Daily Log: 2.24 & 2. 25. 2005

Today I learned all of the various types of artifacts that are excavated at Ban Non Wat. Much to my surprise, there were dozens of things that differed in size, color, and usage. I had my hands-on learning experience when I started helping Harriet sort out and clean ‘Small Findings”. “Small Findings” are artifacts that are found in a burial or just throughout the soil that seem to be randomly placed or just all by themselves.

We are the last group to excavate Ban Non Wat due to the fact that their season is over the day after we leave, so Harriet and I had trays and trays of “Small Findings” to go through. When we began to wash the artifacts, Harriet gave me a brief handle-with-care talk about what I should wash, how I should wash it, and what I shouldn’t wash due to its delicate nature.

A lot of the things we were washing were just so amazing. The craftsmanship that went into making the tools, bracelets, and moulds is just incredible. I feel that out of everything, the bracelets were the most magnificent. They were usually either marble or clay and very large. Unlike the bracelets we wear now-a-days the ancient bracelets are heavy, thick, and sit high off the wrist. There were a few smaller shell bracelets that we had to be careful washing because they were so fragile and thin. Even though we were using soft-bristled toothbrushes, things do tend to break, so being extra careful is a must. Some of the tools we came across were tools used to make the pottery. They usually looked like handles with a rounded tip that would have been used to smooth out the sides of pots and shape them accordingly. I also picked up a bronze arrow head that was so sharp and intricately made. I could not wash this because the bronze would erode away more if I rubbed water on it. The last item that we both cleaned a lot of were clay pebbles. These would have been used for shooting animals with a sling shot or other pebble shooting devices. I accidentally washed one of the clay pebbles too harshly and it crumbled in my hand. I was very upset that I could be so careless, but in the end it was a learning lesson that I should remember these artifacts are over 3,000 years old and I should ‘handle with care’.

The day was over before we had a chance to get through all of the artifacts that needed to be washed so we neatly (and carefully) tucked them away for safe keeping so that when we work the next day we can start where we left off. It was really interesting to wash away all the dirt on these pieces that had been tucked away in the Earth for 3,000 years. It was almost as if I was washing away all the time that it was underground and unseen, and creating a new appreciation for it.

Peace,

Jamie