Three seasons in Belize taught me why slow digs matter more

Honestly, everyone seems to want quick digs these days to get findings out fast. Tbh, I think that rush ruins the real story. I worked on a Mayan temple site for three years, and our funders kept pushing for faster results. Ngl, in the last month, we spent extra days on one small area and uncovered bone tools that shifted how we see daily life there. If we had stuck to the schedule, those would have been missed or damaged. Now when I see news about a big dig wrapped up in a season, I cringe. Taking your time isn't being slow, it's being careful. My field director always said good archaeology is like watching paint dry, and I finally get it.

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_scott7412h ago

Good archaeology is like watching paint dry" hit me hard. Honestly, my home repair skills are so rushed I'd probably declare the wall done while it was still wet. Guess that's why I'm in moving stuff instead of finding it.

rubywebb5h ago

Let paint cure for 48 hours before you decide it looks bad, @troy_scott74. A second coat often fixes the patchy spots that show up when you rush. The waiting is the hardest part, but it beats redoing the whole wall next month.