Abstract

Belyeas Cove on Washademoak Lake, Queens County, is the only primary bedrock source of chert in New Brunswick known to have been exploited by Native people. The Washademoak Lake chert source was documented in the nineteenth century, but until recently received little attention from archaeologists or geologists in the twentieth century. Here we present preliminary accounts of the history, archaeology and geology of the source. Washademoak multi-coloured chert is found as lenses and nodules which occur in a limestone breccia within the Pennsylvanian-aged Cumberland Group (McLeod et al. 1994a). Native people living in the lower St. John River Valley used this chert to make flaked stone tools during the Woodland period. At present little is known about use of the chert during other periods, or of its distribution beyond the lower St. John Valley.