Private North Read Online Free PDF Page B

rim.”
    He smiled. “Very good.” He lifted the slip of paper that was attached to the bag. “Each piece has been given a number, and, as you can see, there are many categories for each piece to be entered in the data base. This is the year of excavation and the context or area it was found. The rest of the codes signify vessel part, percent, size, diameter, hardness, slip colors and anything else that is pertinent. I’m afraid that’s what makes this all pretty boring and time consuming. There is a great deal of data to input on each piece.” He walked over and read the labels on the boxes. “Wait, here is something you’ll really like.” He opened the box and pulled out several bags. “The decorations or applications on these pieces were mostly done before firing.” He handed me a bag with a nearly square piece of pottery. Thin wavy lines had been drawn in succession to create a design. “The potter used a sharp tool to create this unique design while the clay was still wet. Sometimes the designs, or potmarks, were filled with pigment to make them even more ornamental. The ancient Egyptians were talented artisans. Today’s potters use a lot of the same methods to build clay pots as they did back then. Occasionally, you’ll find a piece where you can still see the clay coils that were used to construct the vessel. Some used potter’s wheels as well.”
    “I’ve always wanted to learn to make ceramics on a potter’s wheel, covered to my elbows in wet clay and creating art with my own fingers,” I said.
    “We have a potter’s wheel down in the basement, but I’m afraid Dad and I don’t know how to use it. It belongs to my brother. Growing up, it was the one hobby he participated in where he wasn’t getting into trouble. My mom loved it too. The two of them could spend hours down there with the clay.”
    “So, you don’t expect your brother to visit for the holidays? Your dad seemed somewhat disappointed when you brought it up.”
    His mouth drew tight as if it was a sore topic. “Yeah, Dalton spends most of his life causing Dad disappointment.” He shuffled through the bags of artifacts, seemingly intent on switching subjects. While he’d not seemed the least bit interested in the job assigned us, his love of the ancient treasures was plain to see. “Ah, here is a perfect example of a technique known as fenestration.” Ethan held the sample up to the light. Three tiny diamond-shaped holes dotted what appeared to be the rim of an ash gray bowl. “When the clay is thick and close to dry, a tool is used to cut out the decorations. Then the vessel is fired and the holes are made permanent.”
    “I can’t wait to get started.” For a few moments at breakfast, I’d wondered if I’d made a grave mistake by not going to France, but now I couldn’t have been more excited. There were boxes of artifacts to catalogue and it would take hours on the computer, but I looked forward to every minute of it.
    Ethan sat down at the desk and logged onto the computer. “I’ll get you started and then you can work as long as you like.” He looked back at me over his shoulder. “Are you sure you won’t mind if I take off for a few hours of skiing?”
    “Not at all. Have fun.” While working side by side with Ethan North had been part of the draw to the whole internship, that perk had quickly faded. I knew now that he was one of those guys who was better left to the imagination. He was dreamy to look at and it was easy to see why he captured so much attention, but he was better to admire from afar. And it was obvious from his comments at the breakfast table that he was still reeling from his break up, which actually worked out fine for me. The last thing I needed was a winter break romance, especially after the relationship I’d just freed myself from.
    ***
    Ethan had left around noon after I’d mastered the data program, which took no more thought and effort than tapping the tab button, entering a code,