Privy digging in New England

[downeastdigger]

Here is the back of the house and yard, I probed the whole thing before I located the privy up next to the house in an "L" of the house...

 

[downeastdigger]

Here is the L of the house. The trash went about 2-3 feet deep, lots of roots, and no defined walls to the privy, other than the house foundation itself...

 

[downeastdigger]

Boy seeing these pictures is TORTURE.. Cant wait to dig.
This one is just about the extent of the hole. I couldnt square it off very much because of some thick roots. There was no sod to replace, because it was a leaf covered area, maybe 6" of rotted leaves, mulching down what would have been grass...

 

[downeastdigger]

AS FOUND..
Aqua umbrella IRON PONTIL ( Ever seen one?) It had no damage, but after a few month it developed a large crack while on my shelf. I'm wondering if they discovered that using an iron pontil on such a small bottle created instability , so they changed and used a smaller pontil rod surface... just a thought.

 

[downeastdigger]

Four of the better finds, a very rare Wetherells Sarsaparilla from Exeter, with patent date embossed on the SIDE SHOULDER of the bottle, as well as a chamferred base, very unique. Also the IP umbrella, a smooth base umbrella and a nice US Treasury ink.
What a fun dig...

 

[downeastdigger]

One of my good luck charms

last picture, I promise

take care, Bram

 

[capsoda]

Hey Bram, Check ot maps of the business district of local towns. The bars, hotels and line houses usually had deep two or three holers and they are usually full of great stuff. Some of them may even have trash pits full.

 

[appliedlips]

Bram,

Cool topic,I believe I emailed you after a trip to Dover a year and a half ago.Me and my father in law dug several on a lot in Dover.The lot was 1700's but had an 1880's house on the backside of the lot.We found two early holes,both were barrel lined and dated back to 1830 or older.Both had been dipped.One produced no whole bottles but had shards of a Charter Oak flask and a beaded edge double eagle.The other produced a Stoddard whiskey,a couple blackglass ales and a few more bottles.Both were about 4 ft. deep.The encouraging sign was a 1885-1910 woodliner 4X6' rectangle and went 6 or 7 feet deep.It produced alot of bottles with a couple nicely colored blob beers the best finds.It showed no sign of being dipped and had a healthy seed layer for even a midwestern privy.I probed a stone liner on the lot next door that I bottomed a six foot probe in.Never got a chance to dig it as it rained for the last 2 days of the trip.You keep at it and you will find that one 1830's-60's hole that make all the midwest and N.Y. diggers jealous.Take care,Doug

 

[bottleslayer]

whats down easter digger complaining about? I don't know how to probe or
realy a place to probe! Does Maine got any clubs up Bangor way?

 

[portland med. man]

dont have any ideas of shows or clubs up there but i bet there`s some fine diggin up those parts and probably fairly undug i found some broken pontils down bye the river up there in my first ten minutes on foot the first time i went up there.. sure would love to dig a perkins pulmanary balsam op...up there...