Almost lost a 2,000 year old pot because I ignored the basics

I was working a dig site outside of Flagstaff last summer and got too excited about a pottery shard sticking out of the dirt. Pulled it too fast without proper support around the edges and the whole thing crumbled into about 15 pieces. Spent the rest of the afternoon with tweezers and a brush piecing it back together in the lab. Has anyone else had a find fall apart on them and had to fix it on the spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_christopher15d ago

That bit about the "deconstructed archaeological puzzle" hits home. My buddy tried that line on me once after he dropped a whole tray of carbon dating samples. We were laughing until the lead researcher walked in and asked why there was charcoal dust all over his boots. The dirt block trick is solid advice too. I remember watching a guy on a volunteer dig who didn't do that and ended up with something that looked less like a pot and more like a toddler's attempt at a jigsaw puzzle. We still joke about it over beers.

jordanblack15d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I've done the exact same thing with a much older piece in New Mexico, and it's a sickening feeling when you hear that crack. Best trick I learned is to always cut a block of dirt around the shard first, maybe an inch or two out, and then wrap it in plaster bandages before you even try to lift it. That way the whole thing stays rigid and you can work on it in the lab with way less stress. Did you end up getting the pot back together okay, or was it a total loss?

lindal1315d ago

And hey, if all else fails, just tell yourself it's not a broken pot, it's a "deconstructed archaeological puzzle" with extra character. I tried that line once and my field partner just laughed and handed me the super glue. Honestly, sometimes you just end up with a really fancy mosaic instead of a pot.