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MACK TUSSINGER'S OKLAHOMA ECCENTRICS
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COPYRIGHT NOVEMBER 30, 2002 PETER A. BOSTROM
A Mack Tussinger Oklahoma eccentric with perforated center.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE TRIPLE IMAGE
A MACK TUSSINGER OKLAHOMA ECCENTRIC
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   This remarkable eccentric has a negative cut-out in the center, of a side-notched point that looks like a Godar point. Around the edges are the "classic Tussinger serrations." This eccentric is made of a gray and blue colored chert. It measures 5 5/16 inches (13.5 cm) long.

   The last real investigation to authenticate the Oklahoma eccentrics was in the 1940's. A study of many hundreds of them by Dr. Clements is reported by an Assistant Curator for the Southwest Museum in Los Angles where they once had ten of them on display. An article in the "Masterkey", July 1948 by Ruth Simpson focuses on Dr. Clements comments that not one of the hundreds of Oklahoma eccentrics he studied had any evidence of "a single specimen chipped with metal tools, a single point on which there are recent sharp fracture scars, or a single specimen showing acid pitting or any form of artificial weathering. But one problem with Dr. Clements verification of the Oklahoma eccentrics is that he was a physical anthropologist and not someone who specialized in lithic analysis.

Closeup of Mack Tussingers "classic serrations."
THE "CLASSIC TUSSINGER SERRATIONS" 
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   This picture shows an enlarged view of what is the signature design on a large number of the Oklahoma eccentrics. The edge work in this picture shows repeated expanding notches with the added touch of pressure flaking concave patterns on the "bases" between the notches. They look like stylized versions of Dalton point bases. Any odd eccentric that has a style of edge treatment like this makes it very likely that it may be one of the thousands that came through Mack Tussinger's hands.

    Today's level of knowledge of stone artifacts has greatly increased since the 1940's. Archaeologists have access to highly advanced scientific instruments and they have a much greater knowledge of lithic technology. It would be very difficult to find any archaeologist in North America, that specializes in lithic technology, to say that the Oklahoma eccentrics are old.

Closeup of the odd patination on the edges of 2 Tussinger eccentrics.
 ODD EDGE PATINA ON MANY OF THE ECCENTRICS
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   These enlarged areas show the peculiar edge patina on two different eccentrics.

    One of the things that is curious about the Oklahoma eccentrics is the peculiar edge patina that is on a large number of them. A patina that is only on the edge would cover-up any recent pressure flaking and make the edge look older. A spectrographic analysis of those areas would identify any petroleum based material or any other odd out-of-place chemical that shouldn't be there naturally.

A Tussinger eccentric that looks like it was rechipped from a stemmed point.
A MACK TUSSINGER OKLAHOMA ECCENTRIC
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   This eccentric appears to have been made on a stemmed projectile point or knife.

   The Tussinger eccentric's were made on a wide variety of different types of points, knives and bifaces. They were made on thick and thin, long and short and wide and narrow bifaces. The circumstance of such a diversity of biface reduction within one culture in North America, if the Tussinger cache was authentic, would make it quite unique.

A Tussinger eccentric with 2 arrow points chipped onto the base.
A MACK TUSSINGER OKLAHOMA ECCENTRIC
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   Another great example of the artistic design incorporated into the Tussinger eccentrics. This one has two corner notched arrow points pressure flaked onto the base with "classic Tussinger" deep expanding notch serrations along the edge with finer serrations near the point. This one measures 2 1/8 inches (5.3 cm) long.

     The Oklahoma eccentrics also incorporate different projectile point types in their designs. In this article, pictures show some that have Late Stone Age culture arrow point styles chipped into them. Others have Earlier period projectile point styles incorporated into the design. One has a stemmed base and the gray eccentric pictured at the top of this page has a corner notched point cut out of the center.

A Tussinger eccentric with 3 arrow points chipped into the base.
A MACK TUSSINGER OKLAHOMA ECCENTRIC
TOM RICHARDSON COLLECTION

   This eccentric could not have been notched any farther. The piece of gray chert it was made from has been very elaborately shaped into a complex style that is so typical of the Oklahoma eccentrics. This one has three corner notched arrow points chipped into the base.

    The great Oklahoma cache of eccentrics are said to have come from Rhoades Mound. But Mack had a never ending supply numbering in the thousands. He sold them for many years out of his secret mound in his back yard as he and Sue moved into better homes. It doesn't matter what you believe, whether they are old or new. One thing is for sure, they were definitely made to impress all who see them and I for one am glad Mack found them. They are truly wonderful works of art.

"REFERENCES"

1940, "Study of the Oklahoma Eccentric Flints", by H. Holmes Ellis, 7 pages.
1948,  "Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society---Eccentric Flints", by Claude U. Stone, pp. 3 & 4.
1948,  "The Masterkey, July, 1948" article by Ruth D. Simpson.
1960,  "Treasures From A Pre-Historic Age---The Eccentrics of Oklahoma", by Irene Heeringa, 15 pages.
19--, "Album Prints", Frontier City Museum, pictures of 5 frames of Mack Tussinger's Oklahoma eccentrics.
1997, "Chips, Vol. 9, #1, Grey Ghosts and Old Timers", by D.C. Waldorf, p. 11.
Personal communications with Dr. Don Wycoff, University of Oklahoma at Norman.
Personal communications with Dr. Robert Bell.

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