Signs of Use
Examples of wear and tear give a sense of how an object was used, which then helps build a picture of what it was used for.
Think about:
Sign of wear:
- Corrosion
- Scratching
- Rubbing plating or finishes off
- Indentation
- Alteration of original form
What was the source of the wear?
- Impact (eg. tools)
- Maintenance (eg. sharpening)
- Environment
- Attachments
- Handling
- Secondary uses (eg. Biscuit tins later used to store screws and nails)