Magyar News, 2001. szeptember-2002. augusztus (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2002-02-01 / 6. szám

A place where you could look back 20 million years

It was a lovely summer day and it was a pleasure to take a long walk from the car to the place where scientists were working eagerly excavating an area where dinosaurs left their mark. This was in the northern part of Hungary just about at border with Czechoslovakia. I was accompanying András Tasnádi Kubacska, general director of the National Geological Institute. As we got close to the site, we were asked to put specially made straw slippers over our shoes. The excavation site was the size of a few tennis courts. The surrounding land indicated that we were standing a few feet below the original surface.The excavated ground looked like concrete in the sunshine. To my amazement they pointed out the markings on the ground. It all looked like footprints of animals and birds. They were made by dinosaurs.

We were in Ipolytamóc. Since most of the expected work had been done, the area had been preserved, and the town is ready to welcome tourists.

Ipolytamóc already received the Europe Diploma and was also put on the list of World Heritage. As we know Hollókő and the Hortobágy, along with Castle Hill in Budapest were chosen as

1./ View of present day Ipolytamóc among the hills. 2J The main building catering to the needs of the tourists. 3./ Map of the area. 4./ The Geological Study Path opened in 1986.

members of the World Heritage. Hopefully Ipolytamóc with some improvements will become a member too. This effort is supported through the Bükki Nemzeti Park by Holland financial aid. A so called shallow lake was reestablished on the original spot and is surrounded by trees and vegetation. These are trees, like the sugarpine, that are surviving species of the original kind that existed 20 million years ago when nature preserved the remains and the many foot-Page 6