digging ??? for ohioians

[trevmma]

I might just try and digg in the morning where i found a point on a walking trail at my house. my ?? is how deep average to dig, and if i find stone is that where to look or did that stone just some how get to the surface before the points. i always wondered why u see rocks on the surface but the arrowheads are deeper

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[mamabear]

I have the same question. How deep? I mean I don't wanna go to China. I suppose it depends on soil comp, site placement, erosion, & deposits, & on & on. am anxious to see what folks suggest

 

[creek astronaut]

I dont have alot of experience when it comes to diggin,but when i have dug,i think we were diggin down 2 to 3 ft.at 3 ft the artifacts and debitage stopped.every spot is different i am sure,due to erosion, the topography of the land,and what type of a site it is.i have seen pics of archy digs where they went down 5 or 6 ft and others where they only dig down a ft or so.so go figure??i am sure some of these guys who do more diggin can give you better info than i can.goodluck diggin.

 

[joshuaream]

If you are finding relics on the surface, I'd go for area vs depth and dig about 6-8 inches down over a 5x5 area or so vs digging a single hole 4 or 5 feet down. Get a tarp and toss your throw dirt on it, that'll make it easier to move around and refill you hole later.

Another trick is the shovel test, where you dig several test pits looking for signs (flakes, charcoal, burned/crushed shells, etc.) of habitation. Then you dig where you see the highest concentration of signs.

 

[Lone Star]

Fellas, I'm a long time digger. Sometime I think I got some old yard dog in me. Here in Texas may be a bit different than by ya'll , but the game is the same. It's all very elementary. Start by getting on your hands and knees (good knee pads pay off) and scrape the area in an ever widening radius. Clear enough space for you to turn 360 degrees and then some. If your gonna start going down, first clear a spot where your throw dirt is gonna land so you don't cover any thing good up, or throw down a vinyl tarp. I like to sift my throw dirt thru a 1/4 inch screen so if you want to do the same clear an area for that. You don't want to cover an area with throw dirt if it's holding artifacts underneath.
Start going down about a shevel deep about fox hole size and watch the dirt for clues to the direction to go. Expand sideways as needed. Burnt and crystalized earth, bone debris, flint, etc. all tell tales of usage. Generally we go to virgin earth. Some places its caliche, some places Grey or tan clay. It's easy to be fooled by a sand line down deep. It could have happened due to a flood thousands of years after it was used, and there may be stuff underneath. I use a couple of probs I made to feel for camp rock and midden fill so I don't get fooled. Near Austin I was down almost 6 feet and I hit crystalized earth under a few inches of sand. I found a 4 1/2 inch Nolan (with a twist) facing up against a fire rock. I almost nailed it dead on w/ my pick, and saw it at the last second. Good luck G.

 

[Lone Star]

Re: digging for ohioians ( or anywhere else)

I feel that at some point you've got to weigh out what you've got to work with. If you have a site that is one of thousands along a stretch of river where context and new parameters have already been exhausted by professionals and it's a matter of salvaging any artifacts prior to development , there's nothing to be lost except the artifacts that remain unearthed. Your not going to add anything of consequence to the archaeology record. The Holy Grail won't be there, I promise you.
What you will do is cloud your ability to collect from that site or area by bringing undo attention and red tape from bureaucracies and academia alike. Both of which can have a "holier than though" attitude and the ability to stifle your own involvement. I've seen it go both ways, because I have done that very thing a few times.
A good thing about working a dig w/ pros is you learn technique, patience, and what to look for. Been there, done that, it was a good lesson. However it's like straining refrigerated honey thru a cheesecloth. It takes forever and with very little to show for the trouble.