Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Head south. The oldest rocks in Indiana are in the southeastern corner of the state, and the older the stones are, the more likely you are to find fossils.
Search for accessible areas. Fossils can be found free of surrounding rock in rubble piles and road cuts, which will save you the trouble and dangers of chipping out a specimen.
Take a long walk for a more challenging hunt. Look along stream beds, hiking trails and highways, where fossils are more difficult to find and collect.
Find the right type of rocks. Indiana limestone holds the greatest amount of found fossils. It is usually gray to white, visibly grainy and easily broken.
Look for small marine-type and primitive organisms like gastropods, crinoids and brachiopods. In Indiana, fossils are generally from the Paleozoic era, when the Ordovician Sea covered the state.
Remove your fossil gently, use a small paintbrush to clean away dust or rock fragments and pack it into a small container padded with newspapers or tissue paper.
Record and label your fossil collection when you get home. Write down where and when you found it and what type it is, and file your notes to keep your collection organized.