Fossils are the remains of animals or plants which once lived on the Earth millions of years ago. When fossils were first discovered, people did not really understand what they were, and so, many myths and folklore developed over time, about where fossils came from.
The coiled shell of some fossils led the Ancient Greeks to believe they were related to the ram-god Ammon. In China, these were also thought to resemble horns, and were called ‘horn stones’. In England, they were believed to be coiled snakes that had somehow lost their heads, and turned to stone. Echinoids, also known as sea urchins, are amongst the most commonly found fossils. In some places, they are considered to be snakes’ eggs, which have the power to protect one from deadly poisons.
Fire Eating Dragons
Over 40,000 years ago, giant bears roamed over Europe. Some of them were buries in caves while hibernating, and over hundreds of years, their bodies turned into fossils with huge canine teeth. When these fossils were discovered in the Middle Ages, they were thought to be the remains of a mythical creature, the fire breathing dragon.