Video: New Albany Fossil History Lesson

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NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WCBI) -The rock you found on the side of road could actually be a fossil belonging to a dinosaur. Yes, you heard right. Residents in New Albany got their rocks examined.

Rocks, gems and minerals were on display at the Union County Heritage Museum. Some of them even available to take home. But what was most interesting was that some of those rock are actually 65 million years old.

“Most people in North Mississippi area specifically in Union County find a lot of lake materials which is 65 million years on. Mississippi was under water so when you find a sea shell in North Mississippi you can count on it being about 65 million years old,” said Jill Smith, Director of the Union County Heritage Museum.

Residents were able to come into the museum and get their rocks identified by a local Paleontologist. Experts say you can find some hidden treasures thanks to New Albany’s history.

“New Albany is situated in a very strategic place as far as geologic history is concerned because you’re sitting right on the treasury boundary, KT boundary. A lot of things goes on in the KT boundary , there’s dinosaur become extinct at the KT boundary. There are asteroids running into the Earth down in Mexico at the KT boundary, so it’s a very important place to be,” said Charles Swan, Assistant Director Geologist from the University of Mississippi.

Adults got a brief power point history lesson on fossils while kids enjoyed educational games.

“We have things for children and adults and for adults that are still like children. Everybody likes to find a rock, you know a pretty rock so this is a good place to come for that,” added Smith.

Some of the vendors came from as far as Memphis to sell their gems and minerals.