I found the great grandfather of all metal detecting shovels!

Nathan6309

Full Member
May 15, 2018
205
668
Botetourt County, Va
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Ace 350, Macro Siplex +
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I left the woods with a pretty interesting story for today! I decided to try something a little different today, so I drove my ATV into the woods, stopped on one of our trails and started walking. I came across a small clearing at the top of a ridge with what looked to be like an old wagon road leading to it. Using my better judgement, I followed the trail while swinging my detector. As I was walking, I tripped on something under the leaf litter, and, out of curiosity, swung my detector over it. There was a huge signal there with some iron sticking out! I dug all these tools from the same hole, with the hand-forged shovel and spatula to be the first to come out. The tools are all metal, which explains their survival for so long. I am am unsure as to what the hitch item is. It has remnants of wood left on it and rectangular nocks near the base of it. There were few other targets in the area, so I’m assuming I’d stumbled across an old camp, where some of their tools were left behind. The crudeness of the tools really goes to show that people worked with everything they had available to them back then.
 

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Upvote 19
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Nathan6309

Nathan6309

Full Member
May 15, 2018
205
668
Botetourt County, Va
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Ace 350, Macro Siplex +
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Honestly, I'm not too sure. It doesn't quite look cut down. I believe the blade was hand forged by somebody and a metal pipe was heated up and flattened until it was secured around the blade.
 

OP
OP
Nathan6309

Nathan6309

Full Member
May 15, 2018
205
668
Botetourt County, Va
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Ace 350, Macro Siplex +
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Definitely could be. The blade is entirely flat, which had me stumped. Never seen anything like this.
 

ArfieBoy

Silver Member
Aug 11, 2011
3,342
5,529
N.E. Oregon
Detector(s) used
Compass X-70, Compass X-80, Compass X-90, Compass Judge 2, Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wow! Great tools finds! Congratulations! Good luck in identifying them all! Thanks for sharing.
 

Almy

Bronze Member
Mar 18, 2011
1,034
1,887
Maritime Provinces
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Cibola
Primary Interest:
Other
At one time in the past, softwood pulpwood was debarked in the forest by hand.. Also, hemlock wood was debarked in the forest and the bark used for tanning. So spuds were a common woodsmen's tool at one time. The oblong ring with the rod attached to its middle looks like part of a pulp hook. The hook would have been a continuation of the rod. That was another common woodsmen's tool at one time, used for handling pulpwood bolts, 4 feet long usually.
 

OP
OP
Nathan6309

Nathan6309

Full Member
May 15, 2018
205
668
Botetourt County, Va
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Ace 350, Macro Siplex +
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
At one time in the past, softwood pulpwood was debarked in the forest by hand.. Also, hemlock wood was debarked in the forest and the bark used for tanning. So spuds were a common woodsmen's tool at one time. The oblong ring with the rod attached to its middle looks like part of a pulp hook. The hook would have been a continuation of the rod. That was another common woodsmen's tool at one time, used for handling pulpwood bolts, 4 feet long usually.
I think you might have solved the riddle of what these were doing out in the middle of nowhere! Excellent information, too. I never would have thought of that! I think I might get them all framed in a big frame. I'm setting up a display in my room of all the things that I have found on our family's land and the history behind each item (or set of items).
 

Hunk-a-lead

Bronze Member
Dec 20, 2020
2,091
3,252
Kansas City
Detector(s) used
Nokta Legend, Predator Phoenix Shovel
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I left the woods with a pretty interesting story for today! I decided to try something a little different today, so I drove my ATV into the woods, stopped on one of our trails and started walking. I came across a small clearing at the top of a ridge with what looked to be like an old wagon road leading to it. Using my better judgement, I followed the trail while swinging my detector. As I was walking, I tripped on something under the leaf litter, and, out of curiosity, swung my detector over it. There was a huge signal there with some iron sticking out! I dug all these tools from the same hole, with the hand-forged shovel and spatula to be the first to come out. The tools are all metal, which explains their survival for so long. I am am unsure as to what the hitch item is. It has remnants of wood left on it and rectangular nocks near the base of it. There were few other targets in the area, so I’m assuming I’d stumbled across an old camp, where some of their tools were left behind. The crudeness of the tools really goes to show that people worked with everything they had available to them back then.
very interesting finds, wtg and thanks for posting
 

FloodcityTom

Sr. Member
Jun 25, 2020
252
727
West Va
Detector(s) used
Whites, Fisher gold Bug, Tesoro
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I left the woods with a pretty interesting story for today! I decided to try something a little different today, so I drove my ATV into the woods, stopped on one of our trails and started walking. I came across a small clearing at the top of a ridge with what looked to be like an old wagon road leading to it. Using my better judgement, I followed the trail while swinging my detector. As I was walking, I tripped on something under the leaf litter, and, out of curiosity, swung my detector over it. There was a huge signal there with some iron sticking out! I dug all these tools from the same hole, with the hand-forged shovel and spatula to be the first to come out. The tools are all metal, which explains their survival for so long. I am am unsure as to what the hitch item is. It has remnants of wood left on it and rectangular nocks near the base of it. There were few other targets in the area, so I’m assuming I’d stumbled across an old camp, where some of their tools were left behind. The crudeness of the tools really goes to show that people worked with everything they had available to them back then.
Cool finds! Possible old logging camp or perhaps a mine in that area of Virginia
miners often used shorter tools to work cramped areas
 

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