I need some tips & advice on tools for first fossil hunt in Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)

[ziggycardon]

Hi everyone! 

 

After the recommendations of @Manticocerasman, @gigantoraptor & @Joeri_R I joined the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology). Today I got my confirmation mail of the membership.

 

I have long been wanting to go out on fossil hunts especially in my own region which consist of cretaceous limestone from the Maastrichtian. 

Luckily for me the next fossil excursion planned by the BVP is a trip to the Romontbos quarry in Eben-Emael which is only a 20 - 25 minute drive for me.

 

So I did sign up for said excursion but since it's my first ever fossil hunt I want to go prepared and I was wondering if any of you have any tips on what tools and stuff to take with me to the quarry and what tools are best for excavating said limestone. 

 

I already know that a safety helmet, safety gloves and a fluorescent jacket are required and that safety glasses and steeltipped working shoes are recommended.

 

I was also planning on taking enough water to stay hydrated, a backpack and a good strong bag to transport excavated fossils and perhaps some matrix to examine later.

 

And I was planning on purchasing this kit from my regular fossil shop.

 

Are there any other tools or items that I should bring? 

Or does anyone have some tips for an inexperienced beginner? 

Or is anyone is familiar with the location feel free to share.

 

Thank you in advance and I look forward to my first hunt!

 

[gigantoraptor]

Nice, looking forward to meet you there.

 

It will be my first time there too, so I am certainly following this topic.

[jpc]

Does this quarry have similar rocks and fossils to what you see in the big quarry at Maastricht?

[ziggycardon]

51 minutes ago, gigantoraptor said:

Nice, looking forward to meet you there.

 

It will be my first time there too, so I am certainly following this topic.

Same here, look forward to meet some forum members

17 minutes ago, jpc said:

Does this quarry have similar rocks and fossils to what you see in the big quarry at Maastricht?

Yes, it are indeed the same rocks and formation as the ENCI quarry in Maastricht.

Both quarries are only 4 or 5 km apart from each other.

 

[jpc]

20 hours ago, ziggycardon said:

Same here, look forward to meet some forum members

Yes, it are indeed the same rocks and formation as the ENCI quarry in Maastricht.

Both quarries are only 4 or 5 km apart from each other.

 

Is the Belgian quarry open to collecting?  Do you have to be a club member?  

[ziggycardon]

I did send a mail today to the BVP to ask what kind of tools they do recommend for this excursion.
Ofcourse the Safety gear as I mentioned above is needed but for this quarry they also did recommend to bring a crack hammer and chisel or a geological hammer. They did also recommend a saw to saw the mergel (limestone) into smaller slabs.

And ofcourse a bucket or bag to put the collected material and some wrapping material & seal bags. 

6 minutes ago, jpc said:

Is the Belgian quarry open to collecting?  Do you have to be a club member?  

I don't actually know, I was planning on asking that to the excursion leader, because if it is open for collecting then it might become a regular fossil spot for me since it's so close.

perhaps some of the other members here know? 

 

[Natalie81]

On 9/6/2019 at 8:18 PM, ziggycardon said:

I did send a mail today to the BVP to ask what kind of tools they do recommend for this excursion.
Ofcourse the Safety gear as I mentioned above is needed but for this quarry they also did recommend to bring a crack hammer and chisel or a geological hammer. They did also recommend a saw to saw the mergel (limestone) into smaller slabs.

And ofcourse a bucket or bag to put the collected material and some wrapping material & seal bags. 

I don't actually know, I was planning on asking that to the excursion leader, because if it is open for collecting then it might become a regular fossil spot for me since it's so close.

perhaps some of the other members here know? 

 

Manticocerasman and I will be there too, looking forward to meet you! 

 

About de quarry, it is not an open quarry, only possible to visit with a club. 

[Manticocerasman]

looking forward to see you there Ken

 

with the kit that you show you got more than enough tools to get started , I got the same backpack

Just make sure you got a few small containers and old papers to wrap and store the finds in jour backpack.

[ziggycardon]

8 hours ago, Manticocerasman said:

looking forward to see you there Ken

 

with the kit that you show you got more than enough tools to get started , I got the same backpack

Just make sure you got a few small containers and old papers to wrap and store the finds in jour backpack.

Okee, thank you, good to know that that kit suffice!  

And yes I was planning on bringing some small boxes to store the fossils in, as well as plenty of seal bags and a roll of kitchen paper  

10 hours ago, Natalie81 said:

Manticocerasman and I will be there too, looking forward to meet you! 

 

About de quarry, it is not an open quarry, only possible to visit with a club. 

I am looking very forward to meet all of you  

Did the two of you hunt there before? 

[Natalie81]

1 hour ago, ziggycardon said:

Okee, thank you, good to know that that kit suffice!  

And yes I was planning on bringing some small boxes to store the fossils in, as well as plenty of seal bags and a roll of kitchen paper  

I am looking very forward to meet all of you  

Did the two of you hunt there before? 

