Thinking of finally digging with a shovel...

[moodorf]

Hi guys. So, up until now I've been either creek walking for bottles or doing some fairly superficial digging with a one hand sized garden cultivator. I think I've had a decent bit of luck finding bottles with these methods, but I have a feeling if I dig deeper I'll find even older bottles.

I just have one question: if I'm going to be digging straight down into the ground with a shovel, how do I avoid breaking any bottles during the act of shoveling? Is there a smart method to do it? Do you just....dig straight down and hope for the best? Any other bits of advice I should know?

 

[nhpharm]

I use a spading fork with the outer two tines cut off to gently push into the soil and twist to loosen the soil up, then shovel the soil out rather than spading directly into the soil. This gives you a better feel and less likelihood of breaking stuff.