In the country, what do you use a a sign of past habitation? Let's talk Vegetation......

[gitterdug]

Moderators, if this needs to be moved, please feel free, but it is relevant to any metal detectorist and could be on any forum here....imho....

Ok, so another post on here got me to thinking about how I find old homesites to search. I use vegetation and rocks mainly. A good friend recently recovered an out of place sword belt plate circa 1850 because of rocks that were out of place that indicated a habitation.

I use trees and vegetation. Where they are planted and how., and particularly what species. I thought it would be a good topic for discussion here. So what do you guys do to determine a property out in the country determine where the habitation was....etc....

Talk amongst yourselves......

HH in the woods,

Dennis, a mind firmly rooted in detecting......

 

[Ken in Georgia]

I look for house rose, or the Alabama rose to help with this.

 

[LabradorBob]

I look for flowers,Ferns,Lillies, and trees, The bigger the better.
After that i look for junk,glass,metal, a quick run with the detector will find areas of activity.

LabradorBob

 

[NebTrac]

This is always a good sign of habitation...with lots of money to lose!!!

[attachment 218997 vegitation.jpg]

Acutally. Here in central Nebraska its Cedar Trees. Not the hybrid junk kind, but the good old straight barked cedar, that would've been planted by the "first" settlers in mid 1880's. Almost always in a row. This is a very good sign there was a dwelling nearby.

NebTrac

 

[Southwind]

Fences with vines and other out of place vegetation.

 

[Yeasty]

Climbing ivy and daffodils are good signs around here.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

I think a lot of the vegetation is going to vary by region, but here in South East Michigan I look for large trees (Especially if they are in rows, at 4 corners or of a variety that does not grow in the area often without human interaction (Chestnut, Sycamore, Pines, etc.). Another good sign of past human activity here are briars (Raspberry especially) or other non native plants that spread by root. Of course the most sure sign of a great foundation are the 100 year old Poison Ivy vines!

 

[deputydawg16]

There are many ways to learn from trees take the time and look how they have grown. does one side have lower growing branches? may be an indication of an old building long since gone. There is an informative video by John Whitecloud on the subject very good info worth the watch

 

[grouser]

lilac is a good indicator here in the west

 

[earthmansurfer]

I believe burning nettle grows where people have disturbed the soil. When I go for walks it does appear that way as you can see it often next to paths where small areas have been cleared.
There are other species that are similar though I can't think of any offhand... Well, actually I can. Magic mushrooms rarely grow in the forest, they almost always grow in areas that have been "destroyed" and cleared. Like fields, front lawns (of police stations are popular ;-), etc. - Seriously.

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

Well, we're really lucky here in the desert southwest. Almost any trees are good indicators of habitation. They were either planted by the settlers or grew in areas with sufficient water - which always attracted desert travellers and settlers.

 

[baspinall]

Daffodils, grapes, fruit trees, sometimes holy but can be wild, roses. The biggest sign of all is TRASH! stupid humans.

 

[Cliff KS]

Any non-native plants could be an indicator. On the central plains, settlers brought trees to plant. They wanted some species for shade and fruit and other species that were quick growing for future firewood or fence posts. In my area, they often planted pears, but now many of those are old and are dying off. The mulberry trees they planted are large and live longer. There may be an old apple tree or two around that are remnants of an orchard.

Catalpa and Osage orange were planted for fence posts Black locust was planted for fast growing shade and firewood.
Cedars were planted for windbreaks and were planted in many pioneer cementaries.

Some ornamental plants were brought to be planted around the homestead. Around here that would usually be daffodils or tiger lilies. The plants chosen can be indicators of where the immigrants originated. In Kansas, you know you are likely in an area that had a lot of Czech or German homesteaders if a lot of tiger lilies were planted, for instance. European immigrants from other areas preferred English ivy and rose bushes.

So, if you are new to an area, find someone that knows the country and really knows which plants are native and which ones are non-natives, that have been established in the area for some time. They were likely brought there by early European settlers.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

Look out in fields for a stand of trees or a bunch of rocks or stones they planted those trees around the houses.
In the fall around here and winter time old cellar holes stand right out as depressions in the ground most of the time with stones around it sometimes wells near by too. Daffodils and Lilacs are dead give aways. Lilacs were planted near privys to mask the odor way more pleasant to smell then that old out house was.