Another DC artifact site.

Fossil_adult

Jr. Member
Apr 9, 2021
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347
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Got a Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon. Now I don’t know how to use it or where to even begin.
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This has been a very peculiar time for me. With the passage of almost a year I’ve been finding very little artifacts. Plenty of fossils, of course, but not much in terms of artifacts. Maybe a marble here, or a brass key there, but otherwise, nothing. All of the sudden, I find one bottle dump right near where I live. Found some cool late 18th century bottle fragments and a really nice WW1 collar disk.

Then, not even 24 hours pass, and I find ANOTHER site. In DC. Now if y’all have been to DC, then you’ll know it’s really not that big of a city. Despite its small size, however, I have managed to find TWO more artifact sites. I am extremely pleased and now I won’t have to worry about artifacts anymore!

Anyways, it’s a large hillside that spans to about the size of a block lengthwise. There is a LOT of ground to cover, and from the looks of it, has remained untouched since people stopped throwing trash there. I am of course reminded that since this is a city, there are encampments there where others live, so I always try to be courteous and give them space.

Now onto the finds. I didn’t find as many bottles. Most of them had been deliberately smashed by the number of rocks present and remains of once intact bottles (internal crying) but I managed to scoop up some really awesome stuff. Here’s all the artifacts found here:

All the finds:

79AC6829-591E-40F1-967A-F329B041FCFD.jpeg

The finds include a blue bottle with no embossing and a lip chip (sad); three buttons (ceramic, plastic, and oyster shell); a shotgun shell fragment (scary for most of the city); a really nice pipe bowl, some really cool marbles including some made of clay, and a weird metal sphere that I have no idea what it is and what it was used for. Any help would be greatly apprieciated. I also found a rusted out sewing machine but left it because it screamed tetanus.


Flipped:

70805584-41CA-4470-9AAA-9C387E888623.jpeg


Favorite specimens:

C441DC31-1C76-4810-953C-82B5F996E35D.jpeg


All and all, this was a very pleasing hunt. I will come back to this spot with a lot more knowledge and a better digging tool than some broken clay pot lid. It’s always fun to find artifacts in the capitol I’m now hoping to find a local DC druggist bottle here that’d be cool.
 

Upvote 15

Digger RJ

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Aug 24, 2017
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This has been a very peculiar time for me. With the passage of almost a year I’ve been finding very little artifacts. Plenty of fossils, of course, but not much in terms of artifacts. Maybe a marble here, or a brass key there, but otherwise, nothing. All of the sudden, I find one bottle dump right near where I live. Found some cool late 18th century bottle fragments and a really nice WW1 collar disk.

Then, not even 24 hours pass, and I find ANOTHER site. In DC. Now if y’all have been to DC, then you’ll know it’s really not that big of a city. Despite its small size, however, I have managed to find TWO more artifact sites. I am extremely pleased and now I won’t have to worry about artifacts anymore!

Anyways, it’s a large hillside that spans to about the size of a block lengthwise. There is a LOT of ground to cover, and from the looks of it, has remained untouched since people stopped throwing trash there. I am of course reminded that since this is a city, there are encampments there where others live, so I always try to be courteous and give them space.

Now onto the finds. I didn’t find as many bottles. Most of them had been deliberately smashed by the number of rocks present and remains of once intact bottles (internal crying) but I managed to scoop up some really awesome stuff. Here’s all the artifacts found here:

All the finds:

View attachment 2057733
The finds include a blue bottle with no embossing and a lip chip (sad); three buttons (ceramic, plastic, and oyster shell); a shotgun shell fragment (scary for most of the city); a really nice pipe bowl, some really cool marbles including some made of clay, and a weird metal sphere that I have no idea what it is and what it was used for. Any help would be greatly apprieciated. I also found a rusted out sewing machine but left it because it screamed tetanus.


