A bone bed is any
geological stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...
or
deposit that contains
bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
s of whatever kind. Inevitably, such deposits are
sedimentary in nature. Not a formal term, it tends to be used more to describe especially dense collections such as
Lagerstätte. It is also applied to
brecciated and
stalagmitic
A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling")
is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...
deposits on the floor of caves, which frequently contain osseous remains.
In a more restricted sense, the term is used to describe certain thin layers of bony fragments, which occur in well-defined geological strata. One of the best-known of these is the
Ludlow Bone Bed, which is found at the base of the
Downton Sandstone Downton could be
Places
*Downton, Hampshire, England
*Downton, Herefordshire, England
* Downton, Powys, Wales
* Downton, Shropshire, England
*Downton, Wiltshire, England
*Downton (UK Parliament constituency), a former parliament constituency in Wil ...
in the
Upper Ludlow series. At
Ludlow (
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
) itself, two such beds are actually known, separated by about . of strata. Although quite thin, the Ludlow Bone Bed can be followed from that town into
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of