Early paleontologist: armed to the teeth during digs?

[Zixinus]

During a recent chat with an old friend, a little factoid popped up in my brain from childhood:

From little books to "For children" books regarding dinosaurs, I recall a picture of a team of palaeontologist.

You'd think they mixed it up with military history photo, the men were so heavily armed. Bandoliers, guns, wide hats.

The text underneath the picture explained that in early days, palaeontologists had to fight of both natives and possible bounty hunters for the fossils and bones. Something about how people believed that the bones posses magic power.

At a 19-year old brain, this does sound interesting. Does anyone know about this?

[Zixinus]

Well, obviously researchers will take up guns if they feel that their life is threatened, just like anyone else, but I was more interested in the particulars this period of science history.

Think about it, people taking up arms in the name science and natural history. Sounds like a good basis for an adventure novel, now doesn't it?

[RedImperator]

Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh (prolific and famous American dinosaur paleontologists from the late 19th century; between them, they discovered and named most of the "name brand" dinosaurs) did a lot of their digging in the West during the Indian Wars. I wouldn't be surprised if their expeditions were armed to the teeth.

[Elfdart]

Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh (prolific and famous American dinosaur paleontologists from the late 19th century; between them, they discovered and named most of the "name brand" dinosaurs) did a lot of their digging in the West during the Indian Wars. I wouldn't be surprised if their expeditions were armed to the teeth.

Not only that, but many of the areas that were ideal fossil beds were also Injun Territory and in many cases, near or on sacred burial grounds. For many years paleontologists, archaeologists, miners and oil/gas explorers were considered grave robbers or worse (look what happened to the Lakota after gold was found on their land in the 1870s and you'll see why) and were killed on sight.

There were also numerous claim jumpers, bandits and other dangerous outlaws.

[Captain Seafort]

Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh (prolific and famous American dinosaur paleontologists from the late 19th century; between them, they discovered and named most of the "name brand" dinosaurs) did a lot of their digging in the West during the Indian Wars. I wouldn't be surprised if their expeditions were armed to the teeth.

For defence against the local tribes or rival fossil-hunters? A lot of what I've heard of those two involved them competing to find as many new skeletons (both of "new" and previously known species) as possible, and resorting to various dirty tricks including smashing up rival teams' finds, to win. It wouldn't surprise me too much if they started shooting at each other.

[RedImperator]

Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh (prolific and famous American dinosaur paleontologists from the late 19th century; between them, they discovered and named most of the "name brand" dinosaurs) did a lot of their digging in the West during the Indian Wars. I wouldn't be surprised if their expeditions were armed to the teeth.

For defence against the local tribes or rival fossil-hunters? A lot of what I've heard of those two involved them competing to find as many new skeletons (both of "new" and previously known species) as possible, and resorting to various dirty tricks including smashing up rival teams' finds, to win. It wouldn't surprise me too much if they started shooting at each other.

So far as I know, there were never any gunfights between the two teams. Even though that would have been awesome.

[Shroom Man 777]

Bandoliers and big hats count as arms?

Even today, I distinctly recall from watching documentaries on Discovery Channel that some of those paleontologists (Paul Sereno?) digging up Spinosaurs, Carcharodontosauruses and super crocodiles in places like Niger and so forth in Africa are routinely escorted by rangers, guards or something armed with FN FALs and stuff to protect them from raiders or militia or poachers or whatever bad thing is going on in their part of Africa at the moment.

[Thanas]

Big Orange's ramblings have been split to the HoS.

[Big Orange]

Sticking on topic, paleontologists packing heat and sometimes confronting each other in North America was a period called the "Bone Wars". Here's a relevant article and an interesting excerpt:

Soon afterward, fed up with Marsh's erratic payments, one of the railroad men began working for Cope instead, turning Como Bluff into the epicenter of the Bone Wars. By this time, both Marsh and Cope had relocated westward, and over the next few years engaged in such hijinks as deliberately destroying uncollected fossils and fossil sites (so as to keep them out of each other's hands), spying on each other's excavations, bribing employees, and even stealing bones outright. According to one account, workers on the rival digs once took time out from their labors to pelt each other with stones!

[KroLazuxy_87]

How often would those weapons be needed for wildlife I wonder? A crocodile, boar, or panther deciding your camp is interesting would certainly warrant a little firepower.

[Elfdart]

How often would those weapons be needed for wildlife I wonder? A crocodile, boar, or panther deciding your camp is interesting would certainly warrant a little firepower.

Depends on the weapon. Winchesters are just as useful for dropping two-legged predators as the four-legged kinds. Shotguns are good for small game and humans. Revolvers are pretty much for humans only.

Since these digs were mostly in the Rockies and surrounding regions, I doubt crocodiles, boars, panthers or hippos or giraffes were a problem.


Grizzlies might have been a problem, but anything less than a rifle only irritates them.

[Big Orange]

On this site titled Wyoming Trails Featuring Photographs and History of Old Wyoming has a section about the Bone Wars between Marsh and Cope (who both come across as opportunistic idiots, even if they did lay the groundwork for more responsible paleontology). It has period photos and wood ingravings.