Working on the Maya site in Belize changed how I see pottery fragments

Last year at Caracol, I spent weeks sorting tiny ceramic pieces by color and texture alone. Then a local expert showed me how to feel for the clay's grit and look at the break patterns under a 10x loupe. Now I think texture tells you more than just looks, but some of my team say visual sorting is faster and good enough for basic cataloging. Has anyone else had a field method change their whole approach to a common task?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna55012h ago

Feel the work, don't just see it.

daniel_campbell1h ago

Totally get that. Closing my eyes sometimes helps me focus on the texture and weight of a piece. It cuts out the visual noise.