Old Train Station & Homestead Site – Round III

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Met up with my bud ‘pepperj’ on Thursday for another go round of the two sites that he found on a 19thc map. We first detected these sites a few weeks ago when the cornstalks were still standing, well they now been rolled down for the new crop and the finds started for me almost immediately! I found four flat-buttons, then I found my first Jews Harp! Pepper found a beautiful brass railroad padlock and a brass thimble, congrats buddy!

After 2hrs at the homestead, we moved across the street to the field where the train station had been located. This is the third time I’ve detected this site and the third horseshoe I’ve found here… I love finding horseshoes! My next find was 8” deep, a brass spoon marked ‘Nickel Silver, somehow I doubt its nickel silver though. I also found a porcelain dolls hand, I included a dolls leg I found earlier in the week at another site in the pic. I just can't resist picking up all the large frags of broken glass and pottery at this site.


History of the ‘Jews Harp’ in North America

The Jew’s harp is an international instrument that is likely to have originated in Asia and travelled to Europe, arriving sometime around the 13th century. Archaeological evidence might push the date further back, and a substantiated Roman find would be a fantastic discovery, as would any instruments unearthed along the western section of the Silk Road. A Spanish exploratory party introduced the Jew’s Harp to the New World (specifically South America) in 1593. Five hundred Jew's Harps were part of a transaction used to acquire land from the natives. This is not the only occurrence of Jew's Harps used to obtain land. They were also part of a trade deal with Native Americans to purchase Maryland. A land deed dated 1677 lists 100 Jew's Harps as part of the payment for a tract of Indian land. Jew's Harps continued to be used to barter with Native Americans until the early 1800s. Archaeologists have discovered 17th- and 18th-century Jew's Harps among native artifacts from Maine to Florida. One archaeological site in Michigan produced more than 120 Jew's Harps!

When an old Jew's Harp was found, it usually was broken with the tongue missing. The majority of Jew's Harps from the North American Colonial period have been found in rubbish heaps and at the bottom of wells. Their quantities and condition suggest they were discarded as useless, which further suggests Jew's Harps were not only popular, but played until they broke -- and in significant numbers!

Thanks very much for looking,
Dave

 

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[Evolution]

I like the Jew's harps. Very interesting relic indeed. Nice finds!

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I like the Jew's harps. Very interesting relic indeed. Nice finds!

You need to add that GW Button to your 'Notable 2015 Finds' list my friend!
Thanks for your post,
Dave

 

[Old Dude]

Look at the green on those coppers and the harp! I have yet to even see a Jews harp dug. I hope I will recognize one if I do. Great finds Dave. I like those.

 

[Vino]

Real nice finds Antiquarian!!
Love the coppers and flat buttons.
But the harp is favorite .
I have yet to find a intact one..
Thanks gor including the info..
George

 

[Loco-Digger]

You scored some nice finds.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Nice relic finds! Congrats! Every one of the pieces has history and a story to tell.
The harp is great! I see you got some lucky horse shoes too! One shoe look bigger than the others.
Lots of good finds at that site, hope you can pull more goodies out before they plant the field.

 

[pepperj]

It was great to get another hit on the field before the crop grows any higher Dave, You really did great on the first corner getting the buttons and the awesome Jews Harp! rarely do they come up whole from the ploughed and disked fields. I'll try to post up the lock & the other things soon, as I haven't stopped since meeting up, thinking it's some sort of payback for taking part of a day off. I dug down to over 1 1/2 ft at the station site just to see how deep the finds were, still going! I think a little sifting this fall would be fun as I got three items and 6 iron pieces (nails, wire, rusty ? ) in the one small test hole using just the pinpointer so there's lots getting masked. Another spot to look for a bit is across the waterway as I got the bale seal and a few other things. Seems to be some activity that happened as there's iron targets over there which turned out to be sq. nails, it was sort of fun driving across the stream.

 

[sutphin]

ANTIQ UARIAN NICE JEWS HARP. VANZUTPHEN

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I like the Jew's harps. Very interesting relic indeed. Nice finds!

Thanks for your post Evo!
The only reason I knew what it was when I first saw it, was from seeing others here on Tnet find them!
Dave

Look at the green on those coppers and the harp! I have yet to even see a Jews harp dug. I hope I will recognize one if I do. Great finds Dave. I like those.

Thanks very much Dave!
From my research it seems these were relatively common everyday items on old sites, but this is the first one I've ever found in 4 years of detecting.

Hope you and Chris are able to out out this weekend,
Dave

Real nice finds Antiquarian!!
Love the coppers and flat buttons.
But the harp is favorite .
I have yet to find a intact one..
Thanks for including the info..
George

Thanks very much George!
You've made some great finds this year as well my friend, I love the gold pocket watch you found the other day!
Dave

You scored some nice finds.

