No Bottles, But...

[Gunsmoke47]

Hi yall, Pitfinder and I didn't come home with any bottles Sunday but we will take a day like this anytime! I think you metal detectorists will especially appreciate the finds.
(1) Officers Eagle buckle
(2) Mills cartridge belt buckles
(1) of the prettiest door knobs I have seen
(1) complete rear sight for a Springfield 45/70
(1/2) spur
and a branding iron (Non Military) Happy Diggin, Kelley

 

[deepwoods]

Very cool stuff Kelley! You still diggin around that fort?

 

[Gunsmoke47]

Yeah J.D. This site was supposedly excavated YEARS ago by a local college but I guess metal detectors were practically non exsistant. Luckily it is on private land and we are friends with the owner. This is our old standby. we go here often when we aren't searching for other Indian Wars battle sites. Some days are better than others but we have yet to be skunked. This is where Pitfinder and I lost our virginity to the wonderful hobbie of bottle digging. Now we seem happiest in a 5 foot hole, shovel in hand, unearthing glass! Happy Diggin, Kelley

 

[IRISH]

Now thats the stuff I like to see, while I'm a slightly obsessed bottle collector (ok then, VERY obsessed [] ) some brassware especially buckles, cartridges and Australian named buttons come very close [] .
Good finds Kelley.

 

[deepwoods]

Ya know archeologists dont always know everything-there was a'team'from the local U. here doing a dig at the site of a big 1840s tavern and they were digging strictly in the front yard!

 

[diginit]

I, Myself really like the door knob. Isn't that a polished stone that looks like wood? A partner of mine one last month here in cailfornia. Great finds no doubt.

 

[Gunsmoke47]

Hi diginit, I believe it is an agate type material. It is definately not wood. We have found several of the white porcelain ceramic ones but this is the first colored one. It looks like a giant shooter![] Thanks, Kelley

 

[Maine Digger]

Hey Gunsmoke, I dug one of those doorknobs along with a crystal one out of my back yard here in Maine. I'm trying to find a way to remove the metal bases which are rusted beyond recognition or use. Unfortunately, I haven't found that privy yet. I did some test holes where I thought it was, and where a 87 year old lady who grew up in my house remembered hte one they used. At first I ran into bricks and some cut granit steps etc. Unfortunately when the back shed and barn that was attached to this 1830s house burned in 1958, the evidently buried all that what wouldn't burn where it lay. It raises hell with the probe; I'll find some nice voids, where it sinks to 5', dig a test hole, and pull out door knobs[] I'm hitting this stuff about 40 -48'' down, I suspect the privy signs are pretty much obliverated to that depth[&:]

 

[Gunsmoke47]

Hi Norm, one of my porcelain knobs was found without the metal insert in it, and looking at it, I believe it was just glued in somehow or possibly just pressed in. You might try soaking it in acetone to see if that would disolve whatever adhesive they used, and then work it out with needle nose pliers.
I can relate to having to dig around things buried where they fell. A bunch of our pits are virtually non- diggable due to the thin metal sheeting (from the structures) about 12" to 24" down. It can be a real pain in the kiester! Happy Diggin and good luck with your elusive privy, Kelley

 

[sliphippy]

Thanks for posting the picture. I found 2 of the door knobs recently although I did not know what they were untill I seen your picture. Mine were black thanks again and good luck digging everyone.