Is This a Rock? Artifact?

[GopherDaGold]

Of course it's a rock but what a strange rock it is. I went for a walk through a creek after work today and found this stuck in the mud. I dug it out, rinsed it off in the creek then lugged it back home for a better cleaning. It weighs around 15lbs or more. The white coloring will not scratch off and is not paint, at least not recent paint. The black ring must be from being buried or underwater at a different location, prior to settling where I found it.
What struck me was how round it is when viewed from the top and side. It's also quite smooth. The bottom is broken off flat-ish as you can see by the bottom pictures.
I'm not sure it's an artifact but if someone tells me it is, I won't be too upset. Should I post it on the AII board?

 

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[fathead]

We have tons of those in Maryland. They are called rocks.

Granted, yours is way cooler. So I would say a really cook rock.

-fathead

 

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[creeper71]

It looks like a geode to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geode

I disagree with the geode theory... Still saying possible dino egg

post your pictures here in the fossil Id Forum... http://www.thefossilforum.com/

just wondering if you sent your photos to the link I posted?

 

[GopherDaGold]

Not yet but will this weekend. Just hate having to register everywhere I go on the net.

 

[creeper71]

Not yet but will this weekend. Just hate having to register everywhere I go on the net.

i understand that but this will answer your question an I still think it's a Dino egg... every where I looked online had Dino eggs looked like what you have from the out side... I couldn't find one cracked open to see what it would look like except a few that had fossilized baby dinos in the eggs.. I personally think your egg didn't reach the stage for the dino to form or it was a rotten egg that fossilized...

 

[GopherDaGold]

I looked as well. The recurring themes I found throughout my research is that most, (but not all) dino eggs come from China. Why that is, I don't know. I'm in Missouri. Another was that most, (again not all) had visible crackling throughout. Mine does not. And lastly, real dino eggs are brown or dark gray. When viewed under magnification, mine is brown-ish and LIGHT gray. Then there's that mysterious white coating too,

I registered at the fossil forum today and posted pics. Hopefully we'll find out soon.

 

[Alnitak]

It's a concretion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concretion

Jeff

 

[BuffaloBill]

Something I find intriguing is in that bottom pic, of the flat section. If you look closely there appears to be a white line, about 1/4" in from the edge, that goes around the entire circumference of the object. Possibly indicating an outer shell of some sort I'm no geologist, maybe that occurs naturally in rocks. No clue. Just thought that line was interesting.

 

[GopherDaGold]

Responses from the fossil forum link so far:

Posted Today, 06:35 AM
"The "cut-away" seems to show some concentric structure, and it does not appear to be either an igneous nor metamorphic mineral. My best guess would be a concretionary nodule."


Posted Today, 09:22 AM
Rokhownd, neat specimen you have there!

"Those things can start out small and get very large, sometimes much larger than this one. As they weather out of the sediments/rocks sometimes you find lots and lots of them and other times they are very isolated. Often you'll find fossils in them--in yours I dont see any indication of that but there is an intriguing elliptical shape in the lower right corner of that cross section that at first I thought might be something. Could even be another concretion that got taken up by this one?
Quite a neat little display item. Thanks for sharing!" Regards, Chris

 

[DC]

It looks like a love stone to me!

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I agree with your theory Jeff (Alnitak).

Concretion
From Wikipedia

A concretion is a volume of sedimentary rock in which a mineral cement fills the porosity (i.e. the spaces between the sediment grains). Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur. The word 'concretion' is derived from the Latin con meaning 'together' and crescere meaning 'to grow'. Concretions form within layers of sedimentary strata that have already been deposited. They usually form early in the burial history of the sediment, before the rest of the sediment is hardened into rock. This concretionary cement often makes the concretion harder and more resistant to weathering than the host stratum. Descriptions dating from the 18th century attest to the fact that concretions have long been regarded as geological curiosities. Because of the variety of unusual shapes, sizes and compositions, concretions have been interpreted to be dinosaur eggs, animal and plant fossils (called pseudofossils), extraterrestrial debris or human artifacts.

 

[dank]

concretion for sure,
this pic of my avatar started out like the one you have there, then many hours of prep work exposed a crab fossil, but keep in mind they come up empty or unidentifiable too. good luck.

 

[creeper71]

concretion for sure,
this pic of my avatar started out like the one you have there, then many hours of prep work exposed a crab fossil, but keep in mind they come up empty or unidentifiable too. good luck.

So your saying that there could be fossils buried inside it?

 

[creeper71]

I agree with your theory Jeff (Alnitak).

Concretion
From Wikipedia

A concretion is a volume of sedimentary rock in which a mineral cement fills the porosity (i.e. the spaces between the sediment grains). Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes also occur. The word 'concretion' is derived from the Latin con meaning 'together' and crescere meaning 'to grow'. Concretions form within layers of sedimentary strata that have already been deposited. They usually form early in the burial history of the sediment, before the rest of the sediment is hardened into rock. This concretionary cement often makes the concretion harder and more resistant to weathering than the host stratum. Descriptions dating from the 18th century attest to the fact that concretions have long been regarded as geological curiosities. Because of the variety of unusual shapes, sizes and compositions, concretions have been interpreted to be dinosaur eggs, animal and plant fossils (called pseudofossils), extraterrestrial debris or human artifacts.

I was at work today when i first seen what it could have been, I agree too that that is what it is... I was pulling for it to be a Dino egg cause it sure looked like the ones i seen one line... but anyways it might be worth more not being a Dino egg an being a Concretion.. Both as monetary value an historic value

 

[JP]

I'm not saying it is one, but it reminds me of a stone cannon ball that we recovered somewhere in the world. It even still had a burn mark on it.

Cool find what ever it is.

HH