The pottery expert who called me out on bad cleaning methods

I was at a dig in New Mexico last summer and this old archaeologist saw me scrubbing a piece of pottery with a wire brush. He basically told me I was destroying the surface details with every stroke and that I should just use water and a soft toothbrush instead. I felt stupid but he was totally right. Now I check with someone before I clean anything fragile, especially if I am excited about a find. Has anyone else gotten harsh feedback that actually improved how they handle artifacts?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_bailey1mo ago

Chewed out" is the perfect way to put it, lol. After that happened to me I started keeping a pack of those super soft kids toothbrushes in my kit. Way easier to just grab that than mess with anything harsh when you get excited.

gibson.elizabeth21d ago

Oh man, I did the exact same thing with a fossil once and felt like a total fool afterwards.

the_nina1mo ago

Getting chewed out like that stings but it saves you from wrecking something important.