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Found a tiny clay bead in a backfill pile that changed my whole screening method

I was working at a site in central New Mexico, sifting through what we thought was just modern junk from a disturbed layer. My hand was getting tired after about two hours, and I almost tossed this little brown lump aside with the gravel. It turned out to be a perforated bead, maybe 3mm across, that we later dated to the Pueblo III period. Has anyone else had a small find in a 'nothing' area make you slow way down?
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3 Comments
kim693
kim6931mo ago
Used to rush screening but that exact thing made me check every handful twice now.
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jamesfox
jamesfox1mo agoMost Upvoted
Been there, @kim693. I started putting a small piece of tape on the side of a batch after I checked it. That visual marker stops me from second-guessing if I already went through it. Saves a ton of time redoing work.
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paul_patel40
Yeah, that's why I check the discard pile twice now.
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