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How to Dig Up a Dinosaur

If you've ever dreamed of making a big archaeological discovery and like digging in the dirt, digging up a dinosaur is an unforgettable experience. Dinosaurs lived from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. Their remains and footprints can be found in areas throughout the world that have been eroded away over the years by wind and water to expose where dinosaurs lived. Official dinosaur digs sponsored by museums and universities take place continually. Care must be taken not to damage any findings, so it's best not to dig without knowledge and supervision.

Instructions

- 1
  Find a dinosaur dig. If you are inexperienced or are a serious student, contact your local university to see if there is a current dig that you could join. Other organizations that sponsor digs include the Smithsonian and various museums. Apply as a volunteer.
- 2
  Choose a site that has been known for providing significant finds in the past. The Bighorn Basin in north central Wyoming is a site that provides continuous research for paleontologists. Significant numbers of dinosaur bones and other fossils have been found here. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History sponsors digs and accepts volunteer applications.
- 3
  Listen to the news. Sometimes a construction company digging on a project comes upon bones that must be cleared out of the area before the project can continue. Local experts may accept volunteer help to more quickly clear the building site.
- 4
  Practice using shovels, chisels, drills and hammers, which are used to dig out fossils. Digging by hand usually begins only after bulldozers have already cleared away big rocks and topsoil. Expertise and supervision is needed when digging, so fossils are not broken when excavated.
- 5
  Spray the fossils you find with a special glue that makes the bones stronger and able to withstand handling.
- 6
  Wrap any bones you find in plaster-covered bandages. This protects the bones during transportation. Label these and place in crates that are softly padded.
- 7
  Send your finds to a lab for identification. The organizer of the dig should handle the details. Provide records of where you found the bones. Take measurements and photographs to give as much information as you can about your find.

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