Monday, 23 March 2026

Crinoids … St Cuthbert Beads …

 

Stepping on eggshells … or walking on the beach with sharp, stony pebbles … both would make us jump around trying to find a more comfortable place from which to enjoy the seashore …


"So-called
St Cuthbert's beads"
I remember a holiday I had with my father years ago up on the Northumberland coast, when we visited the tidal Holy Island of Lindisfarne – an important centre of Celtic Christianity, including St Cuthbert (c 634 – 687AD), and later the Venerable Bede (c 672 - 735AD) …


Falsies from years ago!

I don't know how many have seen the fossilised false teeth set that hit the airwaves recently … actually some crinoids ossified as the planet evolved about half a billion years ago … entitled the 'smiling fossil' see link below


Lindisfarne - Holy Island
Crinoids, marine invertebrates, can still appear … but these fossilised ones tend to be found from the Triassic era (c 250 million years ago to 200 million years ago) ...




Crinoid Stem

I realised the crinoid find … false teeth from the triassic era … rather quaint - which gave me, and continues to give me, a laugh …




Explanation of a Crinoid - via Lumen
Amazing what can be found millions of years later … protected in a layer of sediment the skeletal remains compacted, turn to rock …



One of the pinnules - before
the crinoids separate away

... the bones are dissolved by water seeping through the rock, while the minerals in the water replace the bone, leaving a rock replica of the original bone called a fossil …



As described within image
...then over geological time these replica bones become displaced leaving us with the so called “St Cuthbert's Beads' from the Jurassic era…



Triassic flora and fauna
Strange but true … false teeth idea and all?!


Happy Spring finally, though we're in for a few chilly days …


Smiling False Teeth fossil

Lumen - c/o Wiki

Crinoid - c/o Wiki

National History Museum - discover the triassic period


Hilary Melton-Butcher

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29 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Wild they made false teeth from fossils.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Sorry Alex - the fossils looked like a set of false teeth - the BBC link shows you. I just remember reading about George Washington's false teeth - made from hippopotamus and elephant ivory, along with other bits of animal and human teeth parts ... held together with gold springs! I hope that clears it ... cheers Hilary

MELODY JACOB said...

This post brought back memories of beachcombing with kids, hunting for odd stones and shells. It’s remarkable to think those little beads we stumble upon are echoes of life from hundreds of millions of years ago. Makes a stroll along the shore feel like stepping through time, doesn’t it?

Liz A. said...

Earth processes are fascinating.

jabblog said...

That was a fascinating discovery. I think there will be many hopeful collectors searching for their own 'fossil teeth.' The collector, Christine Clark, was very observant to spot such a small, but perfect, fossil.

Anabel Marsh said...

You certainly find some intriguing topics!

Kay G. said...

Very interesting indeed. How I would love to visit Lindisfarne!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
The term crinoids is new to me, though fossilisation isn't. Rather fascinating! YAM xx

David M. Gascoigne, said...

A fascinating post, Hilary. Your stamp is all over it. Had this post come to me in disguise I am sure I would have known it was yours. Now I’m off, excavating tools in hand, to search for teeth! Best wishes - David

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Melody - beachcombing as kids ... we used to search for shells ... stained pink from the arsenic found in the Red RIver which flows into the east side of Godrevy. I wrote about the area, childhood treasured memories, in March 2021 - To the Lighthouse. The crinoids are still living today in the oceans. Certainly - geological time can teach us much. Thanks for coming by ...

@ Liz - I agree - earth processes are fascinating ...

@ Janice - it was such a fascinating discovery ... while the stone crinoid find did look just like 'false teeth', let alone fossil ones. Very observant of Christine ...

@ Anabel - thank you ... I like to look outside the box, so to speak.

@ Kay - great to see you ... Lindisfarne was extraordinary and we drove over the causeway - managing not to get caught in the tide.

@ Yam - oh great ... I've found something you didn't know about ... the crinoid family is still around today and includes starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers ... and they can live at all depths of the Ocean ... shallow to 30,000 feet (9,000m).

