HUGE Variety of Fossils from Route 146 Road-cut near Anna, Illinois

We visit a well-known Mississippian formation of fossil-rich limestone just east of Anna, Illinois along State Route 146. Crinoids, Blastoids, Archimedes (screws), Fenestella, and more await even the casual collector. This road-cut is about 100 yards long, and fossils may be found along either side of this busy road. The best time to visit is in the late fall through early spring, when the vegetation and bugs will not bother you as much. Be careful to use only small hand tools and do not cause major change to the strata or you will incur the wrath of the local authorities.

Google Maps locator for this location:
https://bit.ly/2OP3qDI

You can clean limestone fossils (Calcium-based) with weak solutions of acid (Vinegar), but be careful. The acid will dissolve (not only the matrix) but also the fossil itself. To halt the action of the acid, add small amounts of Baking Soda until the fizzing stops, then soak the fossils overnight in fresh water. If your fossils are silica-based (quartz) then you can use stronger acids (Muriatic) to dissolve away the surrounding matrix, since silica is impervious to most acids.

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