De natura fossilium

work by Agricola

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June 25, 2026

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De natura fossilium is a seminal work by Georgius Agricola, often called the "father of mineralogy." Published in 1546, it is considered the first mineralogy textbook.1

In this book, Agricola presented the first scientific classification of minerals, basing it on their physical properties. He also described numerous new minerals, detailing their occurrence and relationships with each other. Agricola's approach was groundbreaking as he founded his science on direct observation rather than relying solely on ancient theories. This work was a significant step in establishing mineralogy as a distinct scientific field.1

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Earth sciences
Ore deposits and mineralogy
Of his seven geologic books, De natura fossilium (1546; “On Natural Fossils”) contains his major contributions to mineralogy and, in fact, has been called the first textbook on that subject. In Agricola’s time and well into the 19th century, fossil was a term that could be applied to any object…
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Of his seven geologic books, De natura fossilium (1546; “On Natural Fossils”) contains his major contributions to mineralogy and, in fact, has been called the first textbook on that subject. In Agricola’s time and well into the 19th century, fossil was a term that could be applied to any object…
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Georgius Agricola
Chief works
In De natura fossilium (the book on which rests his right to be regarded as the father of mineralogy), Agricola offers a classification of minerals (called “fossils” at that time) in terms of geometric form (spheres, cones, plates). He was probably the first to distinguish between…
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In De natura fossilium (the book on which rests his right to be regarded as the father of mineralogy), Agricola offers a classification of minerals (called “fossils” at that time) in terms of geometric form (spheres, cones, plates). He was probably the first to distinguish between…
Read More