HomeGuardDan
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Yesterday's digs...1600's site, 1800's site in the frozen tundra
Bill D and I got out yesterday for a very roller coaster style day. We were able to make contact with a few landowners and while they were positive, none resulted in permission to dig that day. We will be able to access one in a few weeks and another hopefully after a second conversation. With the temps in the 20's and the ground frozen, we were relegated to digging in the woods at one of our better sites and were able to locate an 1800's house site. We made a few finds and then ventured to the next stop. Bill was able to secure permission and the two of us were very eager as this had been a site that we had driven by and talked about multiple times. Pulling in, we were both doing our best to contain our excitement, but it just was too much to maintain.
We started briefly in the field until we noticed a nice logged area in the back with a prominent hill. This site had an early 1600's land patent and was one of a few possibilities for a known, but lost location of a fairly prominent 1600's site. We began walking the site and immediately saw signs of brick and debris mixed in the dirt. Reaching the top of the hill, we found the site...an amazing iron field and brick scattered about. This was absolutely an early site and while it lacked the number of good signals we would like, almost every one was entirely 400+ years old!
Pewter pieces, brass copper, lead and pipe stems littered the frozen ground. We could only dig 1-3" due to the conditions, but something tells me this site is holding something special. I eyeballed a nice marked pipe stem bowl base (unable to make the design out) and was able to dig two grubbing hoes (one almost entirely intact). My favorite find at this site was the copper sheet pot that I recovered from the frozen ground. I did some damage to it, though it was already broken apart. I plan to restore this one the best that I can as it is a nice early example of our founding days. The last target I kept from that site was the nice 1600's era clothing adornment. I was able to recover the base to a pan onion bottle from one of the holes that the hoe came from...something tells me a nice pit will be in our future at this site.
At the end of the day we hit a 1800's (1850s-1880s) site that we discovered at the front of the property. I was able to recover 5 Indian Head cents (1882, 1885, 1863, 1865 and 188?) and four buttons. I dug a pile of melted lead and other bits and pieces. A nice cast brass "earlier then 1850s) bell was also recovered towards the end of the trip as we walked closer back to the 1600s site.
My favorite find of the day was the early neck stock buckle with a military motif. This one has me stumped on dates, known experts have told me 1812, Rev War or Mexican War. I am not sold on all or any yet, though I do like it.
HH
Dan
Bill D and I got out yesterday for a very roller coaster style day. We were able to make contact with a few landowners and while they were positive, none resulted in permission to dig that day. We will be able to access one in a few weeks and another hopefully after a second conversation. With the temps in the 20's and the ground frozen, we were relegated to digging in the woods at one of our better sites and were able to locate an 1800's house site. We made a few finds and then ventured to the next stop. Bill was able to secure permission and the two of us were very eager as this had been a site that we had driven by and talked about multiple times. Pulling in, we were both doing our best to contain our excitement, but it just was too much to maintain.
We started briefly in the field until we noticed a nice logged area in the back with a prominent hill. This site had an early 1600's land patent and was one of a few possibilities for a known, but lost location of a fairly prominent 1600's site. We began walking the site and immediately saw signs of brick and debris mixed in the dirt. Reaching the top of the hill, we found the site...an amazing iron field and brick scattered about. This was absolutely an early site and while it lacked the number of good signals we would like, almost every one was entirely 400+ years old!
Pewter pieces, brass copper, lead and pipe stems littered the frozen ground. We could only dig 1-3" due to the conditions, but something tells me this site is holding something special. I eyeballed a nice marked pipe stem bowl base (unable to make the design out) and was able to dig two grubbing hoes (one almost entirely intact). My favorite find at this site was the copper sheet pot that I recovered from the frozen ground. I did some damage to it, though it was already broken apart. I plan to restore this one the best that I can as it is a nice early example of our founding days. The last target I kept from that site was the nice 1600's era clothing adornment. I was able to recover the base to a pan onion bottle from one of the holes that the hoe came from...something tells me a nice pit will be in our future at this site.
At the end of the day we hit a 1800's (1850s-1880s) site that we discovered at the front of the property. I was able to recover 5 Indian Head cents (1882, 1885, 1863, 1865 and 188?) and four buttons. I dug a pile of melted lead and other bits and pieces. A nice cast brass "earlier then 1850s) bell was also recovered towards the end of the trip as we walked closer back to the 1600s site.
My favorite find of the day was the early neck stock buckle with a military motif. This one has me stumped on dates, known experts have told me 1812, Rev War or Mexican War. I am not sold on all or any yet, though I do like it.
HH
Dan
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