Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I found several interesting things while walking the beach last month just south of Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden. I wasn't even seriously looking, but these caught my eye. Three I can identify, but one has me scratching my head. It's been suggested it's a fossilized sea urchin, a bead from the Viking age, and perhaps a whorl used in spinning thread. All old, but I'd really like to know what exactly this little gem could be. It's about the size of a Cheerio, rock solid and smooth with a hole started on both sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyB Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Can you also show a photo of the top (assuming its an echinoid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Absolutely, sure. Edited October 30, 2019 by Mopsgirl89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) It's not letting me upload a photo of the other side. Says I've maxed capacity. The other side is very similar. Edited October 30, 2019 by Mopsgirl89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 There we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I think it's a worn crinoid columnal (stem ossicle), with a roughly pentagonal lumen. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Thanks. Here's a side view. It's quite symmetrical. Edited October 30, 2019 by Mopsgirl89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 That last photo looks like a stack of several crinoid columnals - i.e. a short piece of stem. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Interesting. Here's a photo from https://textandtrowel.wordpress.com/ As my find is more ring shaped than cylindrical, could it have been manipulated into this shape by man? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, Mopsgirl89 said: Interesting. Here's a photo from https://textandtrowel.wordpress.com/ As my find is more ring shaped than cylindrical, could it have been manipulated into this shape by man? Cool necklace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 25 minutes ago, Mopsgirl89 said: Interesting. Here's a photo from https://textandtrowel.wordpress.com/ As my find is more ring shaped than cylindrical, could it have been manipulated into this shape by man? Natural beach wear could be sufficient (and some crinoid columnals are shaped more like that to begin with) but it's certainly possible. Yours hasn't been perforated though, so perhaps the old Gotlanders were inspired by and maybe utilised similar natural ones? Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopsgirl89 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 I don't know, but it's been an interesting afternoon learning what this might be. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I the last photo you posted, I can see what appears to be four columnals heavily worn. Since there's no hole in the middle, this suggests natural wear as opposed to manmade although there is a very slight chance of work begun but not completed. However, there's no way to prove that so . . . . Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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