Figure 11. June 13, 2001.
The bones goes back in the soil further than I thought, so I started removing overburden to enlarge the "hole" so I can reach further back in search of the other end. This is how the site looked when I finished digging today.
Figure 12. June 13, 2001.
About the same view as Fig. 11.
Figure 13. June 18, 2001.
Rain (1.69 inches) on the evening/morning of June 13/14 completely covered the bone again. This is the morning the Respess sisters and their mother Alana, joined the dig. The light colored soil at the lower left is the "washed in" mud that was removed to show the girls that there was actually a bone there.
Figure 14. June 18, 2001.
Bone just removed, and mostly complete except a little erosion at the proximal end.
Figure 15. June 18, 2001.
Bone removed from the place it had rested for the past 10-12 thousand years.
Figure 16. June 19, 2001.
Now the fun? begins. Have the bone in the "lab" and getting ready for restoration.
Figure 17. June 19, 2001.
Holes have been drilled in both ends of the rib where it needs repairs. Wooden dowels are inserted in the drilled holes and the bone pushed back together, and plaster of paris is poured into the hole. This holds the dowels in place and fills the hole in the bone. After the plaster is dry, the repairs will be colored to match the parent bone.
Figure 18. June 20, 2001.
The bone has been restored, but not colored at this point.
Figure 19. June 20, 2001.
Figure 20, July 8, 2001.
The bone has been hardened and restored. The next step is to make a mounting so both the bones found at the Respess Site can be displayed together.
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Email: boneman@ruraltel.net
