Shoutout to local historians for helping me date a mysterious pottery shard

I was out hiking near an old farmstead (you know, just exploring) and found this pottery shard with a weird glaze. At first, I thought it was modern, but the patterns didn't match anything I knew. I hit a wall trying to figure it out on my own, so I reached out to some local history buffs. They showed me how to compare it to known styles from the area, and we narrowed it down to the early 1900s. It turns out it was from a pottery that closed in 1923, which is pretty cool. Now I'm wondering if there might be more artifacts nearby, but I'm not sure how to proceed without disturbing the site. Any tips on respectful surface surveys? Or has anyone else had a similar find?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_charlie1mo ago

Did the historians suggest specific survey methods?

lily_clark381mo ago

Oh, totally. My friend Emma worked on a local history project last year. The historians she talked to were very clear about using oral histories and land records. They said those methods were best for getting stories from older residents. Emma ended up with so many tapes of interviews she had to buy a new recorder. It was a mess, but the data was solid.

fiona2521mo ago

Sounds like a lot of fuss over old stories...