Just realized I misidentified a pottery sherd for 3 years

I was at a site near Santa Fe last month going through old finds from a dig back in 2020. A visiting ceramics specialist picked up a piece I'd labeled as Biscuit ware and said it was actually Piñon ware from a different time period. I had been using the wrong reference guide the whole time. Anyone else had a specialist completely change how you see your own collection?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean50228d ago

Yeah, I agree with @the_cora that getting a second set of eyes on old finds is always worth it.

the_cora28d ago

Specialists get things wrong too, that's just a fact of archaeology. Mislabeling a sherd happens way more often than people admit, especially with similar-looking wares. Call it a learning experience and move on, the collection still has value.