Morocco Fossil Tours

Mining for fossils in Morocco is a labor-intense and delicate process. Since fossils, intended to be sold as scientific curiosities, or in cases even as natural works of art, have to be retrieved from the ground undamaged. Typically,  many of  local Berber tribesmen with deep regional roots, work in small trenches and pits with picks, chisels and shovels. Each fossil digger, numbering in the thousands, typically has their own spot, and leaves their equipment there each night. After having been extracted from the earth, locals clean and prepare the fossils for sale.

The most common and famous finds are trilobites and the nautiloid cephalopod Orthoceras. Orthoceras often found in huge numbers in black limestone, and fossils, often polished along with the surrounding stone, are sold either as scientific curiosities, or fashioned into various ornamental shapes. Moroccan Orthoceras limestone is in cases fashioned into furniture, such as ornamental sinks, bathtubs, or coffee tables.