Searching Old Cisterns

Jerdog · Feb 10, 2008

Anybody know how to search a Cistern with anything other than a Magnet??

Ken from Atlanta · Feb 10, 2008

When I was a kid my grandfather, his brother and I dug out the old cistern that was under the back porch of his house. What we did was pump out all the water with a sump pump and then put a ladder into the hole and use 5 gallon buckets and a rope to pull out all the silt. My job was to take the buckets to the garden and dump them. Right away we found bottles, lead soldiers, and old clay marbles(at least 50 of them) so my grandfather decided to dump the buckets though some screen and wash it through with the hose, and that's when we found the coins. I can't remember what all we found as far as coins (this was 30 years ago) but since then I've gone to the garden site with my md and found a few that we missed including some silver. I've only dug out one other cistern since then with similar results and if I got the chance I'd do it again any time. That cistern I think, is what got me started on treasure hunting.

I have to say though these things can dangerous, they were usually not built with the highest quality brick and most will have deteriorated over the years. I have a buddy who got a nasty gash on his head and a concussion from a dislodged brick, so I'd have a hardhat on inside. Also tie a rope to yourself so the guy up top can pull you out if it does collapse on you. Another thing to keep in mind is that there's no telling how deep the silt is so probe with something to find the hard bottom before you climb in.

rebelLT · Feb 11, 2008

I dont think a magnet would work on silver and copper coins. I always wondered about old Cisterns. A house I am working on now has one under the kitchen floor. It was filled with dirt at some time in the past. If you start digging around the old houses in our part of the country you will find that may of them have Cisterns somewhere under an addition. I have no idea how a coin would end up in one of them. Is the Cistern full of dirt or water? I havent seen one in twenty years with water in it. How about some kind of dredge pump? Pump up the items and mud from the bottom and screen them? Anyway, good luck and if you need some help let me know.

Jerdog · Feb 12, 2008

Thanks fella for your input. I'll describe the cisterns I have found ost common here. First of all the ones I am aware of are in the open and are visable as either open or covered with a large flat chunk of lime-stone that was quarried for that purpose or a poured slab of old concrete. With some effort these can be slid out of the way. What is then visible is a hole 2 to 3 feet across and near 30 feet deep depending on the summer water levels in the ground. The soil beneath the top-soil is usually a fine clay. It holds water in very well so levels in the cisterns do not vary much except in the utmost heat of summer. Each of the cisterns; so far without exception; are lined with flat limestone pieces about 4 to 6 inches thick and of varying sizes. they are stacked from the bottom of the well hole to just above the earth surface. I have never found evidence of a mortar being used in the construction. It is said that many here kept not only their dairy products cool by means of a pail on a rope but that many kept their available funds in the same pail. I know of several stories of these buckets having been up-ended on the rough sides of the cistern as they were lowered and emptying the contents of the pail into the cistern.
I have no one to hold onto my ankles or tend a rope while the blood rushes to my head as I am being lowered to what could be my demise. The diameter of many of these is such that if you were lowered head-first there is not enough room to turn towards the surface should one survive a fall to the bottom. I am a 210 # 6'3" spelunker.
If you grew up where wells and cisterns were readily used you would remember times when a boy or girl dropped coins into these while entranced in puppy love; or recall sitting on the ledge when something of value you had tumbled into that abyss.
I live in an area where there are litterally dozens of these cisterns still not filled in. Every place had at least one and a farm had at least 2 in the area of the barn and house. Most have been in existence scince the mid 1800's.
All; besudes the one on my property are in rural, often abandoned locations, many unknown to the current residents. This meaning there is no available electric power for a pump. It could take a lot of suction to drain these not to mention the unknown depths of the mud in the bottoms. Keep thinking, these cisterns are everywhere- even in your neck of the woods.

Ken from Atlanta · Feb 12, 2008

Hmmm. Yeah I see your problem. The two I mentioned were only about 12-16 feet deep, and were at least 5 feet across. You could still use a high volume electric pump with a generator, or a gas powered pump, but renting one might be pretty high cost compared to the uncertain return on the investment.

That said, I'd still try to get a ladder that would reach bottom and try the bucket and rope, of course you'll need a buddy to help. I would never try it alone under ANY circumstances though because of the risk involved.

If you know how use climbing gear you could make a head block rig and lower in with a harness and rope, but you may want to get a buddy who's a bit lighter than yourself and lower him in to do all the dirty work