Revealing

Paul Bultman sits on a chair beside a massive mastodon fossil bone and works on it with slim tools. Paul Bultman working on mastodon specimen from India, 1924
Elisabeth Rungius Fulda/© AMNH

Fossils do not come out of the ground ready to use. Usually they are brought back to the institution in a field jacket, still embedded in matrix, and require preparation, the process by which the fossil is exposed, to enable them to be studied.

The extent to which a specimen gets prepared is determined by the paleontologist’s goals for that particular specimen and is usually undertaken with a specific aim in mind. They may be research goals e.g., to expose features for identification or for further study. Alternatively, the specimen might be prepared for exhibition; depending on the nature of the fossil, this could involve leaving the specimen partially embedded in matrix, or completely removing the matrix and mounting the fossil on a supporting armature.

Preparation techniques include the following methods:

  • Mechanical - using various types of physical force to remove the matrix from around the specimen. 
  • Chemical - applying particular compounds, or combinations of compounds, to the specimen to dissolve the surrounding matrix. 
  • Digital– non-contact, non-destructive technological tools that can be used to obtain information from the specimen.

Find sources, additional reading, and a bibliography on the Resources page. 

Article Techniques Learn about the advance work and techniques for preparing a specimen. Article Lab Infrastructure The laboratory contains specialized tools that enable the preparator to preserve the fossil for future generations. Article Tools & Equipment Learn about specialized tools, equipment, and materials used by experienced fossil preparators. Article Materials Find information and links to resources about some of the materials most commonly used in fossil preparation. Article Adhesives and Consolidants Selecting the most appropriate adhesive for the task at hand is an important part of successful fossil preparation.

These Fossil Preparation resources were originally developed in 2007 with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

National Science Foundation logo is of an illustration of planet earth with a gold border and text that reads NSF.