Sandstone and Shale Types and Facts

Sandstone

Shale

Shale and Sandstone Types and Facts

Types

Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Present

Formation >>

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Types of Sandstone and Shale

Some rocks according to their use or texture are classified into different types. Know more about Sandstone Texture and Shale Texture. Types of Sandstone are Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister whereas the types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale.During historic times, some rocks depending on their hardness were used to create Pictographs and Petroglyphs. Rocks which are hard were generally not used. Pictographs are paintings or drawings that have been placed or created on the surface of rock. Sandstone was not used to create pictographs whereas Shale is used to create pictographs. Petroglyph is an image which is carved into a rock. These are images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving or abrading, as a form of rock art. Sandstone was not used to create petroglyphs whereas Shale was used to create petroglyphs.