Natural-History-Conservation.com The excavation of a Holocene whale skeleton in Abu Dhabi in 2009, including lifting a fragile whale skull 4 metres long by 2 metres wide In 2008 a rescue excavation was undertaken to remove some of the bones of this very large sub-fossil whale skeleton (of a humpback or blue whale) in the well-described sabkha sequence expose d in t he Musaffah Industrial Channel of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) to stop them being weathered and to save them from falling out of the low cliff in to the sea. The partial excavation in 2008 can be seen here.In 2009, a second phase ofexcavation was undertaken to remove the huge skull, the remaining limb and one half of the mandible, and as many vertebrae and ribs as possible. The team included Nigel Larkin, John Stewart and Phil Rye, assisted by Will Higgs - all of whom had worked on similar material in Abu Dhabi before, and most of whom had undertaken the rescue excavation the year before. Nigel was in charge of the fieldworklogistics and the conservation and lifting of the bones. The specimen was exposed in a low friable sandy cliff on the edge of a t idal channel in Mussafah on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City. First, the overburden had to be removed carefully and the general outline and extent ofthe bones ascertained. Then they were excavated, with much of the sediment kept for analysis including the identification of molluscs, barnacles, foraminifera and ostracods.
Natural-History-Conservation.comThe excavation of a Holocene whale skeleton in Abu Dhabi in 2009,
including lifting a fragile whale skull 4 metres long by 2 metres wide
In 2008 a rescue excavation was undertaken to remove some of the bones of this verylarge sub-fossil whale skeleton (of a humpback or blue whale) in the well-described
sabkha sequence exposed in the Musaffah Industrial Channel of Abu Dhabi (United
Arab Emirates) to stop them being weathered and to save them from falling out of the
low cliff in to the sea. The partial excavation in 2008 can be seen here.
In 2009, a second phase of
excavation was undertaken to
remove the huge skull, the
remaining limb and one half of the
mandible, and as many vertebrae
and ribs as possible. The team
included Nigel Larkin, John
Stewart and Phil Rye, assisted by
Will Higgs - all of whom had
worked on similar material in Abu
Dhabi before, and most of whom
had undertaken the rescue
excavation the year before. Nigel
was in charge of the fieldwork
logistics and the conservation and
lifting of the bones. The specimen
was exposed in a low friable sandycliff on the edge of a tidal channel in Mussafah on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City.
First, the overburden had to be removed carefully and the general outline and extent of
the bones ascertained. Then they were excavated, with much of the sediment kept for
analysis including the identification of molluscs, barnacles, foraminifera and ostracods.
and drawing in the detail. The site is thought to be about 5,000 years old and the bones
are brittle, occasionally cracked and have little or no mechanical strength. Due to their
fragile nature the bones had to be consolidated with a reversible methacrylate co-
polymer (Paraloid B72 at 10% in acetone). Once this had set, the larger consolidated
bones (such as the scapula, radius and ulna in the photos above) and adhering sediment
were then covered with acid-free tissue paper and aluminium foil, followed by a thick covering of coarse hessian strips saturated with plaster of Paris to build up a thick
protective and supportive jacket. Additional support was given by either wooden splints
or a metal frame bolted together around the specimen to which the jackets were attached
with hessian and plaster so they could be lifted and taken to safety (see below).
After more excavating: The skull can be seen upside-down behind and underneath the
