Loading, please wait...
LOT 2406
Fossil Mosasaur 'Marine Dinosaur' Tooth with Root
CRETACEOUS PERIOD, 145-65 MILLION YEARS B.P.
3 1/4 in. (60.3 grams, 82 mm).
Showing good enamel and some root. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Morocco, North Africa.
From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
The Mosasaur is an extinct, large marine reptile dinosaur with an elongated body, long snout and paddle-like limbs. Found worldwide, they competed with other well-known sea predators of the Late Cretaceous, such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, for food, existing primarily on a diet of ammonoids, cuttlefish and fish.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Boxed Pyrite Crystal Mineral Specimen Collection [8]
Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Comprising eight specimens showing intergrown golden crystals displaying characteristic striations. 505 grams total, 29-45 mm
From Huanuco, Peru. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK. -
Large Polished Amber Specimen with Insects and Plant Inclusions
Oligocene Period, circa 45 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Large polished section with numerous inclusions and small internal areas of iridescence. 138 grams, 14.6 cm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. -
Historic Roman Cut and Polished Porphyry Slice Group [10]
Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Comprising lacquered porphyry slices of irregular shape, cut and polished on both sides, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th century A.D. 176 grams total, 37-97 mm
From Egypt. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.
Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost some time in the 5th century, and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarry men, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food.