The world over, people have marvelled at the joy of discovering fossils, from the smallest of specimens, to unearthing the largest of reliquiae, fossils have fascinated for centuries.
In situ fossils in the Redcar Mudstone Formation on Redcar Scar.
The ancient seas that covered Britain millions of years ago are now continually revealing the extinct organisms that once roamed the oceans.
Living within the Tees Valley area provides us with many opportunities and locations to acquire a whole host of these interesting objects. The abundance and diversity of fossils throughout our region is wide and varied. From the famous Jurassic ammonites to the alluring fossil gastropods (sea snails).
Once collected most fossils will need preparing in some way to enhance their natural beauty, this can take many hours even weeks to complete and requires patience and a good eye for detail.
A selection of fossil preparation equipment.
When starting out on preparation most hobbyist collectors will find the use of a rotary tool kit with interchangeable heads immensely versatile. Along with an electric engraver, steel probes and craft knives, these can be helpful for carefully picking away and removing the surrounding sediments. Fortunately the tools just mentioned do not take up much space and can be purchased at very little expense to the user.
A selection of prepared fossils and pertinent literature.
As the collector becomes more proficient in preparation they may eventually want to turn to more robust specialist equipment. There are many tools and supplies on the market to choose from, and one recommendation has to be the pneumatic fossil preparation pen – using compressed air to vibrate a tungsten tip at high speed these can remove the hardest of matrices accurately and effectively in a fraction of the time of other methods. Although professional equipment can prove somewhat expensive the end results almost always outweigh any of the costs.
We would like to thank RIGS Group member Scott Bradley for providing this month’s article.
Please Note: Fossil collecting must be done responsibly to preserve key beds and specimens for the enjoyment of others. Please feel free to collect loose specimens from the beaches, but leave in-situ specimens for the enjoyment of those who follow in your footsteps. Click here to see an informal fossil collecting code.
PLEASE NOTE: Tees Valley RIGS Group cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites.
©2011 Tees Valley RIGS Group.