 Excavations at the quarry were stopped in 1881 , although it was not exhausted of fossils , as recent drilling operations have shown . During World War I , when the town was occupied by German forces , preparations were made to reopen the mine for palaeontology , and Otto Jaekel was sent from Berlin to supervise . The Allies recaptured Bernissart just as the first fossiliferous layer was about to be uncovered . Further attempts to reopen the mine were hindered by financial problems and were stopped altogether in 1921 when the mine flooded . 
 Excavations at the quarry <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> stopped in 1881 , although it <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>was</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>not</mark></a>exhausted of fossils , as recent drilling operations <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>have</mark></a> shown . During World War I , when the town was occupied by German forces , preparations <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> made to reopen the mine for palaeontology , and Otto Jaekel was sent from Berlin to supervise . The Allies recaptured Bernissart just as the first fossiliferous layer was about to be uncovered . Further attempts to reopen the mine <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> hindered by financial problems and <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> stopped altogether in 1921 when the mine flooded . 
Excavations at the quarry was stopped in 1881 , although it ain't exhausted of fossils , as recent drilling operations done shown . durin World War I , when da town was occupied by German forces , preparations was made to reopen the mines for palaeontology , and Otto Jaekel was sent from Berlin to supervise . TdaAllies recaptured Bernissart jus as the first fossiliferous layer was finna b uncovered . Further attempts to reopen the mine was hindered by financial problems and was stopped altogether in 1921 when theminese flooded .