Dinosaurs 101

We are going to continue learning about the people who discover dinosaurs; Paleontologists. The have to dig through the dirt to find these fossils, but how do they get to these bones that tell us so much about the prehistoric times of dinosaurs?  

 ROCK PICK - The classic geologist's pick is always the most useful.  It has a square and flat end for busting rock and striking chisels and a pointed  pick end for digging, turning and splitting rock.

CHISELS - They come in various sizes. The all purpose size has a 1/2  inch wide blade and is about 6 to 9 inches long. Other useful sizes are 1/4 inch  for fine work and 1 inch or bigger for heavy work. Another very useful chisel is  known as a BRICK SET. It has a wide(2-3") blade and is excellent for
splitting and trimming.

TWEEZERS - A good pair of tweezers will come in handy if you must collect small pieces without disturbing the matrix or dirt around the specimen.  A good example would be a specimen that is starting to fall apart and must be collected in pieces for later assembly such as a trilobite.

NOTEBOOK - Keeping good notes is very important. There are all kinds of notebooks to choose from. Anything from a steno-pad to a waterproof surveyor's log. Mainly it should fit in your pack or pocket, be stiff enough to write on while standing and sturdy enough to hold up to the environment.