049Memories Of The Ancient Sea – The Ammonite Asleep In Our Lobby Floor

2019.10.4 Fri.

Did you know that Keio Plaza Hotel’s beautiful spacious marble flooring in our lobby actually has Ammonite fossils from the Paleozoic era?

Ammonites are cephalopods, the same species as Nautilus, Squid and Octopus, characterized by their flat conch-shaped shell. It is believed that Ammonites became extinct along with the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.
Marble is formed when limestone, an accumulation of coral, shellfish and other marine remains, is exposed to high temperatures and pressures. Often times, fossils could be spotted in marble. On the 3rd floor lobby of Keio Plaza Hotel’s south building, 18 fossils were found in the beautiful Spanish Rosso Alicante marble.
During summer vacation, Keio Plaza Hotel holds an “Ammonite Search Event” and around 100 children together with their families would come join the fun and display their detective skills. It becomes a fun and interactive place together with the hotel staff.

The Ammonite that holds the memories of the ancient sea, way before our time, fossilized and asleep in our lobby floor, awaits your discovery.