We go there once a year with the BVP  

[ziggycardon]

12 minutes ago, Natalie81 said:

We go there once a year with the BVP  

Ow awesome! How is it there to hunt, is it easy to find something? 
And what fossils are the most common finds there, I know from the NHM in Maastricht what fauna can be found but since I haven't been on a fossilhunt yet I don't really have an idea what are common finds from there and what not.  

[Manticocerasman]

7 minutes ago, ziggycardon said:

Ow awesome! How is it there to hunt, is it easy to find something? 
And what fossils are the most common finds there, I know from the NHM in Maastricht what fauna can be found but since I haven't been on a fossilhunt yet I don't really have an idea what are common finds from there and what not.  

oysters are realy common, also small pecten and bellemnites, if you are lucky sea urchins and on rare ocasions shark teeth and even marine reptile but they are realy rare.

 

this is what we found last year: 

[ziggycardon]

14 minutes ago, Manticocerasman said:

oysters are realy common, also small pecten and bellemnites, if you are lucky sea urchins and on rare ocasions shark teeth and even marine reptile but they are realy rare.

 

this is what we found last year: 

Okay thank you for sharing, lovely finds!  
I do hope to find some cool things, a shark tooth would indeed be a jackpot since I doubt I'll be lucky enough to find a marine reptile fossil during my first hunt  
Any tips on good spots to find fossils in the quarry, where I should look out for to find something?
And is there a possibility to collect microfossil matrix or isn't it really worth to search for that?

[Manticocerasman]

16 minutes ago, ziggycardon said:

Okay thank you for sharing, lovely finds!  
I do hope to find some cool things, a shark tooth would indeed be a jackpot since I doubt I'll be lucky enough to find a marine reptile fossil during my first hunt  
Any tips on good spots to find fossils in the quarry, where I should look out for to find something?
And is there a possibility to collect microfossil matrix or isn't it really worth to search for that?

we 'll show you around

 

the matrix should be very good for micro fossils, I ve never search for this, but you can easily take some residu at home to woork through, ther should be plenty of bryozans and such.

 

[ziggycardon]

21 hours ago, Manticocerasman said:

we 'll show you around

 

the matrix should be very good for micro fossils, I ve never search for this, but you can easily take some residu at home to woork through, ther should be plenty of bryozans and such.

 

Thank you, that would be very nice!  
I am already really excited to go!

Okay, Then I'll try and take some matrix to search later, love to go through all that matrix to find microfossils!  

[Joeri_R]

Proficiat  

 

Welcome to the BVP! I'm looking forward to meeting you there!  

 

I see practically everything has been said already about Eben-Emael. But I'd like to add that you can sometimes find fossilized scissors of crabs. I found two pieces when I was there last time. I'm looking forward to go there again. Always something to find there.

 

It's my first time I go with BVP. I went there two times when you could still ask permission by letter.

[ziggycardon]

On 13-7-2019 at 11:39 PM, Joeri_R said:

Proficiat  

 

Welcome to the BVP! I'm looking forward to meeting you there!  

 

I see practically everything has been said already about Eben-Emael. But I'd like to add that you can sometimes find fossilized scissors of crabs. I found two pieces when I was there last time. I'm looking forward to go there again. Always something to find there.

 

It's my first time I go with BVP. I went there two times when you could still ask permission by letter.

Thank you, I look forward to meet you too there!  
And those crab pincers and legs are pretty awesome, they have quite a few in the natural history museum in Maastricht, I do hope I get lucky enough to find some of my own!  

[Manticocerasman]

Almost time to go to Eben Emael   I just hope the weather forcast will change by then 

[ziggycardon]

On 13-8-2019 at 2:09 PM, Manticocerasman said:

Almost time to go to Eben Emael   I just hope the weather forcast will change by then 

Yeah! I am looking forward for it!  
And yes, let's hope for a day with less rain than the forcast predicts.  

Did anyone already recieve the email with the details of the excursion? Where to meet and at what time? 

[FossilDAWG]

Good luck all.    We expect to see some fantastic finds! 

Don

[Natalie81]

3 hours ago, ziggycardon said:

Yeah! I am looking forward for it!  
And yes, let's hope for a day with less rain than the forcast predicts.  

Did anyone already recieve the email with the details of the excursion? Where to meet and at what time? Mail 

 Mail was send a hour ago  See you there! 

[ziggycardon]

48 minutes ago, Natalie81 said:

 Mail was send a hour ago  See you there! 

Yepp, I just found it with my emails as well!  
A few weeks ago I drove to the way around the quarry to see where the possible meet up could be, and I am glad that it is where I thought it would.  
I am really excited for it, let's hope the dig yields some cool fossils. I am going to buy the last few equipment items I need tomorrow and then I am all set. 
Looking forward to meet you all!  
 

4 hours ago, FossilDAWG said:

Good luck all.    We expect to see some fantastic finds! 

Don

I will definiatly do, will try to take some pictures with my cellphone in the quarry and I will ofcourse post my findings (if any) on the forum here!  

[ziggycardon]

Does anyone who already hunted at Eben Emael know whether the K-Pg boundary is visable in the quarry? 
I would like to make some photos and if possible collect some samples of it.