Exploring a new field...

[CRUSADER]

This is a field we have never tried, its not on the hit list but it was available because of a failed & sprayed off oilseed rape crop. The field next door we had crossed off the list but it did have a couple of Roman signs that gave us hope in this field. Although we got 2 Roman Nails the nearby site must be on land that we can't search. It was a really tough field & after an hour I was happy to finally hit the sixpence...lol
It wasn't until nearly 2 hours in that I got a medieval buckle that triggered the gridding which found the 2 hammered. We came away from that one thinking we had a lucky escape, this field is another cross off.

4 Hours:

Bent up Lead-alloy Medallion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897)
1929 Sixpence
Ed I Bury St Edmund Mint (Dads find)
Ed III Durham Mint (mine)
4 Medieval Buckles
Its good to get a couple of the more unusual mints for the 2 hammered.

 

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[dirtlooter]

all I can ever say is wow and cool! love to see your pics, congrats yet again on the hard work

 

[robfinds]

Nice one Cru . What's the mint on the left hand hammered ?.

 

[CRUSADER]

Nice one Cru . What's the mint on the left hand hammered ?.

Bury St Edmund - VILL SCI EDM[V]NDI

 

[timekiller]

Like the medallion,.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[robfinds]

Bury St Edmund - VILL SCI EDM[V]NDI

Nice one

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Army of 1]

The Cru gang kills it again , amazing finds , congrats ..cheers Mick

 

[pepperj]

Gee after 4hrs it's a write off, hell I'm up for your leftovers. Three silvers and 4 buckles would be a very good day for most, well my standards are still pretty low so I'd be hitting it a bit more.

So it was a pretty good day out for 8 hrs of coil swinging.

 

[WHADIFIND]

Hey Cru' ?

I figure you must be a very organized hunter. It shows in all the wonderful finds you share. I wonder though, do you ever use the "drunken squirrel" method?
Just try going where your gut tells you to try? In the field I mean. Or do you only start gridding when you hit a target that "speaks" to you and your knowledge?

Just curious, that's all.

Thanks for all the wonderful saves!

 

[mangum]

I love those hammies!

 

[CRUSADER]

Hey Cru' ?

I figure you must be a very organized hunter. It shows in all the wonderful finds you share. I wonder though, do you ever use the "drunken squirrel" method?
Just try going where your gut tells you to try? In the field I mean. Or do you only start gridding when you hit a target that "speaks" to you and your knowledge?

Just curious, that's all.

Thanks for all the wonderful saves!

The 'Wandering' technique as we call it is only employed on a field like this one. ie. Because it's not a Targetted Field. This means that no clues have come up in our Archaeological research & nothing on Google Earth, therefore making the start or grid point null & void. Although I've used my gut many times on this type of option, I have learnt over many years to read the landscape (like landscape archeaology) & the changing soil colours, as well as trying to eye pottery & listening out for nails & lead.
On this medium-large size field it was important to cut through as much as the land as possible to understand what's under the coil, & then grid when the signs appear. It is the same as Fishing & Hunting, Fish where the fish are (look for the signs) & hunt where the Game is (look for signs). No signs=waste of time. We spend our time as effectively as we can, & yes if we spent 30 days(60 man days) gridding the whole of this field we would get 'some' results but not enough to be worth it.

The 'signs' on the area we decided to hunt were=
A medium size bump in the land.
Darker Soil.
Boardered a Medieval Trackway.
Couple of Pot bits.
First good hit - Medieval Buckle.
Hammered followed as soon as we gridded. (confirmation of right spot)
Then pieces of Lead turned up.

As well as 'Wandering' on this field we also used the 'loose Grid' method, which is gridding over the most likely looking landscape but leaving at least 3 rows between Dad & I. We repeat this pattern until we are sure it has 'no signs' or signs turn up & we tight grid.

 

[pong12211]

As always spectacular finds. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the continued success.

 

[Westfront]

It's not a wasted day if you find out a field is not worth to put it high on the list, but still come home with hammereds and buckles!

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[CRUSADER]

It's not a wasted day if you find out a field is not worth to put it high on the list, but still come home with hammereds and buckles!

We simply never have wasted days, only less productive ones or ones that provide a negative result. For this type of land we were very lucky & happy to do as well as we did.

