Possible clue to a cache under large boulder

[all_atv]

After watching the Jesse James treasure special on TV, I went metal detecting around a large boulder on our farm. Its the largest of very few granite boulders in the area. Probably brought from the glaciers. This one sits on a hillside in the timber overlooking a field/floodplain. I found this cast iron stove grate, it broke in a few pieces as I dug it up. It was about a 6-8 inches down and laying flat. Underneath it was a few pieces of melted glass, which I broke some while digging. Also there was a small piece of steel wire.
I am wondering if this would be a marker for something buried deeper? I have a cheap metal detector, and it hit on a few more pieces around there and in the dirt i dug out. and even beeped the "coin" tone a couple times but couldnt get anything very persistant. Directly under where the grate was has no tone after everything was removed but I only dug a few inches deeper than the grate. Most of the melted glass was under the grate. There were no other signs of a fire like chared earth or charcoal.
It kinda makes sense that someone might bury a piece of trash on the surface as a marker to know right where to dig further. Any idea on a date on the stove grate? This is in Southeast Iowa, settled around the 1860's.
I wanted to see what everyone here thought about it before I continue digging. I can remember sitting on the rock when I was a kid playing or hunting, and my dad said he'd done the same alot and probably plenty of other people have too. So I expect there to be trash and bullet shells. However it is hidden in the timber not facing a road and is about a half mile from the nearest road.
Thanks for any input.

 

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[architecad]

All_atv

Usually, when somebody buried money on ground, tended to bury it nearby to some non-removed and visible landmark with the intention in the future retrieve it. Those landmark could be large rock, old tree, Spanish well, etc. but a simple old stove, I don't think so that piece could serve as 'clue' for a buried treasure.

My suggestion for you is: 1. Get a good deepseeker metal detector (Garrett.com)
2. Make intensive research
3. keep your mouth closed.

I found a big Spanish treasure in 1995. Due I opened my mouth telling the location of it to a supposedly 'friend', the cache was removed for somebody else. Today, I would be very rich. My ex-friend has large properties, something that he didn't have before the treasure was removed, coincidences?

Arch

 

[stefen]

Your find may be an anomoly which is something completely out of place like finding a coke bottle on the moon...

That should not keep you from having a serious look-see...

Usually a prominent landmark is a place to bury something for later recovery. When I was a teen, we would hike in the mountains and look for landmark trees near trails...several times we located stored canned food buried in the root system...so its worth consideration...

If the wire you found is just a small piece, its probably just junk, however, if it continues underground, thats another story. There is a thing called a 'Witness Stake & Wire' which sometimes is used to locate a buried pipe or other item in the future...Usually a wire is wrapped around the end of an undedrground pipe, then the hole is covered and the wire is tied to a steel or wooden stake at ground level. Simply follow the wire down to see if its tied to something below grade...

 

[all_atv]

I think I have the prominent landmark in the area... the rock the size of my car. The wire idea sounds possible too, and the large grate would be easy to locate on the surface with just a few stabs of a shovel. But what about the melted glass? I also thought about it being pieces of an alchohol stihl/still?

 

[architecad]

I also thought about it being pieces of an alchohol stihl/still?

I would wipe my coil over it to see what happen.

Arch

 

[stefen]

I think I have the prominent landmark in the area... the rock the size of my car. The wire idea sounds possible too, and the large grate would be easy to locate on the surface with just a few stabs of a shovel. But what about the melted glass? I also thought about it being pieces of an alchohol stihl/still?

Never know whats there until you dig around some...then again, its could have been a trash dump...

Moonshine still is always a possibility...

 

[GrayCloud]

More than likely, just remnants of a campfire. Grate used for cooking. Bottle thrown in fire under grate. Just my opinion. Good luck.

 

[TXPIRATE]

Also Remember that a lot of old times if they found a cache they would place trash in the hole afterwards to let others know hey I beat you to it. Could have been a cache and now long gone.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

I agree with #7. That is what treasure hunters do. Leave something behind. Good Luck to all.

 

[j.n.]

Back after ww 2 treasure hunters would leave a sign behind telling other treasure hunters that what was buried there was found. The sign, so I have been told, was cans of sizes that fit inside each other then buried in the hole and then the hole filled. Its possible that what might have been buried had been removed.

J.N.

 

[Tnmountains]

Hey all-atv
I would dig around the base of that rock. Might be some Indian artifacts around it.The boulder does look out of place and am sure many cultures saw it as you do. Good luck!
TnMtns

 

[jesus]

somebody in pic nic let the steel and glass on the fire.Many people want make fire near the big boulders for protection about the wind, but if your detector says something go and dig.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Yes, it is true, that when treasure hunting find large treasures, they leave something behind, which is only fair, so other people are not wasting their time.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

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