Large piece of cast iron found in firepit

[Dan in VA]

About a hundred yards from where I found the Parrott shell fragment I came across an old firepit. Ran the detector over it and heard a deafening sound, next thing I know I'm holding a big piece of cast iron. Initially I thought it was farm equipment and I almost left it there, but I decided to bring it home to check it out. It is about 16 inches long and quite heavy. The hole near the top is about half an inch wide, the knob on the top right is an inch wide, and the semicircle on the bottom right is also an inch wide. Most of the left edge is an inch thick. Also, just south of the hole is the number 4, and to the right of that is what appears to be the letter A. I do know that the 4th Louisiana battalion was here during the war. So, any idea what this might be? I highlighted the 4 and the A in the close up pic although its still hard to see. Thanks for any help, and I can take more pics if necessary.

 

[Ramitt]

Kind of looks like it could have been some kind of plow blade.

 

[duggap]

You mentioned you found it in a firepit. Many times the boys would put a large piece of iron in the bottom of their fire. It would help in baking, particularly bread. I have no idea what yours may have been from but who knows.

 

[ivan salis]

yep --a chunk of iron like part of a old plow blade would be ideal to help in cooking stuff -- by lining the fire pits bottom with cast iron -- it reflected the heat upwards aiding in cooking stuff --the iron also help retain heat as well as it stayed hot even after the wood was gone

 

[hunterV3]

That looks like a plow share.

 

[Dan in VA]

thanks guys, that's kind of what I was thinking too. anyone else have any ideas? I didn't think farm equipment was made of cast iron because it would break easily, although this property dates back to the early 1800s so maybe they did use that material a long time ago. I was hoping for a more definitive i.d. so I'll let this post stay up here a while before I mark it as solved. Hmmmm

 

[Okie Hillbillies]

To Dan in VA they made cast iron turning plows and I believe that to be a turning plow point.


OkieHillBillie

PS. they were sharpened by chipping the edge with a hammer.

 

[Dan in VA]

Calling this one solved, thanks again guys. It looks like cast iron plows were fairly common in the late 1700s and early 1800s up until john deere invented the steel plow. So this could have definitely been used in the fire by the rebel troops when they came through the property.