SilesianTriassic is a private hobby project dedicated to the fossil heritage of the Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic) in Upper Silesia, Poland. The collection features specimens from both the Lower and Upper Muschelkalk formations.

Amateur “Rescue Paleontology”

Many of the historic fossil sites in Upper Silesia, documented in XIX and early XX century literature, have been lost forever. Urban expansion, the infilling of old quarries, and the reclamation of post-mining areas mean that many classic localities are no longer accessible for study.

The vast majority of the specimens presented in this atlas were recovered through surface prospecting. I focus on systematic field surveys of agricultural areas, debris piles, weathered outcrops and old abandoned quarries.

Finding fossils on the surface is a race against time. Agricultural activities, frost-shattering etc. can destroy delicate remains within a few seasons. By collecting these specimens,I see this work as an informal contribution to rescue-style documentation of local fossil material.

I’m aware that a fossil without information about its location remains little more than a pretty stone. In this catalog, I have deliberately chosen not to publish the locations where the specimens were found. There are several reasons for this, but perhaps the most important is the protection of the sites and continued access to them.

I would nevertheless like to emphasize that, although this information is not made publicly available, I have the location records for each specimen in my possession

Collaboration

While I recognize that many of collected specimens represent common taxa typical of the Muschelkalk and hard to identify isolated bones with limited context, I firmly believe in their cumulative value. If you are a researcher interested in studying any of the specimens featured in this atlas, please feel free to contact me.

Acknowledgements

I would like to especially thank my colleague Adam. His knowledge, openness, and scientific prudence are a huge inspiration to me. Without you, Adam, this collection would be just a pile of stones locked away in a drawer.

At this point, I’d also like to extend my sincere thanks to Inter Projekt S.A. for allowing me to host this site free of charge. And to Salon Audio 4HiFi in Gliwice for providing a space to display part of my collection.