fangirl0708 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi everyone, i was wondering if anyone could help me ID if these are actual fossils in clay or just some kind of concrete mixture for roads. We live in Crestview FL, there was a huge wash out that took out a road in our area, and I found these by the wash out. http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag12/vivantphotography/Mobile%20Uploads/20150123_141847_1_zpsiytsbmg1.jpg~original http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag12/vivantphotography/Mobile%20Uploads/20150123_143912_zpsmodedt9h.jpg~original http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag12/vivantphotography/Mobile%20Uploads/20150123_143707_zpsjmgwhjsc.jpg~original Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) I took the liberty of posting your pics here so that others can view them without leaving the website. I also cropped and contrasted them a bit. Regards, Edited January 24, 2015 by Fossildude19 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painshill Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 It looks to me like “shellcrete” (also known as “tabby”) which was first used by 16th Century Spanish explorers and more extensively by English colonists as a cheap but only moderately resilient construction material in the 1800’s – particularly in the southeastern States down to the northern part of Florida. It’s essentially lime, sand, water and crushed shells (principally oyster, but actually anything that came to hand). The shells (often obtained from Indian middens) were both finely crushed and roasted to produce the lime as well as being crudely broken to provide aggregate as a substitute for gravel. It was both moulded into bricks and cast in situ between wooden shuttering planks to make entire wall sections. I can’t imagine it as suitable for road construction except as hardcore beneath a more durable surface. I wonder if something old and in disrepair was demolished and the rubble used for that purpose? 5 Roger I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who [Rudyard Kipling] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome to the Forum. What you have is limestone that is used in this part of Florida as road base before the asphalt is put down. The fossils are from the Eocene period somewhere in the 40 million year old range. The common name for the roundish flat objects are coin fossils, don't have the scientific name available to me at this time. Maybe someone else can help with that. Coin fossils are abundant, you can also find echinoids like the un-prepped ones below. ----Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painshill Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Welcome to the Forum. What you have is limestone that is used in this part of Florida as road base before the asphalt is put down. The fossils are from the Eocene period somewhere in the 40 million year old range. The common name for the roundish flat objects are coin fossils, don't have the scientific name available to me at this time. Maybe someone else can help with that. Coin fossils are abundant, you can also find echinoids like the un-prepped ones below. ----Tom It looks awfully porous and gritty for limestone (versus your examples). Roger I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who [Rudyard Kipling] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) It looks awfully porous and gritty for limestone (versus your examples). This limestone material is from the quarry in Alabama which includes Oligocene to Eocene layers, there is also a layer that I believe is above or below the Eocene that is a porous pink material. This layer does have some fossils in it, mainly the coin fossils. I have found echinoids in this layer that are always green in color????, echs. in the other layers are white to orange. My fossil friend and myself are possibly going to the pit, working on permission right now. Am interested in the study of the different layers and hope to find a certain ech. that has eluded me. Found a beautiful third of one, that is the same green color. I have hunted this material on road construction sites for the last 5 years always hoping to find something new----Tom Edited January 24, 2015 by Foshunter Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggieCie Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Coin fossil = sand dollar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtdauber Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Welcome to the Forum. What you have is limestone that is used in this part of Florida as road base before the asphalt is put down. The fossils are from the Eocene period somewhere in the 40 million year old range. The common name for the roundish flat objects are coin fossils, don't have the scientific name available to me at this time. Maybe someone else can help with that. Coin fossils are abundant, you can also find echinoids like the un-prepped ones below. ----Tom The 'coin fossils' could be large forams similar to Lepidocyclina mantelli. Also see a mold (steinkern) of a gastropod or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) Roger, the scale of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me! Those "coin fossils" may be Nummilites=large Foraminifera. Edited January 24, 2015 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Yes, Foraminifera from the Ocala limestone. Am in the middle of packing to move but finally found a Florida fossil publication, just couldn't remember their name. There are several large Clypeasters represented in the formation, a couple of yard fossils pictures below-----Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fangirl0708 Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thank you so much everyone for all your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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