Historic Excavations

Historic Excavations. . The 1904-1923 excavations took place on this trail around University and Carnegie Hills. The trail along the hillsides is at the same level as the waterhole bonebed. Many large bonebed slabs were excavated from this level., Those excavations helped build the Miocene collections of the University of Nebraska, the Carnegie Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and other leading institutions. With the emphasis on museum display and study collections at the time, institutions wanted whole skeletons and large fossil slabs., Today, scientists collect more of their data by examining fossils in place. Measurement of orientation, location, and distribution of fossils provides clues to the history of a fossil deposit. Detailed mapping and study of surrounding sediments reveal information about animal behavior, population dynamics, sedimentary environments, and ancient climates., Captions , Upper Right: To prepare a block for shipping, workers cut it free at the bottom and stabilize it with shellac and a protective plaster jacket., Lower Right: Blasting with black powder removed overburden in early excavations. Horse-drawn graders scraped away loose, non fossil-bearing rock. Bulldozers, backhoes, and graders have since replaced draft horses. , After building a frame to secure a slab, it was lifted onto a horse-drawn wagon with a tripod and pulley and transported to the closest rail line. Today, power tools easily remove rock and cranes and trucks do the lifting and moving. . This historical marker was erected by Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, National Park Service. It is in Agate in Sioux County Nebraska