ayla Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Hi All. I'm new here. Found this forum when trying to ID this fossil?? I found this in northern Jasper county in E. Texas. Geologic maps show the area as Oligocene (catahoula formation) or Miocene (Fleming/Oakville formation). The area is known for petrified wood, esp. palm wood. I have picked up the large piece several times over the past few months, but dropped it back thinking it was just a strange piece of trash, then I found the other two pieces (which appear to fit together) and reconsidered. The only thing I can think of is a palm frond impression, but even that doesn't seem quite right. Anyone have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Pottery ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Man made Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayla Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 I know - pottery was my first thoughts, well, actually second - old tennis shoe tread was first. I am just not aware of any kind of pottery that would look anything like this. I did find a scottsbluff red river knife across the road from this, which ages about 10,000+ years bp or so. Anyone knowledgeable of paleoindian pottery? Any other thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Welcome to the forum Ayla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Native pottery would be much younger, development of the technique marks the transition from archaic to woodland period here in Missouri. If you could clean the back of the piece and get a good image of it might be able to tell a little more. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Looks modern less then 200 yo the glaze looks high fire. Could you get a up close picture, of both sides Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I think it's safe to rule out native american pottery. I don't see any of the diagnostic characteristics for pottery. Do you have a guess as to the material it's made of...wood, metal, stone??? Welcome to the Forum, ayla. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayla Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 Thanks for the thoughts. It appears to be stone or clay - I don't have it with me right now so I cant try to break the back off. The back is covered with probably a limonite sandstone very common around here, but it was very secure to the object and I am not sure it would come off without breaking the whole thing. There is also what appears to be a natural white clay in the area. Not unusual to find casts of worm burrows from limonite eroding from the sandstone, sometimes even filled with the white clay. That's why I was starting to think it might be a natural thing and not man made. The design also seems very precise, however, not as precise as a machine would be - each is somewhat variable to the others. Also, if it was part of a pottery piece, I just can't really envision how these pieces would fit into a functional form. Also, it seems to have split and deformed some - would a fired clay piece do that or it is common to make unfired clay objects? Would it be part of anything mechanical - part of a well, furnace, or equipment cooling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Ayla, you may be on track with the idea of a furnace...in this case it could be some broken fragments of the decorative "ceramic" plates used in old gas home heaters. The "limonite" could be remnant rust from the heater housing. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Ayla, you may be on track with the idea of a furnace...in this case it could be some broken fragments of the decorative "ceramic" plates used in old gas home heaters. The "limonite" could be remnant rust from the heater housing. John I think you and Ayla might be on the right track. Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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