arkeonien

Arkeonien is a fictional mineral used in speculative geology, archaeology-focused worldbuilding, and science fiction. It is not recognized as a real mineral by current taxonomies of mineralogy or geology.

Etymology and naming: The term combines arkhē, from Greek meaning origin or first cause, with the suffix -ien, intended to evoke an ancient, primitive character. In fictional contexts it is often presented as forming in conditions associated with primordial Earth.

Description: In the corpus of worldbuilding material, arkeonien is described as a fine-grained, isotropic silicate-phosphate composite. It is typically depicted as colorless or pale green, with iridescent inclusions and a glassy to pearly luster. Reported physical properties include a Mohs hardness around 5–6 and a low to moderate refractive index; some narratives describe faint luminescence under ultraviolet light.

Origin and occurrence: Arkeonien is said to form in models of early-Earth-like environments involving hydrothermal activity and subsurface mineral-water interactions, or in sedimentary basins that preserve ancient microbial activity. In many stories it appears in nodules or vein-like patches within ancient rock matrices and is sometimes linked to fossilized life signatures or unusual isotopic ratios.

Research and cultural role: In fiction and speculative essays, arkeonien is used as a proxy for dating early geological or biological processes, or as a narrative device illustrating primordial Earth conditions. Some authors treat it as an illustrative example of how scientists interpret mineral formation and ancient biosignatures; others present it as a purely fictional material with no real-world counterpart.

See also: Archaean, Hypothetical minerals, Worldbuilding minerals, Paleoenvironments.