geofact
Sign in to savethumb|Eolith from France. Once believed to be an early [[hammerstone, in 1905 Marcellin Boule debunked its man-made status]] A geofact (a portmanteau of geology and artifact) is a natural stone formation that is difficult to distinguish from a man-made artifact. Geofacts could be fluvially reworked and be misinterpreted as an artifact, especially when compared to Paleolithic artifacts.
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Article
4 sectionsContents
- Origins
- Archeological errors
- See also
- References
thumb|Eolith from France. Once believed to be an early [[hammerstone, in 1905 Marcellin Boule debunked its man-made status]] A geofact (a portmanteau of geology and artifact) is a natural stone formation that is difficult to distinguish from a man-made artifact. Geofacts could be fluvially reworked and be misinterpreted as an artifact, especially when compared to Paleolithic artifacts.
Possible examples include several purported prominent ancient artifacts, such as the Venus of Berekhat Ram and the Venus of Tan-Tan. These are thought by many in the archaeological community to be geofacts. A site which shows an abundance of what are likely geofacts is the Gulf of Cambay.