Well/Privy Advice

Located what looks by its construciton and knowledge of the area is a Pre-Civil War homesite. Located just outside CHarleston, SC in an area that grew from out several dozen Pre-Revolutionary Plantation sites.The area is in the Hollywood, Meggett, Younges island portion of Chas County.Cant find any records on the site and neighbooring folks just say its always been there and always been abandoned. The old driveway has been blocked with large mulch and tree piles from when the main road was widened so theres not been any real access for sometime. The house is surronded and covered with trees and look s virtually untouched.It sits on a small point overlooking a small creek and salt marsh flat and has what looks like is an old cattle causeway stretching off the back of the property and into the marsh.The roof of the home caught my eye so pulled over and checked it out. The homes construction is all large diameter heart pine pine beam framing. The foundation is made of hufe heart pine beams rested on 4-6ft sections of palm tree trunk that have been leveled into the ground. Im talking the biggest palm tree sections ive ever seen. Ive never seen a foundation constructed in the manner but if you think about it its actually pretty smart.The whole property were it extends into the marsh is littered with bottles, yo literally can hardly wlk without breaking glass, everything on the surface looks 1890 to present but probing deeper its seems the sub soil is just as littered.Approx 25yds behind the house i found what looks to be either and old outhouse or well.It does seem close to the salt water to be a well but the opening seems to large and well constructed to be an outhouse. Its 4x4 ft and is walled with brick and stone. There was standing water in it so i couldnt tell a depth but you can see in the pic there are bottles mixed in with the brick and stone. I am returnign tommorow with more tools, and a probing rod as well as buckets and rope in case i have to bail water haha.Any advice on dealing with water, or how to start properlly excavationg it would be helpfull. The surface around it seems sound but is covered with a deep layer of pine straw and leaves.I was planning to first use a rake and clear the surface to the dirt 2-3 ft all around it and then start trying to pull water out.Not sure were to go after that.Oh just scratchig around the surface of the hole i found the oldest bottle neck I have come across, and i have dug up some really old black glass on the Charleston Penninsula. This one is by far the the most cruedest looking black glass and oddest shape bottle neck ive seen.My first find like this and am really excited, i cant sleep just thinking about what i might come across. Thanks

Looks Interesting. Wish I was there to help you. Good luck. LEON.

How deep is it?

the top looks like a 'pig snout' case gin, possibly going back to the 1700's. The 4 x 4 could be an opening to a root cellar. Looks like you have a long term project ahead of you. Please don't dig alone. Looks pretty snakey to me.

I thought so as well please stay safe and have a digging partner.

You must include more pictures! This seems like a potentially incredible excavation.

Root cellar sounds good but it could also be a cistern. Either way it should contain some goodies. Be careful cause I think you've got a lot of work ahead. Do you have access to a gas powered pump? Keeping my fingers crossed that it won't keep filling with water while you are trying to drain it.

Finally made it back out. The hole did not have water anymore so that was good to know that its not refilling itself. I started trying to dig out all the pine straw, leaves etc and the mud and debris just kept falling back in. Im going to have to get a better plan together so I can be sure i do it right. I didnt come across anything whiile iwas scratchig the surface though. I hope thats normal and not a sign of am empty hole. On a good note I returned to the marsh at low tide and couldnt believe my eyes. It looked like people had been dumping bottles there for years and years. Probably a 100sqft area that had giant piles of bottles spread all over. Really overwhelming but i picked through a few of the piles surfaces and got a couple nice things.Also i prodded with a copper rod and it felt like there was layers of glass over a foot deep. Not any easy task though trying to dig through the surface and not break stuff.Is there a good way to get to the deeper older stuff without destroying everything.I attached pics of a cool Anheuser Bottle, another bootle that looks like a black glass beer bottle, and another malt/cider shaped bottle.Also a really cool medecing bottle that still had the cork in it with a small glass rod attached to it, cant be many of those that survive.Misc was 3 different metal buttons also. They are soaking int he maching but one def says liberty bell and has a small bell on it.Any info, age, value or reccomendations moving foward are appreciatted. Black Glass beer bottle Cider/Malt Bottle Anhuesar Bottle Intresting medecine bottle So far just scanning the surface

I got a feeling you're gonna find something good there.

How do i sift through the top to the older bottles on the bottom. Just dig in to exspose the lower layers and hope i dont break something good???The pictures of the piles are proably %20 of the amount out there and like i said thats the surface