Old diggings?

[trapping-234]

Found these while out looking for a lost mine, does this look manmade? Mine is around 100 years old

 

[DizzyDigger]

Definitely looks to me like some prospecting has been done. Dig down,
pull the rocks out and pan the rest. Did you try any test holes?

 

[arizau]

Definitely looks to me like some prospecting has been done. Dig down,
pull the rocks out and pan the rest. Did you try any test holes?

Looks like unproductive placer prospects since not extensively excavated. I would explore laterally uphill and look for larger holes and waste piles.
Good luck.

 

[tamrock]

I've heard those referred to as poke holes where someone was taking samples. They do look old.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

So there are a couple possibilities.
1.) Old growth stump burned out.
2.) Collapsed mine tunnel Careful - could be old rotten limbs and leaves below holding stuff that has sloughed in.
3.) A mine shaft.

Many times the placer gravel was not profitable except for on bedrock. They would sink a shaft to bedrock, them perform all of their mining via. tunneling. If that was the case. There should be some detectable litter around the shaft. There would have had to have been some sort of frame and pulley to haul pay gravel up.

 

[trapping-234]

I did dig down and pan some but no luck. Although I certainly don’t have much experience. The old timer told me when he found this 50 years ago it looked like a prairie dog town. Little holes all over. I’m not sure if they had some bigger more productive holes somewhere? But he found an old wooden sluice box in the creek near all these holes. It’s grown in a ton since he found it though so it’s hard to tell. I sluiced the creek nearby in likely spots with no luck, his theory was that it’s placer gold coming from an ancient river that used to cut east west here. This is very mountainous terrain.

Definitely looks to me like some prospecting has been done. Dig down,
pull the rocks out and pan the rest. Did you try any test holes?

 

[trapping-234]

I did dig down and pan some but no luck. Although I certainly don’t have much experience. The old timer told me when he found this 50 years ago it looked like a prairie dog town. Little holes all over. I’m not sure if they had some bigger more productive holes somewhere? But he found an old wooden sluice box in the creek near all these holes. It’s grown in a ton since he found it though so it’s hard to tell. I sluiced the creek nearby in likely spots with no luck, his theory was that it’s placer gold coming from an ancient river that used to cut east west here. This is very mountainous terrain.

Also forgot to mention but this mine area was active during the depression so we’re closing in on 100 years

 

[TicTac Coins]

Maybe Moonshiners?

 

[tamrock]

Also forgot to mention but this mine area was active during the depression so we’re closing in on 100 years

Makes sense. There was a fair amount of publicizing during the depression on how to find gold, such as selling how to books and gold pans. Being so many were out of work, I'm sure the idea of finding gold got a few folk out looking for it.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Makes sense. There was a fair amount of publicizing during the depression on how to find gold, such as selling how to books and gold pans. Being so many were out of work, I'm sure the idea of finding gold got a few folk out looking for it.

Well, California produces about 150,000 Troy ounces a year currently. During the depression it was 1,400,000 ounces a year. Gold was fixed at $20.65 per ounce prior to the Great Depression. During the Great Gold Heist of America, the price increased almost 55%. There was a lot of incentive to mine gold in the 1930’s and It wasn’t greenhorn miners running around with gold pans. During WWII, gold production dropped to about 900,000 ounces a year. Not sure what state the OP is in.

 

[russau]

some of these depressions could possibly caved in out houses IF any signs of a foundation is found close by ! Keep looking for signs of them !

 

[Reed Lukens]

Drive a piece of rebar down into it before stepping into it. It could be anything from the remains of an old outhouse hole to a 100'+ deep covered shaft.

 

[russau]

Also for signs : look for a T.P. roll holder nailed to a tree ! Sure sign that someone's been there and has buried something there !

 

[Assembler]

Also for signs : look for a T.P. roll holder nailed to a tree ! Sure sign that someone's been there and has buried something there !

The question is there a "Deposit in place" worth digging in/on there?

Just because there is a large X made by toilet paper does not mean the "Deposit" is worth digging up I say...............

 

[russau]

You just didn't get it!

 

[Assembler]

You just didn't get it!

The sign of a toilet paper use can be looked at from both sides. Maybe there is something worth digging there and perhaps not are the two basic sides.
There sure is a lot of toilet paper holes out there not worth the time unless one may be after old bottles.......just saying.