kevin_sullivan•1mo ago

I used to just brush dirt off finds in the field, but a volunteer at the Fort Vancouver dig showed me a better way last summer.

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_mason1mo ago

What's the better way then?

theagarcia1mo agoMost Upvoted

Remember seeing a volunteer at a state park clean a pottery shard with a soft brush and water. It looked gentle, but the park ranger later told our group that even water can damage some materials over time. He said for dry, stable finds, a soft artist's brush is often best to just loosen the dirt without pushing it in. Makes you think about how careful you need to be, right @richard_mason? That dig volunteer probably had a similar point about using the right tool for the job, not just what's handy. It changed how I look at even the simple task of cleaning something old.