Excavation explanation + instructions
How to handle Artifacts
If you have found some sort of artifact, such as tools that ancient humans used, any sort of ceramics used to store food or other resources, or other ceremonial and meaningful objects, then follow this guide to learn how to excavate them properly and handle them once they are out of the ground.
How to handle Fossils
If you have found some sort of fossil, such as fossilized bones, petrified wood, or footprints left in mud eons ago, then follow this guide to learn how to excavate them properly and handle them once they are out of the ground.
Process Instructions for an Excavation
1. Mark your dig site, fencing off the area to stop interruptions during the excavation process.
2. Clear away the topsoil and other large chunks of dirt using a trowel, being careful to dig around the Artifact/Fossil so as to not damage it.
3. Use a soft brush to remove the rest of the dirt around it, and make sure it is supported from underneath.
4. Carefully lift the Artifact/Fossil out of the ground, making sure that it is handled as little as possible to preserve its condition.
5. Wrap it in plaster or another protective material and safely store it away.
Things to remember:
- To protect the fragile Artifact/s or Fossil/s, use gloves when handling them or make sure your hands are thoroughly cleaned to avoid contaminating them with harmful skin oils or other substances.
- Make sure you are working over padded surfaces so if you drop it, it will not be damaged as much.
- Do not apply pressure on weak points or handle the Artifact/Fossil too roughly, as it may feel hard but is incredibly fragile.
- If your Fossil looks fragile, make sure to leave some of the surrounding rock, also known as matrix, attached so it is reinforced, and handle your Fossil by this matrix rather than the delicate Fossil itself.