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My neighbor found some old pottery while gardening, and I'm not sure what to do.

He showed me a broken piece he dug up near his fence last weekend. It has markings that look handmade, not like modern stuff. Now he's telling everyone on our street and wants to dig up his whole yard. I tried to explain that context matters for dating finds, but he just sees dollar signs. His kids are already helping him look for more with toy shovels. I'm worried a real site might get messed up before experts can check it out. Maybe I'll casually mention it to the town historical group.
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3 Comments
kim.mason
kim.mason1mo ago
From what I remember, the best thing is to stop digging and call the town history group right away. When my cousin found some old tools in his yard, he kept digging and messed up the layers that tell how old things are. If your neighbor waits for experts, they can learn a lot more than from busted pieces.
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anna410
anna4101mo ago
Seriously? He's letting his kids use toy shovels? That is a sure way to smash any old pieces into dust. Those little shovels can cut right through fragile marks that tell the story. I heard about a find where kids playing around made a whole site useless for study. If he keeps going, there might be nothing left for the historical group to check out. He really needs to put the shovels down.
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tessam16
tessam161mo ago
Wish I agreed with @kim.mason, but telling someone to stop digging in their own yard never works. Letting his kids help is how people actually get interested in history, even if it's messy.
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