with subtle mineral staining across the surfaces. Unlike artifacts subjected to heavy tumbling in rocky waterways, the blade edges on this example remain crisp, showing only minor ancient use wear and no significant modern or river induced damage. The hafting area is squared and measures about 1 inch across, retaining the greatest thickness in the bottom 1 1/2 inches, a defining structural feature of the square base Etley variant. The blade is widest in the lower third and tapers evenly to a centered well shaped tip. Both faces display long invasive thinning flakes with refined pressure retouch along the edges, producing a balanced and well executed Late Archaic form consistent with documented Etley examples from Missouri.
Condition is excellent. The base is complete and original, the tip remains intact, and the edges show genuine prehistoric retouch rather than modern alteration. The light river patination is uniform, with mineral staining settled into recessed flake scars and natural smoothing consistent with moderate water exposure. The piece carries strong provenance, having been found in Boone County and formerly held in the Tiffany Campbell Collection.
This artifact exhibits all diagnostic traits of a square base Etley, including its wide hafting platform, long tapering blade, and invasive thinning flake pattern. The Burlington chert shows proper ancient patination with mineralized surface texture and light river wear appropriate to its find context. Edge wear is consistent with prehistoric use, and the piece shows no signs of modern resharpening, restoration, or enhancement.
Based on its form, workmanship, patination, and Boone County provenance, this is an unquestionably authentic Late Archaic Etley and a desirable example for collectors.
Provenance: Found in Boone County, Missouri; Ex: Tiffany Campbell Collection.
Condition: Authentic
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