4 Simple Rules

There are several rituals and things you must do in order to have a successful excavation. The following is a list of 4 things I like to in order to find an amazing specimen:


1. Rub the Wish List
In our work area is a list of things we need to find. This step may sound funny, but rubbing the wish list is an absolute must before we search for the new Bruce. On this list the fossil crew has reserved a spot solely for rubbing and nothing else. By touching the list we hope to gain better luck and wisdom. So far it seems like we need to rub the list a little harder, we haven't brought an Elasmosaur home yet!




2. Think like a Mosasaur
This may seem even more peculiar than rubbing a list, but it served to be a very useful strategy. When your out at the dig site, there is vast amount of shale to look through, it's almost overwhelming to think where to begin. However, if you imagine your self as a scaly marine reptile with 3 sets of teeth, it improves your chances of finding a fossil. For example, by taping into the mind of a mosasaur you can imagine where he would have ate a plesiosaur and left the bones to fossilize. Stephanie and I like to say "If I were a mosasaur, where would I die?" Okay, I know its kinda far fetched, but at least I get to be a mosasaur for a day!



3. Pack Lots of Water

Packing lots of water is less of a ritual than it is as a survival tactic. Some days we will be out in the field for the entire day in the scorching heat. So it is very important to bring lots and lots of water. Staying hydrated is our number one motto.




4. Get Dirty
Here at the CFDC, we like to say, "if you didn't get dirty, then you didn't have fun!". You can't help but get dirty at the dig site. At the end of the day your usually covered head to toe in shale. The best part is when it gets on your face and you don't know about it. So next time if you see me, and it looks like I have a beard, its actually shale! Getting dirty is apart of the job. Once I worked on a fish specimen, and I got up and I realized I had been wallowing in a cow pie! Why do I always have to do the "dirty" work??



So there you have it folks, these are the 4 absolute must to do things before we search!

-Kod

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