1600s SITE YIELDS A FEW GOODIES AND FUTURE POTENTIAL

[joeyfresh]

I couldn't pass up a beautiful day so I decided to hit an early site that has been pounded by others in the past but I figured there'd be a few more goodies left for me.
The site had a locked gate at the entrance so I had to hoof it almost 2 miles to the field and house site. The old road to the site is beautiful and there are numerous creek crossings with Indian pottery sherds laying in the creek beds.

The field is surrounded by two creeks and a river all of which were well traversed by British and Dutch merchant ships in the 1600s and 1700s. There is an old cemetery that sits behind the old house site that has numerous 17th century graves in it. The house was built around 1680 and was torn down in the early 1800s and the inhabitants relocated to higher ground nearby due to sickness caused by the low lying marshes that surround the property.

There was lots of Civil War activity in the area so this site has been pounded to death over the years so the finds were very slim.

I found a few colonial buttons and 1600s trapezoidal buckle. I also found a lead wool seal with the words "Worsted Reformed" on it which was wool from Norwich, England in the late 1600s. I also walked along the river and saw brick, oyster shell, pottery and onion bottle bases and spouts eroding from a part of the bank....potential trash pit! I'll have to bring my probe that my good buddy Bill D gave me see how large the trash pit is.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Family Maps of Hinds County, Mississippi, Deluxe Edition - Grab it through Amazon!

[joeyfresh]

That's a gorgeous site Joey. And you obviously made some nice finds that others missed. Based on your description of the potential trash pit area I'd say its highly unlikely its been dug before. So if you can make some headway clearing the vegetation out of the way there's no telling what you might get into. The low tide muck might also reveal other goodies including that elusive whole black glass bottle that I know you're seeking. Hope you can get back in there soon. Good luck!

Yeah Bill, that trash pit is where the remaining good stuff will be. Now I just have to convince the hunt club or farmer to give me a key to the gate. That's a long walk back to the car after a full day of diggin', lol.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Joey hi,

Well worth the walk, and given the size of the place, and the amount of non ferrous items you found I'd never give up on that place. A place like that can give up anything on any given day.

PS just hope you didn't give away a little too much info.
PPS I never was one of those people who worried about such things, but after a few years of being "used" it does start to factor in...sadly.

BTW good hunt way better than I did yesterday (1st of the year here in cold country)
I like that button.

 

[joeyfresh]

That's an awesome looking site, I can't wait to see what goodies come out of that area. The onion pieces make me hopefull that you will unearth an intact onion bottle, something that is rarely ever done. Congrats.
ZDD

I think the best one can do in a trash pit is find onion bottle pieces and try to reconstruct them similar to the one below that I recently acquired. The whole bottles found around here have been found in the river mud along the banks of these old houses. When it warms up just a little, I plan on scouring the mud

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Thanks Cru. Would you happen to know what the item is with the swirled star burst design on it is? There's a picture of the back as well (the pictures are upside down for some goofy reason on my part).

Joey - that swirly looking heavy brass piece is an 18th century rosette I believe. I've dug many of those over the years at colonial sites.

 

[joeyfresh]

Joey hi,

Well worth the walk, and given the size of the place, and the amount of non ferrous items you found I'd never give up on that place. A place like that can give up anything on any given day.

PS just hope you didn't give away a little too much info.
PPS I never was one of those people who worried about such things, but after a few years of being "used" it does start to factor in...sadly.

BTW good hunt way better than I did yesterday (1st of the year here in cold country)
I like that button.

Thanks Rick. I tried to only include photos where the site wasn't too discernable. The land owner is not going to give anyone else permission and good luck to anyone who tries to sneak on to the site. There are deer cameras everywhere and if they know anything about the area then they know about the notorious hunt club. Also there's only one way in and one way out....at one point during my trek in I had to pee but I had to hold it because I knew I was being watched

 

[joeyfresh]

Joey - that swirly looking heavy brass piece is an 18th century rosette I believe. I've dug many of those over the years at colonial sites.

Thanks Bill. I figured that but I couldn't figure out the back.

 

[Bumpa66]

Nice finds. Can't wait to see what comes from the potential trash pits. Any privy's on property? Could be some great stuff to be found there too!!

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Thanks Bill. I figured that but I couldn't figure out the back.

I'm positive I've seen that exact item in one of my books, but after looking through 10 of them this morning I can't put my finger on it. I'll keep trying. Shouldn't be too hard to find something on it somewhere since they were quite common.

 

[Ahab8]

That's a beautiful site. Reminds me of a place here in Maine that I just found. Yours is a few years older though. I love that old wool seal. Very symbolic piece from that time period. First few hunts at my site it didn't give much up but the last couple it started producing a few 1800s coins. Knowing that really old stuff is in there somewhere I would really take my time with that place. Eventually it will produce something great. It's awesome that it's well protected and you've got exclusive rights. I've got a 60 acre site on a point with a property owner that wouldn't hesitate to fire his shotgun in someone's direction if they weren't welcome. Sounds like you have the same situation. Excited to see what comes out of there. That place would prob be worth checking out a water machine

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks Cru. Would you happen to know what the item is with the swirled star burst design on it is? There's a picture of the back as well (the pictures are upside down for some goofy reason on my part).

Click on the link, thats what I IDed for you.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Keep on digging that site,I'm sure there are lots of goodies to be found!

 

[joeyfresh]

Click on the link, thats what I IDed for you.

Good eye Cru. Thanks for the ID.

 

[HomeGuardDan]

sorry I missed this bud - great finds!

 

[joeyfresh]

sorry I missed this bud - great finds!

Thanks Dan. I hope you got my IM. I responded but it doesn't look like it took. Let me know.

 

[metalev4]

Just saw this post. Gorgeous looking site with amazing potential, even if it has been hit.. Hopefully the trash pit extends back into that bank.
_Evan

 

[joeyfresh]

Just saw this post. Gorgeous looking site with amazing potential, even if it has been hit.. Hopefully the trash pit extends back into that bank.
_Evan

Thanks Evan. I hopefully will find out the extent of the trash pit soon.

 

[Danno]

Nice discovery of a SUPER looking site ! I see silver in your near future there ! But regardless of silver, i just love the early sites.. they have lots to share! I love the rosette . It's giving me spring fever no doubt!! I can't wait for this Artic like weather to break here on the Eastern Delmarva. WTG !! HH, Dan

 

[K1DDO1979]

I found lots of really old homestead dump sites in different locations but never really touched them because I was there detecting the areas instead. Would they be worth while to go through? What is the most I could expect to get? Old bottles,etc.? What's they best way to go through them without breaking and messing the stuff up if it's been buried for 100-200 years?