… was renamed on this date in 1978. It had been Alibates Flint Quarries and Texas Panhandle Pueblo Culture National Monument since 1965.
Imagine yourself standing where an ancient civilization once lived, surrounded by colorful flint, that was used to make weapons and tools. Alibates flint is a multi-colored stone with the ability to hold a sharp edge. This agatized dolomite was highly prized and traded throughout much of North America by pre-historic American Indians.
For thousands of years, people came to the red bluffs above the Canadian River for flint that was vital to their existence. Prehistoric people needed raw materials for tools and weapons, and Alibates flint was some of the finest. Many of the quarry pits are located on the hilltops overlooking the Canadian River. These pits vary from five to twenty-five feet across, and were originally about four to seven feet deep. Over the centuries the quarry pits have filled with blowing dust and vegetation, creating the landscape that we see today.
