critterhunter
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Hi all, I've long been into metal detecting and as a result have come across bottle dumps in the past. Just recently I decided to visit some of the sites I found and start bottle digging. The site I'm currently working is in the woods and on the side of a hill. Many of the bottles are laying on top of the soil as the hill erodes away. I haven't even had to dig yet to get them, but I did a little test digging to see if bottles are under the surface. There are TONS of bottles beneath the surface as well and I'm guessing the dump goes at least four to six feet deep based on my test digging. The spot is roughly twenty yards wide and twenty yards long. I've already found a porcilin doll about four inches tall that says "GERMANY" on the back. A little research showed it is an antique roughly 100 years old and in good condition. So far, only picking up bottles on the surface, I'm guessing this surface layer is mostly from about 1900 to 1940 or so, though some of the bottles mixed in look older. I've found some that are blown glass complete with bubbles and corks still in the tops, though I'm no expert on bottle age yet.
Here's a few pictures for you guys. The bottles standing on the cement are mostly newer looking ones. There is a higher percentage of bottles that "look" older in the two rubbermade containers that are soaking in bleach and water. The one to the left is a broken milk bottle with engraving on it's front. I also found a white glass stirring stick about two feet long. You can also see a few of the numerous white glass mason jar lid seals I've found intact.
Being new to the bottle digging world, I need some input on what you see here. Again, the bottles standing are mostly newer looking than most of the ones in the containers. Based on what you see here, what is your best guess as to the age of some of the older looking bottles? Is it worth digging a site like this even if most or all of the finds are say after 1900? Can I expect to find older bottles toward the bottom of the dump? As I said, some bottles look prior to 1900 but I'd like to hear your more experienced evaluations of what you see so far, and if it's worth digging this dump even if all the bottles are "newer".
This site is so big that it will probably take me several trips just to remove the surface bottles. Thanks for any advice, input, and opinion you can give me here.
Here's a few pictures for you guys. The bottles standing on the cement are mostly newer looking ones. There is a higher percentage of bottles that "look" older in the two rubbermade containers that are soaking in bleach and water. The one to the left is a broken milk bottle with engraving on it's front. I also found a white glass stirring stick about two feet long. You can also see a few of the numerous white glass mason jar lid seals I've found intact.
Being new to the bottle digging world, I need some input on what you see here. Again, the bottles standing are mostly newer looking than most of the ones in the containers. Based on what you see here, what is your best guess as to the age of some of the older looking bottles? Is it worth digging a site like this even if most or all of the finds are say after 1900? Can I expect to find older bottles toward the bottom of the dump? As I said, some bottles look prior to 1900 but I'd like to hear your more experienced evaluations of what you see so far, and if it's worth digging this dump even if all the bottles are "newer".
This site is so big that it will probably take me several trips just to remove the surface bottles. Thanks for any advice, input, and opinion you can give me here.
