**Originally Listed At $350**

Ancient Seas, Triassic to Cretaceous Period, ca. 242.5 to 65.5 million years ago. This is a partial ammonite fossil that has been cut to reveal the fascinating interior whorls and sutures that have developed pale beige and umber brown quartzite structures. The crystalline formations inside the chambers form when water with silica and other minerals in the ocean sediment seeps into the shell, permeating the organic material and later solidifying. The septu or walls dividing the chambers, and polished examples are both aesthetic and scientifically fascinating! The name "ammonite" came from Pliny the Elder after the Egyptian god Ammon, who was typically depicted wearing ram's horns that Pliny thought these fossils resembled. Size: 13.5" Diameter x 2.5" W (34.3 cm x 6.4 cm)

Provenance: ex-Royal Athena Galleries, New York City, New York, USA

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#174495

Professionally excavated and prepared, cut and polished as shown. Losses to shell peripheries. Stable fissures throughout and repairs with infill adhesive to these areas. Infill is similar in coloration to quartzite formations.