July 13, 1923: Roy Chapman Andrews Discovered the First Recognized Dinosaur Eggs in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia

On July 13, 1923, American explorer, adventurer, and paleontologist, Roy Chapman Andrews, was the first person in the world to discover dinosaur eggs, in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Originally thought to belong to Protoceratops, the eggs were later determined to be from the theropod Oviraptor.

Roy Chapman Andrews traveled the world studying fossils, from mammals to dinosaurs, during the first half of the twentieth century. Andrews worked and collected fossil specimens for the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, New York. Throughout his career, Andrews collected bones of many animal species, including a previously undiscovered species of a horned and herbivorous dinosaur, later named Proceratops andrewsi in his honor. Andrews published widely read narratives about his travels and field experiences, such as On the Trail of Ancient Man and Across Mongolian Plains. Andrews led expeditions for the Central Asiatic Expeditions in the Gobi Desert, which recovered many previously unknown fossil specimens. His Central Asiatic team discovered the first scientifically recognized dinosaur eggs, which provided scientists with information about the eggs that dinosaurs produced.

Despite beginning with research on whales, Andrews stated in his 1943 autobiography that his true dream of scientific exploration was on land searching for mammals, possibly even fossil evidence of ancient people. Andrews stated that he had wanted to travel to Asia to find evidence to support a hypothesis of Henry Fairfield Osborn, then AMNH’s president, on the origin of mammalian life. Osborn’s research compared the anatomy and locations of species and he argued that mammals, including humans, originated in central Asia. Andrews worked to provide the fossil evidence for that hypothesis.

After he received his Master’s of Science degree in 1914, Andrews married Yvette Borup. According to Andrews’ biographer Charles Gallenkamp, his wife shared Andrews’s adventurous spirit. With the support of his wife, the newlywed Andrews proposed a series of expeditions to China and Mongolia in 1915 to collect fossils for the museum. Andrews recruited the help of donors such as New York businessmen and financiers John Pierpont Morgan and John D. Rockefeller to raise money for the endeavors. The trips, later called the Central Asiatic Expeditions, occurred from 1922 to 1930.

During Andrews’s first Central Asiatic Expedition in 1922, his team recovered fragments of dinosaur eggshell in southern Mongolia at a location the explorers called the Flaming Cliffs. Andrews and his team collected the eggshell along with many other mammal and dinosaur fossils, but the expedition departed the following morning, not exploring the site. The following year the team returned to the Flaming Cliffs to further excavate the sediments. That expedition yielded more eggshell fragments in addition to whole dinosaur eggs, including eggs that were part of nests called clutches.

Andrews’s egg discoveries marked an early scientific study of dinosaur reproduction. The eggs were largely complete, in the shape of elongated ovals, with a rough bumpy texture to the eggshell. Although the eggs did not contain embryonic remains, scientists studied the microstructure of the fossilized eggshell to confirm that they were dinosaurian. The discovery that some dinosaurs laid eggs in clutches provided the first information about reproductive strategies of dinosaurs. Scientists noted that dinosaurs laid many eggs at one time to maximize reproductive success, much like their close relatives, crocodiles.

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60 Amazing Pictures of Everyday Life in Mongolia in the middle of 1920s

These are 60 rare vintage photos that captured the life of Mongolia in 1925.

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23 Amazing Vintage Portrait Photos of Khalkha Women in Their Mongolian Traditional Costumes in the Early 1900s

The Khalkha is the largest subgroup of Mongol people in Mongolia since the 15th century. The Khalkha, together with Chahars, Ordos and Tumed, were directly ruled by Borjigin khans until the 20th century; unlike the Oirats, who were ruled by Dzungar nobles, or the Khorchins, who were ruled by Qasar's descendants.

The most impressive, perhaps, was the head ornament of the married Khalkha women. The main element of their headdress is a special hairstyle, designed to mimic cow's horns. A cow for the Mongols has been the symbol of freedom and nomadic life. According to another version, the hairstyle does not imitate horns, but the wings of some mythical bird.

As you can imagine, the structure of this hairstyle is very complicated. The basis of it is a small silver cap with filigree, to which numerous silver, coral or turquoise ornaments are attached. The combed back hair is divided into two parts and formed into the "horns" with the help of several silver or bamboo pins. The lower part of the strands is braided in plaits. Rich women allow themselves to further decorate this part of the hair: the plaits are put into embroidered brocade covers with rows of coral and silver bands. For special events or for traveling a pointed hat (malagay) which looks like a crown is worn over the small cap. The hat is usually made of velvet and has colourful ribbons attached at the back. The top is sometimes decorated with a big coral or other stone.

Here, below is a collection of rare and amazing portrait photos of Khalkha women in their traditional costumes in the early 1900s.

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The Russian Protectorate of Mongolia: 17 Incredible Color Photos of Mongolia in 1913

Here’s a series of photographs from the collection of Albert Kahn devoted to Mongolia visited by a photographer Stefan Passe in 1913.

Mongolia declared independence from China in 1911. It was under protectorate of the Russian Empire at the time of Passe’s journey, with full autonomy and own theocratic leaders. But, after only 1 year of protectorate, Russian Empire recognized suzerainty of China over Mongolia. The country from the point of view of a civilized European was a shocking feodalic reservation.

Mongol hunter near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

National Geographic magazine published this shot with a description: "A Mongolian woman sentenced to starvation death", though this box could be used just as a portable prison popular among nomadic people.

"Two Cossack soldiers in Urga, 1913" - representatives of a minor contingent as the symbol of the Russian protectorate.

Carriage of Stefan Passe between Kykhta and Urga (flags of Russia and France are on the photo).

Mongolian capital - Urga (Ulan Bator today), 23 June 1913.

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