DIGGERS TV SHOW TONIGHT!!

[andy volkerts]

ORIGINAL: CALDIGR2

Before 1980, there was very little historical archaeology going on in CA. The emphasis was on pre-contact Indian cultures. I remember sires where earth was taken down to about 18' below street grade and the bottom 3' of many privy pits were exposed and left that way for weeks. That allowed us to get into the site area and dig the remainder out. It was OP gravy and we did not have to worry about filling or leaving a mess. Clean out the glass and go. Lots of black glass Hostetter's, Schnappers, and sodas, both Western and Eastern. The best Eastern one that I can recall was a cherry puce Boardman's. Lots'a leaverites like Burgin and Sons, cheezy Parker's and others, but many boxes of major keepers. Not an archy to be seen; they didn't get on the historical bandwagon until several years later. One prick of an A-hole was Adrian Pritz-Ellis, a Sonoma State College professor who really was convinced that his poop was lovely.
[8|] I believe that this " site" was or might have been sections of old Sackamenny that Cal-trans had excavated, mainly where 3rd, 4th, 5th sts were between D, and O basically were dug out with heavy equipment crushing bottles by the hundreds ifn we hadnt gotten some of em out at night or on weekends..........So much for preserving any history there folks....

 

[CALDIGR2]

No, Andy, it was the construction of the new Capital Bank of Commerce on SE cor 3rd and Capital. Big green glass building.

 

[Diggin4Togas]

I think these two guys should hook up with Shelby and his LogDog, maybe he can show them where to find some serious round! []

 

[Brian M]

I didn't care for the show. I know anyone could have done a better job with that show. Most of the stuff they found was not even worth the amount that they were stating. Folks watching the show are probably left with the idea that metal detecting is easy and you can go anywhere and get rich.

As far as a digging show goes, I think Youtube and web sites like this are the best way to go. There are some interesting videos on there and they are usually entertaining. I know I have filmed hours of video over the last few years. Digging videos can be shared with others in the digging community without having to broadcast to everyone in the country about what we do. People interested in bottle digging can visit a site like this or Youtube. You know if a person takes the time to search for digging information, they are probably serious about the hobby. Why do we need to be on T.V. and attact negative attention from people who would want to hurt our hobby?

As far as digging dumps or privies, I will dig anywhere, I have permission to dig. Living in the Midwest there are thousands of places to dig. I never thought about someone coming after me for digging and I don't worry about it. If no laws are broken, I think it is fair game. I have been collecting on and off for over 20 years and never had a bad experience. If things are done right, I don't think any digger has anything to worry about. Just stay off of state and federal land.

 

[VTdigger]

You guys made some good points in this thread, it's a line I often worry about that someone will try to tell me to stop or that I shouldn't be digging in certain areas, however unless it's posted, I'll have a look around. I have looked in sites around where they had an Archaeological dig in the late 90's of the former US pottery site. http://www.chipstone.org/publications/CIA/2002/NewDiscoveries/Zusy/zusyindex.html

accross the brook stood another pottery that made stoneware and after Irene I took a walk along the banks and found some stoneware and hard porcelain shards including a peace from a jug with a Julius Norton mark used in the 1840's-50's and a peace from a pottery rest I posted on this site awile back. It was nothing compared to what they found on the Archaeological dig, but for me it was fun and I didn't even dig or destroy any land to find it and I appreciate the history such items. I hunt with respect though there a few place where I know where there's bottles etc to be found but keep out means keep out. What I find on public non posted land is mine to keep and appreciate.

That being said, I don't like to talk about what I find or where I find it with to many people, if you get to many people looking to find relics from the past just to get rich is when people start destroying places rather than searching them over looking for relics. shows like these, I know that alot of it is planted and made up to make the show more interesting, and while digging is a fun hobby, no one always has these finds like you see on TV, sometimes you can hunt for hours and all you find is some 1970's beer bottles. But thats part of the fun of it, like any hobby is it's all in the hunt, and getting out and getting some fresh air not getting rich.

 

[sem_yeto]

I think if we really get to the bottom of the archs' beef with bottle diggers, it boils down to that the archs want to get paid and make a living doing archeology here in the States, and not have to go to Europe of S America, or Middle East.

It all comes down to money. You can talk "context" all you want, but you cant fool me. You want to get paid and have importance put on old trash and bottles, so you can be paid large sums of taxpayers' monies to dig it up.

Bottle diggers, on the other hand, do it for love of history, and passion , and are paid nothing. Most diggers, even those who sell what they find, could never make a living at it, since so much time is involved to find so little of value. They dont get big multi Thousand dollar contracts to dig, like you guys. I saw a contract about 12 yrs ago for some archs to come in a scratch around on a 40' x 40' lot. They dug 2 test holes, and wrote a report for $30,000. !!

 

[splante]

I was relieved to see it was metal detecting(not to offend any dectetors) at least the episodes I watched. But I can still already see a run on "NO TRESSPASSING signs going up because all the "newbies" will be out destroying property, not getting permission, leaving a mess. ect ect Maybe they will stay to the fields ,medows and foundations and leave the glass alone. If it was a show on bottle digging in old dumps this hobby would take a BIG hit.....

 

[Wheelah23]

Anyone who's dug a privy often knows there is usually very little "context". Privies were filled in at random times, and often random stuff was thrown in. At the very top of a privy, I found a smashed 1860's Saratoga bottle. A couple feet down was an 1890's medicine. When the privy was filled in for good, anything from around the house was thrown in, so that "context" must be thrown out the window. We bottle collectors are after the artifacts themselves, which themselves are a much better revealer of age and history than the bogus "context" they were found in. That's just my experience with privies, other archaeological pursuits have much greater merit...

What I'm saying is, archaeological methods would not work very well, and would in fact give an incorrect reading of history, when applied to privies, due to dipping.

 

[sem_yeto]

Wheelah:

"Context" is the veil the archs hide behind. It's all about saving their jobs and creating jobs for them !! Follow the money !!

 

[cowseatmaize]

I just finally watched some reruns. I love the applied (probably tooled) wine or water that was declared as a beer. What a joke as are the Savages! [][][]
If I watched the right show that is. [8|][8|]