| Original Message: Re: fossil beads from Cambodia, -Crinoids? |
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Thank you, Stefany. It's amazing how one word can be so helpful. Five minutes ago, I'd never heard of crinoids; now, thanks to Wikipedia, I even know that their anuses were located next to their mouths! And a whole lot of other stuff besides. Anyway, these are definitely the same fossils as the small beads on my Cambodian necklace. I attach a couple of pictures of them. Apparently they were perfectly designed for beads. Wikipedia again: "St Cuthbert's beads (or Cuddy's beads) are circular columnals of Carboniferous crinoids which were strung together as a necklace or rosary in medieval Northumberland, and became associated with St Cuthbert. In Germany, the columnals were known as "Bonifacius Pfennige" (St Boniface's pennies). In other parts of England, circular crinoid columnals were known as "fairy money", pentagonal crinoid columnals were known as "star stones", and moulds of the stems left impressions which were known as screwstones. "The "beads" are thick discs or short cylinders, which, in life, were articulated to form a branched structure, linked by soft tissue, nerves and ligaments which occupuied the central hole (lumen). The columnals often disarticulated after the animal died: articulated fossils are relatively rare." I find it exciting that the same fossils could have been used for the same purpose in two such different cultures. Thanks again, Stefany, Will All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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