 

[WHADIFIND]

The 'Wandering' technique as we call it is only employed on a field like this one. ie. Because it's not a Targetted Field. This means that no clues have come up in our Archaeological research & nothing on Google Earth, therefore making the start or grid point null & void. Although I've used my gut many times on this type of option, I have learnt over many years to read the landscape (like landscape archeaology) & the changing soil colours, as well as trying to eye pottery & listening out for nails & lead.
On this medium-large size field it was important to cut through as much as the land as possible to understand what's under the coil, & then grid when the signs appear. It is the same as Fishing & Hunting, Fish where the fish are (look for the signs) & hunt where the Game is (look for signs). No signs=waste of time. We spend our time as effectively as we can, & yes if we spent 30 days(60 man days) gridding the whole of this field we would get 'some' results but not enough to be worth it.

The 'signs' on the area we decided to hunt were=
A medium size bump in the land.
Darker Soil.
Boardered a Medieval Trackway.
Couple of Pot bits.
First good hit - Medieval Buckle.
Hammered followed as soon as we gridded. (confirmation of right spot)
Then pieces of Lead turned up.

As well as 'Wandering' on this field we also used the 'loose Grid' method, which is gridding over the most likely looking landscape but leaving at least 3 rows between Dad & I. We repeat this pattern until we are sure it has 'no signs' or signs turn up & we tight grid.

That's pretty much what I figured. I only ask because I've been using the "gut feel" method for a little while now. However, it is balanced by my experience. I don't seek out a starting point to heavily BUT I do not ignore the signs either. I also look for traffic areas. Even ones that were only so for a short time and a long time ago.

I also watch the ground and make up of the soil very carefully. There's no contest between looking where one thinks things might be and where one KNOWS there was once stuff there. But, every now and then, since I don't do this to put food on the table, I will just try taking a random walk where I figure absolutely nothing ever happened. Why? Well, because part of me knows there's truth to the adage "Treasure is usually not where you "think" it is, it's where you find it."

In any case, thanks for the tips!

 

[CRUSADER]

That's pretty much what I figured. I only ask because I've been using the "gut feel" method for a little while now. However, it is balanced by my experience. I don't seek out a starting point to heavily BUT I do not ignore the signs either. I also look for traffic areas. Even ones that were only so for a short time and a long time ago.

I also watch the ground and make up of the soil very carefully. There's no contest between looking where one thinks things might be and where one KNOWS there was once stuff there. But, every now and then, since I don't do this to put food on the table, I will just try taking a random walk where I figure absolutely nothing ever happened. Why? Well, because part of me knows there's truth to the adage "Treasure is usually not where you "think" it is, it's where you find it."

In any case, thanks for the tips!

If we had the 'time' I will try 'anywhere' regardless of any signs & research because it's a bit like you state things can turn up in the most unlikely places. But when you have about 650 fields to get through, its a balancing act, & our limited time is not enough. So what I'm saying is time is our biggest issue & needs spending wisely.

 

[WHADIFIND]

If we had the 'time' I will try 'anywhere' regardless of any signs & research because it's a bit like you state things can turn up in the most unlikely places. But when you have about 650 fields to get through, its a balancing act, & our limited time is not enough. So what I'm saying is time is our biggest issue & needs spending wisely.

I understand, but you sound like someone who is living off the finds.

"650 fields to get thru" If I had one field, a few acres, it would take me the rest of my life to cover it.

I actually did that, changed my rest & relaxation hobby into just another job. Where I scheduled every blessed second for the ultimate efficiency. So much water to cover, so little time in life! If I wasn't digging, I was travelling/planning my next one.

Of course, if it's what one loves, then that's what should be done.

I actually quit hunting for quite a few years because I found that i was hunting to sell/profit. So, I could put food on the table. Too many mouths to feed.
I absolutely HATED having to sell what I found! So, I just stopped finding. (not a good thing). But, that was me, you seem to be in your heaven's state and actually, I'm glad you are, I just love seeing what you turn up!

 

[CRUSADER]

I understand, but you sound like someone who is living off the finds.

"650 fields to get thru" If I had one field, a few acres, it would take me the rest of my life to cover it.

I actually did that, changed my rest & relaxation hobby into just another job. Where I scheduled every blessed second for the ultimate efficiency. So much water to cover, so little time in life! If I wasn't digging, I was travelling/planning my next one.

Of course, if it's what one loves, then that's what should be done.

I actually quit hunting for quite a few years because I found that i was hunting to sell/profit. So, I could put food on the table. Too many mouths to feed.
I absolutely HATED having to sell what I found! So, I just stopped finding. (not a good thing). But, that was me, you seem to be in your heaven's state and actually, I'm glad you are, I just love seeing what you turn up!

Not sure what you getting at, its not a job its a hobby. As I never sell anything, its about the History & the collecting/being outdoors. The only items I've had to sell were just too expensive to keep, ie. I shared 50/50 with the landowners.