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The time I almost wrecked a 2,000 year old floor in Pompeii
We were working on a new section near the House of the Faun, mapping a small room with a mosaic floor. My boot caught on a loose tile and I stumbled forward, my trowel scraping across the surface. I froze, seeing a fresh white line across the colored glass. My supervisor, Dr. Rossi, just stared and said, 'Well, that is now part of the site record.' The debate is always there: do we restore every tiny new mark, or accept that some modern damage becomes part of the site's history? I argued for a minimal touch-up to stop further flaking, but the lead wanted it left as a lesson. We left it. Has anyone else had a field mistake that changed how a site gets handled?
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stellanelson12d ago
Left as a lesson" - what lesson, exactly?
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milacraig12d ago
What lesson? That we're all clumsy humans, even pros. A fresh scratch shows exactly where future teams need to be extra careful. It's a real, visible reminder, not just a rule in a handbook.
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