Moqui marble
The moqui marbles are surrounded by oxidic iron compounds (limonite, goethite, hematite) and partially penetrated by round stones from an Indian reservation in southern Utah in the USA. The marble-shaped ( English. 'Marbles' = marbles ) concretions were named after the Moqui Indians, the Indian tribe that originally settled this area. The Hopi were also known as Moki or Moqui in the past .
use
The sandstone- iron concretions, also known as “Indian color pot”, were collected early on by the Indians and used as projectiles and toys. Natural colors (various ocher tones) obtained from the moqui marbles were used for ritual paintings and rock drawings.
Moqui marbles are often referred to as "stones born from the earth". The reason for this description is to be found in the process of outdoor weathering of the stones from the surrounding sandstone layers. The iron concretions are gradually exposed by erosion . However, they are by no means “born” or newly formed in great depths of the earth's crust in order to then actively “pierce” their way upwards, as can be read in part in esoteric literature. It is the exposure of harder rock components from the weather, as occurs in many types of rock.
mythology
According to Indian tradition, there are 'male' (lens-shaped) and 'female' (round) stones. The stone pair has a mystical meaning for the Indians. Legend has it that the ancestors (ancestors) of the Indians played with them in the evening before they had to start their return journey to heaven in the morning. They left the stones to show their relatives that they were okay. Allegedly, even today, every native inhabitant of this region receives such a pair as a talisman at birth, which accompanies him for a lifetime.
They should protect their owner from all evil, protect them from false friends, strengthen their soul, protect them from fire, floods and lightning strikes, should give willpower, perseverance, assertiveness, mental stability and strengthen the healing power of other healing stones . In astrology , moqui marbles represent the connection between Mars and Saturn because of their combination of iron and quartz .
composition
The hard outer shell, which surrounds the sandstone core of the Moquis, consists of the main components of the limonite complex (mainly FeOOH), iron oxide hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).
literature
- MA Chan, WT Parry: Mysteries of Sandstone Colors and Concretions in Colorado Plateau Canyon Country . In: Utah Geological Survey Public Information Series . tape 77 , 2002, p. 1–19 ( PDF version; 468 KB ).