A Trip To This Fossil Beach In North Carolina Is An Adventure Like No Other
The next time you are wandering around the coastline looking for artifacts, know that Topsail Island is the perfect place for a fossil beach adventure as new finds are washed in with the tides every single day — easier to see during off-season months with less traffic. While it is normal to discount highly treasured fossils as some old rocks; don’t make that mistake. From the fossilized, jagged teeth of a giant, prehistoric shark to the smooth, rounded sea biscuits, the 26-mile-long barrier island’s rich history allows for possibilities of finding new, fascinating gems. And if you find them; don’t stop there. Learn as much as you possibly can about the fossils of Topsail Island. Let’s see what others have found.
With the thousands of seashells decorating the coastlines, the success of spotting fossils may seem daunting at first.
This aluminum fossil resembles the nose cone of a missile, which is possible as the Topsail Island Assembly Building, constructed in 1946, was used by the U.S. government to assemble missiles for a secret missile operation.
Be on the lookout for some that may appear as rocks, such as this mass of fine-grained rock or a matrix, which is comprised of fossils that solidified together, creating a most beautiful abstract piece.