Depth of finds

[Midden-marauder]

What is the average depth of the finds you folks make with your detectors? I'm having to dial back sensitivity on my new rig to avoid digging 12"+ on the plumbing in our yard, I've located at least 3 pipes now and I'm getting sick of digging that deep, the VDI on those rusty ass pipes rings in like silver which confuses things (most rusty iron is high numbers/tones, I'm beginning to doubt all high and low tones).
I'm sure there's special exceptions but what would you say your typical depth is? I'm trying to learn this thing and where to set things. I need perspective

 

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[dave_e]

Elsewhere things may be different but thus far going past 5" is likely to disappoint,...

Elsewhere things may be different is 100% true. You surely find that out when you get more experience.
I have a site where I did no targets less than 6". Only deep hits.

 

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[Bucket Lister]

Sounds like my experience with locating what I think is an old well head in our yard. That I actually located with only my pinpointer but it's a large bit of metal, maybe 5ish inches down with the shaft extending down to hell below. The things I find at depth are often bigger the BB experience notwithstanding. Pipes, bits of pipe, plumbing, gas lines etc. I unearthed a large piece of sheet metal picked up with the pinpointer at about 6". No coins or other valuables located at those depths as of yet, just big ol iron. I keep my 9 1/2" dialed in at lower to mid sensitivity, at least on our property. Elsewhere things may be different but thus far going past 5" is likely to disappoint, no coinage at that depth anywhere I've been to date. I'm sure there are exceptions but I've not encountered them

I'm glad you mentioned that. I did find some kind of 3"(?) pipe running from the house, but it was only 8" deep or so. I left it be.

You're also making me think whatever I left down there could be some kind of cap to an old well, cistern, septic... I'll have a chat with the owners; they may know a little more about what might be where....

LOL! So far, the 3 coins I've found have all been deeper than 6" (and all modern). 😒

 

[Midden-marauder]

I'd say things are definitely different other places. I've dug plenty of coins at 6" or better. I remember one particular wheat penny I found standing on edge 8" down. (I remember it because I was really surprised I got a signal on it at all.)

Yeah, thus far, older items have in most cases been within an inch of the surface even at some of our old dumping grounds that we like to haunt. Granted, things drop off pretty sharply around the mid 1900s here or so it seems, my guess is that the 1800s lurk somewhere at the bottom of the pile or 10 feet down in some privy pit yet undiscovered in the oldest parts of town. Actually I was commenting on this to my girl yesterday, it's like there's a 300 year gap or so in what can be found on or close to the surface. Early to mid 1900s are fairly easy to locate, definitely par for the course around here. Prior to that things dive outta sight until the mid to late 1600s, then you find native artifacts laying about certain locations right on the surface, 1600s and older, contact to pre Spanish contact status. Over a thousand years old in some cases but yeah, right there for the taking if you check around certain places. I've not been successful in finding the 1800s places, maybe very late 1800s but not obviously earlier.
What determines the depth of burial seems to be dependent on much, primarily on anthropogenic influences or so it seems. Things left on the surface 70 years ago will tend to remain on the surface perhaps with a layer of leaf litter on top. Desert conditions perhaps?

 

[Midden-marauder]

I'm glad you mentioned that. I did find some kind of 3"(?) pipe running from the house, but it was only 8" deep or so. I left it be.

You're also making me think whatever I left down there could be some kind of cap to an old well, cistern, septic... I'll have a chat with the owners; they may know a little more about what might be where....

LOL! So far, the 3 coins I've found have all been deeper than 6" (and all modern). 😒

I've taken great interest in static metallic features I've found on our property and digging in deep to the history of the area, I've found some odd things difficult to account for between 4-6" down that suggest earlier structures. Relics are cool to find but so too are these buried remnants of that which stood before. Little back yard archeological action!

 

[HillBilly244]

I found an 1838 seated half dime at 12" with the deus. Usually i wouldn't have even dug it because it wasn't a strong signal but this was a very old site with zero trash, we dug every signal

 

[Johnnybravo300]

The Kansas River flood plain soil can have you digging 6 inches for a 2020 Zincoln and the edges will be corroded away.
The coppers come out perfect of course.

