WHEN YOU
LOOK
Western Bluebird
Agate-Replaced Limb Cast
When you look at this Agate-Replaced Limb Cast, you see rebirth.
Young, Brianna. Agate-replaced Limb Cast in the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History. 2021. Author’s personal collection.
This seemingly simple rock formation from Nevada holds the story of a life reused that resulted in the birth of a new product. This process of losing a life to create something new is, in a sense, rebirth, although not quite the traditional definition of it. Through its story and formation, one can gain another outlook on life, death, and quite possibly the significance of both.
When I first walked into the museum, I admit that this rock formation did not catch my eye and most certainly did not blatantly suggest the concept of rebirth. Amongst the other rocks, with its pale color and rough, fossil-like exterior, it can blend in if one is not paying attention. I speculated that the Agate-Replaced Limb Cast was formed because of the result of a hollowed-out animal bone somehow forming an agate in the middle. I admit that this was wrong, as the formation of this rock has much more to do with a tree limb than an animal limb or bone. Yet this speculation is what sparked my interest and led me to discover another aspect of life and death. I found that death had more than one side and life can be perpetuated through death.
An Agate-Replaced Limb Cast starts its journey to existence when a volcano erupts and produces a vast amount of hot ash. As time progresses, this ash slowly settles over the life beneath it. This ash burns the tree within down to practically nothing, leaving behind an impression of what was there just the day before in the cooling and solidifying ash. Over time, minerals and water pour into this mold formed through death and sacrifice to create new beauty in a process that, much like rebirth, cannot be controlled by mankind. These minerals, brought along with water, fill this empty cavity. After a very long period of time, under immense pressure and heat, these minerals start to solidify and crystalize, forming the beautiful light pink Agate-Replaced Limb Cast that you can see in the Orma J. Smith Museum today.
3.9" Pink Agate Petrified Wood Limb Cast – Oregon. www.fossilera.com/minerals/3-9-pink-agate-limb-cast-Oregon.
Volcanoes, a massive part of the formation of an Agate-Replaced Limb Cast, seem to be an ever-present force in driving forward time and change as they demolish the old to make way for the new life. Volcanoes, as one can see, are a driving force of change and the natural life cycle. They destroy to make new landscapes, like islands, and are responsible for many unique rock formations. It is also this tie to creation through death produced by a volcano that connects Pompeii and the Agate-Replaced Limb Cast and speaks of a moment in time when, regardless of the will of the living, they were transformed into a lesson, a symbol of death, and a picture of life.
Beckett, Chris. Death in Pompeii. 2007
If you can peer into the depths of what an Agate-Replaced Limb Cast has to offer, you can find yourself seeing the history and story of the life and sacrifice it took to make this rock into its current subtly, shining glory. This story persuades you to think about the fragility and resilience of life. It leads you to wonder upon the unique way that death can leave such a lasting mark and influence.