The History of the Fossil and Moclay Museum
The Fossil and Moclay Museum was established on May 28, 1988, as the geological department of Museum Mors. The museum’s collection was based on a large and very fine private collection of fossils and crystals from the approximately 55-million-year-old moclay (moler) deposits. The collection was created by moclay worker Bent Søe Mikkelsen.
Over the years, the museum’s collection has grown with many exceptional finds, particularly of insects, fish, birds, turtles, and plants. Thanks to the continued efforts of the museum’s staff, the Fossil and Moclay Museum now boasts a large and exceptionally well-preserved fossil collection of the highest international standard. Among the many new fossils, it is undoubtedly the baby sea turtle “Luffe” that has had the greatest impact both locally and internationally. This remarkably well-preserved turtle was given the scientific name Tasbacka danica, named after Denmark.
In 2015, Museum Mors became a state-recognized geological museum.
About Moclay
Moclay is a very special type of clay that formed 55 million years ago in what is now the northern part of the island of Mors. The clay was formed on the sea floor and, over the course of 3 million years, reached a thickness of 60 meters. The moclay is interspersed with layers of ash, evidence of many large and small volcanic eruptions. These layers now appear in beautifully curved formations created during the last Ice Age.
In the moclay layers, you can find fossils of the fish, birds, and insects that lived in and around the mo-clay sea. By taking a small pick and splitting a stone across, you may be lucky enough to find the outline of a bird, a fish, or perhaps a turtle inside the stone. That’s why fossil hunting is such a unique experience — and when it takes place in some of the country’s most beautiful natural surroundings, it becomes an unforgettable adventure.
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