Impression? Trace fossil?

[headinthestars]

I’m an intern in the history collections department of a museum and the soon-to-be ex-husband of a geologist just donated six boxes of fossils, rocks, and minerals to us. Unfortunately I am the only person working in collections, and I really specialize in history. I don’t have any fossil knowledge at all, aside from the research I’ve done the past few days, and we don’t have a lot of information about the specimens donated. All we know is that some came from Germany and some came from various US states (but we don’t know which ones) and I believe many of them were found in the 80s based on the newspaper they were wrapped in.

 

These pieces have been particularly frustrating because I can’t find anything on this forum or elsewhere that looks similar. I believe these were found in Gerolstein, Germany because the rock is the same as the trilobite and plant fossils we also received that we know are from there (I think shale? Again my knowledge is very limited). There also seems to be obsidian or some other shiny mineral included. All this to say, I’m sorry I don’t have more information, but I hope someone will know what this is/what caused it!

 

I apologize for the lighting - our lights are dim to protect the artifacts so I did the best I could with a lamp. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by headinthestars

[Rockwood]

This is coalified plant material. Most likely from Carboniferous coal swamps. The second two are recognizable as cortex from a lycopod. Sigillaria would be my thought.