How old is too old for a dig site...reporting?

Flaschenjager · Oct 8, 2003

Hello all,
My question is: How old does a site have to be to be reported in the eastern US (Virginia area) to authorities?

Some details: This is a private residence, but it is listed on the Historical Register.
It is a very large plantation and the earliest part of it was built in the mid 1700's. Yes, I do have permission to dig from the landowners, who are good friends.

We may or may not need to report this, but this should be addressed for future diggers. I also realize that different areas have seperate restrictions. If you are aware of the reporting procedure in your area, the age of the site and finds must be, I'd be interested in your reply. Thanks.

Harry Pristis · Oct 9, 2003

Meech . . .

You MUST REPORT all of your dig sites older than 1900 TO ME!

This is mandatory. There are no exceptions! It doesn't matter if the dig is on private property with the express permission of the landowner. It doesn't matter if the dig is on your own land. If you turn up human remains in the dig, you should also report this to local authorities.

The out-dated notion of private property rights no longer applies. This is now the era of big government. There are plenty of regulators operating in American life, and I am claiming this bottle-digging activity as my own bailiwick.

I will be sending you the appropriate reporting forms (in triplicate) along with instructions for packing and shipping TO ME the archeologically-significant bottles that I will select from your report.

It's for the children!

----------------Harry Pristis [8|]

Flaschenjager · Oct 10, 2003

Stop!...Harry - You're scaring me.

When I first read your reply I began chuckling, then I became concerned and it looked as though you were serious, but by the end I was laughing again.

- Human remains may be found if someone thinks they can separate my finds from my person.

Yes, it is for the children...I have a son that will like bottles. He's surrounded by them.[sm=rolleyes.gif]

Harry Pristis · Oct 10, 2003

<chuckle>

Okay, then! Dig away on your plantation site! Though there won't be any forms to fill out in triplicate, I think we'd all like to have a report from you here.

Good hunting!

----------Harry Pristis [

]

pvg_320 · Oct 23, 2003

What a great opportunity you have there. You may already do this, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to record and catalog basic information on each find. Date, location on site, depth, etc. I catalog MD relic, and surface relic finds this way. Helps when you forget where you found something!

Also, the 'ologists tend to dislike 'hunters' because we have tended not to contribute anything back to the academic body of knowledge. Nothing to lose sleep over, but if you can share that info with local historical societies, libraries, etc. you create greater status for the MD/bottle hunting hobbies. That kind of information sharing only leads to greater opportunities in my opinion. And, you'll have the info if you are ever required to report it... YMMV

Plz post what you find - there isn't anything nearly that old, besides native artifacts, here in KS.

PVG

baltbottles · Oct 25, 2003

Hi Meech,

We dig alot of privies here in Baltimore that date to the 1780-1820 era they tend not to have many intact bottles in them but are full of pottery. I would save all of the pottery shards and see what you can glue back together. Here is a pic of all the shards of transfer and yellow ware from one privy we recently dug that dated from the 1850s-1870s. As for reporting the stuff we dig its probably not worth doing any major documenting and i would only report it if i found somthing that seemed very important. This is a very well documented time in our nations history 1770-1900 and most privies are considered so unimportant that they would be destroyed by excavating equipment if not for privy diggers.

baltbottles · Oct 25, 2003

Also here is a pic of two early plates that were dug from an 1820s era privy and they glued back together great.

Chris

How old is too old for a dig site...reporting?

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Flaschenjager

Well-Known Member

Harry Pristis

Well-Known Member

Flaschenjager

Well-Known Member

Harry Pristis

Well-Known Member

pvg_320

Member

baltbottles

Well-Known Member

Attachments

baltbottles

Well-Known Member

Attachments

Similar threads

Latest posts

Members online

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Share this page

Online statistics

Forum statistics