Irena Raselli | 09.09.2021
A brief Beginners Guide on how to prepare and what to consider for a Paleontological Excavation
How to prepare for an excavation ?
Be prepared to get dirty and walk on rocks - it's fossil hunting time !
Good hiking boots, comfortable tear-proof trousers and a breathable old shirt are the absolute essentials of your outfit in the field. Protection from scratchy vegetation or bitey animals, as well as the sun, rain and other weather conditions that you might be exposed to, are additional but not less important! Be prepared to work outside for the entire day, no matter the slight weather changes. It is therefore advisable to dress in layers, so that you can easily take one off when it gets warmer, quickly zip the jacket when it gets windy, etc. ...you get the idea. The smarter and simpler your outfit, the more you can actually focus on your work.
If the excavation site is placed in a quarry, you may be asked to wear a helmet and a safety vest, which are usually provided by the organizers of the excavation.
Protect your hands and knees . . . with stuff from the gardening shop !
Yep, that's right. Even though you're using a hammer or other tools for excavating, your hands will be in constant contact with the rock. Not only your nails but your skin can get damaged, cut or infected. Gloves are therefore a must-have. Big and thick gloves will not serve you well and rather hinder you when handling small fossils. Fitting and elastic gardening gloves are comfort-able and allow a high degree of tactile feeling.
When digging for fossils you will normally sit or kneel. Knee pads, or the more flexible version, a mat for the knees, which you can find in any gardening shop, will help you get through the day comfortably. Sometimes knee mats and (mostly one size) gloves are provided by the organizers of the excavation; don't hesitate to ask them!
Let's get organized !
A little fanny bag goes a long way. If you wear it around your waist, it's not in the way of your work and reachable at any times. You can keep all of your smaller excavating tools in it, glue, labels and little bags for the specimens, markers, disinfectant spray, magnifying glass, ... anything that you may use regularly and is small enough to get easily lost in between the rocks. Different excavating tools, which depend on the local rock layers are usually provided by the organizers.
... and just in case ...
Be sure to have all the country-specific emergency numbers saved in your phone, just as you would do when travelling.
While hunting for fossil: stay hydrated and mark your bottle !
It's easy to get emerged in the big search for a spectacular fossil.
Don't forget that your body still needs to be hydrated, even more that on a usual day, as on the excavation site you probably are exposed to the sun for many hours. Insider tip: if the entire team drinks from same-looking water bottles, it's good to put your name on yours. Otherwise the team ends up with a collection of half full, ownerless water bottles at the end of the day - and no-one is eager to drink water from a bottle that he/she is not sure if its theirs.
Give your body a break
...but you're only sitting anyway, right? Nope. Sitting or kneeling, your head and neck bent down, you dig with one hand only, your legs are squeezed and your back holds it all together ... for hours, days or even weeks! That's not only bad for your circulation, it leads to tension in the shoulders and the neck, sore muscles and head-aches. Therefore standing up from time to time, shake and stretch your arms, back and legs is a small task and your body will be thankful.
Finally: Enjoy ! Think about it: each time you dig out a fossil,
you are the first human being to see it !