Fossil Dig 2010

Update 24 June 2010










Dear Family, Friends and Followers,


A note of apology for this very late update of the fossil finds from the 2009 season. All the best intentions could not get me to where I am now...typing the entry I wanted to write last summer. So, that said here I go.

Hours were spent during the summer days washing and cleaning fossils. As always, I had plenty of turtle shell, which I believe I have mentioned more than once in my tales. I am careful to keep my collected specimens in zip lock bags separated by site, date and type (ie. turtle, therapod, hadrosaur, etc.) I carefully washed and brushed a group of several pieces of turtle shell that I had collected from one particular location. Many of the pieces had washed out of a large mound and some were collected from the ground at the base.

After drying in the sun I brought them into the house on a wooden art board and set them on our kitchen counter. Our college age daughter was home with another bout of tonsilitis, so I had time to focus on tasks around the house. Well, in this case, the task was more fun than scrubbing and mopping floors. Using a magnifying glass to inspect some of the pieces, I was once again impressed by the wonders of nature and the beautiful details in each. Looking at the pieces as an ensemble, I noticed that the coloration of one piece seemed to be much like the color in another piece, and, to my surprise the edges on one side of each piece looked like they would connect.

I imagine you are following me here. Indeed, I was looking at the most interesting puzzle I have worked on to date. Piece by piece I started to put this turtle shell together. Of course, I had no idea what the turtle looked like or even how much of the shell I had. As it turns out, I still don't know what kind of turtle it is, and I can't even tell how big it would have been. From the little research I have done to date, it might be the genus Aspideretoides. I will show photos to Steve and Rob next week and hopefully they will confirm my guess, or provide the correct ID.

I had hoped to place photos at the end of the text entry. That did not work out as planned and they ended up at the beginning of the entry. Not wanting to risk a disaster, I left them in that position even though it ruined the surprise.

During the hours I worked fitting 26 tiny fragments and larger pieces together, I was wishing I had picked up more of them when I had the chance. I did get a bit bored and went on to look for more "important" fossils like teeth and claws. Little did I know that I had the makings of a beautiful fossil turtle shell. A lesson learned for sure. I remember the site, and if time permits this season, I am very tempted to return and try to rescue more bits of my Chelonia (turtle).

The summer ,and over the remaining months, of 2009 I continued to clean, inspect and attempt to identify my booty. During the holidays, fossils are put away to make way for entertaining and decorations. The new year found me reading more about micro fossil sites, and a collection of papers on the subject of Tyrranosaurus rex. I also became acquainted with the 19th Century fossil expert Mary Anning, through a recently published historical novel and a biography. She was an amazing individual who had a true gift for fossil finding and an understanding of the creatures she discovered (for the first time), that surpassed the knowledge of the male "experts" of that time. I recommend her story to anyone who is interested in the history of paleontology.

So, as I prepare and pack for this summer's two week trip to Hell Creek, I am doing my best to maintain control over my excitement. Laurel and I have been invited to participate in the excavation of the T. rex site that was held up in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for months last year. Now that Steve has the OK from all parties, we will be working with a team of students from Steve's college (many of them are repeats from last summer). Laurel will be with us for one week and is hopeful we will have a day of personal collecting. I have signed on for two weeks which will be divided between the T. rex site and personal collecting.

Though I am still setting my sites on a lovely large fossil specimen for our living room, I am more measured in my approach to this year's experience. I know how fortunate I am to be able to leave husband and home behind while I poke around in the dirt of the Hell Creek formation of Harding County, South Dakota. I will be grateful for all the wonderful moments that are sure to fill these next 14 days. I will try to honor my commitment to this new philosophy in the coming days.

I will do my best to be a fair reporter and hope you enjoy reading about our journey

Cheers,

Christine (Momasaurus)