Digging her job
AG STAFF WRITER and sub-editor
ESME MATHIS (below) jumped at the opportunity to join two remote fossil digs for our feature Searching for Aussie
dinosaurs (see page 90). “I’ve been fascinated by fossils since I was a kid and being able to travel to the outback to see bones that were millions of years old coming out of the ground was something really special,” Esme said. “Watching the excavation in action and having privileged access to experts added another layer to the story beyond the science.”
The two sites we chose for telling this story about Australia’s rise as an international fossil location – Eromanga in southwestern Queensland and Alcoota in the Red Centre – were both very different.
“The dinosaur excavation at Eromanga was very fast paced and high energy, because it was the beginning of a brand-new site,” Esme said. “Everyone was itching to get to work, and some became so absorbed in the dig that they worked through scheduled breaks.
“The megafauna dig at Alcoota, meanwhile, had a slightly more laid-back feel, because this well-established dig site has been excavated intermittently since the 1960s. We pitched our tents a dozen metres away from the fossil beds, enjoyed slow mornings around the campfire and became immersed in the site.
“At both locations, I was able to try my hand at digging. At Eromanga, every bone fragment uncovered was a precious find. Everyone would gather around to look at the fossils, which were fully lithified – turned into rock – so they could be passed around and handled without much fear of damage.
“Alcoota’s fossil beds were so chock-full of bones you were spoilt for choice; I’d focus on clearing away sediment from one piece of bone and would soon get side-tracked uncovering the fossils lying around it. These fossils were far more fragile because they hadn’t yet lithified. Excavating them required serious patience – brushing too hard with even a paintbrush risked damaging a fossil.”