It has been reported by China’s state–run Xinhua news agency that up to 231 precious and rare fossilised dinosaur eggs and skeleton have been found at a domestic residence in Heyuan City, Guangdong Province.
Chinese police raided a house on July 29 and retook possession of these prehistoric artifacts, which have been dated to the Cretaceous Period. The skeleton was catalogued as belonging to Psittacosaurus, a genus of ceratopsian dinosaur.
Psittacosaurus skeleton
The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis
The eggs were acquired by local residents after they ransacked a construction site where the rare specimens had been discovered in June. A second maraud occurred in July after more eggs were found.
It was this second foray that provoked police efforts the following day to recover the finds.
Xinhua
Heyuan City is renowned as the “hometown of the dinosaur” in China, an area rich and abundant with archaeological treasures, after many fossilised eggs have been found in recent decades. The Heyuan museum holds a Guinness world record for housing the highest number of dinosaur eggs — in excess of 10,000.
Chinese legislation protects fossilised artifacts from trade or possession except by the state, specialised institutions and professionals.
