Folded sedimentary rock. From Enys, Penryn. Layers of sediment were laid down on the seafloor between 360 and 408 million years ago during the Upper Devonian period. Immense pressure squeezes the layers together. While they compact, they are cemented together by clays or minerals like silica or calcite. This rock is from the upper Devonian period. Layers were laid down on the sea floor about 360 million years ago.

Petrified wood with visible layers and intricate detail.

Petrified or fossilised wood with chalcedony in the centre.

This clock represents deep time, but compressed into 12 hours. Read clock-wise to see the time-spans that formed earth and its lifeforms.

Fossil mamillary echinus with flint filling the shell and running through it. Philip Rashleigh collection. This fossil is from North Fleet and shows clear evidence of the Neptunian system prevailing over the volcanian.

Fossilised ferns on slate and shale. Ferns are some of the oldest plants, first appearing around 393 million years ago during the middle Devonian period. They were one of the first plants to have leaves and roots, using spores to reproduce. Woody plants and seed-bearing plants formed 20 million years later.

Part of the lower jaw of an ichthyosaur, about 190 million years old. Some ichthyosaur species could grow as long as 10 metres. They were not dinosaurs, but marine reptiles with a similar shape to dolphins.

Irregular block of banded black and buff-coloured tourmaline schist. This is a metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are formed when they are subjected to high heat, immense pressure, hot fluids containing minerals, or a combination of these factors.

Irregular block of medium-grained grey granite. It is rich with quartz and cut by white quartz veins. This sample was found near Ladock road.

Three samples of copper taken from a wooden beam prop. Props were used to help prevent mining tunnels from collapsing. Water would run over the surface of the wood, carrying copper that would settle on it. These samples show how geological processes are always active, forming new rocks and minerals during human lifetimes.