Thanks for your post and best of luck to you Loco!
Dave

Nice relic finds! Congrats! Every one of the pieces has history and a story to tell.
The harp is great! I see you got some lucky horse shoes too! One shoe look bigger than the others.
Lots of good finds at that site, hope you can pull more goodies out before they plant the field.

I can always count on you for words of support MsBB!
It's so true that everything we find on these old sites tells a story, even something as minor as a lost button.
It must've been a very hard life on these early homesteaders and even losing a single button in the -30c winters here in Canada while working the fields could've been a real problem.
Thanks as always for your post and good luck to you!
Dave

It was great to get another hit on the field before the crop grows any higher Dave, You really did great on the first corner getting the buttons and the awesome Jews Harp! rarely do they come up whole from the ploughed and disked fields. I'll try to post up the lock & the other things soon, as I haven't stopped since meeting up, thinking it's some sort of payback for taking part of a day off. I dug down to over 1 1/2 ft at the station site just to see how deep the finds were, still going! I think a little sifting this fall would be fun as I got three items and 6 iron pieces (nails, wire, rusty ? ) in the one small test hole using just the pinpointer so there's lots getting masked. Another spot to look for a bit is across the waterway as I got the bale seal and a few other things. Seems to be some activity that happened as there's iron targets over there which turned out to be sq. nails, it was sort of fun driving across the stream.

Sounds like a plan buddy, I have to tell you that I learn something new from you every time we get together!
Just goes to show that when you get to detect with someone with 40+ years of detecting experience, listen to what they say!

I too believe the railroad site has much more to give, as that teaspoon I found was at almost 8".
I think we should hit that site on the other side of the tracks you're talking about when I get back from the States the week of June 14.

Thanks again for allowing me to detect these sites with you!
Dave

PS. Did you take that pic backing out onto the road from the farm?

ANTIQUARIAN NICE JEWS HARP. VANZUTPHEN

Thank you Sir!

 

[pepperj]

Sounds like a plan buddy, I have to tell you that I learn something new from you every time we get together!
Just goes to show that when you get to detect with someone with 40+ years of detecting experience, listen to what they say!

I too believe the railroad site has much more to give, as that teaspoon I found was at almost 8".
I think we should hit that site on the other side of the tracks you're talking about when I get back from the States the week of June 14.

Thanks again for allowing me to detect these sites with you!
Dave

PS. Did you take that pic backing out onto the road from the farm?

No actually it was from the middle of the stream, the one that runs on the other side of the road from where we park at the RR site, it's where the other old barn is sitting. Here's the view looking up the stream.

Actually I forgot about the spoon being that deep, forgot to tell you I get them like this. I'm wondering if it's the same pattern and maker?

 

[I-DIG-IT]

I love the horseshoe to, Nice digs

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

No actually it was from the middle of the stream, the one that runs on the other side of the road from where we park at the RR site, it's where the other old barn is sitting. Here's the view looking up the stream.

Actually I forgot about the spoon being that deep, forgot to tell you I get them like this. I'm wondering if it's the same pattern and maker?

Very cool pics J!
The pattern of your spoon looks different than mine, the one I found is only marked 'Nickel Silver'.

Next week, when I'm back from Chicago we should try and get together again!
Dave

I love the horseshoe to, Nice digs

Thanks for your post 'I dig it'!

 

[Argentium]

Good old relics and buttons there Antiquarian ! (the massive gold brick under your avatar is nice )

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Good old relics and buttons there Antiquarian ! (the massive gold brick under your avatar is nice )

You noticed that eh!

Looks a lot like the one you've got to buddy!

Dave

 

[Argentium]

Yeah, I guess it means we're a bit gabbier than the majority of members here !

 

[mack0238]

Wow. All the relics tell a great story of who was on that spot in history. Think of the person who played that harp and the little girl who had that doll... they all were part of a story that only seeing those things can get close to tell. For detectorists, there's noting more fun than imagining the people that couldn't find those things... on a summer night when a train went whistling by. Detecting in a field that is turned over yearly, and has that much history, is a gem. Those were some big horses that wore those shoes!!!!

I would love to see the railroad lock that you found Pepper. I am a huge railroad guy and I have only found 1 partial lock (from a long forgotten railroad in MN)

Excellent hunting gentlemen.

 

[treblehunter]

Nice finds buddy, love those pix as always. I like those buttons and coins, very cool.

 

[CRUSADER]

In the Medieval period they played the Jaw Harp whilst travelling. They believe it would protect them from danger/the evil eye.

 

[creade]

Nice relics you got there! I have yet to find a Jew harp,great hunt