There was an old cabin that burned on property we bought should I detect?

[Floristweb]

I've never used our cheapo metal detector to do anything, but find nails after a construction project. But, we have some acerage that we plan to sluice and pan the creeks, Also on the property is a homesite where a cabin from the 1800's stood, but it burned over a decade ago. The older couple who owned it's children just knocked down what little remained letting mother nature reclaim whatever was there. My question is: I have a cheap detector and think it might be neat to search through the remains, but would an old house that didn't even have indoor plumbing, and lived in by poor mountain folks be a good place to look, or would it likely be a waste of time. i.e just old nails, tin cans and such? What would a seasoned MD'r do? This place was lived in until the mid-eighties I've found strange piles of old tin cans, tons of old bottles, and haven't even looked at the homesite yet. (why would people save empty tin cans?) I fear that it will be a crazy mess since they seemed to save everything including trash. Trying to decide if I should get the dozers in to clear the land better or hunt for relics at the site first.

 

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[DiggerGal]

2 words. HUNT IT!

 

[Dave Rishar]

A better question would be, why should you NOT detect it?

If you run a dozer over it, stuff will get pushed down, stuff will get pushed up, and stuff will get pushed off. Think of it as shuffling a deck of cards. If you're already thinking of bulldozing it, I'd recommend going over the area once or twice first. No sense in shuffling the deck if you haven't already gone through it at least once, right?

 

[RustyGold]

Maybe they used the tin cans to hide stuff in! I'd carefully go over the site as others have suggested! You never know what you may find.
Best of luck!

 

[DirtStalker]

Yes hunt it but don't get discouraged by the trash you'll probably dig. We all dig more trash than treasure but when you find treasure it makes you somehow forget the trash.
Floristweb check your PM

 

[Loco-Digger]

The piles of cans and bottles are not strange. Many people fed food scarps to livestock and pets, burned the rest, Cans and glass do not burn so they had trash piles like everyone did back in the day. I would hit 2 spots 1st. Around the outhouse and from the outhouse to the cabin. Also if you knew where their clothes line was. I hit it. In my opinion I would not hit where the structure stood. Too many signals due to nails, wiring and plumbing. The 4th zone would be around the driveway. Then I'd take my time and do the rest of the yard.

 

[Mike70]

Since you have such a prime spot to detect, it would be an idea to upgrade your detector, if you can, just might be worth your while.

 

[cudamark]

I'd hunt the place good! I'd start by clearing away all the surface/visible trash. Then run a strong magnet through the cabin footprint. Detect and dig everything non-ferrous to start. If you find good targets, then dig even the iron ones. I'd carefully (so you don't break any glass) dig and sift the privy area.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

hunt it HEAVILY!
Try to determine front and back door areas, which have higher probability
of goodies, and perhaps the outhouse locations too.
I'd dig and screen an outhouse, since coinage and jewelry are possible, not to mention BOTTLES!
How do you know you are in these areas? the better relics show up, and even glass
shards are common in vicinity of outhouses.
...any place where people spent time.....

 

[bigfoot1]

google screen sifter...u can make one for about 5 bucks and you will get every thing there.When you find a piece of molten metal at a burn site keep it and if its goldish or silverish have it tested or hit amazon and get a test kit.Detecting a place like that can test the skills of a veteran hunter with high end equipment.

good luck