Fossils
Fossils are the preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood, and DNA remnants. Fossils play a number of roles within a fictional world – they may act as giant skeletons, vast boneyards, hints of an ancient past, or a means to return to it. Dragons, leviathans, dinosaurs, aliens, and even gods may be fossilized in fictional settings and these fossils may possess rare, magical, or elusive properties.
| Synonyms: bones, shells, prehistoric remnants |
| Example Mythonyms: fossilized archeon |
Designing Fictional Fossils
Archetypes
Overview
Fossils typically form when an organism dies and its remains are buried by sediment. Over time, the organic matter within the remains may decompose or be replaced by minerals, creating a fossil.
When designing fossils for a fictional world it is first important to consider the animal they came from. A fossil may be from a great beast (a dragon or an ocean leviathan) or may be from some ancient human or human-like species.
Fossils in a fictional world may be of a size so vast entire towns are built within them. Or they may be so small and plentiful they create their own deserts.
Excavation
Fossils may be collected as a hobby or for study. Consider if people in your world seek out fossils and the reasons they may do so. Fossils may also give rise to mythologies surrounding these strange beasts. Laboratories and museums often fund fossil-hunting expeditions.
