How old could this stuff really be?

[KnightRider]

I love relic hunting and actually bought my Ace 250 just to be able to do it. I was thinking one day, how long can iron sit in the ground before it does rust away? I am guessing that since there is a lack of oxygen below the surface it is probably preserved a very long time. Can someone give me an idea of how long some common items like maybe nails can really sit in the ground before rusting away to nothing?

 

[MNCoinhunter]

I have found handmade square-head nails. Around here they usually date back to the late 1800's. And another factor I think, is where they are buried and how much moisture the area gets.

 

[coloradocav]

Have found "rosehead" nails in South Carolina from the 1700's.

 

[Bell]

I spent the last three weeks digging sqaure nails and iron spikes at the san jacinto battlefield on the TX gulf coast. Its humid and basically a swamp but they are in decent shape and from april 1836.

 

[Bell]

and btw just in case someone in my area gets the wrong idea this was on an archeological dig, not relic hunting.

 

[Mentez]

I've found some Roman nails before - totally ferrous and dating to 200-400 AD. They were pretty knackered, but no different to some 100/200/300 year old nails I find sometimes, irritating and garbage! Roman ones are a bit nicer, thats the only difference. And worth having since they are so old.

Obviously I don't live in the USA.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Does steel disintegrate faster than iron in the ground? These cents are less than 70 years old!

 

[Jay Evans]

Lack of oxygen, water, and soil makeup plays the biggest part in the breakdown of Iron. trapped in a non acidic clay, Iron would be preserved for hundreds of years i would think.

 

[adje]

roman steel nails??? by us in the netherlands we find them also from copper and bronze gr adje

 

[capt. jas.]

The ground content as well as moisture has much to do with deterioration.