Rant: My friend thought my archaeology find was a toy from a gift shop

I was helping at a dig site and found a small carved stone tool from a Native American site. When I showed it to my buddy, he laughed and said it looked like a cheap souvenir you'd buy on vacation. I tried to explain the age and context, but he just kept joking about it. How do you handle it when people don't take your finds seriously?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_west211d ago

Finding a carved stone tool at a dig site is a real discovery, not some cheap souvenir. I saw a similar tool at a site in Arizona, and it was dated to around 800 years old. Your friend probably doesn't understand the work that goes into digging and the context of where it was found. When people brush off my finds, I take a minute to explain the basics, like how the material and wear patterns show it was used daily. It can be annoying, but sometimes they come around if you keep it simple and show your passion. That tool is a direct link to past people, and that matters way more than any gift shop item.

haydenmurray1d ago

Hey wait, isn't saying it's "800 years old" from seeing a similar one in Arizona a bit off? I mean, a tool type can last for thousands of years. Dating comes from the layer of dirt it's found in at that site, not just from looking at the object. So your friend's tool could be way older or way newer, it totally depends on the specific dig site context. But you're totally right that a real find beats a souvenir any day.

jesse_fox1d ago

Reminds me of when I found this cool fossil once and had no clue how old it was!