Cellar hole questions. UPDATED.

[Kosh]

My buddy from school owns 80 acres with two sweet cellar holes on the property. I have permission to hunt the property as much as I want. ( I am new at this and just got my detector a few months back)

Now as far as I have been told the property has never been detected. Checked my maps and sure enough both homes show on maps until around 1910. That is when they disappear so they are very old, most likely very early 1700s. From my scouting of the cellar hole sites I believe it to be virgin ground. One site is covered in metal trash on the ground, most of it is old soup cans and paint cans that are all 50 years old or more.

The second and older of the two cellar holes is just a great looking site. It is not over grown, there are only a few pieces of visible metal trash on the whole site, and the cellar is more intact with less trees growing out of the center of it than the other one. I went and scouted this site with my detector but have only dug one hole so far (there is still frost). I dug a single hole next to the well today (hand dug well with stones around it). Out of this hole came 6 different nails, all blacksmith made, square nails along with some other junk metal( I assume these are from the structure that was over the old well). This was in a single 10X10 inch area. I actually got some decent high tones along the walls of the cellar and surrounding area as well. I plan on returning after the frost is out of the ground to this site first.

So my questions are.....
1) Is it likely this is virgin ground? If detectorists had been here in the past would there be FAR less signals in the ground?

2) If it is virgin ground should I just dig every single thing? (I think this is my plan)

Thanking you in advance.

 

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[stefen]

Re: Cellar hole questions.

There is no way for anyone to answer your first question...However, this was quantified in your opening statement that "as far as I have been told the property has never been detected"...

Go by what has been told to you.

Secondly, dig all signals. You'd be suprised what you may find.

And lastly, lets see a posting of your finds...

 

[Swartzie]

Re: Cellar hole questions.

Probably is virgin ground. Unless there are a lot of know detectorists around. I would start by digging every solid signal above iron. Then after you have it worked for a few weeks go back and dig the iffy signals (especially if it is a productive site). You'll probably have to get away from the foundation because it will more than likey be loaded with iron targets. Sounds like a good place to hunt. Take your time and work it for a couple months.

-Swartzie

 

[Kosh]

Well I have spent about 5 hours detecting this site now. I have found enough nails to build a large dog house, and a few relics but nothing as far as good keepers or coins. There are a crapton of signals I have yet to dig but it is getting tiring digging 5-10 nails out of every hole that screams silver at me.

Here are some pics. (Not pictured is a modern axe head, plow blade, other large junk like barrel rings and so on)
First pic is junk

This is a large copper screen of some sort

Not sure what this is? A spade shovel perhaps?

A buckle or clasp and what looks like a part to a oil lamp

This spoon read as silver and was buried under tree roots and rocks down about 6 inches. Does it look silver? How old do you guys think it is?

This is my surface find. The black part of it is some what clear like its glass but there are crystals that look like they grew there.

 

[Zym]

The spoon has a dark greenish patina under some of the dirt that looks like the corrosion/patina of silver. I would gently take a tooth brush to it with a mild soap.. try to remove the dirt and leave the patina.. then take a magnifying glass to it and see if you can find any hallmarks... if it is from the 1700 it might be valueable even if it is in bad condition.. Paul revere was a silversmith at one time. Whatever you do.. don't "polish" it or you will ruin any possible collector value to it.

 

[dandan]

I would say no to the spoon being silver. Looks like a garter buckle. What kind of machine are you swinging? Maybe turn your discrimination up till you get rid of the nails on an air test. Then, as you get to know your machine start turning it back down. It'll help keep you from getting frustrated with all the iron. Keep at it! The good targets are there just gotta get your coil over them!

 

[BuckleBoy]

OK, I just saw this thread and would like to share some information. I have dug lots of pewter spoons pieces over the last 20 years and they are a GREAT sign of age (1700s to mid-1800s). That is a pewter spoon you dug. Second, your brass buckle piece is a suspender buckle (mid to late 1800s). If those finds were there, you will make other great recoveries in those cellar holes.

Best Wishes,

Buckleboy