Rhenus Logistics utilised airfreight to transport a triceratops skull from Trieste in Italy to a gallery in Dallas.
The skull, which weighs 318 kg and is 80 cm high, 120 cm wide and 185 cm deep, underwent an extensive restoration process at a laboratory in Trieste before being prepared for its transatlantic journey.
Custom packaging, developed by fossil restoration firm ZOIC, was used to protect the 65-million-year-old specimen during transit, using advanced shock-absorbing systems and specialised materials.
Rhenus coordinated the collection at the restoration site to road transfer to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), airfreight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and final delivery to the gallery in Dallas, Texas.
“When it comes to cultural assets, logistics plays a strategic role,” said Paola Calloni, airfreight product country manager at Rhenus Italy. “We are not just moving an object. We are safeguarding scientific and historical heritage that demands expertise and responsibility.”
Giorgia Bacchia, logistics and compliance manager at ZOIC, added: “Bringing palaeontology to the world means uniting science and logistics. It’s a collaborative effort that ensures the stories of the past continue to be heard.”
Rhenus said the project demonstrated how modern logistics is not only a service but a “key enabler for the global dissemination of cultural and scientific heritage”.