 

[Midden-marauder]

The Kansas River flood plain soil can have you digging 6 inches for a 2020 Zincoln and the edges will be corroded away.
The coppers come out perfect of course.

Yeah, these newer coins just don't hold up do they. I can find one from the 40s in perfect condition meanwhile last years mint is looking kinda rough sitting out in the elements for six months. Those newer pennies rot out fast

 

[Midden-marauder]

I've been experimenting with leaving objects on the ground and watching how fast they take to end up buried in any given spot. My observation? They disappear under the dirt pretty quickly especially when there's human traffic but now look, a week later they're back on the surface again, uncovered by wind, water or the movement of human feet. Things have a way of remaining close to the surface unless buried by human hands at least around here.
Now, the flooding of the Rio grande river was officially checked back in the late 1900s but of course folks dared to occupy the flood plain prior to that and paid for it. My ongoing quest to find a pre 1900 dump or deposit along the river may be confounded by the fact that the 1800s may be buried under a foot or more of silt. It doesn't help that they move a lot of earth around down by the banks as part of wilderness maintenance. Things get pushed into piles and mounds that definitely pique my curiosity but goodness only knows how deep stuff is in there. Sometimes things get accidentally uncovered by the same earth movers but not older than 1900 yet or not that I can identify

 

[cannonball]

What is the average depth of the finds you folks make with your detectors? I'm having to dial back sensitivity on my new rig to avoid digging 12"+ on the plumbing in our yard, I've located at least 3 pipes now and I'm getting sick of digging that deep, the VDI on those rusty ass pipes rings in like silver which confuses things (most rusty iron is high numbers/tones, I'm beginning to doubt all high and low tones).
I'm sure there's special exceptions but what would you say your typical depth is? I'm trying to learn this thing and where to set things. I need perspective

I find it a good sign when I dig small buckshot at 5" deep. One tip would be to use your feet a lot. Kick out a little surface soil and get to coil closer to the target. Many of my 300 year old coins are over 3' deep but that's another story. For me the point is to have fun, learn and enjoy the exercise!

 

[Midden-marauder]

I find it a good sign when I dig small buckshot at 5" deep. One tip would be to use your feet a lot. Kick out a little surface soil and get to coil closer to the target. Many of my 300 year old coins are over 3' deep but that's another story. For me the point is to have fun, learn and enjoy the exercise!

Definitely a sign of a sensitive detector. Considering the device I'm playing with, the Gordon High Precision Metal Detector, finding a tiny BB at 5" is nothing to whine about. Nonetheless, digging that deep on such a tiny object is a bit much or at least I think so. Let no one say that harbor freight only sells crap lol, it's a decent detector lol

 

[MisterHelix]

Most of the stuff I dig is found <1” to 6” deep.

I don’t know if my machine (simplex ultra) doesn’t see deeper, or if there’s nothing there, or if I just ignore signals that want me to dig a hole to China.

 

[Bucket Lister]

I've been experimenting with leaving objects on the ground and watching how fast they take to end up buried in any given spot.

Wow! 😲 And I thought watching paint dry was tough!

 

[Bucket Lister]

Definitely a sign of a sensitive detector. Considering the device I'm playing with, the Gordon High Precision Metal Detector, finding a tiny BB at 5" is nothing to whine about. Nonetheless, digging that deep on such a tiny object is a bit much or at least I think so. Let no one say that harbor freight only sells crap lol, it's a decent detector lol

All my MD digging tools have (at least) 6" blades.
If 5" is too deep to dig... 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[LandSeig]

I've been experimenting with leaving objects on the ground and watching how fast they take to end up buried in any given spot. My observation? They disappear under the dirt pretty quickly especially when there's human traffic but now look, a week later they're back on the surface again, uncovered by wind, water or the movement of human feet. Things have a way of remaining close to the surface unless buried by human hands at least around here.
Now, the flooding of the Rio grande river was officially checked back in the late 1900s but of course folks dared to occupy the flood plain prior to that and paid for it. My ongoing quest to find a pre 1900 dump or deposit along the river may be confounded by the fact that the 1800s may be buried under a foot or more of silt. It doesn't help that they move a lot of earth around down by the banks as part of wilderness maintenance. Things get pushed into piles and mounds that definitely pique my curiosity but goodness only knows how deep stuff is in there. Sometimes things get accidentally uncovered by the same earth movers but not older than 1900 yet or not that I can identify

Rivers can be tricky, just look at old state borders and where the river is now. They can move an incredible amount of soil in a short period of time.

