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Literary notes about fossil (AI summary)

While most literary uses of “fossil” focus on remnants of ancient life or metaphorical references to outdated forms, a few texts transform the term into a suggestion of color—a muted, timeworn hue reminiscent of weathered bone or earthen stone. In such cases the word “fossil” is used not only to evoke the passage of time but also to imbue a visual texture with somber, aged qualities. For instance, one passage describes a neglected cart “dug out like a crusted fossil of the Ice Age” ([1]), inviting readers to imagine a surface marked by the faded, earthy tones that one associates with fossilized matter. In this way, when “fossil” functions as a color descriptor, it enriches the narrative by merging the ideas of decay, endurance, and the quiet dignity of ancient relics into a single, evocative image.
  1. Once Jinny’s cart had to be dug out like a crusted fossil of the Ice Age—and only the agonized howling of Nip had brought rescue.
    — from Jinny the Carrier by Israel Zangwill

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