An illumination of the the hidden world of rocks - the secret-keepers of past environments, of changing climates and the pulse of life over billions of years.
Ken McNamara Books
Ken McNamara is a paleontologist whose enduring fascination with fossils began in his childhood. His work is deeply rooted in his lifelong dedication to studying and collecting these ancient remnants, a passion he continues as a curator at the Western Australia Museum. McNamara bridges the gap between scientific rigor and public engagement, contributing to both scholarly works and accessible museum exhibits. His research and writings offer a unique window into the prehistoric world, reflecting a career shaped by an unyielding curiosity.
Dragons' Teeth and Thunderstones. The Quest for the Meaning of Fossils
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
For at least half a million years, people have been doing some very strange things with fossils. Long before a few seventeenth-century minds started to decipher their true, organic nature, fossils had been eaten, dropped in goblets of wine, buried with the dead, and adorned bodies. What triggered such curious behavior was the belief that some fossils could cure illness, protect against being poisoned, ease the passage into the afterlife, ward off evil spirits, and even kill those who were just plain annoying. But above all, to our early prehistoric ancestors, fossils were the very stuff of artistic inspiration. Drawing on archaeology, mythology, and folklore, Ken McNamara takes us on a journey through prehistory with these curious stones, and he explores humankind’s unending quest for the meaning of fossils.
