Martin Family Fossil Collection, p. 6

Martin Family Fossil Collection Page 6: Holzmaden, Germany

Holzmaden is a small town located in southwest Germany. One of the reasons the town has become famous is because it is located right on top of the lower Jurassic shale beds where some of the earliest and most significant fossil discoveries were made. As can be seen from the following map, the site lies very close to middle and upper Jurassic deposits as well.

The fossils located on these pages come from all three levels, starting with the lower Jurassic fossils found near Holzmaden and continuing through middle and upper Jurassic fossils found at sites further south. If you should ever get to Holzmaden you can't miss visiting the Hauff Museum. It is quite unlike anything I have ever seen before. Imagine a room the size of a small aircraft hangar, sloping downward to follow the natural contour of the surrounding gradient. As you walk down the steps, beside you lie 'billiard table sized' sheets of slate full of fossils arranged in their proper geological time sequence. With each step downward you travel millions of years back in time.... The picture can't do it justice.

The museum also displays many of the significant fossils including Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs, Steneosaurs, and winged dinosaurs found in the area.

	The ammonites in the slate at Holzmaden have been pressed paper thin. All that remains of the shell is a thin film of pyrite, visible on freshly cleaved surfaces.
	Older samples where the pyrite has worn off. The right one exhibits two different species of ammonites.
	Two plates exhibiting various ammonites.
	Slate containing several different types of ammonites.
	Unfortunately the slate is quite fragile as these two repaired pieces will show. The right hand one, photographed in situ, was used for the background on this page but didn't survive the trip from Germany.
	Several samples of ammonites, still with their original colour.
	The above fossils were all collected on our visit to Holzmaden in 1997. I found this large ammonite in a quarry near Holzmaden over 25 years ago.

I can be reached at: [email protected] Last modified on November 14, 2001

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