Lack of experience leads to ?s

[clampman]

my dad and i dug this privy but about 4 feet we hit a thick layer of clay is that normal? We tried to go deeper but its just not happening is thick snd hard but we can see this wood the creates a 90 degree angel we hit lots of glass and got 1 bottle but thats it

 

[icollectfruitjars]

Could be normal. Some farm privies can be shallow. Or....it could be a clay plug. Either probe or dig down a little further to see if it continues.

 

[Plumbata]

I'd keep digging if the wood extends further down, the clay may just be a plug.

 

[clampman]

We dug more it was another 2 feet of clay so we stopped nothing in the clay. Do you think we should go back? There was no more wood just whats in the picture. How think are plugs normally?

 

[sunrunner]

that may be all there is.

 

[clampman]

Guess we should bd happy we got this one then

 

[andy volkerts]

Sometimes clay plugs we encountered would be thicker than three feet, so I would drive a probe down thru that plug to feel if there is softer soil underneath it, coat the probe with 30 weight motor oil before you drive it into the plug, just in case its the bottom, it will help you remove the probe if it is all clay, I would think that there would be no more than two feet of clay at the most left in the hole, if you all ready have dug two feet. There may be an embossed Phoenix whiskey flask similar to the one you have in your hand, I would def go back and try going deeper before calling it quits......Andy

 

[sandchip]

Might try probing or digging outside the privy and see if that clay layer extends outside the perimeter of the privy. If it doesn't, it sounds like a plug or cap that needs removing.

 

[clampman]

i extened it on my way out to knock dirt into it maybe ill clear it out and make the hole bigger we tried going down and probing but it was just to hard the motor oil sounds like a good idea iv been pondering on this all day and night so i think a return trip is a must

 

[sunrunner]

It is always a chore probing here in Georgia , there is clay everywhere .