 

[Midden-marauder]

Wow! 😲 And I thought watching paint dry was tough!

It's interesting to conduct little experiments on stuff like that and in more than one location too. It seems, based on most of what I've seen, that locally, objects in many spaces simply don't stay buried for long. The top 2 reasons things end up buried in my neck of the woods are:
-Human activity: how stuff really ends up buried.
-leaf litter: sometimes buries stuff though it may not last, the leaves only bury things an inch or two but then decay fairly quickly which can result in the buried object simply resurfacing.
Still a realm of exploration for me but those have been the initial observations at the local level

 

[MisterHelix]

I found a dime up in my woods, which based on the date (2013), I almost certainly dropped myself when I first moved here ten years ago.

It was 2.5” deep in rich black forest soil filled with fine roots. I was surprised to find that it was only ten years old and probably my own.

I am so curious about how the earth shifts and erodes and accumulates.

 

[Bucket Lister]

I found a dime up in my woods, which based on the date (2013), I almost certainly dropped myself when I first moved here ten years ago.

It was 2.5” deep in rich black forest soil filled with fine roots. I was surprised to find that it was only ten years old and probably my own.

I am so curious about how the earth shifts and erodes and accumulates.
View attachment 2138850

See: Day 2 mystery 😉

First coins--and a mystery (sort of)...

We had a brief (2 day) respite from winter over the weekend, so I got my first real chance to try this thing (Dēus II) out. Back yard & "meadow" were still under water, so I was limited to the front yard. Day 1: General Program 1 : Found what I expected; more aluminum gutter scraps, some ring...

www.treasurenet.com

 

[Midden-marauder]

All my MD digging tools have (at least) 6" blades.
If 5" is too deep to dig... 🤦🏼‍♂️

Depends on the soil lol. The BB is a funny story but the part omitted was that I unearthed it in very packed, gravely ground so it was quite labor intensive. I don't think my spade would have pushed 6" down in that situation. What it taught me was to keep sensitivity right down at least on our property, past a certain point all I'm doing is mapping utilities with the occasional coin or nail throwing t

See: Day 2 mystery 😉

First coins--and a mystery (sort of)...

We had a brief (2 day) respite from winter over the weekend, so I got my first real chance to try this thing (Dēus II) out. Back yard & "meadow" were still under water, so I was limited to the front yard. Day 1: General Program 1 : Found what I expected; more aluminum gutter scraps, some ring...

www.treasurenet.com

Good question! Anthropogenic causes get my bet but then I'm not where you are! 10" is pretty deep by all accounts.

 

[Midden-marauder]

I found a dime up in my woods, which based on the date (2013), I almost certainly dropped myself when I first moved here ten years ago.

It was 2.5” deep in rich black forest soil filled with fine roots. I was surprised to find that it was only ten years old and probably my own.

I am so curious about how the earth shifts and erodes and accumulates.
View attachment 2138850

I think it just depends. Every coin I've found pre 1960 were on or very close to the surface, most coins I find are close to the surface honestly. Often in bad condition sadly but yeah, not terribly deep.

 

[Bucket Lister]

Depends on the soil lol.

Indubitably. That's (partly) why I usually have a few different digging tools. I bring whichever works best at a current site; the rest can stay in the car kit.

The BB is a funny story but the part omitted was that I unearthed it in very packed, gravely ground so it was quite labor intensive. I don't think my spade would have pushed 6" down in that situation. What it taught me was to keep sensitivity right down at least on our property, past a certain point all I'm doing is mapping utilities with the occasional coin or nail throwing t

Good question! Anthropogenic causes get my bet but then I'm not where you are! 10" is pretty deep by all accounts.

Is it? That's how long my... uh... pinpointer is! (Well... 9½" 😏)

A lot of signals I dig are that deep. If you happen to be detecting a cultivated area (field), a lot of stuff is going to be at least the depth of a plow blade furrow (Whatever that may be. I went to an Ag school, but all I learned was the difference between planting and burying... 😞)