Aalten
A remarkable stone stands beside the steps between Spinkatstraat and Manschotplein. It was found in 1971 by J.C. Ansink on the es between Barloseweg, Deventerweg and Koningsweg.
The quartz sandstone is an ancient root horizon from the lignite formation and was most likely created by the silicification of Miocene sand. This sand was deposited between 25 and 10 million years ago. After silicification, the stone was most probably carried northwards on ice by the Rhine from South Limburg, the neighbouring part of Germany or the Ardennes during the formation of what is known as the Sterksel Formation.
The discovery of the stone was described in the newspaper at the time as follows:
A Rock-Solid Find
AALTEN – A few days ago Mr J.C. Ansink of Lintelo unearthed a large stone at one of Aalten’s sand quarries. It bears no resemblance at all to the erratic boulders that have been dug up elsewhere in the area.
Mr Smilda, laboratory assistant and antiquarian, told us that it was a very unusually shaped stone whose origin he was unable to determine. Mr Ansink placed the stone on a pedestal beside his house, where we took the accompanying photograph. The stone measures 1.60 metres high, 1 metre wide and 0.55 metres thick.
One of his children found a miniature stone in the excavated sand with the same unusual shapes, as can also be seen in the photograph. The find will be reported to the Geological Institute of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further investigation.