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Looking for advice on finding an old homesite dump :help:

M

Mark652

New member
I am putting this out to all the experienced detectorists on the forum who also explore the history of sites they hunt. I have been working a very small but old site located in a wooded area. There is no evidence of any building foundation but I and a few friends I get out with have found over 100 flat buttons, six large cents all dated from 1796 to 1809 and one silver Reale dated 1773. We have also found two thimbles and a lot of unrecognizable iron, as well as some pieces of old broken glass. The site is located about a mile from where a pre-revolution road/trail passed---it si all developed now---and we have speculated there might have been a small log cabin here before 1812 that was completely removed a long time ago. I am pretty sure I know where the front was and now I am looking for whatever dump might have been associated with the site. The woods are clean, not much trash at all and the finds have all been localized to a small area. There are no water sources near the site, but two dried up but recognizable stream beds pass about 200 yards "behind" the site. Does anyone reading this have any suggestions for where to focus on to find the dump? I am presently fanning out from the site in search patterns hoping to hit any cluster of signals that might indicate iron among the trash of a dump pit---as I said, the woods are pretty clean, beyond the site itself signals are few---but would welcome suggestions or thoughts from experienced detectorists with similar past experiences. Right now I feel like I am looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Mark
 
Very true Fact.......once the ground consistency has been disturbed.....It can Never be put back to original stratification....

Why do I tell you this? one.... the time period you are speaking of.....Any metal in that time was used over and over and over they did not throw it away....if they ran out of lead they would load scraps of iron .....when they ran out of that... tiny pebbles ...rock what have you any thing to keep land pirates and injuns away....You will probably not find a pit privy or well ......with any significant metal in it.....You can try all metal and pay close attention to any ground anomalies......or you can get a bottle probe and look for the holes hard gorund or same consistancey versus sinking to the hilt and hearing some pontil glass crunch .....200 yards is to far for water ....there will be a well or cistern near by ....just some thoughts that may help you .....I t may be nothing but an old camp if it is follow the road every half mile or so you should find another usually on a southern Slope.....

Happy Trails
jimpugh
 
Yeah, never a trash pit with metal during those times. As Jimpugh states, it was either a camp or a burned down log structure. I would dig a few test holes and see if there are traces of brick but they would need a water source to make bricks as most were made on site. Could have been a small tavern near a road. Hard to tell but sounds like a good find to me!

Beau
 
Hi Mark 652,
What state are you in? I have an extensive library of hidden treasure and lost mines, I am sure the biggest in private collection anywhere. So tell me where you are and I will see what I can find in your area. Sure to have something.
S
 
Silverman, thank you, I have been reading the hidden treasure items you have been posting with interest. I am in Northern Virgina, close to the Maryland border and just a few miles East of Leesburg, Virginia. By the way, the site I have been searching is located just a mile North of the old Vestal Gap trail that Braddock took West. Appreciate your interest and welcome your offer. Mark
 
Thank you all who have relied so far---Silverman777, T2, Jimpugh---I agree with your observations. My friends and I have looked for old bricks, none found so far, which is why we think it was an all log probably with a dirt floor. I'd not thought of using a bottle probe, that is an excellent suggestion I will try out. We've not found any signs of a well or cistern, but we are continuing to search. I was out today, Saturday, found three more flat buttons, but nothing else.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply and for the very welcome thoughts and suggestions.

Cheers,
 
n/t
 
I have a similar place I've hunted for years. There is a stone foundation plus a brick arched spring walled water area. I've found 1840's bottles (parts) and all kind of flat buttons and cufflinks and coins around a 300 sg.ft. area. In the one place is what I think is an old privy. It's all filled in with brick and plate glass and a lot of roots now. I've started to dig it out but going slowly. Maybe it's a well of some type. Anyway, I've found 17 coppers all around the hole from 1773 to 1801. One silver reale from 1733. Question; Do you usually find a lot of coins around a privy site or a well? There are other coppers all over the site but this seems to be concentrated in this area. Any info would be greatly appreciated. BTW I live in the Hagerstown, MD area. Oddly enough I found an old photo of this place from around 1910 and it shows this small brick shed type building where I've been finding all these early coins. The only thing left now if the foundation to the house and not much of that.
 
That small brick shed was most likely the privy.

It was the same way back when for guys as it is now.

Indoor plumbing or outhouse, #2 means the pants come down.

When the pants come down, so do the pockets. And sometimes stuff falls out of those pockets.

Assuming no constipation problems, figure at least 365 coin dropping opportunities per year for each male in the household.
 
Mark652,
Hi Dude I PM'd you a few places where you can spend many hours finding gold! Have fun and don't forget my %10! hahahahaha I am soooOO Jealous that I can't be in the USA to go find a few of them hidden treasures!
S
 
Hey Silverman, I live in the Fairfax area of Northern Va. Are there any cool spots around my area to find things?
 
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