Hello from New Jersey, USA!

[ThatCarpenterGuy]

HiHello everyone, 

  My name is Sean. I’m 39 years old and I’m a carpenter/contractor living in Milford NJ, USA. This is my story about how I went to work, found some strange rocks, became obsessed and ultimately, ended up here. 

  I was working for a client, building and installing her custom “dream office”. The location was on a private property in Stockton, NJ and was previously part of a large farm. 
  Half way through the install, tragedy struck and a storm caused a flood on her property and in her new office. It was only 6cm of water for a short period of time but thats all it takes.
  Fast forward a bit and I’m installing a drainage system to prevent the incident from recurring. I’m familiar with digging in NJ and it is never an easy task but this was ridiculous. It was more picking up than digging. 
  After installing the drain, I offered to take the displaced soil and rock and it wasn't until unloading that I noticed how unusual they looked (images below). This was the spark that set off my curiosity and led to a binge of research and skill development, trying to determine what these were. I didn't want to know, i needed to know.
  I began with a web search for stone tools for image comparisons, then over to fossils and the local laws that accompany them. I contacted the curator of natural history at our state museum, worried that I might have carelessly disrupted something of historic value but also excited, like a child on Christmas.  So worried/excited that i didn’t consider how difficult it would be for a professional to identify fossils that were still covered in matrix and dirt. He generously offered to take a look in person, which I intend to have him do. I’m sure the experience will be knowledgeable and help expand my network. 
  That brings us pretty much up to date. Im developing my preparation skills, collection of books/tools, storage, and work area. Reading when I can and experiencing the high and low emotions that occur during preparation. “Thats the head! No, it’s the tail! Oh, it’s a sponge.” Often, it’s crystalized manganese oxides or concretions but I think some of them are beautiful and just as fascinating as fossils. 
  I hope to become a valuable asset to this community. Until then, I’ll probably be asking for a lot of answers and advice. So, thank you in advance!

 

Best Regards,

Sean

 

The rocks and trench that started it all. I’ll have a universal ruler and higher quality photos in the future. 

[Plax]

I think this is a Triassic outcrop area. The Stockton formation is named for the area. 

[Top Trilo]

Welcome from Colorado.

Nothing jumps out to me as a fossil, but there is a good chance I could be wrong.

[Jurassic_Joe]

Hello and welcome from Florida!

[Fossildude19]

Welcome to the Forum. 

 

Not seeing any fossils or worked tools in your images.

These look like mudstones/sandstones/limey shales, to me.

[Mark Kmiecik]

Welcome from Illinois.

[Jeffrey P]

Hi and welcome to TFF from New York. Milford's geology is in the Newark Basin, which in this case is mostly Upper Triassic. Those rocks you have pictured look like weathered sandstone/mudstone. I don't see any evidence of fossils, but the Newark Basin does produce occasional dinosaur/reptile footprints, mud cracks, ripple marks, raindrop marks, and poorly preserved plant material. Keep looking. You may find one of the above eventually. 

[Sjfriend]

Welcome from Alaska 

[Gizmo]

Welcome aboard! 

[C.P. Sheridan]

Hi Sean,  My name is Chris...a fellow South Jersey guy. The College area is mostly unconsolidated quaternary gravel. Yes the Stockton Formation is named after the same guy as the college...the Newark Supergroup is Juro-Triassic and is exposed further north. Not too much further from your site around the Shark River, tertiary marine fossils come to light. While I see nothing organic in the photos I am certainly not the last word. 

[sixgill pete]

Welcome to the forum!