Abandoned Homesites --- Always Trashy?

[joelt]

I've found quite a few abandoned homesites, where no structure is left. I expect some trash left-over from the house and those that lived there, but it seems like I can't find a site that hasn't been dumped on as well, and typically it seems the homeless have beat me to it as well.

Is this par for the course? Maybe I need to get farther away from the towns/city?

 

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[John (Ma)]

Most of the home sites I come to have plenty of iron. Close to the hole the buiding fell, so you will get plenty of nail and other iron targets. Away from the hole there will be fewer, but there was no trash pick up and no plastic back then. You just have to be patient and maybe even hunt it with a small coil to help isolate targets. Of course there is always sifting if you really want to work, but there are some good finds to be had with this method.

 

[Sniffy]

Keep going back. Maybe move some rubble about to make better sweeps. Anything could happen.

 

[collector01]

The abandoned house sites I hunt that were used into the 1900s are usually trashy with lots of beer cans and more modern junk and the ones away from town are just as junky because that's were the kids go hide and drink and they never pick up there trash I guess I'm getting paid back for littering back then lol. Just keep going back after you get all the trash out and you will start to find the goodies just be patient. HH!

 

[Noodle]

A process in my neck of the woods is to take an old house on family property, have equipment brought in, dig a huge hole next to the house, then break the house down and shove it into the hole. Nothing left. Dirt is leveled over the hole/house, and for all intents and purposes, it was never there.

 

[boogeyman]

Did one a year or so ago that had burned down. Like stated before, aluminum blobbies everywhere! Found out it had been rewired years back with aluminum wire & some copper. Hit a spot on the back of the house that had over 100 coins in a fan shape out from the foundation. My best guess is there was a penny jar in the room & the fire dept. blew them out the windo when they put the fire out. It was a heck of a lot of work, and my knees ached for a week, but made some pretty cool finds even though it was only an early 50s house.

Keep trying, be patient goodies are there. Not to mention if anyone else has searched it they probably gave up & left the good stuff for the ones that want to do a little extra careful searching.

 

[The Seeker]

What i have found out about old homesites is the older they are the less garbage, iron, and trash there will be.......Early pioneers never wasted anything. They used or repaired all the supplies or tools they had. As things changed and jobs became more plentyful people had more money to purchase more and better ways to farm there land which inturn theymade more money .....they were able to scrap and throw away tools , parts , etc.....and buy new ones. The early 1900's were known for this....any of those old homesites are usually littered with garbage , and iron, foil ,copper pieces you name it.....So my suggestion would be to look for the older sites when doing your research.....this will help in more ways than one!

Keep on Digging!

 

[oneeye]

I always figured that large amounts of trash indicate a longer period of human activity and thus a higher likelihood of good targets. I am hunting the same abandoned farm every year since I started metal detecting in 1985. Still giving up good finds.
Dan

 

[treasureace14]

i got permission to hunt and old chimney from a house and found nothing but sheetmetal and modern trash in the first hour so went home.

 

[John (Ma)]

Alot of times you will have to dig down and maybe even sift. As the house fell apart and collapsed, there will be alot of trash for the fist few inches.

 

[pyledriver]

Take a garden rake and clear out the big stuff. Look for collapsed porches that are blocking you from detecting the ingress/egress areas of the house. You'll need to pick that mess up and get it moved! Old sites mean hard work sometimes!