Today was our last day in the field. With the help of four local workers (Anand, Prakash, Vittal, and Laxman), we finished up our work in the Gokak area. We screen-washed almost 2.5 tons of sediment from several sites where many clam, snail, and turtle fossils were exposed on the surface. Tomorrow, we’ll get on the road for Hyderabad early in the morning and spend the next few days in Hyderabad packing our fossils for shipment.
Closing up the field season is always bittersweet. On one hand, you always feel like maybe all that you need is a week or two more to find that perfect mammal jaw that you’ve been dreaming of or that site that’s dripping with fossils. But on the other hand, fieldwork, especially in a different country, is tiring to say the least. Everyday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. we’ve been hiking around in 85-95 F heat, hauling heavy loads of sediment, and at night staying in different lodges almost every week.
In all, it’s been a successful field season. We’ve learned a lot about the geology and how to find fossils here in India. We would always like to have some mammal fossils in hand, but we have high hopes that they’re there in the sediment that we’ve yet to look at under the microscope. And although I love learning about the Indian culture, tasting the food, and soaking up the amazing views, I’m ready to get back to Denver and tame a craving I’ve had for a cheeseburger and fries. See you soon.