This natural formation came from a cavern on the property of the Calaveras Cement Co., located near Calaveritas in Calaveras County. It was donated to the museum by the Flintkote Co. in 1957. Collectively known as speleothems, these ancient formations were created by the accumulation of mineral deposits often found in limestone caverns. These deposits, usually consisting of calcium carbonate, drip downward from the ceiling of the cavern, accumulating as hard deposits over time. Some geologists estimate the rate of growth at 10 cm for every 1,000 years. The type of formation that commonly grows from the cavern ceiling downward is known as a stalactite. The type of formation that commonly grows from the cave floor upward is called a stalagmite. When a stalactite meets a stalagmite in the middle, they form what is known as a column, as in this rare example. This specimen also exhibits sections of flowstone which we see here as rounded forms separating the other formations.
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