CP - many of the early pits I've dug are loaded with brick frags and mortar so that's not a surprise. Neither are the animal bones and charcoal as you know. Don't get flustered if you don't immediately get into pottery, glass and an abundance of clay pipe parts. Like I mentioned earlier, many times the good stuff was only deposited in one small part of the pit, or possibly in another one lurking nearby. You might want to consider digging a few more test holes before starting to sift as that'll be no easy job with all the shells. Speaking of oysters, I read a few years ago that the average 17th century settler living in the Chesapeake Bay region consumed 40-50 BUSHELS of oysters a year. No wonder these pits are so loaded with them, and that also helps to explain their low life expectancy. Anyway, don't get discouraged and keep methodically plugging away as there's bound to be some nice stuff in that pit, especially some nice early, marked pipe bowls, and if you're lucky, a bottle seal. Good luck!
