My old way of cleaning pottery shards was a total joke

Honestly, for years I'd just use a toothbrush and water on finds from my volunteer dig at the Cahokia site, thinking it was fine. Tbh, a visiting archaeologist from the University of Illinois saw me last spring and gently pointed out I was probably scrubbing off residue that could be tested. Now I use a soft brush and only dry clean unless a conservator says otherwise. Has anyone else had a basic field method they were doing wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke718d ago

Wait you were using water at Cahokia? That's wild, the soil there is so acidic.

walker.jana8d ago

Heard a friend's water filter gave out after a month there, which makes sense now that you mention the soil, brooke71.