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The shell graveyard at Ban Laem Pho was once a large freshwater
swamp, home to a kind of snail. Over eons dating from the Tertiary
Age, about 40 million years ago, these snails lived and died by
the million, to the extent that the dead snails formed a layer upon
which existed the living.
Eventually, weather changes precipitated the swamp's
disappearance, but by then the layer of fossilized snail shells
was forty centimeters thick, resting on ten centimeters of lignite
below which is the subsoil.
Because of geographic upheaval, this Shelly limestone is now distributed
in great broken sheets of impressive magnitude on the seashore at
Laem Pho.
 The
Cemetery of Shell- the World Mollusk Fossil Site |
This is one place in the world where the mollusk
is very preserved. In fact it has been known to be the only site
left on earth. The shell cemetery is estimated at 75 million years
old.
The "Cemetery" is a flat platform of
fossil exposed along the shorelines. This site is at the cape of
Ban Lean Pho in the Muang District.
This "platform" represents layers of shells built up
over the times and deposited one on top of another. The separations
between the layers are tell tales signs of the weather prevailing
at that era when it was deposited.
The thickness of the fossil bed varies from 1-2 meters. Most of
the fossils are under water within the shallow bay.
The features of the fossils are distinct on much part and clearly
identified as made up of Gastropods. There are 3 principal's species
detected, with the largest one being Viviparus sp.
These gastropods with Bivalves, spores and pollen are carefully
preserved in calcareous clay stone while various sedimentary deposits
then separate these layers over the eras. Tests have interpreted
such deposit were made in the freshwater laccustrine environment.
With others studies conducted of the district, it is concluded
that the mollusk present could indeed had lived between 20-40 millions
year ago. At that time the climate was warm. It facilitated the
growth of abundance of living organism in the swamps forested by
several kind of trees.Time had seen the accumulation and overlaying
swamp sediments on these layers of shells.
The lithification and compaction processes here were unique that
resulted in a special phenomenon we are able to witness.The last
global warming had caused the sea level to rise and the seawater
flooding into the inland area. This cape we see now was just an
island.
As weather normalized, the seawater receded and until to the present
day's level. With the receding coastline, present days landforms
such as beaches, sand lagoons and tidal flats were gradually shaped
until what we see as it is.
The latest change that is likely to destroy the fossil will be
the effects of the wave action against the whole site.
The Government is very anxious to promote the idea of conservation.
Particularly the Marine Parks that has attracted so many visitors
to this area. The office here provide visitors with the opportunity
of seeing other unique plants.
On the left, a Calabashi Tree and a Staghorn Fern on the right.
Back to more views of the fossil site itself
The walkway from the Park's office leading down to the beach and
fossil site.
The exposed mudflats revealing its secrets
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