Had a 'wait, what' moment with a Roman coin I found at a dig in 2019...

I kept scrubbing the dirt off with a toothbrush for hours until the site director said I was destroying the patina and handed me a soft bristle brush instead... has anyone else ruined a find by cleaning it too aggressively?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna_wright26d ago

Wait, the director just let you scrub for hours before saying something? Did you ask them what the right way to clean a Roman coin even is?

murphy.aaron26d ago

Used to think scrubbing was harmless, @luna_wright. That museum director changed my mind fast.

ruby_henderson3625d ago

Did the site director just stand there watching you scrub for hours like some kind of archaeological slow burn comedy skit? I mean, I get that patina is the good stuff, but maybe a quick "hey, ease up on the 2000-year-old relic" would have saved everyone some time and elbow grease. Honestly, that toothbrush was probably more aggressive than the Roman Empire ever was.