How would you approach this?

[Naf]

Hey folks,

 

I was wondering how you guys would approach something like this (or if samples like this are even worth your time!) 

 

There's so much going on I'm a little confused as to how and where to start. would you remove the gastropods individually, break the rock apart, sacrifice the broken ones in the search for more complete specimens, leave it as is? I went through the pinned messages and learned a lot, but was curious if anyone's come across similar types of rock and could give some insight.

 

My goal is to hopefully find and extract some of the more complete specimens, and maybe discover some trilobites along the way!

 

The plan was to chisel out as many surface fossils as possible, then strike the rocks with a sledge hammer to break up the pieces, give them a good hard scrubbing, then use my steel picks and chisels to poke around further however the resources provided to me by @FossilDAWG and @Kane (thanks again by the way!) described a number of rare, some now lost, trilobite specices from the same formation found in similar contexts alongside Ceratopea Canadensis, so maybe a lighter touch might be in order? 

 

I'm still a little scarred from the time I put a pickaxe right through an almost complete piece of 1st century terra sigillata once upon a dig </3 

 

I'll definitely be looking into air pens/compressors (looking at you ME-9100) as well, but on my pay that's one of those 'somewhere down the line' sorts of purchases. If those are definitely the way to go however,  I can always shelve these for that later day...they've been sitting around in a forest for this long, another few months wont hurt!

 

I did notice while cleaning the sample below that there appeared to be two separate matrices, a softer one which I assume was the sand/silt and then the hard dark rock underneath.

 

I've got a much bigger slab with a lot more going on, but I grabbed this little one to practice and learn on! My first target is that crystallized one which is slightly exposed on the top (bottom center of the picture on the right) followed by whatever that is beside it and that mussel looking fellow.

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

In my opinion, they would look very nice if you left them in the matrix.. If you want to take them out of the rock, you can use a surgical blade to remove it from the rock. If it is silicified, you can use diluted organic acids to remove it. ( Lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) I would recommend either putting it fully in the acid or using a small paint brush to carefully remove it. I have used both of these methods on fossils and the results can be great! However, it is your choice. Good Luck.

49 minutes ago, Naf said:

 (or if samples like this are even worth your time!) 

Fossils have survived for millions of years. In my opinion, they all deserve to be treated properly, as any preservation at all is rare.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I agree 

I'd leave them alone, they look nice in the matrix in my opinion and I think you risk damaging them in prepping

But it's your choice 

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

No-need for a complete 3D preparation - they're already nice as is  

-Christian

[JohnBrewer]

Keep it as it is  

[Ptychodus04]

I also would leave the m in the matrix. You’ll most likely ruin many trying to remove them.

 

As for the approach, I find sneaking up behind them and catching them by surprise to be very effective. You can go for a frontal approach but then you’ll need someone to draw their attention.