kim373•2mo agoProlific Poster

Finally got a stubborn piece of pottery to fit together after three nights of trying

I've been working on a box of Roman-era pottery shards from a dig near York for weeks. There was this one curved piece, about the size of my palm, that just wouldn't match anything. Last night, I tried flipping it upside down and comparing it to a different, smaller fragment I had set aside. They clicked, literally, and it completed the rim of a small oil lamp. I was so sure it was from a bowl, lol. Has anyone else had a piece totally fool you about what vessel it came from?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_brown502mo ago

That bit about getting locked into one idea is the whole problem. I've found the light in the room changes things more than you'd think. A piece that looks totally wrong under bright LEDs might have the right curve in the late afternoon sun from a window. Makes me wonder how many matches we miss because of the wrong kind of light.

sandra3742mo ago

Remember that friend who swore a weird shaped piece was from a storage jar? Turned out to be the spout of a fancy pitcher. Spent a whole week on it. The look on her face when she realized was priceless. Makes you check your own guesses twice for sure.

phoenix_clark32mo ago

Wait, wasn't that actually a teapot and not a pitcher? I mean, I could be totally wrong but @sandra374, I swear I remember you saying it was a really ornate teapot spout. That whole thing is exactly why I get so nervous now, like I'll stare at a rim piece for an hour second-guessing myself. It's so easy to get locked into one idea and miss what's right in front of you.