Rocks & Fossils

Check out our rock and fossil FAQ for smart collecting tips, information about some local rock formations, and advice about fossil eggs and meteorites.

Geological find...

I have come across a very interesting rock on a friends property above the Ojai Valley. Looking for someone who might have some idea what it is. Any help is appreciated. 

Thanks,

Nile

Nile, Ojai - May 22, 2018

Curator Response

Hi Nile,

Thanks for sharing your interesting-looking rock with us. It’s pretty hard to tell from the pictures, but the rock type is probably sandstone. From the angles you show us, it doesn’t appear to have been shaped by human hands, either. It’s actually not unusual to find roundish, naturally-occurring concretions, because as a rock becomes weathered—like the round, smooth stones you find in a riverbed or by the sea—sharp edges are rounded off.

Jonathan Hoffman, Dibblee Collection Manager of Earth Science

John R. Johnson, Curator of Anthropology