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The before-and-after on that stone tool cleaning was wild - 300% more detail
I went back to an old dig site near Austin last weekend where we pulled some flint scrapers back in 2019. Back then we just brushed off the dirt and called it good, but a buddy of mine who does experimental archaeology volunteered to give them a proper cleaning with mild acid and ultrasonic baths. The difference is insane. Those scrapers went from looking like plain rocks to showing clear microflaking patterns and even what looks like residue from plant processing. It took him about 5 hours total for 12 pieces. I never realized how much detail we were missing just by skipping that step. Has anyone else tried professional cleaning on old finds and seen hidden features pop out?
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kellymurphy5d ago
Yeah I had a similar wake up call with some pottery sherds from a site in west Texas. We did a gentle chemical wash and suddenly this whole network of tiny scrape marks appeared from when they were shaping the clay. It was like seeing a ghost. Makes you wonder how many other sites have crucial details just sitting there under a layer of grime. The acetone wash is cheap too. I'm honestly surprised more field schools don't push for it as standard procedure.
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