Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

The flint quarries atAlibates Flint Quarries National Monument can be toured by reservation only.

Archeologists find tools made of Alibates flint in many places throughout the Great Plains and southwest. Its use dates from 12,000 years ago to about 1870. Distinctive for its varied and bright colors, the flint comes from a large area within and nearby Lake Meredith. The flint was valuable because it could be fashioned into tools and weapons and traded for such items as sea shells, turquoise, pipestone, and decorated pottery.