Material · lithic
Jasper
North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast
Jasper is opaque, iron-rich microcrystalline silica in red, yellow, brown or green, used for tools in eastern North America, notably from the Pennsylvania jasper quarries at Vera Cruz and Macungie, and for beads at Poverty Point. Jasper points from Pennsylvania and Delaware are collected in the Mid-Atlantic. Red jasper beads are a Poverty Point hallmark.
| Kind | lithic |
|---|---|
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast |
Sources
The Hardyston formation jasper quarries in Lehigh and Berks counties, Pennsylvania, were mined for millennia; other sources include the Delaware Valley, the Ozarks and Arkansas jasper used at Poverty Point. The Pennsylvania quarry pits are still visible as depressions in the woods.
Identification
Jasper is opaque with a dull to waxy lustre in red, yellow, brown or mottled tones, harder and denser than most cherts, and often shows iron staining and banding. Heat treatment reddens yellow jasper. Weathering is minimal.
Substitutes and fakes
Jasper is a favourite of modern lapidaries, and Poverty Point-style beads are cut with rotary tools that leave cylindrical holes. Ancient beads have tapered, hand-drilled perforations.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Jasper" (Material). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/materials/jasper. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-jasper,
title = {Jasper},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/materials/jasper}},
year = {2026},
note = {Material article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.