D.C.’s accidental museum of paleontology

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Here’s how to find D.C.’s accidental museum of paleontology

By Sadie Dingfelder August 18



Christopher Barr hunts fossils in D.C.’s many grand stone-clad buildings. (Sadie Dingfelder/Express)

Stalking the streets of D.C. in an Indiana Jones fedora and khaki pants, Christopher Barr, 59, looks more like a misplaced archaeologist than a lawyer. He logs about 12 miles a day, walking from his home in Mount Pleasant to his law office downtown — and taking plenty of detours along the way. He’s not just wandering; Barr’s on a mission to document what he calls “D.C.’s accidental museum of paleontology.”

“There are fossils all over the place, and most people don’t know about them,” Barr says. “But once you know what to look for, they’re everywhere.”

You won’t find them by digging — most of D.C.’s fossil-bearing stones eroded away millions of years ago. But you can find the preserved remains of long-dead animals from every geological period, and from all over the world, in the stone-clad walls of the city’s many grand buildings. ... “Because it’s the national capital, people have wanted to have impressive architectural displays here, and so they are willing to pay for expensive decorative stone,” Barr says.

Since 2002, Barr has dedicated hundreds of hours to tracking down noteworthy fossils. Once he’s found an interesting impression, he tracks down the origin of the stone around it, and consults with scientists about the animal it represents. He then posts his findings on his website, dcfossils.org. (There’s also a map.)

[progressoid]

1. We happened across cobbles/boulders dumped along the Mississippi bank in Le Claire, Iowa that

were full of fossils. Crinoids, corals, brachiopods etc. Thousands of people stop there to visit the tourist traps. All they have to do is look down.

It's kind of cool to just run across things like that.

[pansypoo53219]

2. cool as somebody who notices small things like this & collect rocks from lk mich w/ sea bits,

this is awesome.

[burfman]

3. DISORIENTINGLY AWESOME!!!!!! WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THIS?

Thanks so much for posting this!!!!

This has got to be one of the most surprising things I've ever seen on DU (and there has been some in the past).

It's like I've been made aware of another world that I never knew existed, inside the one I pass through regularly.!

Next time I'm down there, I will def check this out!


Burfman..............

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for writing.

Best wishes.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. Fascinating!

He reminds me of my boss, who took me on a great tour of D.C while we were at a conference there. Dr. A. was an old-time, wet-bench chemist who had spent several years there after WWII. While crossing the street near the Lincoln Memorial, I happened to look down, and the street curbs were made of granite.

Dr. A. told me that when many of those buildings were being built, several different states donated so much stone for the construction, that the curbs were built from leftover stone. Next time I go there, I am going to look at the buildings for fossils.

Our nation's capital is a wonderful place to visit.

[lastlib]

5. Some of our oldest fossils are in the Capitol building.....

...saying 'No' to every important and significant piece of legislation that comes up. There's a fossilized turtle in the Senate Majority Leader's office (they're moving him to the Minority leader's hole in January....)........

[reACTIONary]

6. LOL nt

[Hestia]

7. Unknown biofilm attacks iconic Washington DC memorials

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/unknown-biofilm-attacks-iconic-washington-dc-memorials/

[secondwind]

8. This is so cool!

[LuvNewcastle]

9. I've been to D.C. twice and spent my time observing

the massive scale of my surroundings and going to the Smithsonian. I never thought to look at the designs in the stone used to build those monuments and government buildings. It takes a special kind of person to find things like that. That man should be giving tours.

[Lucky Luciano]

10. Totally thought this was an article about republicans. nt