Born from an Ancient Sea
Millions of years ago during the Cretaceous period, central Texas was submerged beneath a shallow, warm sea. As marine life—ranging from microscopic plankton to large oysters—died, their calcium carbonate shells settled on the ocean floor.
Over millennia, extreme pressure compressed these organic remains into the famous Austin Chalk. If you look closely at a rough piece of Austin limestone, you can frequently spot fossilized seashells embedded directly in the rock.
