Today's scratchin'

[sandchip]

Went out to the land yesterday evening and for the first time, did a little metal detecting but got tired of all the trash and decided to get in the hole. I worked on one side for a good while finding zip. Moved to the other side and within 5 minutes hit the flat looking piece in the first pic. Slowed down and then uncovered the tip. Thought it might be a little bigger until it fell out, but at least it's whole. The items in the fourth picture were all in that cereal bowl-sized spot. The fifth picture shows what came out of another. I find quite a few of what I call "pockets" of rocks, flint, pottery, charcoal and occasionally something worked and once in a while an arrowhead. One pocket produced two points a few years ago. Has anybody else encountered these features when digging? If so, any thoughts?

 

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[kingskid1611]

Nice little hole you got going on there......

 

[bookummdano]

I have never land dug. As much as I enjoy digging in the water, I am sure I would thoroughly enjoy digging on land as well. If you don't mind could you tell of any peticular geographical features, theory, and methods pertaining to finding ideal areas to land dig. I am sure a lot of it comes with experience, like when I am in a stream I always just have a sometimes unexplained drawing to where to dig. I have land on the pea River, and several creeks and streams, as well as where they converge, thanks!

 

[Triumph]

Nice find!
Great to see and hear the context behind you finds.
Keep digging.

 

[NCPeaches]

I have never land dug. As much as I enjoy digging in the water, I am sure I would thoroughly enjoy digging on land as well. If you don't mind could you tell of any peticular geographical features, theory, and methods pertaining to finding ideal areas to land dig. I am sure a lot of it comes with experience, like when I am in a stream I always just have a sometimes unexplained drawing to where to dig. I have land on the pea River, and several creeks and streams, as well as where they converge, thanks!

Same here! I just know where to dig in the water and some of my best finds were digging under banks, pulling out clusters of rocks that have them stuck between them. Would love to know how to spot a land spot to dig. Got any tips sandchip?

 

[BearCreek]

That is nice! I live in Georgia and digging is very difficult with the hard red clay. We do have a tiller for our tractor so after looking at your finds I think I need to give my creek a break and check out the dirt

 

[BearCreek]

Just a curiosity question...I just surface look on our own property and wondered if it is considered "digging" when we till the soil for our garden each year. I've never seen anything but rocks and weeds and more weeds, but I suppose there is the one in a millon chance we might till up something. Do you need permission to till a garden area on your own property?

 

[sandchip]

The old farmer that owned this small plot before me found them plowing, so I don't have any real advice other than to dig where they've been found on the surface. Bookum, if you have land on the Pea and its converging tributaries, you definitely need to check out any high and preferably sandy areas and terraces, close to the water. The only other site I've dug was one where there was daily earthmoving. The workers were great about letting me dig. It was actually the first site I looked and it totally ruined me for life. It had to have been the best site in the county, and 30 years later, it still hurts to think about what was destroyed (the ones I posted under "Teeth" came from here). All the Santa Fes I posted under your post, Bear, came from here. I may post what I found there one day. Of all the stuff that I know of that I and others found here I'd say wouldn't comprise 1% of what was there. One thing to consider on sandy sites that have been farmed and that have produced artifacts: remember that even a bottom plow only turns about 8 inches, a harrow less than half that and you might be surprised what may lie below the plow line. At the first site I looked, you'd dig stuff from the surface all the way down to 5 feet. The one I dig now produces down to 4 feet. I'd guess that rocky clay sites would be a different story, not to mention backbreaking.

 

[bookummdano]

Thank you for your advise. I can think of an ideal spot on the river, I suppose from there it is trial and error. Would you advise screening or the shaving method?

 

[BearCreek]

Thanks Sandchip! Would love to see your finds! No digging for me, but I am definitely going to keep my eyes open for any other treasures my horses turn up galloping around like fools

 

[sandchip]

Thank you for your advise. I can think of an ideal spot on the river, I suppose from there it is trial and error. Would you advise screening or the shaving method?

Whatever you're in the mood for. Either one is hard work, but remember, you're there for enjoyment which sometimes can seem distant if you're not finding anything.

 

[tnmudman]

hey chip nice little point there and about hitting pockets absolutely have and thats where something good usually comes out i once came to a really dark area of soil maybe big around as a baseball found a perfect point in the middle of it soon as i saw that dark soil i said one is about to be there sure enough it was i think maybe that point was wrapped in something maybe animal skins or fur which decayed around it leaving only dark soil

 

[sandchip]

Hey, that sounds reasonable. I always slow the heck down when I hit those dark areas.

 

[creekhunter]

Probably an old trash pit wold be my guess