Dig Up Dinos, Rare Relics on DIY Tours

Travelers can unearth lost treasures from Colo. to Easter Island
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 9, 2008 3:06 PM CDT
Dig Up Dinos, Rare Relics on DIY Tours
In this Feb. 2007 file photo, giant volcanic rock statues called Moais are shown on Easter Island in the South Pacific.   (AP Photo)

Travelers seeking more than a beach and a Daiquiri on their next trip can try digging up ancient civilizations. Travel + Leisure lists the trips that let you uncover lost worlds:

  • Ica Desert of Peru: Hikers can discover preserved shark teeth, fossilized whales, and even extinct creatures on this ancient former seafloor. Costs no more than the price of a local guide.

  • Fort San Juan: This early Spanish settlement in North Carolina welcomes visitors to help dig up 16th-century tools and pottery. $300 per week.
  • Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: At this Colorado site, kids and adults can help uncover Anasazi artifacts buried for 700 years. $1,175 per week.
  • Earthwatch Institute Expedition at Easter Island: Visitors can work with experts near the famed stone moai statues. About $3,700 for 2 weeks.
  • Pioneer Trails Regional Museum: Dig up marine reptiles and dinosaurs at this North Dakota site, once home to the Tyrannosaurus rex and 73-million-year-old invertebrates. Just $100 per session.
Unearth more science-based trips by clicking on the link below. (More travel stories.)

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