How to Dig for Fossils

There's something exciting and romantic about a fossil dig site; maybe it's the chance of discovering something unknown. However, a real dig site involves a lot of hard work and careful planning. Read on to see what steps need to be taken to dig a fossil site.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Shovel
• Rock hammer
• Safety goggles
• Helmet
• Fossil brush
• Chisel
• Notebook
• Camera
• String and spikes
• Tape measure
• Gloves
• Sample bags

1. Find a site in which to dig for fossils. (See the related eHow article titled "How to Find a Fossil Site for Digging.")
2. Obtain permission to dig your site of interest. Make sure you have permission to dig where you want to. Permission may need to come from the government if on public property, from a private landowner or other parties.
3. Assess the tools and methods you will need to dig for fossils on your site. A cliff wall fossil site will need different techniques than one in an open field. Make sure you have the correct tools you need, as well as the correct safety equipment.
4. Plan your dig. Survey your area of interest so you can better understand the layout. Make a map, documenting the positions of obstacles and places you plan to dig. Again, make sure you have all the tools you will need for the job.
5. Mark up your site. Divide your site into regular sections so that you can keep track of where any fossils you will find are located. For a cliff face, measure the thickness in which you will dig and make regularly spaced marks on the cliff. For an open field, lay out a grid using spikes and string to make a series of squares. Put all of the marks you make of the map of your site.
6. Dig your site. For a cliff, this will typically consist of taking samples at regularly spaced intervals. For an open field site, digging is usually done square by square. Soil removed from the site is typically sifted before it is discarded. Any fossils found in a field site are typically left in place.
7. Document your site. Once you have completed digging your site, make sure you record the positions that your fossils were found, as this will help you to understand the site later. Take many photographs of where fossils were found.
8. Collect your fossils. Carefully label each fossil with its location. Prepare appropriate containers, such as sample bags, for your samples.