My world (of rocks)

Published on by bushboy

Lens-Artists Challenge #295: Rock Your World

A post theme where I had a gazillion thoughts of what has rocked my world to share, the mountains I live in, fountains to share, statues and works of art, right down to the cobblestones in Edinburgh. Saw so many posts from those I follow that were of outstanding beauty and fabulous creativity, more ideas blossomed were to be stolen.

One of the things I wanted to share is something I found on my place that was rather exciting, more of that later *builds suspense but then I thought why not do others found here and there.
One of the bloggers, I won’t mention who, I don’t want to out a fellow rock nerd, talked about her rock nerdiness, I had to agree. Most of the following rocks have been found on my place or in one case up the road. I tried to put them in chronological order. What do you think? Get it right?

So without any further chatting. Let’s begin with a yellow and black shiny rock

These were an exciting find. Isn’t that blue just lovely. I have a good sized collection as they are so easy to find and are small mostly, easy to carry in a pocket.
I was working for a mining company who were looking at the viability of re-opening the Cangi copper mine. I was a gopher for the Geologist. One day I took one of my big prized blue rocks and asked him could he tell me what it was.
If I knew he was going to smash it with a hammer to find out I wouldn’t have asked. Now I can’t remember, as what I thought he said, doesn’t seem right.

Either it’s petrified whale or shark tooth or that’s how the rock formed and this tip broke off. I go for the former as the fantasy is more fun.

These are my exciting find. A indigenous hand axe and sharpening stone. They weren’t found together, so someone maybe had a hole in their dilly bag and I bet they would have been really upset at losing them. The axe is sharp enough to cut and fits in my hand comfortably. The underside of the sharpening stone is round and smooth.
Maybe they could also be used as flints to start a fire.

When the house dam was being constructed one of the layers that was dug out was mud rock. Mud rock is solid but soft. When it gets wet, it turns into a lovely fine white sticky clay. It was also in layers so in a few million more years, it would be shale probably.
I had to lift up layers and open the splits. In one of these I found this rounded shape.

When I saw this pink shape I thought I had found something. Would you have thought so as well?

A bit of excitement when I carefully cracked it open. A shell of some sort, maybe a crab like creature, maybe I broke the Trilobites tail? Any fossil freaks as well as a rock nerd 😁 who can help out?

Does a close up help?

Not on my place but found up the road on a ridge. This ridge is full of Petrified Wood. A neighbour told me when he found it and when we took the kids, it was rock nerd heaven. We had to bring a few home. This is the biggest.

The property was having an big truck access built to the road. I managed to see the blokes surveying to find out what they knew and where the track was going. I know of some historical artifacts along that ridge and was making sure they weren’t going anywhere near them.

The first few rocks are who knows how old
The hand axe could be anytime since humans walked through my place in the last sixty million years but are more likely within the last three hundred
Fossils in a layer about three to four metres under ground, somewhere in the tens of thousands?
Petrified Wood 140 to 180 million years?

Let’s get our Rocks Off

34 thoughts on “My world (of rocks)”

  10. We are all rock nerds here too! I loved all of these. Sorry your biggest blue rock got smashed. The only one I recognize here is the petrified wood. And the one I’m most excited about are the hand tools, because I studied to be an anthropologist. My kid, Kellen, has a geology degree, so I am regularly exposed to new and interesting rock information. Kellen would appreciate this post. ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yay rock nerd. The hand tools are exciting knowing my place was walked over going from place to place, possibly to where the river is easy to cross on foot a long time ago.
      If Kellen can tell me more I would be indebted. More rock nerd information to cram into a head, where stuff is spilling out all the time to make room for the new 😂

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  11. Fascinating! Salute to rock nerds. It is one thing to come across artifacts in sights designated for that, but to think people walked your property millions of years ago feels strange, doesn’t it? So much to discover there. I love all your treasures, Brian. I hope someone might identify that fossil. What a find. And petrified wood is beautiful. We do have a few pieces we found in a remote area. thank you for this. Well done!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So happy you liked my post showing your real rock nerdiness to shine through.
      It does at times make me wonder if the small permanent waterhole on my place was a camp site on their travels through especially in drought times.
      I hope someone will have a go at the fossil.
      Some rocks ask to be taken home, others just want to be held and loved and put back.

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  14. Too cool 😀

    I love all of it, but it won’t be much of a surprise to you, I’m sure. I don’t think it’s a tooth, sorry. We have some and they don’t look like it at all. But… is the rock quite light but compact? It could be shale and it might have some surprises inside, if you are willing to risk it. The other fossil I have no idea, never seen anything quite like it 😀

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    1. Thanks Sofia. I was only kidding about the tooth being a fossil. Thanks for having a look at the real one though. I am sure I have some vegetation fossils here somewhere too 😀
      PS I didn’t let on who the rock nerd I was chatting to either 😉

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  15. Well I have a new favorite phrase – rock nerd! I suspect most of those who love photography also love rocks – there’s just so much to see and imagine when studying them. Loved your post Brian, what an amazing site you found for your home (and good on you for making sure the important things were not disturbed!). Fabulous post – you really brought your finds to life.

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