Searching for Artifacts and Fossils 109because a fossil is of little value unless its place in the se-
quence of rocks that contain it can be determined.
In order to provide all the necessary expertise, paleoan-
thropological expeditions today generally are made up of
teams of experts in various fields in addition to physical
anthropology. Surgical skill and caution are required to
remove a fossil from its burial place without damage. Un-
usual tools and materials are found in the kit of the pa-
leoanthropologist—pickaxes, dental instruments, enamel
coating, burlap for bandages, and sculpting plaster.
To remove newly discovered bones, the paleoanthro-
pologist begins uncovering the specimen, using pick and
shovel for initial excavation, then small camel-hair brushes
and dental picks to remove loose and easily detachable
debris surrounding the bones. Once the entire specimen
has been uncovered (a process that may take days of back-
breaking, patient labor), the bones are covered with shellacanalysis are wasted if archaeologists cannot specify
the stratigraphic position of their artifacts.^3If no stratification is present, then the archaeologist digs by
arbitrary levels. Each square must be dug so that its edges
and profiles are straight; walls between squares are often left
standing to serve as visual correlates of the grid system.
Fossil Excavation
Although fossil excavation is similar to archaeological
excavation, there are some key differences. The paleoan-
thropologist must be particularly skilled in the techniques
of geology, or have ready access to geologic expertise,
Figure 5.1 At large
sites covering several
square miles, a giant
grid is constructed,
as shown in this map
of the center of the
ancient Maya city of
Tikal. Each square of
the grid is one quarter
of a square kilometer;
individual structures
are numbered
according to the
square in which they
are found.(^3) Hole, F., & Heizer, R. F. (1969). An introduction to prehistoric archeology
(p. 113). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.