My guess is that yes, it is, but some more info could help. Did your parents tell you where they got it from? If it's from coal country, for instance, the answer is almost certainly yes.
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My guess is that yes, it is, but some more info could help. Did your parents tell you where they got it from? If it's from coal country, for instance, the answer is almost certainly yes.
My dad said it was handed down to him and he's not really sure where it came from. He seemed to barely remember how he got it. Yet, he grew up here in Southern Illinois, near Du Bois, Illinois, and this area has a long history of coal mining. The Illinois State Geological Survey maps show the whole area is pretty well covered in underground coal mines, including Du Bois specifically. I wanted to keep some objective skepticism though, as nearby is also Giant City State Park, which is known for some pretty amazing concretion rock formations.
I'd definitely bet on it being a fossilized tree trunk segment- it looks way more like that than it does a concretion, and fossilized trees are a dime a dozen in a lot of coal deposits. (They're known as kettle bottoms, and pose a serious hazard to miners- when exposed in the ceiling, they're prone to slipping out of the rock and crushing whatever is below.)
I support this interpretation.
Cool background on your photos and post!