Found brick pit? Need help please

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello,
I recently found a brick lined pit in the woods on my property. The pit was hidden under a lot of dirt and leaves but after clearing it I have a 3 foot deep pit that is lined with larger bricks that form 4 sides. It is pretty much 4 foot by 4 foot square. It was dug about 10 feet away from a very old cattle trail that once ran from the old barn on my land back to the grazing area along a ridge. The land was 1st settled in 1835. I currently do not have a metal detector to search around it but will soon have my new Tesoro Tejon once I pay it off. I am more interested in finding out what it may have been. The bricks are not hand made so I don't know how old they really are. It shows no sign of burning so I don't think it was a fire pit. Maybe a water trough? If anyone has any ideas please let me know. All I do know is whoever dug this really killed themselves. It took me days and a lot of sweat trying to dig this thing up.

Thanks, Bill

IMG_0591[1].JPG

IMG_0594[1].JPG
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0595[1].JPG
    IMG_0595[1].JPG
    1.9 MB · Views: 173
Last edited:

tamrock

Gold Member
Jan 16, 2013
14,838
29,471
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Dig and screen through it. Some finds won't be detected with a metal detector. Maybe find that old bottle worth a fortune.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0

longcut

Sr. Member
Oct 16, 2012
311
328
Misipy
Detector(s) used
X Terra 505 and Vaquero
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
could have been a cattle dipping pit ............... the gov. passed some sorta law years ago that said cattlemen had to dip their cows in something to make sure they killed something on the cows ............. just a vague memory from some of my reading , sorry for the shadowy content ....
 

Upvote 0

digging440yrs

Gold Member
Dec 5, 2012
5,946
4,410
UPSTATE NEW YORK
Detector(s) used
1970 COMPASS-
WHITES SILVER EAGLE-
WHITES DFX, 4X6DD COIL, 6X8DD COIL, 950 COIL, 10X12SEF COIL-
GARRETT PRO POINTER AT, GARRETT AT PRO , MINELAB EXPLORER SE with 8.5x12.5 Cors coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Is there ash and/or broken or whole old glass bottles in it ? If so you may of found the the outhouse :thumbsup:
 

Upvote 0

sutphin

Gold Member
Oct 2, 2013
8,344
4,466
brunswick md
Detector(s) used
WHITES 5900, MXT 300, MXT PRO, MXT ALL PRO/ 8X6 SEF COIL
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
DIG MY MAN LIKE A DOG WITH MANGE FLEAS LATER. AND LIKE THE OTHERS SAID USE A SIFTER FOR THE FINER THINGS THEN GO BACK WITH A DETECTOR LATER AND SEE WHAT ELSE YOU CAN FIND .
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
R

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sorry but I am going nutz trying to put pictures up! Very difficult to do. I guess it will remain a mystery.
 

Upvote 0

MuckyBottles

Bronze Member
Jun 19, 2013
1,923
1,567
Stony Point, NY
Detector(s) used
Whites coin master gt..ace 250&350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sounds like an outhouse/sistern to me, however, 5ft is pretty shallow for an outhouse, at least it would be in my area, do you have any pictures of this pit?
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
R

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Dug it up real nice. I will try pictures again tonight. It seems to be a footer that is 4ft by 4ft and is about 30 inches deep.
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
R

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Pictures are up at the top! This footer/pit is about 10 feet from an old cow trail that led to the grazing pastures. At least that's how I see it. The blocks do not seem to have any mortar on them so they seem drystacked. The pit was well done though being very square. Please help,I really want to know what this was. Thanks!
 

Upvote 0

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,003
17,106
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Lime pit latrine? Are you in a shale area where it's hard to dig very deep?

p049a.gif
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
R

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
We do have shale here but not until you get very deep. This pit has clay on the bottom. I will assume it is the hardpan? This is located over 100 feet from the farmhouse. That's along way to walk in 3 feet of snow to poop. But who knows?
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0

MuckyBottles

Bronze Member
Jun 19, 2013
1,923
1,567
Stony Point, NY
Detector(s) used
Whites coin master gt..ace 250&350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yea, 100ft from a house is quite unusual for a privy. In this diggers experience, especially in the bottle department, farmhouse privies usually don't produce much glass, since most bottles were repurposed and we're used until they broke...
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
R

Rock22

Full Member
Sep 9, 2013
109
95
Erie Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nobody out there knows what this thing was? Im searching all over the internet but cant find anything. Please help me end this mystery.
 

Upvote 0

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,003
17,106
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You've got a much better chance than us because you're there. Anything found around it? Nails, broken bottles, etc. Took you days to dig it out - what did you remove? Was the soil in it lighter than the surrounding area soil, darker? Packed hard, loose, accumulated leaf litter and trash in it or deliberately filled in?

Could be anything from an ash pit for soap making to a hide for moonshine during prohabition. It's not store bought so what it was depends on what the builder wanted it for. May be the only one like it or there's one just like it still in use at the next property down the road.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0

Tedyoh

Bronze Member
Apr 13, 2013
1,566
1,619
N.E. Ohio
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, NOX 600, XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think I see some modern "skinny" style cinder blocks, so probably not 1830's old, maybe 1930's?
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top