advice needed for old house site

[waseeker]

have 1 more day to hunt old house site. It's being stripped of the topsoil and grass as we speak (see my post in todays finds.).

From ya'lls experience is it worth my time to scan the piles of grass and top soil that are off to the edges of the property, or should I concentrate on the bare dirt areas?

 

[TORRERO]

I would certainly concentrate on the bare dirt areas.
let us know what you find...
Normally the grass / topsoil carries the pulltab / trash and its so much easier to
dig for the "Now Shallow" targets, in open dirt.... dig everything where the top soil has
been removed.
Good luck

 

[Shortstack]

waseeker--
Going by what you've stated, you're out of hunting time at that site,but I'd still like to give you my advice on that situation.
I see by you signature that you live in the northwest where the weather has the potential for some wide temp swings. Somefolks believe that frost heaving will bury coins and jewelry deeper and deeper into the ground. I am not one of them. I lived for 3 years close to Fairbanks, Alaska and found coins no deeper than those in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona,etc. So I would concentrate on the old topsoil. When the contractors cutdown the area for building, they're going down at least 6 inches which will take out the trash, of course, but also the goodies.
Ask the contractors and owners for permission to go back and check the piles of grass / topsoil.

When evaluating a site in the future, try to determine if extra soil has been brought into the area by mechanical means (truck loads spread around to build up the area) or natural means (floods bringing in silt; tree leaves allowed to decay in place). If the area you're looking at appears to be the original landscaping, then expect dropped valuables to be at a depth of 6" or less. There may be some screaming disagreements posted to that statement, but I believe anything deeper that about 6" has had more cover come in by one of the 2 means I mentioned.

 

[Ant]

Defiantly hit the dirt first, period.

 

[waseeker]

I went out there Sunday and found 4 cents and an aluminum drawer pull. It has been very dry here and the bare area was like walking in loose powder. I worked the sod piles as best as I could and got nothing.

We got rain today so I went back by there about 5:00pm. Talked with the guy who's going to take the house down, but not till next week, so I can hunt a bit more in the front and side yard. The rest of the area has been cleaned of the sod, gravel has been brought in, etc. so that is out.

for this evening I did find 2 quarters, a dime, 2 cents and a gear of some sort.