INDIANA JONES was no mere grubby excavator. An esteemed professor, he was also a looker who wore fedoras with élan. Among Americans looking to expend pent-up wanderlust and perhaps brag a little, the paleontological pastime of fossil hunting has become an increasingly popular Jonesian pursuit. Tim Jones (no relation), the community administrator of the Fossil Forum, which has 1.2 million posted messages, says he’s amazed by what new converts have found in their ’hoods and along river banks. Still, you’re thinking, “Mud? Seems like fedoras won’t figure highly in my new hobby.” Maybe not, but here’s a guide to surprisingly chic tools and brainy apps that elevate the hunt.
Where to Search
Next time you’re near a coastal shoreline or river bank, keep your eyes peeled (and a chisel handy) and you might return from your walk with an ammonite from the Jurassic or Cretaceous period in your pocket. These common fossils can be identified by their spherical, gray nodules that peek out of jagged limestone or shale shards located at the base of beachside cliffs or along rocky shores. In rugged mountain terrain near stream beds and creeks, these same limestone shards are more likely to hold rarer (but not impossible-to-find) trilobites, which resemble many-legged beetles lying face-up on their backs. You can also find shark teeth if you spend time sifting through seashell piles along the ocean at low tide or through sand at creeks and lakeshores. (You’ll recognize a fossilized shark tooth over a modern one by its brown rather than white color. Where it’s found also matters: If you spot a shark tooth near a creek 50 miles from the nearest ocean, it’s safer to assume the tooth is a fossil.) In the desert and dry creek beds you’re also likely to find craggy bits of petrified wood. The mineralized remains of prehistoric trees, these fossils can be differentiated from ordinary wood by their smooth, rocklike texture and more vibrant, orange-y hues.
Tools to Pack
Before you start chipping away at a shale rock formation in pursuit of an ammonite or a trilobite, get your hands on a hammer-like rock pick and Hard Stone Hand Carving Set of chisels and mallets from high-end masonry company Trow & Holden. The handsome, minimalist tools are tipped with carbide, which rivals diamonds in hardness and will hold up to years of clinking ammonites out of shoreline sedimentary rock. Use the chisel set if your fossil is closer to the surface, or the rock pick if it’s lodged deeper in the rock. ($262 and $112, trowandholden.com) The DMOS Delta shovel, meanwhile, is three tools in one: a foldable locking spade for efficient digging; a full-size shovel for scooping and sorting sand and dirt; and a hoe blade to pierce through thick soil to excavate a petrified wood stump no matter how deeply it’s rooted. ($239, dmoscollective.com)
The Best Fossil Identification App
Is it an ammonite from hundreds of millions of years ago, or the shell of a recently-deceased snail? The Paleontological Research Institution’s user-friendly Digital Atlas of Ancient Life app will help you classify your findings. Available on Android and iOS for free, the app is organized by geographical area and historical time period to function as a detailed, extensive field guide much like those for bird or tree enthusiasts. An included, beginner paleontology textbook is full of additional tips and tricks for your next dig.
Post-Hunt Tools
Leatherology’s handy, compact measuring tape could help you prove you’ve found the world’s largest Megalodon tooth (the current record holder measures just under 8 inches), or identify the ancient shark from whose maw it fell out. This tool comes with 5 feet of tape, so you’ll be set when your greatest discovery is unveiled. (from $45, leatherology.com) And, if you’ve ever wanted to see the multicolored striations of ancient wood up close, use this fixed glass lens sitting on a three-point sturdy metal frame. It will fit into your home office, kitchen or wherever you’ve displayed your neolithic finds. (Edwin Magnifying Glass, $133, bungalow5.com)
