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Overheard a professor at a dig site in New Mexico say something about context that clicked for me

He told a student that 'a pot sherd out of its layer is just a rock' and that changed how I think about the whole point of excavation, has anyone else had a moment where a simple phrase completely reframed your approach to a site?
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2 Comments
williams.kim
Just a rock huh. So basically I've been hauling garbage bags full of "rocks" home from every site for the last three years because I thought I was being a good little archaeologist. My living room is a museum of misplaced pottery shards that are now just very dirty paperweights. Guess I'll start a new collection of dirt layers instead at least those are actually useful.
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king.wyatt
king.wyatt20h ago
Nah, pottery shards aren't worthless. They're not the glamorous stuff but they still tell you something about the site. Just don't fill your whole living room with them.
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