Dinosaur egg and meteorite among spoils of Irish Indiana Jones auction
The treasures are part of the astonishing collection of an anonymous Irish geologist which will be sold next Tuesday in Sixmilebridge in Co Clare.
The geologist, who has sold pieces to museums all over the world, has spent the last four decades digging for artifacts all over the planet.
An authentic dinosaur egg from the collection was sold a few weeks ago in the first lot of the sale, with a meteorite that fell from the sky in front of the Napoleonic army in the 1810.
A 240-million-year-old, perfectly preserved reptile, is one of the prize pieces of the collection up for grabs at the weekend as well as a 70-million-year-old tooth from a Gorgosaurus lizard dinosaur.
Spokesperson for the Auction Rooms in Sixmilebridge, Aidan Foley, said some of the rock treasures are millions of years old.
“These come from a collector who is a real-life Indiana Jones but he wants to remain anonymous. I would describe him as quite like the Harrison Ford character in the films.
“He really is the genuine article and has pieces in the national museum and other museums around the world.
“He has gone to mountains all over the world digging for artifacts.
“He is selling this stuff now because he is afraid it will get broken or damaged while he is on his travels. He spends most of the year away from his house.
“The most important pieces he has discovered are in museums. These objects wouldn’t be quite up to museum standard just because they are slightly chipped or not fully finished pieces.”
He said the meteorite, which can be viewed at the Auction Rooms at the weekend, landed in Argentina in 1576.
“The meteorite weighs about 800 grams. It’s amazing how heavy it is when you pick it up. We have a guide price of between €300 or €400.”
He said a dinosaur egg from the collector went under the hammer in recent weeks at the first sale of his artifacts.
He said: “It was sold for €820. There was great interest in it. Normally we don’t allow children around the auction rooms but I spent the day bringing kids in and out to see the dinosaur egg and the other pieces. They were fascinated. We are expecting the same interest over the weekend when people come to view the pieces.”
One of the prize pieces up for grabs at the sale is the jaw of a Mosasaur lizard that dates back 90 million years.
“It is a dinosaur jawbone and teeth from a giant prehistoric sea monster.
“It’s not in museum because we only have a portion of the jaw. We don’t have the full jaw. It’s estimated at between €300 or €400.”
He said the auction rooms, which mainly sell antiques and fine art, have been buzzing with interest over the Jurassic-style objects.
The auction will be at the Auction Rooms in Sixmilebridge in Co Clare on Tuesday at 10.30am.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
