Picked a trowel over a brush on that site near the river

I was working on this dig last month in a field just outside of Nashville, and we hit a layer of clay that was packed tighter than anything I'd seen in 5 years. My choices were either keep using the small brush for slow cleaning or switch to a pointed trowel to break through faster. I went with the trowel because the team lead said we had 3 days to map that grid before the rain came. Ended up finding a broken pottery shard with a partial red stripe that matched a local 1800s style. The brush would have taken forever and I might have messed up the layer by rubbing too much. Ever had to make a call like that on a tight timeline? How'd it work out for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera_sanchez18d ago

Man, it's funny how life's like that too - sometimes you just gotta pick the faster tool to get the real work done before the weather hits.

lisa_ross1618d ago

Vera, I think you're right about that, but speed isn't always the best choice if you end up making a mistake that costs you more time later. Sometimes the slower tool is the right one if it means you get it right the first time.