Although the majority of the excavation is done by shovel, many of the largest bones are under water and mud, making it difficult to "gently" get down to the big bone layer with a blade. Springs bubble up so fast it is difficult to get the site dry enough to dig conventionally. Yes, a well point system could be installed, but it might dry up the neighboring pond as well. So...to solve the problem, we consulted with some of the local wildlife. Racoons hunt for food using the Braille method, which is by feel. It also works for finding mammoth and mastodon jaws and limb bones, some of which are close to five feet long. Of course, we have a device that racoons don't have: a small pump to gently blow down into the sediments as we feel around. Once we hit bone, we can also use the pump to gently blow around the bone until it is freed up.
Partial Mammoth or Mastodon femur, found by "racooning".
Mammoth radius and ulna.
Mammoth humerus, approximately 4-1/2 feet long.
Mammoth femur. (Every dog's dream.)
Al Govin found this mammoth femur underwater. He was unable to plaster jacket it first, but rescued 95 percent of the bone.
Above 5 photos: Mammoth or mastodon humerus and ulna.
Partial mammoth or mastodon humerus.
Mark Cantos and his son Jason with mammoth bones they found.
Partial mammoth or mastodon scapula.
Mammoth/mastodon pelvic bone found by Mark Cantos and Chris McQuade.
Mammoth or mastodon pelvic bone, found by Al Govin.
Rhys Lewellyn uncovered this elephant pelvic bone.