14 The Moeraki Boulders: man-made spheres used on Chinese junks?

The Moeraki Boulders: man-made spheres used on Chinese junks?

· They are assumed to be examples of natural concretions as found in other parts of the world.
See: http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/oct/papr/geo_conc.html

· Yet these Boulders are far larger than any others such boulders found, with some being 2 metres in height and the most perfect of spheres compared to any others found in the world.

· They appear to be accreted i.e. formed in layers like that of an onion.  This is not expected from a natural concretion.  They were perhaps rolled like a snowball to increase their size.

· A sample was taken from the outside rim of a boulder.

· The material was found to be extremely hard in constitution and consequently very hard to break.

· The sample taken was found to be much coarser in its material texture than is found on natural concretions.

· Their cracks are not ‘syneresis’ cracks, which are produced by a natural volume reduction as found in lateral concretions.

· The sample was tested to see whether it was close-grained limestone.  The standard test of applying Hydrochloric Acid (HcL) was used which in the presence of carbonate fizzes.  Only the veins of the sample fizzed.  The grey material is therefore not carbonate as would be expected in natural concretions.  We believe these Moeraki boulders to be man-made.

· Why are similar boulders not found along the complete length of coastline if the conditions and minerals are conducive to producing such forms?

· Proposal:  To arrange for a thin layer section of representative samples from a ball to identify the number of minerals present.  Natural accretions should only have one (Suggestion of Cedric Bell).

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