Those are pieces of an onyx chess set. I used to have that exact set. Here's an example from ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276268677793?itmmeta=01HQGDMT5HNWBF8YNWTDN1Q1D5

That looks like maybe a bottle fly. Googling indicates the adults last 50 to 60 days^1^.

^1^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344275278_Longevity_of_Adult_Lucilia_eximia_WiedemannDiptera_Calliphoridae_Under_Standard_Conditions

This is incorrect. Very little of the soil that existed before the Cenozoic has been preserved. There was soil. The wikipedia article you linked states this.

Your disability is not your fault.

The Thursday Murder Club and subsequent books in the series by Richard Osman. Everyone's decent, reasonable, and a little ridiculous. The stories are neatly tied up at the end of each book. I'm actually looking for books like that right now myself.

Tim Traveller is one of my favorite channels.