I did understand your post. But how exciting that you were on digs! What did you get to do? And I’ll bet your wife had a ball at the museum. It’s awe-inspiring to spend hours among things so ancient.
Yes, for all she kept, she gave the major majority back to the country where she was digging. I believe they got first choice of everything and decided what was worth adding to their collection and what wasn’t. There’s only so many pot shards anybody wants.
Got to do a dig just across from the caves the dead Sea scrolls were found in. We sifted tons of dirt, and used tooth brushes instead of shovels a lot of the time.
Fond memoties of exhausted but excited people sitting around after that nights dinner speculating on what that days finds mean. What fantastic ideas and stories we came up with.
To the person long ago that lost or threw out that object or trash it was everyday life. But for us it was an exotic glimpse into their lives, a tiny time warp with a window.
I remember a pot we found buried packed full of ashes and chicken bones. Was it garbage? Remains of a sacrifice? Why bury it in a perfectly serviceable sealed pot?
Will we ever know?