My brush cleaning method was wrecking artifacts for years

I used to scrub pottery sherds with a stiff toothbrush and water right in the field, thought I was being thorough. Then a volunteer at the Peabody site in Ohio pointed out the fine striations I was leaving on a piece of decorated rim. She handed me a soft paintbrush and told me to work dry, and now I check every tool before it touches anything. Has anyone else had a go-to cleaning habit that turned out to be doing more harm than good?

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karen_nelson402mo ago

wait, that's not quite right. dry brushing is generally better for fragile stuff, but some sites actually need a little water to loosen clay before you even touch it. the trick is knowing the context, not just swapping one tool for another.

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