1912.36.6

Collection type

Object

Description

Fossil used in children’s game [L.Ph 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 4/3/2005]

Geographical reference

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England Somerset

Cultural groups

English

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Henry Balfour

PRM source Henry Balfour

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1912

Date collected

By 1912

Acquisition information

Donated: 1912

Materials and processes

Material Fossil

Dimensions

Length: max 22 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1912.36.6

Research and responses

The phylum of Brachiopoda has existed since the lower Cambrian period. But, it was only in Devonian that they had their most significant radiation. From the Carboniferous onwards, the number of species falls strongly, until a new maximum during the Jurassic. With the development of other marine organisms, such as gastropods or bivalves, brachiopods were continually regressing or moving to particular environments, as to the oceanic depths for example. Although resembling Lamellibranchia molluscs, brachiopods form a separate phylum, most closely related to the Bryozoa. Their shell is composed of two valves each with a different form and size: a smaller dorsal valve and a larger ventral valve. The ventral valve is provided with a hook more or less bent and perforated. The opening in the posterior end of the hook, through which protruded a fleshy stalk (pedicle), a kind of foot with which the animal generally lives fixed on the substrate, ventral valve downwards, is called foramen. These marine creatures aspire water and filter it using their lophophore, a filter-feeding apparatus shaped in a kind of arm or ribbon, to extract the nutritive oxygen and elements which allow them to live. Two classes of brachiopods are distinguished: the more primitive Inarticulata, of which well known examples the lingules, and the Articulata the most advanced brachiopods (Rhynchonellida, Terebratulida, Spiriferida...). Among the Inarticulata, the two valves are joined together only by muscles, the Articulata shells have a more sophisticared teeth and socket along the hinge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knucklebones: Knucklebones also known as hucklebones, dibs, jackstones, chuckstones or five-stones, is a game of very ancient origin, played with five small objects, originally the knucklebones of a sheep, which are thrown up and caught in various ways. Modern knucklebones consist of six points, or knobs, proceeding from a common base, and are usually made of metal or plastic. The winner is he who first completes successfully a prescribed series of throws, which, while of the same general character, differ widely in detail. The simplest consists in tossing up one stone, the jack, and picking up one or more from the table while it is in the air; and so on until all five stones have been picked up. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacks: Jacks (sometimes called jackstones, fivestones or onesies) is a playground game for children. The game originated hundreds of years ago, when the only playthings boys and girls had were materials they found near their homes. They collected small stones and animal bones and learned to use them in a game. They tossed them into the air and did similar to today's version of the game. A set of jacks consists of fifteen small metal six-pointed stars, called 'jacks', and a rubber ball. The playing surface is any flat area, such as the tarmac of a playground. Sometimes an area may be delineated in chalk, but more often it is just the space between the two players. The players decide who goes first, perhaps via ip dip, (American: 'One Two') or a variant, then the jacks are scattered loosely into the play area. The players take it in turn to bounce the ball off the surface, then pick up jacks, then catch the ball before it bounces twice. [AP 27/09/2006]

Search terms: Toy and Game, Children and Childcare, Geology, Animalia, Specimen, Game Accessory, Fossil, Gaming Piece