Milan boy discovers ancient cephalopod fossil

(MILAN, Ind.) – A Milan boy had quite the discovery while playing in a creek! 

Abe is a 7-year-old who came across an ancient fossil that has been identified as an 18-inch cephalopod. 

The cephalopod was a sea creature, predating the octopus, that would have been alive upwards of 150 million years ago or longer. 

That was a time millions of years ago that Indiana and much of North America was actually under water in the sea. 

Abe's discovery and other fossils in Indiana show evidence of the shallow seas that once covered our region. 

The boy had no idea what he had until he took it to the Archeology Research Institute (ARI) in Lawrenceburg where experts were able to identify the cephalopod.

ARI hosts a monthly Identification Day where people can bring in artifacts, rocks, and fossils to have them identified and recorded by a professional. 

The next Identification Day will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. 

ARI is located at 126 West High Street. In Lawrenceburg.