GeologyRocksHelp identifying these rocks/fossils please!
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Hi Chabs and welcome to
Tue, 01/17/2012 - 22:09Hi Chabs and welcome to GR.
Frankly, I've never seen anything like them before. Sorry. They do look sort of acorny, and I woud have said they were seeds except for the fact you said they are heavy. Perhaps they are fossilised seeds. Calcite would shatter in extreme heat, but thats not particularly heavy. The shape reminds me of nutmegs.
Anyone else got any ideas on this one? Shame Katie isn't active on here now. I'm sure she would know. Its her sort of thing.
By the way Chab...excellent pictures. Well done.
Hopefully someone will come up with something sensible within a few days.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
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Aha, I know exactly what
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 12:02Aha, I know exactly what these are. They're not fossils but seed pods of a type of eucalyptus, probably Carymbia calophylla, which become extremely hard and heavy when they dry out. They can remain in this state for decades, so the trees might even have disappeared, and they'll pop explosively when heated.
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Follow-up
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 18:11First of all thank you John and Gus for your prompt replies. Really great that there are people who still share the knowledge.
John: Here's another set of photos to hopefully shed some light (excuse the pun) on what they look like inside.
Gus: In the name of constructive criticism, I can't begin to imagine how a pod would become stone on the inside with age without withering/shrinking! When broken, these things are milky grey and as smooth as marble. They also shine and glimmer and they are dense and uniform. They are stoney on the outside and stoney on the inside...nothing flakes off the shell like surface, nothing gives.I have looked at some specimens of Carymbia calophylla seeds and pods and they look to have open valves and seem to be more bulbous. These don't...
Here's another twist in this tale: Remember that local man I spoke to? He claimed that they used to sell them to the "British" for 40$ a kilo (he probably said British because I was speaking to him mainly French and some English when my French failed me) and they used to send them on ships during the civil war in the 70s and 80s. He didn't know what for or why they don't anymore. That to me sounded like an urban legend that's why I was a bit apprehensive about mentioning it before... but i'll let you make your own judgements.
ps: I'm grateful for your replies for I cannot rest until I find out what they are... Please keep your suggestions coming...
Thank you again.
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That's amazing. But for
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 20:50That's amazing. But for what Gus said I would have said that was silicaised tending towards opalescense.
Again good/nice pics. It makes it a great deal easier for us when we get something which is in focus, enough, but not too much light and has some sort of scale.
Nice to know we have a satisfied customer ain't it Gus? First one this year!!!
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
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RESULT!!!
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 21:22Hello again John & Gus,
I have just received an email from someone called Robert at the Natural History Museum confirming that they are fossilised "spines of a cidaris-type sea-urchin".
Along with the two links he provided below, he provided this worrying message: "I would discourage you from burning or snapping them."...not sure why!? Trying to find out but don't want to push my luck too much!
I'm made up and currently trolling through internet search results for information. I thought I'd share the exciting news with you guys.
Cheers
http://www.chalk.discoveringfossils.co.uk/tylocidaris%20clavigera.htm
and
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=pseudocidaris&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1370l4144l0l4552l13l13l0l3l2l2l382l2068l2-5.2l7l0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=cy0XT6mNO9Hb8gPYg-XaAg&biw=1536&bih=765&sei=di0XT5LGCMXe8QOPo6D5Ag
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Well, I'm amazed. I would
Thu, 01/19/2012 - 17:26Well, I'm amazed. I would have expected to have atleast seen a picture before, even if I hadn't remembered it. We learn something every day.
Nasty old echinoid though, using clubs on fishes and other beasties. Really unexpected!!!!
I have had a brief search but can't find anything to suggest why there is aversion to brwaking them or putting them near a flame - by the way Chab, I thought it was extremely sensible to retreat behind the bar surrounded by alcohol. If the explosiuon hadn't killed you outright, then it may well have scared you to the point where several very large drinks were required.... for medicinal purposes of course.
Thanks very much for showing us these. Its so nice get something really different.
John
PS Gus - we didn't get away with that one!
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
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Aww, come on mate. You're
Sat, 01/21/2012 - 18:36Aww, come on mate. You're being too hard on yourself. If this smarty, Robert, at the NHM hadn't stuck his nib in you would be home and dry!
I believed what you wrote.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
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Help identifying these rocks/fossils please!
Submitted by Chabs on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 18:43.Hi everyone,
I have recently been travelling around the mediterranean and while hiking in a town (100 meters above sea level) in Lebanon, I stumbled upon these rocks/fossils! At first they looked like beige acorns to me, until I picked one up and realised that they are stone heavy. Needless to say that I was fascinated, so as you do, I broke one (it took me a while) and I found out that the inside is marble-like milky stone. So I collected a few in the hope of asking a local and as luck had it, I passed an old fella on the hiking path and enquired about my find. He said something along these lines "These can be found in small patches around the area. You don't have to dig deep to get at them and sometimes they lie there on the surface. I don't know what they are but keep them away from fire!" ... So yes, as any of you would have done, upon my return to my rented chalet, I turned the gas hob on and put a fragment (1 half) of the stone/fossil I broke earlier and retreated to a safe area (behind the bar, surrounded by flammable alcohol! Not the brightest idea I know!)...Anyway, nothing happened for 45 seconds and then POP it went...with a spray of mini shrapnels. Now I don't know if that was an explosion or a heat caused fragmentation due to intolerance but the "thing" did POP (noise but no apparent smoke from where I was standing 4 meters away...although I have to admit that upon hearing the pop I did duck briefly under the bar...only human! So basically if there was smoke to indicate combustion, I might have missed it!). Anyway, I kept two of them and put them in my suitcase. Now I'm back in England losing sleep over what they might be! Curiosity is eating me...
I would really appreciate it if someone could let me know what they are or even hazard a guess, so that I can tick the "I Now Know" box and move on...on my quest to the next exciting find...
Cheers