The Connecticut River Valley has long been recognized for its fossilized dinosaur footprints. What’s lesser known, though, is that even rarer geological structures reside but a stone’s throw away.
Franklin County is understood to be the only place in the world to have easily observable Jurassic armored mud balls, according to geologist and Greenfield Community College professor emeritus Richard Little. These structures, consisting of dark, lithified shale surrounded by pebbles, formed around 200 million years ago after chunks of sticky mud eroded and rolled into a streambed, picking up pebbles before being covered by stream deposits.
With Franklin County’s eight known mud balls “definitely” being the only lithified specimens observable internationally, Little is pushing for the state to designate them as the official sedimentary structure of Massachusetts.
“I’ve been dealing with geology for a long time and I’ve been enthused that this is the best place in the world to study geology,” the Easthampton resident said.
Little discovered the structures in 1970 within “the Jurassic sandstone cable anchors of a now-dismantled suspension bridge over the Connecticut River between Turners Falls and Gill.” He then documented them in the Journal of Geology in 1982.
In 2020, he was inspired by the work of state Rep. Jack Lewis, whose advocacy led to the official recognition of “the swift-footed lizard of Holyoke” as Massachusetts’ state dinosaur. If the state was willing to designate an official dinosaur, perhaps it might also recognize a geological phenomenon “even rarer than dinosaurs,” he reasoned.
“I realized how rare they were and how lucky Massachusetts is to have them,” Little said of the mud balls.
Mud balls have been documented at Greenfield Community College, Stop & Shop in Greenfield, Gill’s Red Bridge suspension cable anchor on Riverview Drive, the Cheapside Quarry in Deerfield and Unity Park in Turners Falls.
Aside from Franklin County’s Jurassic armored mud balls, there are about 10 other locations where lithified armored mud balls have been noted in the geological literature, according to Little. They are all in remote, obscured locations ranging from Greenland to Trinidad. This rarity is due to seven essential factors: mud deposits, dry climate conditions paired with flash flooding to cause erosion, quick burial, uplifting that exposes the rock, a quarry, observant eyes and documentation.
“There’s really a whole series of interesting and unique events that happen here,” Little explained.
Little hopes that local awareness and appreciation for the uniqueness of mud balls inspires people to sign a petition he started to gain state attention.
“All I can tell you is that everyone who learns about them loves and appreciates them,” he said. “They’re fun to look at. Everybody can understand how they form.”
The petition, which can be viewed at bit.ly/3DIUMD1, has nearly 500 combined written and electronic signatures, as well as more than 300 online comments from community members.
“As Prof. Little says, armored mud balls are found nowhere else in the world but Franklin County, Massachusetts, which makes them an even more specific symbol of Massachusetts than our state bird or state pie,” Norma Roche commented. “But they’re only the tip of the iceberg in terms of geologic features here. I’m a lifelong Massachusetts resident and geology buff who has planned vacations around that interest. So if honoring the armored mud ball could bring attention to what we have to offer and bring visitors like me here, it could be a good thing for all.”
Little said it has been especially “heartwarming” seeing community members advocate for the cause. This includes Franklin County historians, including Gill Historical Commission members, who have discussed the importance of protecting mud balls during recent meetings. It also includes experts from the broader Pioneer Valley who have volunteered to forward Little’s agenda.
“Broadly speaking, it’s just a recognition, on one hand, of the geological feature, and the importance of that to science and the community,” said Professor Carsten Braun, a Greenfield resident who teaches geology at Westfield State University.
“Importantly, I believe that when possible, (we should) preserve what is found and leave it in place for future research and appreciation,” said Fred Venne, an educator at Amherst College’s Beneski Museum of Natural History.
The idea has also been endorsed by state representatives including Lewis, Sean Garballey and Paul Mark.
“I have legislative support and I hope to have more later in the process,” Little said.
Little said previously that a bill to designate Jurassic armored mud balls as the state’s official sedimentary structure could next be filed in January. Considering the amount of support he’s received, Little expressed that there’s an “extremely good” chance the bill is eventually passed.
As Benjamin suggested, Little and associated geologists fear that armored mud balls could be “neglected and their significance forgotten,” should the state not rally the public to appreciate their uniqueness. Should their meaning be forgotten after Little’s lifetime, he said, they will become no more than “just rocks.”
“It’s a piece of our history that’s so rare,” he said, “that it’s something that needs to be recognized and celebrated.”
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.