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Amateur fossil hunter stumbles upon rare discovery
Christine Clark, 64, was scanning the shoreline of Holy Island in Northumberland on Boxing Day when a small pebble appeared to grin back at her. What she initially mistook for a set of false teeth turned out to be a 350-million-year-old marine fossil.
The moment of discovery
Clark, who visits Northumberland annually with her husband Gerard, was searching for Cuddy's beads-small, round fossils linked to the island's patron saint, St Cuthbert-when the unusual find caught her eye.
"It looked like someone's fake teeth," she told reporters. After posting the image to a Facebook fossil identification group, thousands of users agreed it resembled an ancient marine creature.
Scientific confirmation
The British Geological Survey (BGS) later identified the fossil as part of a crinoid, a marine animal dating back over 500 million years. Dr Jan Hennissen, a senior paleontologist at BGS, explained that the fossil consists of connected stem segments called ossicles, which had split and curved to form the distinctive "smiling" shape.
"It's likely from the Alston formation, a dark limestone layer approximately 350 million years old," Hennissen said. Crinoids, often called "sea lilies" due to their plant-like appearance, are relatives of sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
Why Holy Island?
Holy Island, a tidal island with just 150 residents, is renowned for its fossil-rich coastline. The area's crinoid fossils are so common they earned the nickname Cuddy's beads after St Cuthbert, who founded a priory there in the 7th century.
"People in the 1300s believed these fossils were created by Cuthbert's spiritual power. Collecting them was thought to bring blessings,"
Dr Frances McIntosh, English Heritage
How to spot a crinoid fossil
According to Dr Hennissen, crinoid fossils often stand out against the surrounding rock due to their distinct color or texture. "The ossicles have very defined lines, unlike the softer mudstone around them," he noted.
For those eager to identify their own finds, the BGS and the Natural History Museum offer online identification services.
What's next for the fossil?
Clark has received offers to purchase the fossil but plans to keep it for now. "It brings joy to so many people," she said.
