HELP! I've created a monster! Well two actually.

[grizzly bare]

As I've mentioned before, I am a High School teacher. I spend my lunch time (25 minutes) reading the latest post on TreasureNet. Frequently the kids return before I am finished and they ask questions about finding treasure. I have tried to explain that everything can be a treasure and two of my students have taken me seriously. They have been digging in a VIRGIN place and having great results. BUT they are breaking as many bottles as they save. This area is steeped in lore and legend. Just after the Emancipation Proclamation a large group of freed slaves moved onto this property and lived there for the next fifty years, You can see where I am going here, outhouses, dump piles, caches, even cars such as Model A's T's? rusting down. The land belongs to the family of one of the boys so they have the exclusive rights to the mountain. I am trying to get them to take this seriously, but they are teens. HELP!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I love their eagerness but they need to slow down and save things,

grizzly bare

[jeff of pa]

That Should be Easy.

Do a Little B.S.'ing

When they bring in a Broke Bottle,

Tell them something Like

"WOW, Ya Know, If that were whole, it would be
worth about $200.00 ! And This one could have
Been Worth alot too ! It's a shame their broke "



I Guess I should ask, DO THEY READ THIS SITE :P
Maby I should Delete this

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

GB,

just so I understand.

They are digging the bottles from a dump and
going on and breaking them? Or are they bringing
in broken bottles?

How old are they.

have a good un...............

[snake35]

You could perhaps get them a childs archeology book. Which would explain the correct way to do a excavation. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[ashleen]

I'm totally with jeff. baffle 'em with BS

.....however................
.........maybe try a prize for who ever brings in the most good ones
i dunno...
Good luck

[grizzly bare]

Just a bit of an explanation. Both of these kids are teens, fifteen sixteen, which means they are super impatient. They want it all NOW!They are finding some wonderful old bottles, jars, stuff. Mom has googled a bottle or two (AFTER THEY WERE CLEANED AND PUT IN THE DISHWASHER!!) and the currenrt price seems to be several hundred dollars. But the boys are digging in shallow ground and are breaking as many bottles as they save. They have dug indiscriminately with no plan. I think what bothers me the most is that they are finding better stuff than I ever have! (lol)
I know that they are finding good stuff, but if they worked a better system I think they might have an archeological worthy find.

grizzly bare

[jeff of pa]

Well, Being "super impatient" Myself,

I Don't Know if there is a Cure.

I personally Just quit for the day when I start Rushing,

HOWEVER Teenagers, Can be HYPER from the Get-Go

[KalamazooHunter]

Maybe you can go digging with them sometimes? Show them the proper way to get the bottles without breaking them in exchange for a few for you to keep?

[Atlantis0077]

Howdy,

Wish I could say with any degree of sincerity that telling them about the archaeological significance of the site and what they are finding would be enough to temper their impatience, but I cant. I concure with the other folks....impress upon them what the stuff in good condition is worth and that should help to temper the steam shovels. By all means get them to take you to the site. Should be really fun to actually SHOW them the proper way to dig rather than just advise.

Atlantis

[Angela (Australia)]

Hello grizzlybear, and OUCH! I cringe at the thought of old bottles being broken by eager diggers, as you say! Have you thought about offering to go with the boys on the hunt, just to show them a few tricks in digging? I'm sure the parents wouldn't mind, in the name of archeology! In all honesty, sit them down again, and have a chat about different methods used to dig, and applicable tools to dig with, that won't create damage. Tell them to take it slow, for the bottle that gets broken could've been a valuable one. I'd tend to concentrate on that, and do the history lesson later, after the finds have been made. Encourage them to bring a few to school, and they'll tend to be a bit more careful, to have something intact to show! All the best. Angela