Talked to a guy at a dig site who said pottery is like reading a newspaper

I was volunteering at a dig near Stonehenge last spring when this older archaeologist picked up a broken pot and started talking about the clay source, the firing temperature, even what they ate for dinner. He said a single sherd can tell you about trade routes, social status, and local technology all at once. Has anyone else had a moment where a small artifact suddenly felt like a full story?

2 comments

2 Comments

paigeg2215d ago

Firing temperature"? That's wild... how do they even figure that out from a broken pot?

the_drew15d ago

Oh man, that is such a cool way to think about it. I mean, it really makes you realize how much information is hiding in plain sight, stuff we just walk past every day. It's wild how a little piece of trash can basically be a time capsule if you know how to read it.