bottles next to foundation--why?

[Atlas]

Why would bottles be found near an outside wall of a barn, house, or cellar hole? Summoning all the bottle brainpower out there for theories. Thanks!

 

[woody]

I've always thought that it was done to prevent people and livestock from walking on the bottles and cutting themselves.
Same as dumping them in a rock pile, so livestock wouldn't get cut from the glass.

 

[GuntherHess]

Garbage was typically thrown in the trench when foundations were backfilled.

 

[downeastdigger]

Ron thats an interesting theory, I hadn't thought of that before. I've probed out single bottles and batches of bottles along the foundation of houses before, and that never dawned on me.
Along the same lines, I've always wondered how much trash was underneath early railroad tracks. I've recently been behind a row of 1840s houses, and the railroad track came right behind the row of houses. I'm picturing that during the construction of the tracks that everyone might have scooped their privies, dumped any dump piles and garbage right dead center where they were about to lay tons of dirt and gravel, then track. Anyone ever seen evidence of this?
Bram
ps Diggin a probed out spot tomorrow, wish me luck !

 

[GuntherHess]

They used to load ashes and garbage on rail cars and stop and dump it in low areas along the train tracks. I have found a number of old dumps like this.

--Matt

 

[Pettydigger]

Welcome to the forum Atlas. People used to use anything for fill back then to build up the backfill along foundations. You need to have rain water flowing away from a structure when you build, dirt will settle over time and you don't want water getting down along the foundation,the higher the slope the better. I busted out a 1910'ish concrete steps once that was full of interesting fill, glass, metal bed parts, door knobs, etc. Middle of page on this link, these guys scored on tons of Bromos http://www.glswrk-auction.com/018.htm. along a foundation.

 

[beendiggin]

I would say that any low spot close to a house was likely to be filled with trash due to the fact that the trash had to go somewhere, and the less distance travelled to dump trash, the better. It pays to check any and all low areas and under all built structures. Many of my best have come from under buildings. I have found small pockets of trash away from the house by chance. You think you're just getting stated on a dump, but all it amounts to is a filled hole. Bram, I found a small dump on the side of a discontinued rail spur in Rockland that had household trash from the 20's - 30's, but underneath it all was about 350 green and aqua insulators, mostly common toc AT & T's, a couple of Lockes, etc, half were good, half were chipped....I liked that dig. I guess when they pulled up the old tracks, the poles and lines had to go, too. See you at the show!

 

[spyder]

one reason they threw bottles and such in foundations was to deter ground hogs or wood chucks (depending where you are from) from digging to get under the foundation.

 

[bonesbda]

in bermuda...we always seem to find the dumps along the property boundry..
usually on the OTHER persons side!!