Why broken pottery shards are an archaeologist's most vital tool
While grand museum displays capture the imagination, the true secrets of the past often lie in fragments. This lecture explores why ceramic shards are the most essential artifacts encountered during fieldwork.
In this installment of the OI Museum Collections Talk, James Osborne, Assistant Professor of Anatolian Archaeology, examines the significance of ceramics in archaeological study. Although the OI Museum holds over 350,000 ancient Middle Eastern artifacts, fewer than two percent of these items are currently on public display. Osborne details the three primary reasons why archaeologists dedicate so much time to studying pottery, illustrating why even small potsherds serve as a primary source of historical insight.
Source: James Osborne I Ancient Pottery for Beginners: Why Archaeologists Study Ceramics
