the_mary•4d agoProlific Poster

I used to think all pottery shards were just broken junk, but a dig in New Mexico changed that

For years, when I saw a piece of old pottery, I just saw a broken thing. Then, about two summers ago, I volunteered on a dig at a Pueblo site near Santa Fe. The lead archaeologist showed us how to look at the curve of a single piece to guess the whole pot's size and shape. She even pointed out a tiny fingerprint in the clay from the person who made it, maybe 800 years ago. Now I see every fragment as a clue, not just trash. It's amazing what a single piece can tell you about daily life back then. Has anyone else had a find that totally flipped how you see a common artifact?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.mary4d ago

Honestly, the fingerprint detail is what gets me. That's an actual person from centuries ago, just right there. It makes the whole thing feel so real.

christopher_west13d ago

Totally! Try wearing cotton gloves next time.