Guess my pottery washing method was wrong for 8 years

Had a dig supervisor watch me scrub a sherd with a toothbrush and she just sighed. She said I was grinding off all the residue that helps with dating analysis. Now I just let them soak and gently rinse, who knew.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar4d ago

To be fair, a toothbrush is fine if you use a light touch and no soap. The real mistake is scrubbing hard enough to remove the patina. Those little clay deposits tell a lot about where the pot was made and how old it is.

terryk284d ago

Yeah totally, I mean I learned that one the hard way. I was cleaning this little teapot I found at a garage sale and I thought I was being gentle, but I scrubbed right through the patina and it just looked like a weird, shinier version of itself. @the_oscar is spot on about the clay deposits being a clue for where the pot came from, but my clumsy self just wanted it to look "clean." Idk, now I just leave them alone unless they're really dusty. Maybe it's just me but I feel like I belong in a museum for ruining pottery, not restoring it.

rodriguez.felix3d ago

A TOOTHBRUSH?! That's HARSH, man. @the_oscar is right though, you gotta go easy.