Notched Hoe.
Kaolin Flint.
H: 6.5"
Jackson Co., IL.
Notched Hoes.
Mill Creek Flint.
H: 6.5"
Monroe Co., IL.
Flint was a common material used by the Mississippians in the manufacture of utilitarian and ceremonial tools and weapons. It was a popular material because it was plentiful, easy to chip by good flint knappers and fairly durable. Although flint types vary between regions, flint was available throughout the Mississippian World for tool making. Flint tools and weapons were an indispensable part of Mississippian life. As farmers, the Mississippians required durable tools for planting and cultivating. For woodworking, the Mississippians produced hand tools. Blades and knives were made for hunting and warfare. For ceremonial use, the Mississippians produced a variety of high quality flint objects as icons of power and authority.

In Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky, notched flint hoes were made for cultivating the soil. The Mississippians notched their flint hoes so that they could be attached with leather thongs to wooden handles. As these flint hoes were repeatedly used to break up the soil, a glass-like polish began appearing on the hoe’s bit from the glassine chemicals in the plant material. A polished bit is a sure sign of substantial use. Another distinctive sign of a notched hoe is its curved side profile. The back of the hoe is concave and the corresponding front is convex. The most common flint material used in making notched hoes was white and brown Mill Creek chert. Some Illinois hoes were also made from colorful Kaolin flint. Notched hoes range in size from 3 to over 8 inches in length, but the average size is from 6 to 7 inches long. Occasionally, notched hoes have been found in small caches.

Spade.
L: 13.6"
Monroe Co., IL.
Spade.
L: 13.75"
New Madrid Co., MO.
Spade.
L: 14"
Butler Co., MO.
Spade.
L: 9.75"
Madison Co., IL.
The Mississippians also produced a variety of flint spades. Because flint spades are generally larger and longer than flint hoes, spades must have been used for turning larger and deeper areas of farmland. Flint spades were more widely used throughout the Mississippian World than their notched hoe counterparts. Along the Mississippi River, two major varieties of spades were made: oval and flared bit spades. With their curved side profiles, oval spades have a profile similar to notched hoes. By contrast, the flared bit spades do not always have a curved profile, and they are rarer than the oval style. Well-used spades also exhibit bit polish as found with notched hoes. Oval spades were commonly made from Mill Creek chert, but rare and desirable ones were made from colorful Kaolin flint. Spades are more commonly found in caches than notched hoes. One cache of over a dozen Mill Creek spades were found together in Arkansas. On rare occasion, some very well made spades were also made from colorful Burlington flint. These rare Burlington flint spades tend to be very well made, so they may have been ceremonial objects rather than utilitarian tools. Utilitarian spades range in size from 8 to over 18 inches long, but the typical spade is 12 to 14 inches long.

Adze.
L: 9.5"
St. Clair Co., IL.
Adze.
L: 8"
Pope Co., IL.
Adze.
L: 9.2"
Southeast US.
Pick.
L: 12.25"
St. Clair Co., IL.
In the more Southeast regions of the Mississippian lands, Dover flint spades were also made. These Dover flint spades were found as far west as the Missouri boot heel and as far east as northern Georgia. They are commonly found in Tennessee and Kentucky. The front profile of these Dover spades exhibits a wider bit section than the upper pole. Many exhibit ground and polished areas similar to ceremonial flint implements. Grinding the chipped areas made the spade smoother on the ground and polished surfaces. Dover spades range in size from 8 to nearly 18 inches long.

The Mississippians also produced utilitarian flint hand tools. These include adzes, celts, and knives or blades. Flint celts and adzes were made for similar purposes as their hard stone counterparts. As active woodworkers, these flint celts and adzes must have played an indispensable part in various carpentry tasks. Many well-used examples often have bit polish, which infers active use. Flint celts tend to be made of Dover flint and their find and distribution patterns suggest that they occur most frequently in Southeast Tennessee and surrounding areas. Flint adzes and blades have been found throughout the Mississippian lands.

Ceremonial Blades.
Spiro Mounds
L: 9.5" - 11"
La Flore Co., OK.
Dance Sword.
L: 18"
Southeast US.
Flint seems uniquely suited for the manufacture of blades. The skill and artistry of the flint knapper’s achievement is best demonstrated in the production of blades and dance swords. The best of these blades and swords are highly desirable. Ranging in size from a few inches to over 18 inches long, the best are symmetrically chipped and very thin. Some blades were apparently made for utilitarian purposes as they show definite signs of use. Other blades seem meant for ceremonial use. Engraved conch shells from Spiro Mounds show dancing Mississippian figures holding dance swords at the mid-point of the blades. Illinois and Missouri blades, called Ramey knives, are often made from Mill Creek chert. A select few were made from Burlington and colorful Kaolin flint. At Spiro Mounds, blades were fashioned from local flint, but the best Spiro blades were made from imported Illinois Burlington chert. The use of Burlington chert at Spiro is clear evidence of a trade route between Spiro and Illinois. In the southeastern portions of the Mississippian lands, blades and dance swords were typically made from Dover flint and were often found in stone box graves. These southeastern Dover dance swords are wonders to behold, as the longest are over 20 inches long.

The final flint implement types were made for purely ceremonial use. In addition to flint blades and dance swords, the Mississippians also produced ceremonial spuds, picks and maces. Like their hard stone counterparts, flint spuds were chipped, ground and polished to remove most or all evidence of chipping. The best are great works of
Spud.
L: 8.75"
Alexander Co., IL.
Spud.
L: 8.3"
Madison Co., IL.
Spud.
L:7.75"
Clark Co., AR.
sculptural beauty. Flint spuds tend to be found in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. Mill Creek chert was a popular flint material used, but occasionally kaolin flint was also used. Flint picks are rare since hard stone tended to be more durable and better suited for the work of the pick. The Cahokia complex has produced some spectacular ceremonial spuds and picks.

Flint Mace.
L: 13.75"
Spiro Mounds
Le Flore Co., OK.
(Courtesy of the
Gilcrease Museum,
Tulsa, OK)
There is no flint implement more dramatic and chiefly than the flint mace. Made from various flints including kaolin and white Mill Creek chert, these wonderful artifacts range in size from 13 inches to over 20 inches in length. They were chipped and then ground and polished to remove the signs of chipping. The epicenter for flint maces was the Mississippian center at Spiro Mounds. From 1933 to 1935, seven polished flint maces were discovered from inside the "Kings" chamber at Spiro. These Spiro flint maces were spectacular finds. Single examples have been discovered in Missouri and elsewhere, but Spiro was the major center for their ceremonial use.

Flint implements are a favorite among collectors. They vary in size, color and tool type. It is reasonable to assume that utilitarian and ceremonial flint implements were an important part of daily Mississippian life.