Erfoud fossils for sale in Morocco

Erfoud fossils in Morocco

Morocco is one of the world’s most geographically diverse countries, bordered to the west by the Atlas Mountains and to the east by the Sahara Desert. Because of the dry climate, large amounts of rock are exposed, making it easy to understand the geology. Nature lovers will find fascinating natural features such as folded rocks, towering sand dunes, and abundant fossil beds dating from the pre-Cambrian to the Recent geological epochs. Trilobites, ammonites, and other ancient living fossils such as dinosaurs, coral, and shark teeth can be found in eastern Morocco, particularly in Erfoud. Paleontologists have been able to greatly update the geological record thanks to excavations in Morocco.

It’s hard to believe that the Sahara desert was once a shallow sea millions of years ago. Ammonites, Orthoceras, and Trilobites, among other prehistoric marine animals, thrived in this sea and accumulated on the bottom when they died. Over millennia, their remains were buried in mud and turned into stone. The spiral bodies of ammonites distinguish them from modern-day snails (mollusks). Orthoceras, like modern squids, have a small body and a ‘toothlike’ beak. The rigid exoskeleton of trilobites is divided into three distinct segments that fossilize well. These ground organisms are the ancestors of modern insects, spiders, centipedes, lobsters, and crabs.

The Kem Kem Beds formation is a well-known archaeological site in southern Morocco, between Morocco and Algeria. A sheepherder in the small desert settlement of Hassi Begaa discovered fish bones in 1991. This heightened interest in the area, resulting in the discovery of several dinosaur bones and footprints. The Spinosaurus, the first known semi-aquatic dinosaur, was one of the most exciting finds. It is considered to be the world’s largest predatory dinosaur, far bigger than a T-rex! In Egypt, similar skeletons have been discovered.

In Morocco, where can you locate and purchase fossils?

The best place in Morocco to collect fossils is near the town of Erfoud, which is located in the center of the Ziz Oasis, adjacent to the famous Erg Chebbi Desert. Tourists may get a firsthand look at the process of finding and extracting fossils by visiting the Museum of Fossils and Minerals or one of the area’s fossil factories.

Many Berber families from Erfoud and Midelt have been involved in fossil mining and preservation for many decades. Hand-dug trenches using shovels, picks, and chisels are mined, marble rocks are recovered, and rock fragments from fossils are hand micro-blasted. Other large pieces of marble may be carved and polished to make tables, fountains, soap dishes, bowls, pendants, and other decorative items. These items may be found at Erfoud, as well as Marrakech and Fes souks. Large items, like as fountains, may be purchased in Erfoud and sent anywhere in the world.

For sale are Erfoud fossils.

Ammonites

Morocco is rich in Devonian Limestone, which dates back 350 million years. Ammonites, which may today be found in Morocco, used to flourish in a warm, shallow sea that covered what is now the Sahara Desert. As the creatures’ shells accumulated on the sea floor, they were buried by sediments and transformed into stone over time via physical and chemical processes.

They are now extracted from a marble (calcium carbonate) deposit. Moroccan artisans from Erfoud carved and polished the stones to provide a rare picture of past life on Earth.