Name:
Dactylioceras (Snakestone)
Age: Jurassic
Formation: Lias Ammonite Beds
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire, England
Size: Ammonite is 2.3 inches across
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Here is a very interesting fossil. This is a large Dactylioceras ammonite with a snake's head carved onto the ammonite. English folklore tells of the legend of Saint Hilda of Whitby who cleared the area of snakes by severing their heads with a whip and throwing their remains over the cliffs. To perpetuate the legend, local craftsmen have for centuries carved snake heads onto the local fossil ammonites. Snakestones have been recorded from at least Viking times and in Medievel England were prized for medicinal purposes and charms. This large Snakestone shows the inner coils and distinct ribbing extremely well. This is a unique item that has been part of English folklore for over a thousand years.
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