period: difficult to define

excavation site: Wojcieszów, Kaczawskie Mountains (Lower Silesia)

The specimen presents forms of dripstone created as a result of karstic processes in Wojcieszów limestones. Such dripstones in caves are created by long-lasting dripping of water solution with calcium carbonate which forms in a characteristic shape. The age of the limestones can be defined as hailing from the Cambrian (550-500 million years ago) thanks to the occurrence of fossils known as Archaeocyatha. In the excavation process of Wojcieszów limestones first the rocks on the exploitation levels of the stone pit were blown up. As a result of one of the explosions a hole was uncovered which revealed a part of a cave with the dripstone. The specimen was given to the participants of terrain programme in Sudetes – the students of geology at the University of Warsaw in the 50s of the 20th century.

The piece comes from the collection of S. J. Thugutt Geological Museum – Faculty of Geology at the University of Warsaw.