Cautiously, we plowed into the dry, rocky soil, making our modest mark on the small mountain that still shelters much of Dippy. I maneuvered the pick and chisel to pry softball-sized rocks out of the soil, switching to a knife and brush when a change in the soil color meant I should proceed cautiously in case a fossil was at hand. So I kneeled and put in maybe 10 minutes more before I tried sitting as perhaps the most comfortable option. All of us twitched like this from position to position throughout the day, never finding a good solution. No wonder the professionals seek volunteer help.
Paleontology is hard on the muscles.
Phillips moved continuously between us, offering tips on where and how to dig. And doing some cheerleading, too. So many bones are buried in the region, we would all find something, he promised. The dig looked a heck of a lot easier. On our lunch break, we climbed to a third site that is believed to have been the feeding area for the offspring of Allosaurus dinosaurs.