Out in the Woods ....:surprised:

[Dirtyray]

Hey there i went out today for a little dirt digging took about a 20 -30 minute walk in the woods ran across some older buttons and a few older bullets and about a hand full of old Horse tack "SOME" leather still on the buckles well a little ways more and i ran into some "BONES" i left the place that very second when i covered the Very shallow hole back up it had a button my v3i picked up in a very trashy spot LOTS OF IRON ....Its an old spot i know its not new ...What would you have done ? And yes i put the button back ! HH Thanks

 

[DIGGER-SEAN-N-VA]

If they where human bones, I think you did the right thing.
What do "we" think we are ? Archeologist or something? They are the only ones allowed to disturb and rob from grave sites......

 

[HanoverDigger]

Did they look like human bones? Contact law enforcement....possible missing person maybe...or worse!!

 

[Dirtyray]

No it wasn't a missing person and it was human bone the buttons i dug said U.S. INDIAN SERVICE.... 99% sure its from Pre 1900

 

[mudpuppy]

Knowing me, I'm pretty sure I'da excavated the whole place out of curiosity before even thinking about it...reburied the bones in some sort of dignified way...I doubt this person was officially buried, but died and fell on the spot, through any manner of things...so its not a 'grave site' per se...perhaps the finds there would give a guy an ID on the person that would fill in a mystery of sorts?...

Theres a lot of folks that dropped dead out in the wilds and were never seen again..Sounds like a cool project there a guy could try to unravel...
Mud

 

[Camp Pollard]

The reason I ask is, from my limited experience with such here in the deep south their is no "bones" left from someone buried in the dirt 150 yrs. ago.
At least their isn't enough bone left that a novice would recognize as such. Though I do ocassionaly find cattle bone "fragments" in fire pits and deep dumps.

 

[LaRelic]

Yes I agree sounds more like a dump site. I dig bottles fairly regularly and bones always come up. Dug many of buttons out of dumps and buckles with leather that had been in a fire. All signs of a trash pit but you never know...HH

 

[mudpuppy]

Sooner or later, as much time as we spend outside paying attention, one of us is bound to be the first on the scene of a dead body...so a guy can mentally prepare now...somebody just washed ashore here the other day and a guy walking his dog on the beach found him, just as easily could have been me, nearly was one morning, but the guy running the sandrake got to him first and waved me off..
Mud

 

[LaRelic]

Yikes!! But very true.

 

[longbone]

Hanovers right. Contact your county Sheriff's office as soon as possible. They will appreciate it and you will have a clear conscience.

 

[triplehooked]

So.....Any pics of the buttons and tack? Seriously, if it were really that old (and I'm definitely not doubting it) curiosity would have the best of me as well. I'm with mud (we Michigan detectorists are a sick bunch...lol) I would grid the area and hope for remnants of a saddle pack (and its contents), more buttons, or possibly even the bullet that killed the poor fella, re-bury the bones, then call the authorities. Obviously it would be a different story if it weren't a 100+ year old site. Although I completely understand your response to the situation.