DAE notice local archaeology groups getting excited over the wrong kind of old stuff?

In my neighborhood park, a new amateur club started digging last fall, sure they'd found an ancient tool. After a whole weekend, they proudly showed off a piece of what was clearly a broken garden trowel from maybe the 1970s. Their serious discussion about its 'historical value' was pretty absurd (like, guys, it says 'Made in Taiwan' on it). Now I see similar mix-ups all the time, and it's changed how I hear about small-scale finds.

4 comments

4 Comments

barbarab561mo ago

My cousin in Albany called me all excited last year because his gardening club dug up what they swore was a Civil War era musket ball. They had it on display at their community center for weeks, with little info cards and everything. Turns out it was just a ball bearing from a busted lawnmower, probably from the 1990s. It's funny how people want to find history so bad they see it in everyday junk. Now I always check for modern marks, like your Taiwan trowel, before getting too worked up.

the_mary1mo ago

Check for any stamps or markings first thing, because that's how you catch most modern items (I've seen so many misses with this). Clean the object carefully with a soft brush to see hidden details, since dirt can hide obvious clues. Look at where it was dug up, too, since gardens and parks often have recent junk mixed in. I helped a friend realize her "ancient pottery shard" was just a broken coffee mug from the 80s by spotting a glaze pattern. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, but a quick reality check saves everyone time. Always assume it's modern until you have solid proof otherwise.

rowan_wells281mo ago

That story about the display at the community center really got me! When they found out it was a lawnmower part, did the whole group just get super discouraged and quit, or did it actually make them more careful for the next search? I feel like that moment of public embarrassment would either totally break a club or force them to get way more serious.

aaron_mitchell9d ago

You said it's funny how people see history in everyday junk. I see that everywhere, not just with old stuff. People want a story so bad they'll make one up from nothing. A weird stain becomes a ghost, a random noise is a secret message. We're all just desperate for things to mean more than they do.