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Question about a broken artifact during a dig in New Mexico
I was working on a site in Chaco Canyon last fall, carefully brushing dirt from what looked like a plain piece of pottery. I always thought the super careful, slow way was the only right way to do it. Then my hand slipped and my trowel nicked the edge, causing a small piece to flake off. I felt sick, thinking I'd ruined it. But the lead archaeologist, Dr. Miller, just said, 'Let's see what's under there.' We gently cleared the area and found a painted black line on the pottery that we never would have seen if the outer layer was intact. It completely changed how I view damage on a site. Sometimes a small break can show you something new. Has anyone else had a find where a mistake actually helped you learn something?
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hernandez.ben12d ago
That's a dangerous way to think about it though.
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sarahsullivan11d ago
Wait, you think that's actually dangerous?
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