DaChief
Bronze Member
- Sep 16, 2007
- 1,035
- 36
- Detector(s) used
- -------(Water)------- Garrett Infinium (Relic and Coin) Minelab Sov. Elite
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I hear people talk of hoping to find that "virgin" treasure hunting site where nobody has ever hunted before. Well here is the guaranteed way you can do this just about every weekend if you do just a little homework.
I have been Relic Hunting for years. 18 plus to be exact. When I first got started, I had no internet to search for clues nor did I have a mentor. I learned the hard way by trial and error and what little I could read in magazines and books. It was by accident that I learned the technique that would jump start my hobby in ways I could not have imagined.
I was living in a history rich southern city that a large Confederate Force had occupied throughout the Civil War. Before and after the Civil War, the United States Army had a presence there. The city was established in the early 1700's with some earlier settlers living in the area before that. Most of the areas where lots of activity took place back in the old days were on the outskirts of the city center. Today, those areas are now in the heart of the city as we know it since the city center has grown well out into what was once the outskirts. As a result of this growth, most of the military camps, trenches and gun emplacements that existed in the past have been covered with concrete or asphalt or they have been developed into residential areas. This meant that most of the good stuff was hopelessly inaccessible. That is until I discovered the wonderful world of construction site hunting.
Big or small, construction sites are windows to the past that will open for a very short period of time in Urban areas. A new building, a new parking lot, a new subdivision, a new store, a new school all provide the opportunity to reach back in time where nobody has been able to go before. The reason for this is clear. Most old paved roads, sidewalks, old buildings, etc., that are downtown in older cities have been in place for 50 or more years. When those locations are excavated for rebuilding or new use, you are afforded an opportunity to hunt areas that have never seen a metal detector. The key to success in these locations is to stay on top of what is going on in your area, making contact with the contractor ahead of ground breaking for permission to hunt and establishing the rules, and then being the first person on the site when ground is broken and the o.k. to hunt is given.
Obviously, anywhere within a mile or so of the center of downtown in an Urban setting of an old city is going to be productive. Remember as stated above, what was on the outskirts of the old city center is where all of the activity was going on. Military drills, parks, fairs, horse races, sporting events, you name it, it was happening. The older the city, the older the finds you will be fortunate to possess.
In my case, my finds went from pitifully slim semi modern items to impressive relics over night.
Some examples are as follows:
Sidewalk replacement sites: Old sidewalks in a city can be aged by looking for certain identifiers. Old cement is of course one sign. Brass plates with dates on them are another or you may see names and dates etched in the concrete by a child or adult. Keep in mind that those old sidewalks most likely covered well used dirt walking paths. I keep my detector in the trunk of my car almost always and anytime I see a sidewalk being torn out for replacement or repair, I make a point to come back to that location before the area is completed and hunt the fresh ground that has just been exposed by the demolition. My finds to date under old sidewalks in this manner have been numerous. They include Seated Liberty coins and an 1840's United States Army Breast Belt Plate, (Mexican War Era), with a Silver Wreath and Silver U.S. inside the wreath.
Old House Demolition: My best find to date came from the demolition site of a 1920's home. You would not expect to find anything that good at such a place until you understand that those homes were built in 1920 right on top of an old Confederate Camp area. My find at this lot which was 50 ft X 50 ft, was a CS Old English Script Two Piece Belt Buckle. A rarity of 9 on a scale of 10. Along with that buckle I found two Georgia State Seal Buttons and a few U.S. Eagle buttons all in that small lot.
Construction site of a new gymnasium and sports field: Here I found the remnants of a WWI training camp. I came off that field the day it was graded for construction with pockets full of old silver coins all predating 1918, WWI collar brass and buttons, WWI era jewelry and other great items.
Repaved roadways: My finds in these areas where old pavement has been completely removed to expose the old dirt road beneath have been Confederate Buttons, Old Coins and various artifacts and relics.
The good and bad of Construction Sites in older parts of town:
Good:
Everything you find is usually fairly old.
The ground is freshly graded or scraped making hunting very easy.
You are usually the first person that has ever hunted the area. Remember that metal detectors didn't exist when the original structure, sidewalk, parking lot, etc., was built so this is the first time these areas have seen the light of day since metal detectors were invented.
Items are usually near the surface of the ground.
Bad:
Limited hunt time. These sites don't stay in the prep stage for very long. You may only have a day or two to hunt the entire area before it is closed again by topsoil prep, concrete, asphalt, etc.
You have to be able to talk a site forman into letting you hunt.
Everybody who sees you there will want to join in and since it is in a public place, you will be seen.
Often high trash. This can be worked around with a small coil.
Be Among The First To Know About New Constuction Projects
You can learn of proposed construction sites through various means but the best way is to stay informed about what is going on in and around your community. Stories about the locations of proposed construction projects are often in your local paper or on your local news channels. You can also check with the city or county building permit official in your area. They have lists of requests for construction permits that are open to the public. A drive into a historic area will often let you simply eyeball an area where it is obvious that construction is about to take place. A recent location here in Central Florida that I hunted and found old silver was easily identified because the old buildings in the area where a new strip mall was going to be built were being torn down. I saw a location in Tampa on a recent drive through there off I-275 where over 100 old homes were being demolished to make way for a new roadway. Those homes were at least 50 years old and who knows what was there before they were built.
Conclusion:
Hope this gives you some luck and some insight into what is out there at construction sites. If you live in smaller towns, the same principle applies but you may have to travel a little to the nearest larger city to find construction on a regular basis.
