Stone tools and the debris from their manufacture represent some of the most common artifacts found on prehistoric archaeological sites. Artifacts made of stone are durable and survive basically unchanged over thousands of years. Because of their durability, these artifacts are some of the most important clues we have for reconstructing the daily activities of ancient people.

Only certain kinds of stone were used in the manufacture of knives, spear points, and arrowheads. In Alabama, these chipped-stone tools were made most often from chert. This raw material was preferred because it can be flaked in a predictable manner. At the Madison Park site several materials were used, including chert, agate, and quartz. Chert and quartz pebbles probably were gathered from gravel bars in nearby rivers and streams. The agate most likely came from southwest Alabama. Its presence may mean that trade ocurred between the people living at Madison Park and other prehistoric groups.

The chipped-stone tools also tell us about the kind of activities conducted at the Madison Park site. Hunting was important and apparently was carried out with a bow and arrow, judging from the many small triangular points, suitable for arrowheads, that have been recovered at the site.

We also examine the debris produced when ancient people made stone tools. These discarded artifacts are called by a variety of terms, including chips, flakes, and debitage. While these artifacts don't look like much, they are the best evidence we have of the types of stone tools manufactured at the Madison Park site.

In addition to chipped-stone tools, other stone artifacts are classified as groundstone tools. We have found a portion of an adze (a large stone tool used for chopping wood, which had been hafted to a wooden handle with sinew) and a nutting stone (a flat stone used for crushing or grinding nuts or seeds).

Through analysis of the chipped-stone and groundstone artifacts, we hope to learn much more about the day-to-day life of the people that occupied the Madison Park site. Additional information will be obtained from our detailed laboratory analysis, and we plan to survey the local riverbeds to better understand raw material availability.