Next week I'm headed to an island in the Hudson River that was inhabited by Native Americans as early as the 1600s followed by the Dutch in the 1700s and 1800s. There were settlements as well as a couple very large ice houses. Over the years as the Hudson was dredged, all evidence of human activity was buried under tons of silt. Does anyone have any experience digging in areas like this? The historical texts I have read about the area lament the fact that no artifacts can be found. But I wonder if there are areas like the immediate shoreline where one might have a better shot at finding a few things?