Fossil hunting, a field often called paleontology, involves a multi-stage process where specialized tools are needed for every step, from locating a promising site to the final cleaning and stabilization of an ancient specimen. The required equipment shifts dramatically, moving from large-scale geological mapping instruments used outdoors to miniature, high-precision tools used back in a laboratory setting. This careful progression ensures that the remains of prehistoric life are found, removed, and preserved with scientific integrity.
Equipment for Site Survey and Identification
The process of finding a fossil begins long before any digging starts, relying on tools for identifying and mapping geological layers. Paleontologists frequently use geological maps and satellite imagery to pinpoint exposed sedimentary rock formations likely to contain fossils. Global Positioning System (GPS) devices are routinely used in the field to accurately record the coordinates of potential sites for future research.
Basic prospecting equipment includes the geologist’s hammer, often designed with a pick-end or chisel-end for testing rock hardness and splitting strata. This hammer is used to break apart pieces of surface rock, or “float,” looking for small bone fragments or microfossils that indicate a larger specimen may be buried nearby. This technique allows researchers to analyze the rock matrix and confirm the fossil-bearing layer before committing to a full excavation.
Specialized Tools for Excavation and Extraction
Once a promising site is identified, the excavation begins with the removal of the non-fossil-bearing layers, known as overburden. This initial stage requires heavy tools like shovels, picks, and sometimes even jackhammers or rock saws to clear large volumes of rock and sediment. As the excavation approaches the fossil-bearing layer, the work transitions from brute force removal to highly controlled extraction.
Medium-sized hand tools such as trowels, larger chisels, and brushes are then used to carefully expose the fossil surface. For the final, delicate work directly on the specimen, paleontologists rely on precision tools, including dental picks, small scrapers, and fine paintbrushes. These instruments allow for the millimeter-by-millimeter removal of the surrounding rock matrix without damaging the often-fragile fossilized bone.
A crucial technique in the field is the stabilization and protection of large or fragile finds before transport. Consolidants, which are specialized liquid glues or resins, are applied to the exposed fossil surface to strengthen the material and prevent fragmentation. The entire specimen and its surrounding matrix are then encased in a protective shell called a plaster jacket. Constructed from strips of burlap dipped in plaster, the jacket creates a rigid, supportive casing that allows the specimen to be safely removed and transported to the laboratory.
Instruments for Fossil Preparation and Stabilization
The final stage of fossil work takes place in a controlled laboratory, where specialized instruments are used for the ultimate cleaning and preservation of the specimen. The most important of these tools is the pneumatic air scribe, which functions like a tiny, high-frequency jackhammer powered by compressed air. The air scribe’s carbide stylus tip vibrates rapidly to chip away the remaining hard rock matrix, offering high precision and control that is often impossible with manual tools.
For the most minute details and delicate work, preparators often use magnification tools, such as microscopes or headband magnifiers, to guide their hand tools. These fine instruments are used alongside air abrasive units, which are essentially micro-sandblasters that propel a stream of fine abrasive powder, like dolomite, at the matrix surface to gently erode it away. Once fully exposed, the fossil is treated with penetrating consolidants to reinforce microfractures and ensure the specimen remains stable for long-term study and display.