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Update: I was cleaning finds all wrong for years
A professor at a dig in New Mexico last fall told me, 'You're scrubbing that pottery like it's a dinner plate, you're losing the slip.' I mean, I was using a stiff brush on everything. Now I just use a soft toothbrush and distilled water on anything with a surface finish, and the detail is way clearer. Has anyone else had to totally change a basic field habit like that?
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the_max4d ago
That bit about water hardness being the real factor is so true. It reminds me of when I was trying to clean some old coins I found as a kid. I used vinegar because I saw it online, and it totally ate away the details. My dad just shook his head and said I'd turned a possible wheat penny into a green blob. You live and learn, I guess.
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alicew6815d ago
That's a solid tip about distilled water, but I'd be careful calling it a must for everything. Our local tap water is pretty soft, so I've never had issues with mineral deposits on finds. Maybe it depends on your water source?
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fox.david14d ago
Yeah, the "must for everything" part is what got me too. I read something about how water hardness is the real factor, not just tap vs distilled. Your soft tap water probably explains why you've been fine.
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