Submitted Photo A turtle fossil was uncovered at Pioneer Village at Burlington during landscaping work.

Volunteers engaged in preparing ground for a new building at the Pioneer Village Museum in Burlington last month hit on a bit of history recently.

Delwyn Groninger, president of the Ward County Historical Society, said a large scraper was being used to re-landscape, uncovering a lot of rock, much of it sandstone. Dan Caswell was following behind the scraper with a skidsteer, picking up these rocks when he noticed one with markings and set it aside.

Embedded in the 80-pound sandstone rock was the fossil of a soft shelled turtle. Dave Leite with the WCHS enlisted the help of his brother, a geologist in Nebraska, to identify the turtle as likely from the Fort Union Formation, the same timeframe that North Dakota coal was being formed. The fossil is estimated at 55 million to 65 million years old. Similar types of soft shell turtles still exist today, Leite said.

Leite said clay mining for a brick plant may have previously disturbed the soil. The area also has coal seams. Coal mining once occurred in the Burlington area.

“It’s very delicate,” Leite said of the fossil. He noted part of the fossil is missing and pieces easily flake off in handling.

WCHS members meet tonight to discuss what to do with the fossil. Putting it on display is one option. Groninger said if it has value to a collector or organization, WCHS may consider selling it to obtain extra funds for Pioneer Village.