Good Luck and I promise if you do your research and watch those historical areas for fresh construction, you will find some really great stuff!!!
DaChief
I have been Relic Hunting for years. 18 plus to be exact. When I first got started, I had no internet to search for clues nor did I have a mentor. I learned the hard way by trial and error and what little I could read in magazines and books. It was by accident that I learned the technique that would jump start my hobby in ways I could not have imagined.
I was living in a history rich southern city that a large Confederate Force had occupied throughout the Civil War. Before and after the Civil War, the United States Army had a presence there. The city was established in the early 1700's with some earlier settlers living in the area before that. Most of the areas where lots of activity took place back in the old days were on the outskirts of the city center. Today, those areas are now in the heart of the city as we know it since the city center has grown well out into what was once the outskirts. As a result of this growth, most of the military camps, trenches and gun emplacements that existed in the past have been covered with concrete or asphalt or they have been developed into residential areas. This meant that most of the good stuff was hopelessly inaccessible. That is until I discovered the wonderful world of construction site hunting.
Big or small, construction sites are windows to the past that will open for a very short period of time in Urban areas. A new building, a new parking lot, a new subdivision, a new store, a new school all provide the opportunity to reach back in time where nobody has been able to go before. The reason for this is clear. Most old paved roads, sidewalks, old buildings, etc., that are downtown in older cities have been in place for 50 or more years. When those locations are excavated for rebuilding or new use, you are afforded an opportunity to hunt areas that have never seen a metal detector. The key to success in these locations is to stay on top of what is going on in your area, making contact with the contractor ahead of ground breaking for permission to hunt and establishing the rules, and then being the first person on the site when ground is broken and the o.k. to hunt is given.
Obviously, anywhere within a mile or so of the center of downtown in an Urban setting of an old city is going to be productive. Remember as stated above, what was on the outskirts of the old city center is where all of the activity was going on. Military drills, parks, fairs, horse races, sporting events, you name it, it was happening. The older the city, the older the finds you will be fortunate to possess.
In my case, my finds went from pitifully slim semi modern items to impressive relics over night.
Some examples are as follows:
Sidewalk replacement sites: Old sidewalks in a city can be aged by looking for certain identifiers. Old cement is of course one sign. Brass plates with dates on them are another or you may see names and dates etched in the concrete by a child or adult. Keep in mind that those old sidewalks most likely covered well used dirt walking paths. I keep my detector in the trunk of my car almost always and anytime I see a sidewalk being torn out for replacement or repair, I make a point to come back to that location before the area is completed and hunt the fresh ground that has just been exposed by the demolition. My finds to date under old sidewalks in this manner have been numerous. They include Seated Liberty coins and an 1840's United States Army Breast Belt Plate, (Mexican War Era), with a Silver Wreath and Silver U.S. inside the wreath.
Old House Demolition: My best find to date came from the demolition site of a 1920's home. You would not expect to find anything that good at such a place until you understand that those homes were built in 1920 right on top of an old Confederate Camp area. My find at this lot which was 50 ft X 50 ft, was a CS Old English Script Two Piece Belt Buckle. A rarity of 9 on a scale of 10. Along with that buckle I found two Georgia State Seal Buttons and a few U.S. Eagle buttons all in that small lot.
Construction site of a new gymnasium and sports field: Here I found the remnants of a WWI training camp. I came off that field the day it was graded for construction with pockets full of old silver coins all predating 1918, WWI collar brass and buttons, WWI era jewelry and other great items.
Repaved roadways: My finds in these areas where old pavement has been completely removed to expose the old dirt road beneath have been Confederate Buttons, Old Coins and various artifacts and relics.
The good and bad of Construction Sites in older parts of town:
Good:
Everything you find is usually fairly old.
The ground is freshly graded or scraped making hunting very easy.
You are usually the first person that has ever hunted the area. Remember that metal detectors didn't exist when the original structure, sidewalk, parking lot, etc., was built so this is the first time these areas have seen the light of day since metal detectors were invented.
Items are usually near the surface of the ground.
Bad:
Limited hunt time. These sites don't stay in the prep stage for very long. You may only have a day or two to hunt the entire area before it is closed again by topsoil prep, concrete, asphalt, etc.
You have to be able to talk a site forman into letting you hunt.
Everybody who sees you there will want to join in and since it is in a public place, you will be seen.
Often high trash. This can be worked around with a small coil.
Be Among The First To Know About New Constuction Projects
You can learn of proposed construction sites through various means but the best way is to stay informed about what is going on in and around your community. Stories about the locations of proposed construction projects are often in your local paper or on your local news channels. You can also check with the city or county building permit official in your area. They have lists of requests for construction permits that are open to the public. A drive into a historic area will often let you simply eyeball an area where it is obvious that construction is about to take place. A recent location here in Central Florida that I hunted and found old silver was easily identified because the old buildings in the area where a new strip mall was going to be built were being torn down. I saw a location in Tampa on a recent drive through there off I-275 where over 100 old homes were being demolished to make way for a new roadway. Those homes were at least 50 years old and who knows what was there before they were built.
Conclusion:
Hope this gives you some luck and some insight into what is out there at construction sites. If you live in smaller towns, the same principle applies but you may have to travel a little to the nearest larger city to find construction on a regular basis.
Good Luck and I promise if you do your research and watch those historical areas for fresh construction, you will find some really great stuff!!!
DaChief
)late 1880 coins(a seated dime,a V nick,2-4 Indians ?) from construction site/sidewalk tear outs (just this year)
