Excavations und excursions

Purpose
The geoscientist gets the base for his work by excavations and field-trips. Consequently, unearthing and collecting of fossils, minerals, rocks and biological objects is of particular interest for research projects as well as for public exhibitions. Furthermore, aspects on the preservation of geoscientific material is very important. Saving of material at temporary localities and preservation of manoeuvrable  monuments for the future is an important task of an official institution like the Geosciences Collection.

Background – Importance for the quality of material in the collection
The primary data for the research on life on the ancient earth are fossils. The Geosciences Collection houses the material and makes sure that they can be used for research and teaching on the base of a qualified documentation. As important as the classification and recording of fossils in the laboratory are the data obtained in the field already. The exact context of the findings in palaeontology is as important as the unearth report in archaeology. The rule is: As more comprising the documentation in the field as more important are the fossils housed in the collection later. The whole reconstruction of ancient environments on our Earth is based on systematically dealing with the fossils found in place, just at the site where they have been found. This constitutes why the staff of the Geosciences Collection sets store by the documenation of the context of the findings while collecting and excavating fossils.

Main focus
The historically grown main focus of the Geosciences Collection is extended by own excursion inland and abroad as well as by excavations. Especially the collections of fossil and recent molluscs have to be mentioned, but also certain special assemblages like the fossils of the late Lower Jurassic (Lias, Toacian), echinoderms of the Palaeozoic or Pleistocene (ice-age) large mammals. The main focus of research of the collection are ammonites of the Cretaceous period, extinct animals related to the modern squids that lived 135 to 65 million years ago. These fossils also belong to the group of mollucs, this fits them ideally into the previous stock of the Geosciences Collection

Cooperation
The excavations and excursions are organised by the staff of the Geosciences Collection on their own and also in cooperation with other working-groups of the Faculty 5 of the University of Bremen or external organisations and individuals. Furthermore, the Geosciences Collection is benefiting from the Geosciences Working-Group associated with the University of Bremen by common excursions and excavation campaigns.