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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ancient Art / Hakelia Fossil Fish Association – Upper Cretaceous
Upper Cretaceous - 100 million years ago — a fossiliferous slab with several Hakelia specimens, sourced from the famous marine deposits of the Upper Cretaceous of Hakel, Lebanon. The fossils are distributed across the surface in different orientations and form a particularly rich composition, in which numerous anatomical details remain legible. The specimens preserve parts of the vertebral column, sequences of ribs, fin rays, and portions of the body outline. The fossil structures display brown-ochre tones that stand out against the light calcareous matrix. The longest fish occupies diagonally the upper part of the slab, while the other individuals are concentrated in the central area and along the left edge, creating a striking representation of the ancient marine environment. The genus Hakelia comprises extinct teleost fishes that lived in the tropical waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Almost 100 million years ago, the present-day Lebanese territory was occupied by a marine environment characterized by relatively calm basins. In particular, under conditions of low-oxygen bottom water, dead organisms could escape the action of saprophagous animals and rapid decomposition. The bodies were progressively covered by extremely fine carbonate sediments. This delicate deposition allowed the preservation of fragile elements such as vertebrae, ribs, and fin rays, today visible as thin brown impressions on the surface of the stone. The Hakel fossiliferous limestones are internationally known for the quality and variety of the marine fauna they have yielded. The slab represents a small paleontological assemblage: the presence of multiple individuals on the same surface allows observation of different orientations and levels of preservation, transforming the specimen into a visual testimony of the Cretaceous marine ecosystem. Conditions and restoration: The slab broke into two parts and was subsequently reassembled and consolidated. The repair is visible along the fracture line, predominantly horizontal, crossing the matrix. The reserve price has been expressly set taking this repair into account. Therefore, please carefully observe all the images, which show the specimen, the fossils, the matrix, and the reconstruction line from different angles. The photographs are an integral part of the description and faithfully document the conservation state of the lot. Genus: Hakelia; Type: slab with an association of fossil fishes; Period: Upper Cretaceous; Age: about 95 million years; Provenance: Hakel, Lebanon; Original environment: marine, Tethys Ocean; Conditions: slab broken into two parts and subsequently reassembled and consolidated; Preparation: fossils exposed on the original calcareous matrix
Estimate:£255.06
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Estimate:
£255.06
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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