@ David - thank you ... I seem to have developed a style that keeps me and the blog going over the years. I learn so much - I hope you enjoy the deep delve into crinoids!

Thanks everyone for visiting ... I love finding out these things - they amuse me!! Cheers Hilary

Sandra Cox said...

It is amazing for sure finding skeletal remains from millions of years ago.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

If only my real teeth looked that good.

Vallypee said...

Those teeth are in remarkable condition considering they're so old. What a find! I've never heard the term Crinoids before. Thank you for teaching me something new, Hilary!

hels said...

I would love to visited the Holy Island of Lindisfarne but I only had two years living in the UK. Somehow other places were prioritised instead.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sandra - it must have been an amazing find ... the lady must have taken time to work it all out - til it was geologically tested, as such ...

@ Karen - I agree ... but at least we're alive to see this amazing fossil ...

@ Val - I know amazing condition ... I wonder what the look like on the other side? I found the 'term' crinoid so interesting, especially realising that the plants are still around today ... still wafting around on the ocean floor ...

@ Hels - yes I was lucky to have gone up with my father ... we usually went west to Cornwall ... and there's plenty of places I'd love to visit, let along Australia ...

Thanks you four ... so good to see you - cheers Hilary

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What an amazing fossil! I always make such interesting discoveries when I visit your blog. :)

Marja said...

I loved this wander through deep time from Holy Island memories to those smiling Triassic ‘false teeth’. You make geology feel wonderfully alive

Sandra Cox said...

St Culberth's beads look like cut olives, don't they?

Sandra Cox said...

Whoops.Cuthbert's.

Keith's Ramblings said...

Once again I leave wiser than when I arrived. You gave me plenty to chew on before deciding how I should respond!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Elizabeth - it must have been a shock to see ... let alone realise what it was when it was picked up. Thanks ... I enjoy finding out about oddities and then finding out more and thus posting ...

@ Marja - thank you re the deep time wander around the Holy Island and those 'smiling Triassic false teeth'. I'm happy to 'remind' us about geology being part of our distant lives ...

@ Sandra - no worries re St Cuthberth!! I forgot the apostrophe in my title, but hadn't given him an 'h'. To me the beads look like 21st century fingernails ... I rather like olives too much to link them here with these 'falsies' ...

@ Keith - I'm glad you're chewing over the info ... appropriate choice!

Cheers to the four of you ... thanks for visiting - Hilary

Joanne said...

Amazing finds as nature churns about and spits things out. Teeth and all. Your posts are always a lovely surprise. Have a good weekend.

Sandra Cox said...

AND I find it fascinating that they turn to rock.

Sandra Cox said...

Have a peaceful, fun weekend, Hils.

Sandra Cox said...

That's a gorgeous picture of Lindisfarne - Holy Island.
Hope your day or evening as the case may be is filled with all things wonderful. Cheers,

J Lenni Dorner said...

I never thought people were using false teeth so long ago.
April is the ideal time to refresh goals and turn small daily actions into major wins, utilizing the season's new energy for growth.
“Every day is a chance to begin again. Don’t focus on the failures of yesterday, start today with positive thoughts and expectations.” ― Catherine Pulsifer


J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop

Sherry Ellis said...

It would be interesting to see what kind of fossils people would find 1000 years from now!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Joanne - yes it's amazing what still appears, or is found ... probably teeth too, but not here just the crinoid 'beads' ...

@ Sandra - thanks for all your look ins and comments. Lindisfarne is ethereal and peaceful ...

@ JL - good to see you ... yes it's surprising how long false teeth have been around ...

@ Sherry - I'd love to be around in 1,000 years (not decrepit!) to see what's happened during the next ten centuries ...

Cheers to the four of you ... have a peaceful Easter weekend - Hilary

Karen Jones Gowen said...

April Fool's Day was such a big deal when I was a child. I don't know if kids still think of tricks to play on each other and their parents. My dad always got a laugh when one of us girls would try to fool him about something silly.