Unknown imprint

[Sizev_McJol]

You guys sick of my threads yet?  Sorry, there’s a lot more to come. Here is an interesting surface which features may be purely natural erosion or a fossil imprint. Coral maybe? Almost looks like fossil rain drops, eh? Any clue if it’s organic in origin? From northern Illinois. 

[Kane]

Hm. I would wager it is non-organic in origin. If it were, for example, the impression of a brachiopod death assemblage, there would be more uniform and recognizable diagnostic details.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Looks like cement that was rained on while setting to me. 

[Kane]

Just now, Tidgy's Dad said:

Looks like cement that was rained on while setting to me. 

I've seen a very similar shelf-like rock at one area nearby, and it is a kind of sandy-clay rock. Hard, but possibly more recent in origin. I apologize for not having pictures as I've generally pitched it aside, but it is a consistent, thin layer with these "droplets." I'll have to remember to record those when we are not under threat of imminent snowfall!

[Sizev_McJol]

40 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Looks like cement that was rained on while setting to me. 

Yes, it does look that way, but it isn’t cement. 

 

38 minutes ago, Kane said:

I've seen a very similar shelf-like rock at one area nearby, and it is a kind of sandy-clay rock. Hard, but possibly more recent in origin. I apologize for not having pictures as I've generally pitched it aside, but it is a consistent, thin layer with these "droplets." I'll have to remember to record those when we are not under threat of imminent snowfall!

So these may indeed be water droplets? Cool. But how old could it be? We may never know...