First Fossil Trip(s) to Mazon Creek

[MazonHunter]

Hello again to everyone on the forum and can't wait to learn from you.  I just joined this week and this will be my first main post.  I have always been very interested in fossils and geology and finally went on an official fossil Hunting trip this past week.  I went with my family the first time and we scouted out the area.  I did a lot of research beforehand and read that Pit 11 was one of the most popular concretion hunting spots at Mazon, but that also means they are harder to find.  After more research, I decided we should check out an area to the south called the Mazonia South Unit.  I read that this area had been less collected because there is much thicker vegetation.  The vegetation was very thick.  We hiked for a couple miles into the Forested area and we came to the bottom of a large hill.  Me and my brother scaled the cliff and saw a way down the other side.  The bottom of the other side of the cliff ended right into a river.  After we made it to the bottom, my father found the first fossil, a small leaf, in an open concretion.  We then saw concretions everywhere around us and started collecting. We only stayed for about an hour that day because the mosquitoes were relentless.  I got home and saw I had some fossils and got so excited, I went back out there by myself the very next day.  I scaled the cliffs up and down and got as many concretions as I could.  Not satisfied, I just came back from another trip out to Mazon yesterday.  I'm still refining my technique, but I spent most of the time going up and down the cliff sides looking and picking for concretions.  I had a geologic pick, and a bag as my main tools.  The first couple times, I picked everything I saw. After more research, I was more picky yesterday and did a lot of cracking in the field.  I am not done processing all my concretions but I will post what I have found so far.  Please let me know if you can help identify any of them and if the pictures are good for your viewing.  Any general tips for fossil hunting and anything is also welcome  I have more than I can post in this one post, but will follow up post with rest of my current photos. 

[MazonHunter]

[MazonHunter]

[Strepsodus]

Hi .  Nice finds.

 

1.  Cyclopteris?

2.  Pecopteris

3.  Macroneuropteris

4.  Plant stem

5.  Possibly a fish scale

6.  Probably a plant

7.  Cyclopteris?

8.  Pecopteris

9.  Annularia

10.  Probably not a fossil

11.  Probably not a fossil

12.  Probably not a fossil

13.  Probably not a fossil

14.  Pecopteris

15.  Pecopteris

16.  Pecopteris

17.  Worm?

18.  Probably not a fossil

19.  Certainly a fossil but I'm not sure what it is.  I think it's probably a plant stem.

20.  Poorly preserved bivalve?

21.  There looks to be a very worn Pecopteris

 

I suggest using the freeze thaw method to split unopened concretions; soak them in water for a few days and freeze them- as the water freezes it expands.  When they're frozen run them under warm water and they will pop open.  It can take up to 30 or more freezes for them to open but when they do split open the fossils are usually in better condition than when the concretions are hit with a hammer. 

 

Daniel

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by Strepsodus

[Raggedy Man]

No need to run them under warm water after they've been frozen. Set them out and let them naturally warm. Warming them too fast can cause the concretion to fragment into tiny pieces.

[sixgill pete]

Great finds and thanks for sharing. 

[MazonHunter]

@

2 hours ago, Strepsodus said:

Hi .  Nice finds.

 

1.  Cyclopteris?

2.  Pecopteris

3.  Macroneuropteris

4.  Plant stem

5.  Possibly a fish scale

6.  Probably a plant

7.  Cyclopteris?

8.  Pecopteris

9.  Annularia

10.  Probably not a fossil

11.  Probably not a fossil

12.  Probably not a fossil

13.  Probably not a fossil

14.  Pecopteris

15.  Pecopteris

16.  Pecopteris

17.  Worm?

18.  Probably not a fossil

19.  Certainly a fossil but I'm not sure what it is.  I think it's probably a plant stem.

20.  Poorly preserved bivalve?

21.  There looks to be a very worn Pecopteris

 

I suggest using the freeze thaw method to split unopened concretions; soak them in water for a few days and freeze them- as the water freezes it expands.  When they're frozen run them under warm water and they will pop open.  It can take up to 30 or more freezes for them to open but when they do split open the fossils are usually in better condition than when the concretions are hit with a hammer. 

 

Daniel

 

 

Thank you for the Reply and information! I had no idea what I had and now I know what to look up.  

Also, I'm going to try the freeze thaw method for the rest of my unopened concretions. 

[Strepsodus]

Hi.  After looking at the pictures again I think the ones which I thought are Cyclopteris are probably Macroneuropteris fragments.

 

Daniel

[deutscheben]

Very nice finds for your first trip(s)! You found a lot of plant material, unusual for the Mazonia South Unit/Pit 11 area (Braidwood Lake and the Mazonia South Unit are both situated in what was once Pit 11). I think some of those would clean up really well with some vinegar and scrubbing- here is a thread from earlier this year about the process: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/63529-mazon-creek-tully-monster-find-2016/

[MazonHunter]

1 hour ago, deutscheben said:

Very nice finds for your first trip(s)! You found a lot of plant material, unusual for the Mazonia South Unit/Pit 11 area (Braidwood Lake and the Mazonia South Unit are both situated in what was once Pit 11). I think some of those would clean up really well with some vinegar and scrubbing- here is a thread from earlier this year about the process: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/63529-mazon-creek-tully-monster-find-2016/

 

Thank you! I will definitely look into using vinegar to clean them up some.  It sounds like you are very familiar with the area, are there any other promising spots to check out that you would be willing to share?

[smt126]

Wow a great number of finds for your first time out there.

[stats]

5 hours ago, MazonHunter said:

 

Thank you! I will definitely look into using vinegar to clean them up some.  It sounds like you are very familiar with the area, are there any other promising spots to check out that you would be willing to share?

 

ESCONI has a trip to a Braceville spoil pile scheduled for September 10 and 11. Come on out.  There's plenty to find.  You can get some good tips.  Just ask questions.

 

Check the website at www.esconi.org.

 

Cheers, 

Rich

[deutscheben]

Yeah, the ESCONI trip is a great chance to get dirty and find some nodules. I have gone twice and will be there on the 11th this month. Although I've made a few trips to Mazon-area sites starting last year and read a great deal about the history and geology of the deposits, I'm definitely a fresh-faced newbie compared to some folks on this site- if you search for "Mazon Creek" you will find a lot of great information and some amazing finds people have shared over the years.

[Barerootbonsai]

Welcome, fellow beginner, great first finds.

[abach292]

wow those are phenomenal finds for a first timer! congrats!

 

I was the one who made the post about the vinegar and the tully, by looking at your fossils, I can tell that they will look fantastic after a 10-20 minute vinegar soak and spot-scrubbing with a Q-tip- and light brushing with an old toothbrush for the sturdier fossils.

 

Hope to see you out there one day! Based on your writing and finds, it sounds like you were on the right ridges :) you will have a great time in the spring when it is less overgrown.

[JohnBrewer]

That's a stunning and great variety of things you've found. Well done!