Object of the Month: June

Our object of the month for June showcases some fascinating local fossils that are part of Havering Museum’s collection.

These fossils were donated to Havering Council who passed them onto Havering Museum in 2010. They are the only ones in our collection, however they do come from Havering! The information that came with them suggested they were found in Suffolk although similar ones could be found in Havering because we share the same geology. These fossils are preserved as flint, made of a mineral called silica. At the time these now fossilised animals lived, silica was secreted by sponges and some types of plankton. This silica filled up burrows and enveloped the remains of marine creatures, before dehydrating and hardening into flint.

Cretaceous (?), c. 145 – 66 million years ago

From left to right:

Sea urchins (different species; one displayed showing the underside), a cockle-like bivalve and an unidentified fossil (possibly a sponge)

Donated by the London Borough of Havering.