Update Concerning The 2008 Dig

For my readers who have eagerly waited for news on this year's dinosaur dig, here are finally some news:

This year's dig was originally scheduled for september but due to the ongoing preparation and mounting of last year's plateosaur for the Dutch National Museum, it has been put off by several weeks.

Now finally, the work has begun: We are currently clearing out a surface of 300 square metres (over 3'000 square feet) with heavy equipment in order to look for new bones. Already, we have moved over 100 cubic metres (3'500 cubic feet) weighing about 270 metric tons (300 short tons).

> Our excavator.

So this far, we are just doing the reconnaissance, the real digging has not yet begun. However, we expect finding at least some new dinosaur remains. So in the next week or so, as soon as we are actually digging up bones, I will begin giving you regular updates on what's going on!

> The two mounds in the middle ground are the top sediment layer we have already cleared.

I have already taken some photos onsite but also from the preparation and mounting of the 2007 find which I will upload in the next couple of days. Above you can see a couple of 'em.

We hope that we can work at least to the end of october before the heavy november rains set in and before the first december snowfalls. However, this last week has already been quite rainy and cold for a season that is usually partly foggy, partly sunny with temperatures around 10-15° C (50-59 F). Already the snowline is declining in the Alps; it is currently at a bare 800 metres (2'400 feet).