I was cleaning a find from a dig site like it was a gym weight

A senior archaeologist saw me scrubbing a piece of pottery from a dig in Santa Fe and said, 'You're treating it like a barbell, not a 200-year-old story.' I was using a stiff brush and too much water, trying to make it spotless. Now I use a soft brush and dry methods first, thinking about what the dirt itself might tell us. Has anyone else had to totally change their cleaning approach after getting called out?

2 comments

2 Comments

emery6035h ago

My first dig had me treating artifacts like dishes needing a good scrub.

-1

brianfox3h ago

I remember my first field school, we had a kid who scrubbed a potsherd with a toothbrush until it was just dust. That instinct to clean things is so strong, @emery603. It really takes a season to learn that dirt is often the best protector an artifact has.