The bones of Triceratops are literally scattered right across the site.

The end of the T. rex expedition is in sight. John de Vos will be the last representative of Naturalis to leave the Triceratops excavation site on Friday afternoon, American time. The team from the Black Hills Institute will then continue excavating the Triceratops remains, as ever more bones continue to emerge!

To date, the excavation team has already registered forty bones and bone fragments from the Triceratops skeletons. The larger bones are wrapped in plaster bandage but sometimes too many of the small bones are grouped together to be wrapped individually. These small specimens are then packed together, in a chunk of the surrounding sedimentary rock. At the Black Hills Institute lab, each will be neatly and accurately further prepared. Yesterday, the team was hard at work on one chunk containing more than twenty bones, together weighing a little more than 7500 kg! Each time the team secures a block of stone, more bones seem to be released from below. For example, a fragile section from the lower jaw of the adult Triceratops emerged in just that way. The upper jaw containing the teeth still in their original position in the skull of the older juvenile was also excavated. The adult specimen is perhaps one of the most complete Triceratops skeletons ever found.

Tyrannosaurus rex
The T. rex Naturalis hoped to discover will definitely be making its way to the Netherlands. Later this year, an expedition will be organised to excavate a second T. rex find. We will keep you up to date on any developments!

Matt, John (the wise old man) and Peter at the Triceratops site

65 million years later … We see a man on his knees, in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming, USA. You can tell from the picture that he is not used to sitting in this position. Unlike the person next to him who is crouched, exuding calm, like a wise, grey-haired shaman. The man grabs a knife, works some soil free. Uses his hands to throw the soil behind him. Grabs a shovel, carefully digs into the tough, loamy soil, and with a swinging motion flings the soil to one side. Next he picks up a blade like those used by surgeons, and hesitantly, layer for layer, cuts away at the soft rock. He then brushes the loamy soil and stone to one side. With the palm of his hand, he rubs the sweat from his brow. The wise, grey-haired man mumbles, “There at the side; you might find something there.”

The actions are repeated, and bit by bit, the man gradually shuffles in the indicated direction. Still nothing; his movements become more urgent. With a look of dogged determination, he continues to work, bringing a smile to the face of his companion; he has seen this happen so often.

After the umpteenth repetition of rooting, digging and cutting, the brushing stage is repeated. A piece of bone with a matt sheen seems to have emerged. The dogged labourer fails to recognise it; it’s probably just another piece of rock. Suddenly he feels a sense of excitement in his otherwise so calm companion. “There you are, bone, keep on going, try that way.” The words sound simple but their meaning leads to an explosion in the mind of the digger. A dinosaur bone, a real dinosaur bone. Unbelievable. Unimaginable. It doesn’t seem possible. He gently strokes the section of bone, is visibly moved, has never before so clearly experienced the sense of his place in time. He thinks of his children.

The man beside him, palaeontologist John de Vos, encourages him. “Carry on, expose the entire bone. Like a man possessed – no: a man seized by his emotions – he returns to his work. This time much faster, focusing his attention on that one point. Bit by bit, the entire bone is revealed. “Triceratops”, he hears John say to Pete Larson. “Great”, says this legendary discoverer of the rarest dinosaurs ever found. I am deeply moved, and that sense of happiness is still with me 5 days later.

Peter Rijntjes, 16 May 2013

Peter Rijntjes is assistant director Public Affairs, and joined the T. rex expedition for a few days.