The Medals of Creation, Volumes 1 and 2

Fossil shells and the rocks that hold them become evidence of earlier life in Gideon Algernon Mantell’s guide to geology and organic remains. Written for students, amateur collectors, and curious travellers, these two volumes explain how to examine, preserve, and identify specimens. Mantell connects the search for fossils with questions about the plants and animals that once inhabited the earth, encouraging observation and comparison as foundations for study.

Detailed descriptions of nautilus and ammonite remains show how the guide works. Specimens from the chalk near Lewes and Hamsey are discussed alongside their internal chambers, stony casts, and comparisons with living shells. Illustrations and references accompany these explanations. The second edition includes a rewritten first volume and an enlarged second volume prepared with editorial assistance after Mantell’s death. For readers interested in the history of natural science, the book offers a close view of how fossil collecting and geological explanation were brought together.