Finally got to see the Roman pottery shards I helped dig up three years ago

Three years back, I was a volunteer on a dig in Cirencester, just helping to sift dirt. We found a bunch of broken pottery that day, plain brown stuff, and I never thought much of it. Last month, the lead archaeologist from that dig emailed me. She said they'd finished cleaning and studying all the finds. Last week, I went to the small local museum there and saw them. Our pieces were part of a big cooking pot from the 2nd century, and they had it all put together in a case with my name in the notes. It's crazy to think my hands pulled those pieces out of the mud. Has anyone else had that long wait to see what your find actually was?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_ross3mo ago

My buddy waited five years for a coin ID.

kim.wren2mo ago

Has he tried asking the local historical society? Sometimes they can point you to a retired expert who knows the obscure stuff without the long wait. I've had luck just sending photos to a few regional coin forums too, way faster than going through official channels. Five years feels excessive unless it was some super rare artifact that needed serious study. But hey, at least he got an answer, right? That's more than some people get when they give up after the first year.

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wells.morgan3mo ago

That wait must have been so worth it, seeing your name there! I actually love that process, the slow reveal of what you found. It makes the final moment better, not worse. Unlike @spencer_ross's buddy with the coin, I'd rather have the full story later than a quick guess.