A LONG extinct creature has been found inside a 2,000-year-old amulet that ancient Romans may have believed held magic powers, according to a new study.
The mysterious marine creature, a trilobite, went extinct more than 250million years ago.
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It is the first time archaeologists have found a trilobite that was manipulated during Roman times, the study, published in the Springer Nature journal.
And it is only the third on record believed to have been deliberately collected by humans over a thousand years ago.
The fossil, now a common collector’s item, showed clear signs of modifications that suggest it was made to be worn as a pendant or bracelet, according to researchers.
While the researchers did not find any holes or piercings in the fossil, they believe it was likely embedded in metal like gold or silver.
Microscopic examination and high-contrast photographs of the fossil reveal human-made modifications, including seven artificial facets on the left and underside.
These changes were used to flatten the fossil for use within a pendant or bracelet, the researchers said.
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The fossil, found at the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain, had been preserved in a natural cast mineralised with iron oxide, giving it a reddish hue.
Trilobite fossils are frequently found in this way, and the colouring may have even made it appear more desirable as jewellery.
After examining the weathering of the fossil, the researchers said the specimen was similar to fossils from the southern Central Iberian Zone, located approximately 430km from the discovery site.
The significant distance between the two places suggests ancient Romans intentionally transported these mysterious fossils for a purpose.
The researchers say the interest from ancient Romans was possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers.
Trilobites are one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, and scuttled across ocean floors for almost 270million years.
Among more than 22,000 species of trilobites, the researchers identified this ancient specimen as Colpocoryphe sp.
It was unearthed alongside a bronze coin adorned with the face of Emperor Augustus, the first Roman Emperor who reigned from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.
According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Augustus was an avid collector of fossils.
The Roman Emperor would import them from Greece, as well as personally excavate them on the island of Capri which had developed into a private resort.
Augustus is credited with creating one of the first known paleontological museums at his villa, displaying the bones of long-lost creatures now understood to be fossils.
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A brief history of the Roman Empire
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Roman Empire began shortly after the founding of the Roman Republic in the 6th century BC
- It reigned for around a thousand years until the fall of the last Western emperor in 476 AD
- During this time, the Romans ruled over many countries in Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East
- At its height, 90 million people lived in the Roman Empire
- It evolved from a monarchy to a democratic republic to a military dictatorship and then was finally ruled by emperors
- One of the most well-known Roman leaders is Julius Caesar, famously assassinated in 44BC
- He is largely credited for his military mind and laying the foundations for the Roman Empire
- The spread of the Roman Empire into Britain in around 55 BC has had a lasting impact on our lives today
- Latin, straight roads, underfloor heating and the spread of Christianity are all attributed to the Romans
