Clam Shells?

[Brendan M.]

I have a question about the site I'm digging:

I'm working an old park that was super-busy in the mid-1800s. Lots of structures once stood where there are now just open fields and baseball diamonds. I've got a few spots that seem definitely promising, and one in particularly turned up two large cents the first time I hunted it, just the other day. So I'm encouraged.

Here's my question: It seems once you dig about 4-5 inches down (where I found the large cents as well as some iron relics), there's a pretty consistent layer from there of red brick and pottery shards, broken glass and TONS of clam shells. What's the deal with the shells? Are they the remains of Victorian-era clambakes or something? Garden fertilizer? Mind you, I live by the ocean, and even I'm a little surprised by just how many shells are buried there.

Any insight would be great.

Thanks!

--B

 

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[jeff of pa]

Because They were mixed with mortar in the 18th century.

possably before & after that also.

This May be one reason.

 

[jeff of pa]

"Oyster". That's what I Meant.

Oyster/Clam Same ?

 

[kenb]

Shell dumps are common here on Long Island both clam and oyster. Mostly left by Indians they would always pile the discarded shells in one area near there camp. We've got some huge shell dumps in my area alone.

kenb

 

[Brendan M.]

Thanks for the info!

Hey, Ken B.: Where are you on LI? I'm a Suffolk boy myself.

Cheers,
Brendan

 

[kenb]

I live in Greenlawn, originally from Huntington.

kenb

 

[Brendan M.]

KenB --

Cool cool. Do you belong to any local detecting clubs?

-- B

 

[petersra]

Tabby was a common building material made up of shells, sand and lime in early colonial days before the availability of concrete. Chances are good that you are finding the remains of foundation walls.

http://www.bcgov.net/bftlib/tabby.htm

See the above web site for a clearer explaination.

HH

 

[BIG61AL]

I've seen clam shells used for roads and high traffic areas around houses and business from colonial times to around the turn of the last century. If could be helpful to make a map of the area and mark the areas where there are the shells. This can help locate where the buildings were if you can't see any foundations. Must be a bitch to dig in though. Keep us posted and take pictures. Happy Hunting!

 

[Brendan M.]

Wow -- very cool. Thanks for all the new info!

Neil in SJ -- your blacksmith idea is particularly intriguing. There was major horse & carriage/stable activity going on directly at the site, so I wouldn't think a small forge would be out of the question.

Yeah, it's a bitch to dig through, but mostly because it's a park and obviously I can't demolish the place. I'm being pretty conservative with the holes I'm digging. So when you hit a full shell, laying flat, you have to widen the hole a lot to get the whole sucker out before you can continue. Ditto the broken brick.

What's both encouraging and discouraging is that I frequently hit these typical XLT "deep, big iron" signals: the +93 VDI range, and that standard (and usually very wrong) 2.5" depth reading. So you end up digging eight or nine inches or more down, through the shell and brick, until you hit whatever big rusty chunk of metal is down there. Some the stuff has been neat though, like an old hoe blade I dug, and some pulley-type equipment, so if I hit one early in the day, I'm prone to roll up my sleeves and really "dig in." Later on, not so much...

I'll definitely keep you posted!

-- B

P.S. to Neil in SJ: What MD sites are you talking about? Have you been out hunting on LI before?

 

[randall61]

for driveways and alley ways back in the old days......sounds promising..but a lot of hard diggin

 

[jon43]

Shell dumps are common here on Long Island both clam and oyster. Mostly left by Indians they would always pile the discarded shells in one area near there camp. We've got some huge shell dumps in my area alone.

kenb

they would also put there dead under there as well as other things. there was one here years ago near owensboro , KY were some people dug them up. my old girl friend has pic,s of the bones. there was a up roar over this but there was no laws back then like there are now to protect these graves