Sunday 11 November 2012

Collections: Fossils

   Fossils. I love them. I have a few I've bought from stalls in fairs and stuff but some of them I'm certain are fake - one I know is because it broke and it was plaster inside. I found a wonderful stall in the St Nicholas Market in the centre of Bristol, they sell real fossils, little trilobites and ammonites all the way to big pieces of rock with fossilised fish and small dinosaurs. The price of them are insane, of course, but I still would love one.
   I got lucky though, one of the first things Seeg ever gave me was a bag of rocks, all of which he and his family have picked up along the coasts of Europe and all of them have fossils in. Some are circular ammonites, some are bivalves, one is a tube worm or an ammonite with a straight side. His brother found a fossilised urchin which his family gave me when they came to visit.
   And the very first thing Seeg bought me is one of the best ones: he bought me a tiny fossilised eggshell fragment from a Titanosaur. It's only a tiny fragment but it's the most awesome fossil I have because it (could have) once had a baby dinosaur in it, which is just awesome.

The collection of fossils Seeg first gave me

   I have found fossils on my own, but they've only been small. Along a lot of English coastlines, there are brick walls along the sea wall. If you look closely you can see that some of the walls are made up of stone which is absolutely littered with tiny ammonites. When I go to the seaside, I'm not paying any attention to anything but the rocks. Thinking about it, I must be pretty boring to go out with. Sorry Seeg.

My favourite from the lot
 
   I don't have a fossil trilobite yet. They're my favourites when it comes to common specimins because they're extremely odd looking - some of the ones I've seen have been just completely alien! Ammonites are one of the most common fossils and I have a real and fake ammonite bought from a fair, and Seeg gave me a fossilised ammonite, and a fossil of where one was (rather than being convex, it's concave, just an impression).
   I'm not at all keen on shark teeth to be honest, probably because sharks still exist. They're awesome creatures, of course they are, and I love shark documentaries, but shark teeth fossils are just not interesting to me at all.

The Titanosaur egg shell fragment besides a 5p coin

   This one is and isn't an active collection. It isn't because I don't buy any, but it is because whenever I find them they're so expensive, and I don't often find places to buy them, but if I can afford them, I go for it. There is one mighty wonderful website that sells fossils, magazines, excavating tools and everything, called UKGE.co.uk I bought a copy of their magazine, Deposits, and I found it a most interesting read. If anyone fancies buying me a christmas or birthday present, a fossil or Deposits magazine subscription would be just amazing! Also, they ship worldwide, so if anyone is interested in accumulating fossils of your own, it's a good and easy place to start, plus they are all real.

The very slight curvature of the fragment - it was one big egg!

   I love my fossil collection. It might be small, but each and every fossil given or found is so freaking exciting, it's really quite sad. I even used some of my fossils that Seeg gave me in my group photo of the dinosaur skull necklaces. I'm going to the Natural History Museum in London next year, which I am so excited about, so I'll finally get to see some dino bones. They also have a full body fossil of an archaeopteryx, but they only display a model piece. I'm wondering what it would take to be able to see the real thing since it's one of my all time favourites. I'm also fond of the Kimmerosaurus. For obvious reasons, I'm sure.





1 comment:

  1. I also love fossils!!! I grew up reading about dinosaurs, and watching Jurassic Park; reading about fossils, archaeology, history, etc. so they've always interested me. :) When we were dating, Jen actually sent me a box full of little gifts, and special stuff including my first fossil. :) I was so happy! I still have 'tis, too!

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