|
...cont'd
11/19
9:11am
Sauropod site, C-19
Hans: Wow
Greg: What?
Hans: Articulated caudals
- we've got tail here!
Paul: All right! Now
we've got the most complete sauropod from
the Late Cretaceous on Africa!
The most difficult
excavating must be done sideways or even
lying down. Rudd uses a chisel and mallet
to tunnel under a block containing the vertebral
column of a new sauropod. Photo by Gabrielle
Lyon
When a nearly complete
dinosaur skeleton is discovered from a poorly
known time horizon, its scientific importance
is underscored. Every bone is extremely
valuable and will be examined by scientists
for years to come. Every bone will be measured
when the skeleton is reconstructed. From
now on, when people talk about sauropods
from the Late Cretaceous of Africa, this
specimen will figure into the discussion.
This is pure inspiration for the crew at
the end of what has been a phenomenal -
but long - field season.
11/20
2:23 pm
Sauropod site, C-19
One by one the jackets
come out of the pit. They are "tight and
smooth." Extra rock is a luxury we don't
have plaster for. All of the jackets are
open. In an effort to conserve plaster we
are capping everything and taking jackets
out of the pit, but not "backjacketing."
In other words, they're only half finished.
Encased on three
sides and weighing about 350 pounds, the
femur (thigh bone) of the new sauropod is
ready for transport. In Agadez the jacket
will be closed using awaiting plaster. Photo
by Gabrielle Lyon
On this, the fifth,
day of intense excavation, the "tink, tink,
tink," of rock hammers against metal awls
has given way to the "thud, thud, thud"
of three-pound mallets against foot-long
chisels. Brushing wisk brooms have been
replaced by scraping shovels, and every
few minutes there is a woosh of rubble being
dumped from a bucket onto the ever-growing
wall of rubble around us.
Everyone seems faded.
Backs and arms are chalky brown from dust
and sweat. Colors have been dulled by the
sun. Most of us packed light for this last
camp, just one or two T-shirts and a pair
of pants or shorts. Duct tape is extending
the life of worn-through clothing for the
last few field days.
From left to
right, Mike, Allison and Chris are the first
of the team to leave the field - driven
in Toyota style by Bido. Photo by Gabrielle
Lyon
For most of the crew
there are just a few days left. Eight to
be precise. Allison, Chris and Mike left
the field a week ago -- Allison and Chris
to explore the fossils of South Africa,
and Mike, (after shooting 7,000 digital
pictures and 300 rolls of film), to Europe
and home to Chicago.
5:41pm
The sun is setting -
just a hand high in the sky. With the end
of daylight approaching, the work takes
on an edge: high speed, fast moving, 4th-quarter
feel. "The Doc" is cutting strip after strip
of burlap. "Ereek," (Eric, so called with
the French pronunciation) bangs the side
of a bucket to loosen dried plaster so he
can mix a fresh batch.
Everyone has a nickname
and all of them are being put to use. "Jacko
- hand me another strip of burlap." "Gregor,
is the plaster ready?" "Mike (Didier) -
what are you doing over there?" "Hansel
(Hans) do you think this is under cut enough?"
" 'Rula (Gabe - a -rula)! Mix up some plaster
for us." "Chef (Chief, Paul) - how much
wood do we have?" "Brug (Rud) are you using
the pick axe?"
Jack uses duct
tape to support an open jacket. The tape
wil add rigidity to the jacket during the
100 mile drive to Agadez. Photo by Gabrielle
Lyon
The team is like a pack
of scavengers picking apart a skeleton.
Off come the ribs. Forearm and thighbone
get dragged off in turn until only the spinal
column, neck, and tail are left arching
through the trench. Just two days left.
If there are no surprises, the plaster will
last.
Next
|
