Details, Details, Details: Artifact Context and Why it’s So Important

Let’s face it, artifacts can be cool. Buttons, projectile points, cannonballs, bullets… even an old brick can catch someone’s eye and spark an interest in history. I get that, all archaeologists do and its partly why we are archaeologists today. If it weren’t for some guys metal detecting in the woods and finding a brass bayonet scabbard tip I probably would not have become an archaeologist. It’s these tangible things, the items from the past that people can pick up and hold in their hands, that can bring history to life.

So why can this be bad?

As long as metal detectors have existed, archaeologists have been begging relic hunters to leave artifacts in the ground. It’s not because we don’t want to share the past or that we think we’re better than anyone else. We ask people not to do this for the safety of the artifact and the information it can offer. In this blog post, I am going to address just three reasons in a much larger laundry list. First, when an artifact is taken out of an environment which it has chemically equalized to, the ground or the water for example, we need to slowly reintroduce it to our oxygenated environment or it will fall apart. I have watched tin disintegrate in my hands as I tried to get it to a lab before it was completely gone, and I have heard stories of cannonballs slowly turning to dust as they sit on shelves. If these artifacts are not properly cared for they will literally disappear from existence. Archaeologists have the training to save these artifacts from destruction. We are not conservators, but just like an EMT in the medical field archaeologists have the training to stabilize the artifact long enough to get them to the conservators in labs where they can be properly treated long term.

Another reason is access. Artifacts found and taken by private collectors go to those private collectors. The artifacts are seen by the collectors and their friends and they might or might not show those collections as a part of an educational program. Private collections are typically appraised or valued, making artifacts a commodity to be bought and sold. The artifacts in private collections are almost never seen by archaeologists so they cannot be conserved or studied. Collectors are also very particular about protecting their dig locations. As a result, these sites are continually looted, damaging the information that a site can yield. By contrast, when archaeologists recover artifacts, they are kept together in site specific collections. These collections are housed in secure, government regulated facilities that can be utilized for future research and education. At any time, any archaeologist can request access to these collections for study. As archaeologists, we believe that artifacts are the property of everyone and should be curated for the benefit of all. If artifacts are under our care, they will be preserved along with the cultures that they represent for future generations to cherish and learn from.

Finally, and probably the most important reason that artifacts need to stay where they are is context. Put simply, the context of an artifact means the location of the artifact in time and space. This is not just the geographic location of the artifact but the depth in which it was found, and the artifacts found around it. In a large site, groups of artifacts found together help us to determine usage patterns, purposes for buildings that we recover and dates to correspond with them. Much like the provenance of an antique or painting, an artifact’s context is priceless for determining informational value. No matter how cool an artifact is, the information that that artifact yields can be even more exciting. As archaeologists excavate a site, we record everything we do from what we see to the tools that we use and the time of day on stacks of forms, notes, and photos that are kept alongside the artifacts, preserving the context of the site along with the artifacts.

Evidence of site looting with a backhoe.

As you can see, artifacts are important, not just because they are cool but because of the information that an artifact can yield. Unfortunately, we face an uphill battle. Popular TV shows, clubs, and even some history professionals have supported the idea of private digs, unintentionally compromising important archaeological sites. This is where you come in. The archaeological community is small, specifically in the southeast. You can report any evidence of digging without permission. Also, if there is a natural disaster, you can help us by informing your local museum of damage sustained by the event. There are also opportunities to metal detect with archaeologists. One of the best is the metal detecting expedition at James Madison’s Montpelier held every summer. Your skills with detectors can help us document events on chaotic sites such as battlefields. We need your help to ensure that the stories that sites contain will be told for many generations to come.