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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Harnett County, Becker Quarry (Read 6326 times)
JoeM
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Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:07pm
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You won't see many quartz crystals from here. Sad
Maybe eventually..........
Right now I just need someplace to start putting pictures of
the material from this old sand quarry next to the Cape Fear River
in southern Harnett County.
The main focus of these will be, eventually, to show the
wide range of lithic or knappable material here. As most of
the rocks and boulders are rounded they have been deposited
here by some ancient erosional event from no telling how far away.
That's one question, along with "What is it?".

One thing that is interesting about this deposit is the wide
range of rhyolites, meta-volcanics, meta-sedimentary stone,
cherts, agates, and other great knapping materials.
This gravel bed, which could go on for miles, definitely needs
to be considered as a lithic stone quarry source.

A sample of the rock you will be looking at; this first
example is what I would call petrified soupy mud.
Or a meta-sedimentary argillaceous "rhyolite".

Pic1.  The Block.


  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #1 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:09pm
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Pic2.  Chip off the ol'Block.

  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #2 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:14pm
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Yep, that's as good as it's going to get folks. Wink

Similar meta-sed.

  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #3 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:20pm
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A few more pics to show some of the variety.
Nice white piece of material on the right and a piece of
chert/jasper showing layers on the left in the first pic.

  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #4 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:32pm
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Every once in a while you will find some very high grade
material. What it is is hard to say. Very very fine grained that
flakes like butter. Is it meta-sedimentary?, a chert?
But it's just like NC Obsidian. Wink

You usually don't find big pieces of this "High-grade".

Sample from Becker,
Pic10



  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #5 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:38pm
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So I was really surprised when I spotted this piece.
This some of the finest material I've ever seen from anywhere
in the state, and it was found so far east!
I have a feeling it is different from the top piece in the above picture
because of the exterior surface patina and patterns.

Pic11,12,13



  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #6 - Oct 3rd, 2012 at 11:49pm
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There are also these highly silicified layers full of fossils
found all over this site. Some of the layers are very highly
silicated and can be called agates. Most of the large pieces
of this material are also rounded and obviously transported
at least some distance to this resting site.

I am wondering if the above rock was formed as a chert in
a layer of this fossiliferous agate, and that's where its
surface patterns come from.

  

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John Frazier
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #7 - Oct 4th, 2012 at 6:59am
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Joe those are some cool rocks!  I have always wanted to collect in this area. Love your analysis of the site.  Smiley Cheesy
  
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Rebecca
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #8 - Oct 4th, 2012 at 10:19am
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Interesting! Did you have any idea that last piece would be so nice inside?
The "block" is such a pretty color...could it be polished?
  
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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #9 - Oct 4th, 2012 at 8:08pm
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Thanks, John. I have to read up alot on the geology down
there. I'm curious about what host rock outcroppings could
be in the area and how old those gravel/boulder deposits are.

Yes,Rebecca, most of the material will polish up nicely. It's
not as hard as an agate, but it's pretty hard.

Speaking of agate. As I said, sometimes you will find good
agatized areas in the silica cemented layers of fossil debris.
Here's the end piece to a piece I slabbed.
You can see the imprint of one shell on the exterior in the first pic,
and you can kindof make out the pretty reddish agate layer
forming in the middle of the piece in the second pic.
That agate layer can get to be 6 inches thick and have
some really pretty agate in it.


  

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JoeM
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Re: Harnett County, Becker Quarry
Reply #10 - Oct 4th, 2012 at 8:16pm
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(And those were the "good" pics. Roll Eyes Tongue)

Anyway, here's a few pics of the slabs that came off this piece.
A nice large shell got sliced.
Fair Warning;
First pic is outside and last two indoor light.

  

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