Fossils In Ancient Rome

Geology has interested humans since ancient Greece in the 4th century. Aristotle was one of the first people to make observations about the earth. This was also the first time philosophers and scientists pointed out a difference between rocks and minerals. The Romans became experts at mining certain rock to use to build their empire. In the 17th century, fossils were being used as a way to understand what had happened to earth over time. Fossils played a key role in the debate about the age of earth.