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The pottery dating shortcut I keep seeing on YouTube, it bugs me
Been watching a lot of dig recap videos lately, and there's this thing where folks date a shard just from the rim curve and call it a day. I've spent about 14 field seasons around Santa Fe, and rim shape alone can shift by 200 years depending on the kiln site or the clay source. One time we pulled a bowl that looked textbook Mimbres at a glance, but the temper had mica flecks that placed it way later, like 1300s not 1100s. That mistake matters because it messes up the whole site timeline, and then the report gets cited forever. I get that people want a quick trick for the camera, but you need at least three traits, rim, paint, and temper, to be safe. Anyone else seen this shortcut in blogs or reels and want to push back?
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