Digging in the mud near York changed how I see pottery shards

I was working on a site by the River Ouse last summer, sifting through what looked like plain brown dirt. My supervisor pointed at a tiny, curved piece and said 'that's Roman, turn it over.' On the other side was a clear fingerprint pressed into the clay over 1,600 years ago. Some folks think finding a whole pot is the only real win, but I argue a single piece with a human mark tells a bigger story. Which side are you on, the 'complete object' team or the 'small detail' team?

3 comments

3 Comments

sullivan.kevin27d ago

Hold up, a fingerprint? That's actually insane. A whole pot is cool to look at, sure, but it's just a thing. A print in the clay is a person. You're literally touching the same spot some Roman worker pressed while the clay was wet. That's a direct link. Makes you wonder what they were thinking about that day.

fox.derek27d ago

Ever think they were just annoyed they had to make another stupid pot?

felixt3117d ago

Wait, a fingerprint? That's wild (like @sullivan.kevin said). It's not just a pot, it's proof someone was really there. Makes the whole thing feel way more real.