What have I found?

[D Dot]

Hello,

I am completely new to fossil hunting.  I recently found this in my back yard while filling in a hole that had been dug a few months back.  I don't know if it's fossil, natural formation or garbage.  I'm hoping the Fossil Forum members can help ID it for me.  It was found in the far west part of the panhandle of Florida.  I know the ground here has been disturbed in the recent past and it's possible fill dirt has been brought from somewhere else locally.  At it's widest it is about 2.5", the thin cross section is about 1/4" and the tuber looking part is oval in shape , 3/4"x5/8".  Thanks in advance for all your help.

[Kane]

The shape and texture suggests to me a thoroughly oxidized piece of metal, and so possibly of human manufacture rather than fossil.

[val horn]

Not a fossil though the hollow my be a trace fossil of a worm or shrimp tunnel.

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

Nice specimen!! As you have stated correctly, it seems to be sandstone cemented by iron (hydr-)oxide. Some kind of concretionary formation. It could very well be, that some organic "template" was involved in the formation of the tube, maybe a root or something like that. But this is far from sure. And it is a natural formation in my opinion.

Franz Bernhard

[Plax]

or a chunk of suggestively shaped bog iron. If a magnet sticks it's man made.Franz beat me to it! 

[D Dot]

Btw. It's does not seem to be magnetic.  Not sure if that helps...

[Ludwigia]

I'm in the metallic camp. As far as I know, bog iron, or limonite, is not magnetic.

[FranzBernhard]

12 minutes ago, D Dot said:

It's does not seem to be magnetic.

If its indeed a man-made piece of iron/stell, its now fully rusted. So the info is very helpful.

The iron-option makes the situation a little bit difficult, because rusting iron "expands" somewhat and can enclose sand and gravel in that way, imitating a concretion...

So we have to feasible choices at the moment: Concretionary formation* or rusted iron.

*Edit: To me, the specimen looks rather sandy and I can also imagine some kind of layering.

Franz Bernhard

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by FranzBernhard

[FranzBernhard]

2 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

I'm in the metallic camp. As far as I know, bog iron, or limonite, is not magnetic.

OP stated, its non-magnetic .

Franz Bernhard

Edited March 29, 2022 by FranzBernhard

[JohnJ]

As Franz referenced, I think this looks more like 'ironstone' or an iron rich sandstone formation.  They can form into bizarre shapes in the Texas Eocene.  

[Mark Kmiecik]

Nothing organic that I can think of is shaped like that.

[Ludwigia]

6 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said:

OP stated, its non-magnetic .

Franz Bernhard

 

Yes, I know. That's why I made this statement to support the previous comments.

[Plax]

Perhaps some iron foundry casting sand? Still think it's bog iron though. Have seen all kinds of shapes in bog iron but no square bolts etc in it of course.

[BullStrong]

This thread reminded me of a geological layer a came across in a SW Florida creek some years ago. Having navigated countless miles of creeks and rivers this was and still is for me a unique exposure of concretion like iron oxide sandstone. The outcrop was some thirty meters along the creek bank. I took with me one of the smaller more manageable rocks. It was found in a stratigraphy simply designated as Shelly Sediments of the Plio-Pleistocene Age.

Edited March 29, 2022 by BullStrong

[D Dot]

Thank you all for your help and knowledge.   Having found such an oddly shaped object in my back yard I now have a new interest in fossils and minerals.  Hopefully I will have new finds to share soon.  The iron oxide concretion is going to go on a shelf in my family room to bewilder visitors as it did me.   

 

[hemipristis]

bog iron