Archaeology
People Have Quarried Flint Near Amarillo for Thousands of Years
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument preserves more than 700 quarry sites along the Canadian River where people have mined colorful flint for tools since the Ice Age.
People quarried the distinctive multicolored Alibates flint — technically agatized dolomite — for 12,000 years or more. Between about 1150 and 1450, Plains Village Indians — likely ancestors of the Caddo, Pawnee, and Wichita — built communities along the Canadian River near the quarry. The flint was traded across a wide region of North America.
The monument is 1,371 acres and is only accessible by guided tour to protect the archaeological sites. Tours depart at 10 a.m. by reservation. Reservations are required. The site is co-managed with Lake Meredith NRA. Reserve a tour at nps.gov/alfl or call 806-886-3826.
Source to confirm: NPS — Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument History