May Just Be Coral But You Never Know

[antagonizer]

I'm really glad I found this forum and hope folks here can help me out.

I found this fossil in north east Arkansas, just outside of Jonesboro on Crowley's ridge. I was helping a friend build his house, and came across it about 2 years ago. At first I thought it was just a cool piece of coral, but something about it suggested it may be something else.

Anyway, here's some pics in hopes someone can identify it;

[Mr. Edonihce]

If I didn't already know that McDonald's has only been around since sometime last century, I'd suggest it's a petrified Egg McMuffin ...it looks a lot like something I probably eat far too often. :lol:

[JohnJ]

It is nothing mysterious. Looks like a 'decomposed', highly eroded chert nodule.

[antagonizer]

I do knapping and it's not chert. I was searching for agate when I found it, and actually picked up a bunch of petrified coral as well, however their consistency is really different than this piece. It seems to be segmented, with the mushroom cap on top, then a porous layer not unlike the heart bone of an antler, with solid river stone shaped pieces embedded in it.

The area I found it in is renown for fossil coral, sharks teeth mastadon bones, etc. It came out of a sand/loess pit with small polished pieces of agate, chert, coral in it. Part of an alluvial deposit from the Mississippi embayment.

[antagonizer]

Here's some pictures of the site where I found it. Maybe they'll help;

[JohnJ]

I'm even more convinced of my original suggestion. I've done a little knapping myself. Think of a layered chert nodule with some 'nasty', thick cortex. Some knappers call it 'rotten' flint because it doesn't look like chert...probably because it never formed the tight grained crystalline structure. Chemistry and erosion continue to take their toll on it because it is 'softer'.

Looks like a very cool place to hunt.

[antagonizer]

I hate to do it, but I'll percuss the edge of it and see if I can take off a flake.

I have dug at it a bit, and there are some honeycomb structures embedded in it, so I'm inclined to doubt it being chert however I suppose it's possible.

Won't know for sure unless I break it tho.

[Mr. Edonihce]

I have dug at it a bit, and there are some honeycomb structures embedded in it

Do you have access to a camera that has a 'macro' (close-up) setting?

If so, how about post up some photos of that 'honeycomb'.

That might be interesting to see....regardless of what it turns out to be.