14 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM
Geofact
WATER AND WIND CAN BE TRICKSTERS. Over time,
these erosional forces can sculpt rocks, shells and other
natural materials into shapes that appear to be the
work of human hands (or of those of our evolutionary
ancestors). Sometimes amateurs and archaeologists
alike mistake these geofacts — a mashup of geology
and artifact — for stone tools, projectile points and even
figurative art. Fortunately, science has tools to determine
whether the object was fabricated, or just a fluke. And
that’s a fact. — GEMMA TARLACH; ILLUSTRATION BY CHAD EDWARDSTHAT WORD YOU HEARDTHE CRUX