Septarian concretions or septarian nodules, are lime concretions with a series of cracks filled with various minerals called “septaria”. The word comes from the Latin work “septum”, meaning partition and refers to the cracks and separations in this kind of rock.
Septaria are characteristic of older geological formations, especially ancient sea bottoms such as those found in Schoharie County.
Septaria of various sizes have been found in Schoharie County and are commonly known as “Turtle Rocks”. This turtle rock was found by Robert Becker near the Schoharie Creek about a mile north of the Middleburgh bridge!