Found a virgin bottle dump- want to do it right

[Bev]

I found an old old bottle dump in the woods in an old dried up creek bed. Bottles are sticking up everywhere and the ones on top are maybe 40's - 50's so I know it's not far below where there may be some really nice finds.
I want to do it right- I know heavy duty gloves and my hiking boots, but any advice on how to begin so I do the least amount of damage?

[sniffer]

take it slow and easy, try to stand at the bottom and work you way to the top. dig in until you can start going up and take a little dirt at a time. don't be surprised if you find a lot of cracked bottles, they also burned the trash on top, which would overheat the bottles and make them crack.

good luck
sniffer

[Bev]

Thank you, I appreciate it- I'll be there the beginning of next week. It's about 50 feet from the old cemetary I stumbled upon with one date being 1776. I'm cautiously optimistic!

[sniffer]

the colored bottles (blue) are usually the most valuable

[gleaner1]

What Sniffer said. If you dig from the bottom up, it is easy to get the bottles without damaging them. Essentially, you dig under the dump, and let all the dump stuff fall out toward you. This is the safest way to get the bottles without damage.

But first, get to the bottom. Breakage may occur, but you can't see what's below so you can't avoid losing one or two (privy diggers scratch out every piece for obvious reasons, it's ALL down for them). A quality full length spade shovel is the main tool. Keep digging deeper, the hole will get wider and deeper. Have patience, look to see if it gets older. If it gets good and old on the way down, get scratchin' with a potato rake or trowel, 'cause putting a shovel thru a nice bottle feels worse than most things in life. Keep going deeper. If the stuff coming out don't look so good, or the dump taps out shallow, try another spot. Some dumps with 1950 crap have 1850 crap 4 or 5 feet deeper. Try to keep all the tailings in one pile, so you don't have to move dirt twice. If it's a killer dump, confirm where your tailings pile will be put, so you don't cover up a good section of dump. All this is not an easy task, especially if it is a deep dump. Have patience and keep thinking deeper. If it's in the woods, bring pruning loppers that will cut a 2" tree root, and don't stop till you hit bottom. Hope to see some pics and good luck!

[Bev]

Wow....I'm really intrigued!

I saw the thread on privy diggin and it looked like the guy was 10 feet down!

I'm thinking that I should bring somebody with me because my husband is a little worried about a chick in the woods by herself, plus he says he needs to find the body for insurance purposes. Everytime I go out now he says, remember I need the body! (yeah I know, true love) which means I need to tell somebody where I'm going.

Also if I dig a hole that deep it'd be pretty easy for someone to come along, shut my lights off and then convenienly bury me with my own "tailings"!

I'll take pictures as I go along, you know for insurance purposes!

[pganjon]

Hello, Don't forget a fully charged cell phone too Paul

[Bev]

I never leave home without it! It's my "mobile office"!
Figures, I had plans to go but it's been raining all week and today- I'm sick. It's been there for decades, a few more days won't hurt anthing I guess.