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LOT 2717
Historic Roman 'Spartan Basalt' Cut and Polished Green Porphyry Sheet Group
4 3/4 - 5 3/4 in. (221 grams total, 11.9-14.5 cm).
Cut and polished sections, mined in Greece, cut and polished on both sides, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Mineral Imports, London, UK.
Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.
Also known as Lapis Lacedaemonius and Porfido Verde Antico, a type of green porphyry quarried in Greece. Spartan basalt is a form of andesite or volcanic rock known today only from a single source in the village of Krokees on the Peloponnese in Greece. In addition, ancient sources mention a quarry of Lapis Lacedaemonius in Taygetus.
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:
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LOT 2717
Historic Roman 'Spartan Basalt' Cut and Polished Green Porphyry Sheet Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
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Fossil Barasaurus Besairiei Skeleton in Matrix
Triassic Period, circa 240 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Showing the almost complete skeleton; some restoration. 172 grams, 17 cm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. -
Fossil Knightia Fish in Matrix
Eocene Period, circa 58-36 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
A Knightia alta fish on a rectangular limestone matrix with remains of another one on the reverse. 453 grams, 17.8 cm
From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
In southwest Wyoming (and parts of Colorado and Utah) in the Green River Formation are found some of the world's most outstanding specimens of fossil fish. The Green River system was composed of three lakes: Lake Ulinta, Lake Gosiute and Fossil Lake. These Eocene lakes lay in a series of intermountain basins formed by geological events that uplifted the Rocky Mountains during the early Tertiary time. The climate was much different from the desert-like climate of this area today. Both the fauna (crocodiles, alligators, boa constrictors and some subtropical fish families) and the flora (such as large palm trees) indicate a climate much like that found along the Gulf Coast today. Large amounts of ash found in the sediments indicate that volcanoes were particularly active at this time. -
Two Large Cut and Polished Slabs of Rare Vintage Blue John Fluorite
Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Two irregular slabs showing typical purple, blue and white banding. 907 grams total, 25.3-25.5 cm
From the UK. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.
