Loading, please wait...
LOT 1992
Natural History - 'Spartan Basalt' Polished Green Porphyry Section
7 1/8 in. (1.22 kg, 18.1 cm).
A large cut section of green porphyry mined in Greece, possibly in ancient Roman times. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom Greece.
Mineral Imports, London, UK.
Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's).
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:
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.
LOT 1992
Natural History - 'Spartan Basalt' Polished Green Porphyry Section
Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
-
Natural History - Cut and Polished Agate Crystal Geode Section Slice Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A group of six polished agate slices. 630 grams total, 12-13.2 cm
Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's). -
Natural History - Mioplosus Fossil Fish in Matrix
Eocene Period, 56-33 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A rectangular sedimentary matrix displaying a Mioplosus sp. fossil fish. 937 grams, 17.8 x 13 cm
Ex Lincolnshire, 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. -
Natural History - British Polished Ichthyosaur Vertebrae Display
Jurassic Period, circa 180 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
A polished fossil Ichthyosaur sp. vertebrae section in a jet matrix, partially pyritised; Upper Lias. 236 grams, 16.5 cm
From Sandsend, Whitby, North Yorkshire, UK. Property of a Leicestershire, UK, private collector.
Ichthyosaurs (Greek for "fish lizard" - ichthus meaning "fish" and sauros meaning "lizard") were giant marine reptiles that resembled dolphins, in a textbook example of parallel evolution. They thrived during much of the Mesozoic era; based on fossil evidence, they first appeared approximately 245 million years ago and disappeared about 90 million years ago, about 25 million years before the dinosaurs became extinct.
