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Britain’s Jurassic gold rush: the fossil hunters chasing fortunes on Dorset’s beaches
Social media and soaring prices are fuelling a fossil-hunting boom, with rare discoveries worth thousands of pounds
TL;DR
- Fossil hunting on Dorset's Jurassic Coast is becoming increasingly popular and valuable.
- A growing market for Jurassic fossils has led to some collectors becoming wealthy and famous on social media.
- A significant collection of Jurassic fossils was recently sold to a museum in Abu Dhabi for an eight-figure sum.
- While British museums lacked funds for the collection, wealthy overseas institutions did not.
- Fossil collecting is encouraged on the West Dorset coast to save specimens from sea damage.
- Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have significantly increased the number of people participating in fossil hunting.
- There are concerns that parts of the coastline are being over-collected, with erosion rates struggling to keep up with the number of people.
- Competition among professional fossil hunters is intense, with rare finds commanding substantial prices.
- The article reflects on the irony of ancient remains being sold to countries whose modern wealth comes from oil extraction.
- Despite the commercial aspect, many hunters, like Martin Curtis, find personal value and satisfaction in their discoveries.