In the 1840s a bed of 'coprolites', thought by some to be fossilised dinosaur droppings, was discovered in the Cambridgeshire fens. Rich in phosphate it was much in demand by the nation's manure manufacturers. By the mid-1860s it was being dug up across much of central Bedfordshire. This book investigates the social, economic and archaeological impact of the fossil diggings in Sandy and Potton, small market towns between Cambridge and Bedford.

In the 1840s a bed of 'coprolites', thought by some to be fossilised dinosaur droppings, was discovered in the Cambridgeshire fens. Rich in phosphate it was much in demand by the nation's manure manufacturers. By the 1860s it was being dug up across much of the county. This book investigates the social, economic and archaeological impact of the fossil diggings in Burwell, a small, rural community northeast of Cambridge.

In the mid-1840s a new industry started in southeast Suffolk, that of digging fossils. Known as 'coprolites', some thought them to be fossilised dinosaur droppings. Rich in phosphate they were much in demand by the nation's manure manufacturers. By the 1846s the diggings had spread to Cambridgeshire, hertfordshire, bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Many thousands of men and women, boys and girls, got well-paid work in the pits but there were issues of in-migration, overcrowding and drunkenness. This book investigates the impact of the diggings on the church and its attempts to alleviate the social problems.

In the 1840s a bed of 'coprolites', thought by some to be fossilised dinosaur droppings, was discovered in the Cambridgeshire fens. Rich in phosphate it was much in demand by the nation's manure manufacturers. By the 1860s it was being dug up across much of the county. This book investigates the social, economic and archaeological impact of the fossil diggings on Wicken, a small, rural community north of Cambridge.

In the first half of the 19th century a deposit of coprolite, thought to be fossilised droppings, started to be dug up in Felixstowe. These phosphate-rich fossils were converted into superphosphate - the world's first artificial chemical fertiliser. Over fifty years an unusual branch of agricultural mining spread over much of south-east Suffolk bringing social and economic changes for many.