David Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 So guys as promised several month ago ...a little word on a trip i made this summer with my 2 daughters. I don't go digging often but i'm used then to go far from home to discover new fossilsites! So in the middle of July a few days before the Millau fossilshow i went to south of France trying to find some uncoiled ammonites. I met some friends of mine and we decided to have a look at a site that a friend visited a few days before and that seemed to be interesting. After a long walk on not very easy ways BUT throught some apricot-trees fields (miam) ... and under a warm sun... we arrived on the site...and we worked !! hmm that pieces maybe nice ! 1 hour later we've found a hard layer containing some ammonites we worked a few hours to remove the layer and make blocks that we could break.... 3 hours were needed to fill our bags and go back to our cars... Result is interesting as we've found nice pieces with spines and rare ones in calcite fully preserved in 3 dimensions...problem is that spines are very very fragile... OK One night at camping....a little visit to the « Crocodile farm » with also a reconstituted Sarcosuchus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 and we went digging in another site in which we could find Large ammonites !! Nice landscapes all around with lavender fields and cicada singing all around us... 6 hours at digging but nothing except one 35cm Emericiceras to be repaired... !! One night at camping, a little visit in « Trabuc caves » with a unique thing in the world the « 100000 soldier cave) Very Nice !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 and after that we went to Millau to participate at the trade show...There on saturday i met and traded some pieces with MB....(still haven't prepared them...) Later in the afternoon, after some good trades kids and i took the car to go back home. BUT before that....we had to bath a little in the sea ! Palavas les flots at 20:00... HAHAHA that was a great trip !! Once back after driving 12 hours all night long...i started to prepared piece even before unloading the car !! here are a few pics of the things we've found ! OK i had to remake spines ! Emericiceras has a repair and is not ready... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 very cool, are they real? if they are wow they are really cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossisle Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Wow!! Awesome photos and ammonites, looks like a very sucessful trip. I like the hammer swinging action shot. Cephalopods rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Nice scenery and fossils. I wish I had known where to look for fossils when I was there many years ago. I have seen some other pics from that show that a friend of mine took. It looked like an incredible show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 and after that we went to Millau to participate at the trade show...There on saturday i met and traded some pieces with MB....(still haven't prepared them...) Later in the afternoon, after some good trades kids and i took the car to go back home. BUT before that....we had to bath a little in the sea !Palavas les flots at 20:00... HAHAHA that was a great trip !! Once back after driving 12 hours all night long...i started to prepared piece even before unloading the car !! here are a few pics of the things we've found ! OK i had to remake spines ! Emericiceras has a repair and is not ready... Salut David Keep aside one of those " ammonite espinado" for me. please http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I can hear the cicadas and smell the lavender; thank you for the pics! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 Hey MB !! No problem !! i'll try to bring other ones at Millau 2009 ! ...what you didn't knew is that my car was at that moment "full" of these ammos !! A few guys first tried to trade me some of my unprepared blocks but when they saw the pieces.... they just were affraid by the time they'll have to pass to prep one piece ! To answer bmorefossils i had to repair spines but they are very difficult to prepare.. if no spines in the matris then i just let the piece as it is inside...! there is around 40/50 hours prep work per ammonite (with spines of course).... i just can't imagine the time i'll have to pass on my "multies" !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 40 to 50 hours! A lot of work, but the pay off is spectacular! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 To answer bmorefossils i had to repair spines but they are very difficult to prepare.. if no spines in the matris then i just let the piece as it is inside...!there is around 40/50 hours prep work per ammonite (with spines of course).... wow thats crazy!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 Hi guys ! here is a new piece i just finished from one of the site i visited it took a little 70 hours to be prepared Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Hi guys !here is a new piece i just finished from one of the site i visited it took a little 70 hours to be prepared Go, David, go !!!! :applause: http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Wow those are some nice fossils. The last one you posted is awesome. The prep work is amazing, just beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Very nice fossils! I somehow missed this posting when it first came out and showed the unique specimens you found. Do you trade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pristiformes Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Absolutely beautiful ammonites! Thanks for posting the photos and story David! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 thanks for all your appraisals ! to answer about trading ...when i have enough money on my bank account yes i trade (sadly for the moment it is not the case as we had a car breakdown with 1500€ (2000$) to pay...) BUT concerning these spiny uncoiled i'm much to affraid to send them as i really think you will never find them in the package with their spines !!! French post is rough with packages....and sometimes US customs too !! So i will probably bring a few at the Millau tradeshow 2009...(well i hope i can come!) then i can trade directly but sending these, to me, it is too risky ! ah and i forgot the size of the Crioceras they are 11 and 12 cm in diameter ! The third one is a Leopoldia leopoldina not big with its 5cm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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