Not finding anything older than the late 1800's. Also finding strange blobs

[coinman123]

I spent a few hours metal detecting around my house today, built in the 1740's, and hunted many times by other detectorists over the years. Behind the house I found my 6th or 7th colonial flat button. But in front and to the side to the house, I haven't found anything old than the late 1800's. Nothing very big either, just small scraps mainly, no buckles, buckles, coins, or any personal items except for a Victorian brooch. Could they be targets missed by previous metal detectorists, or was the dirt disturbed in the late 1800's. I didn't even find a single pottery shard or rose head nail. I also keep finding melted pieces of very hard old silvery metal, not lead or aluminium it seems, and not heavy enough to be silver. These little melted blobs have appeared in every part of the property, some are over eight inches deep even. Can anybody explain these mysteries?

 

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[relic nut]

Maybe post a picture. Could it be solder from maybe roof work or old plumbing? Most roofing solder is 50/50 lead and tin and is pretty hard. Maybe try and melt a peace.

HH, RN
Solder is also used in old style gutters and that would explain it being scaderd around the house

 

[coinman123]

Maybe post a picture. Could it be solder from maybe roof work or old plumbing? Most roofing solder is 50/50 lead and tin and is pretty hard. Maybe try and melt a peace.

HH, RN
Solder is also used in old style gutters and that would explain it being scaderd around the house

That would make a lot of sense, 90% of it is found within 20 feet of the house, and the rest is found in the woods (what used to be farm fields until the early 1970's). Some it feels very much like lead, except harder and more brittle. Some pieces are lighter weight and harder and brittle. I snapped a softer piece in half, it was silver colored in the middle, my first though was maybe tin or zinc. Good theory, I didn't think of that!

Also, I just remember than I found some silverware from the mid 1800's, still not 1700's though. In the woods I have found a good amount of 1700's relics, once I go in the grass I don't find any, that would maybe indicate someone metal detecting only in the grass.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Maybe your yard has been excavated over the years. There are many reason why a homeowner would have to dig up their yard and disturb the original layer of earth. Here's a few examples:

1) Installing a new leach field or cesspool would be one big reason I can think of right off the bat. Very common problem with older homes.

2) I have copper pipes that go from my cellar out to my well. If they ever corrode, I'll be ripping up my yard ASAP to fix them.

3) I have a cellar that leaks in spots. To repair that problem, I would have to dig down at least a foot or two to repair the cracks and mortar that has come loose. I'd also probably dig out a few feet as well and fill around the house with drainage stones.

4) The sides and front of your home weren't flat and level. Someone wasn't happy with that look, so they trucked in a ton of dirt to level it out.

Just a few reasons why sections of your yard may not be giving up the really old stuff...

 

[coinman123]

Maybe your yard has been excavated over the years. There are many reason why a homeowner would have to dig up their yard and disturb the original layer of earth. Here's a few examples:

1) Installing a new leach field or cesspool would be one big reason I can think of right off the bat. Very common problem with older homes.

2) I have copper pipes that go from my cellar out to my well. If they ever corrode, I'll be ripping up my yard ASAP to fix them.

3) I have a cellar that leaks in spots. To repair that problem, I would have to dig down at least a foot or two to repair the cracks and mortar that has come loose. I'd also probably dig out a few feet as well and fill around the house with drainage stones.

4) The sides and front of your home weren't flat and level. Someone wasn't happy with that look, so they trucked in a ton of dirt to level it out.

Just a few reasons why sections of your yard may not be giving up the really old stuff...

Thanks for the info! Or septic/leech field was put in twenty something years ago. We are on a rock ledge though, so it was very hard for them to find a place, perhaps the dug elsewhere first. The whole backyard field was landscaped by the old owner, unfortunately it ended up not working out great, and is a flooded mess with a huge log pile. I am adding dirt and landscaping it with my new Kubota tractor. I got the logs removed, now I just need to finish adding dirt and smoothing. So far so good. I would hate for my well pipes to break, I could imagine the work it would take to fix them. The head of the gardening club lived here thirty years ago, and she took gardening and nice grass very seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if she did some work. Thanks to her we have beautiful plantings everywhere!

 

[TerryC]

You're finding 1700s and 1800s stuff? I wouldn't be complaining. ╦╦Ç

 

[coinman123]

You're finding 1700s and 1800s stuff? I wouldn't be complaining. ╦╦Ç

Lol, I guess I did get a little spoiled by metal detecting in New England. I am very pleased about the woods behind the house, where I don't find anything newer than around 1870 (when the property changed hands to a sawmill owner instead of a farmer). In the grass I haven't found anything older than the late 1800's, and the things I do find are either .22s or little blobs/brass sheet metal fragments. I did find a beautiful Victorian brooch, one of my favorite finds from here, in the grass though. I guess I should to dig some iffy signals around the house in hopes of finding a nice 1700's or 1800's relic.

 

[TerryC]

White metal targets give iffy signals. Many will not dig white metal. But..... many old tokens were made with white metal. DIG 'em! ╦╦Ç