Flipped:

View attachment 2057734

Favorite specimens:

View attachment 2057735

All and all, this was a very pleasing hunt. I will come back to this spot with a lot more knowledge and a better digging tool than some broken clay pot lid. It’s always fun to find artifacts in the capitol I’m now hoping to find a local DC druggist bottle here that’d be cool.
Very Cool!!! I like those clay marbles!!! Congrats!!!
 

OP
OP
Fossil_adult

Fossil_adult

Jr. Member
Apr 9, 2021
89
347
Detector(s) used
Got a Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon. Now I don’t know how to use it or where to even begin.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am truly impressed that you are finding any place to hunt in DC. Those are awesome finds and would keep me going for a long time. I love the pipe bowl and I cry with you over the bottle. Congrats and be careful out there.
I've lived here all my life (20 years) and keeping your eyes up is always the best thing. Paying attention to your surroundings is a skill that lot of city folk should practice, not looking down on your phone while walking or getting distracted etc. I'm hoping eventually to move out of here and go somewhere a lot more rural, the city doesn't suit me all that well. Until then, I'll keep on looking for artifacts around here and the surrounding areas.
 

SeabeeRon

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Aug 5, 2007
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I've lived here all my life (20 years) and keeping your eyes up is always the best thing. Paying attention to your surroundings is a skill that lot of city folk should practice, not looking down on your phone while walking or getting distracted etc. I'm hoping eventually to move out of here and go somewhere a lot more rural, the city doesn't suit me all that well. Until then, I'll keep on looking for artifacts around here and the surrounding areas.
I was also impressed you found places to detect in DC with some much property under one form of protection or restriction. WTG!
 

OP
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Fossil_adult

Fossil_adult

Jr. Member
Apr 9, 2021
89
347
Detector(s) used
Got a Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon. Now I don’t know how to use it or where to even begin.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was also impressed you found places to detect in DC with some much property under one form of protection or restriction. WTG!
No detector used here all finds are all on the surface. It's doable but very difficult to find fertile ground to hunt here because a good portion of it is national park lands and stuff. I've only gone metal detecting a handful of times and never have succeeded in finding anything of consequence. I'm thinking of joining a club to learn how to properly do metal detecting because that's the one thing I'm bad at when it comes to artifacts.
 

unclemac

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Oct 12, 2011
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the blue marble is called a "Bennington", nice find. In a old but heavily unban area like DC, your best bet would be anyplace where there is a tear down to rebuild from the ground up. I have seen great stuff pop out of the ground in such circumstances.
 

devldog

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Mar 9, 2012
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You will most likely be able to find loads of marbles in DC, as most all of our politicians have seemed to have lost them Lol. Seriously, you have made some really nice finds and saves there, especially being eyeball finds. I especially like the pipe bowl. Well Done, and stay alert when out.
 

OP
OP
Fossil_adult

Fossil_adult

Jr. Member
Apr 9, 2021
89
347
Detector(s) used
Got a Chinese knockoff brand off Amazon. Now I don’t know how to use it or where to even begin.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
the blue marble is called a "Bennington", nice find. In an old but heavily unban area like DC, your best bet would be anyplace where there is a tear down to rebuild from the ground up. I have seen great stuff pop out of the ground in such circumstances.
I look at construction sites all the time.

You will most likely be able to find loads of marbles in DC, as most all of our politicians have seemed to have lost them Lol. Seriously, you have made some really nice finds and saves there, especially being eyeball finds. I especially like the pipe bowl. Well Done, and stay alert when out.
I found another one today which I’ll post tomorrow. And you are correct, they have lost their marbles. I cannot wait to leave this city I cannot stand the people in charge currently.
 

devldog

Silver Member
Mar 9, 2012
3,639
6,329
Georgia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT ALL PRO, Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I look at construction sites all the time.


I found another one today which I’ll post tomorrow. And you are correct, they have lost their marbles. I cannot wait to leave this city I cannot stand the people in charge currently.
You are not alone Brother, maybe better things are headed our way in this upcoming new year. The American People are Long Overdue.
 

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