Farm dump help

[foster2100]

I get almost the feeling that I am digging through generations especially out here because I've got enough information to know when people lived there and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface figuratively, as to what it could hold and literally as to the depth of the burn layer.

 

[foster2100]

 

[nhpharm]

The bottle you found is from the 1910's or early 1920's. Farm dumps were rarely burned...classically they just dumped everything (unburned) down a banking or behind a stone wall. On a banking dump, I will typically dig some test holes as the base of the banking, then work my way up. Often there will be a small ac***ulation at the base of the banking, then nothing for a ways up the banking. It is always good to start at the bottom of the dump and work upwards. Often these bankings were used to dispose of rocks from the fields as well, so the dump will be a lot of rocks mixed with trash. It is usually pretty clear when you are to virgin soil.

Often these dumps are mostly broken but there will be a pocket or two of whole bottles. I wish you luck. I spent many years digging farm dumps.

 

[foster2100]

The bottle you found is from the 1910's or early 1920's. Farm dumps were rarely burned...classically they just dumped everything (unburned) down a banking or behind a stone wall. On a banking dump, I will typically dig some test holes as the base of the banking, then work my way up. Often there will be a small ac***ulation at the base of the banking, then nothing for a ways up the banking. It is always good to start at the bottom of the dump and work upwards. Often these bankings were used to dispose of rocks from the fields as well, so the dump will be a lot of rocks mixed with trash. It is usually pretty clear when you are to virgin soil.

Often these dumps are mostly broken but there will be a pocket or two of whole bottles. I wish you luck. I spent many years digging farm dumps.

The lone bottle I found so far was at the top of the dump when I was clearing out some of the large rocks and it was actually loosely packed in between under the rock it was near the top of the soil, like maybe I'm gonna say 2 or 3 inches at the most. I'm thinking that what helped this bottle to survive was right there was the large rock at the top the bottle was like I said loosely packed under not much soil well right down below this rock is a tree looks to have been new growth at one point but died out with a dead stump right beside of it. Yesterday I was digging out from rock that was at end of the stump and got the rock loose no burn layer just clay under it but up above the rock and under the dead stump was more shards of glass.

 

[foster2100]

I'm moving this to a new thread so others can see and may be able to offer some more help. I thank you all for input and insights.

 

[LisaH]

Foster you should take nhpharm's advice and start at the bottom working your way up. If the dump is not just off the side of hill and happens to be in a valley, try to get as deep into the middle of it as you can to start. The shape of the terrain will affect the refuge dispersal pattern.

 

[foster2100]

If you have seen the pictures in the album I made there is no clear pattern to the scatter of the bottles. I think I'm going to look for pieces of the grey clay and try to match up the shards so I don't get too discouraged.