Re: Sacred Fossils

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o.a.hoel@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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The reference to Utah indians having a specific name for trilobites is from

        -Taylor,M.E. & Robison,R.A. (1976): Trilobites in Utah folklore.
Brigham Young University Geology Studies Volume 23, part 2 (5 pp.).

They retell the story of an Amateur Naturalist, Frank Asahel Beckwith, who,
during an excavation of an indian burial site in the early 1900's found a
specimen of the trilobite Elrathia kingii in the ribcage of the dead indian.
The specimen was drilled through the cephalon and had been carried around
his neck. the age of the grave is unfortunately unknown. When asking some
indian friends about this, he was told that it was called "timpe khanitza
pachavee" which means 'little water bug in stone house', and that it had
been used to keep away illnesses (e.g. diphtheria and sore throat) and would
also keep the wearer safe from bullets 'at least for a time'.

The indians' name for the trilobite implies that they recognized its organic
origin. They lived originally in a swampy area (lots of water bugs there) in
the delta of the Sevier river (now drained) not far south of the locality
Wheeler Amphitheater at Antelope Spring. This locality  abounds in complete
and well preserved specimens of Elrathia kingii which weathers out of the
rock. They may therefore have collected these for many years, although no
absolute proof has been found of the association between indians and
trilobites being older than when the trilobites were found by white men in
the 1860's


Ole A. Hoel
Paleontological Museum
Sars gate 1
N-0562 OSLO
NORWAY

e-mail: o.a.hoel@toyen.uio.no

At 01:03 31.10.96 -0800, Paul Willis wrote:
>
>>The only Native American fossil mythology I know of comes from the
>>Mandan-Hidatsa of the Missouri trench area of North Dakota. They attribute
>>large fossil bones as the remains of ancient earth-burrowing snakes. [A
>>side note; this is a topic that the Hidatsa will speak about only during
>>the winter, when the modern snakes are sleeping.]
>
>
>I also recall that native american indians thought that petrified logs in
>Arizona were the bones of extinct giants, trilobites from Utah had their
>own indian name meaning "Little water bug in the rock" and that belemnites
>were thought to be arrowheads from battles between the gods.
>
>Cheers, Paul
>
>
>Dr Paul M.A. Willis
>Consulting Vertebrate Palaeontologist
>Quinkana Pty Ltd
>pwillis@ozemail.com.au
>
>
>
>
>
Ole A. Hoel
Paleontologisk Museum
Sars Gate 1
N-0562 OSLO
NORWAY

E-mail: o.a.hoel@toyen.uio.no