Digging into a mid 1800s tavern trash pit

[Steve in PA]

Saturday I dug a small exploratory test hole into a trash deposit on the site of a tavern/inn that was active from the 1830s into the 1860s. I have found a large cent, a half cent, a two cent, a flying eagle, fatty IHPs, and a seated dime, along with other relics from the period, but I have exhausted all the targets accessible by surface hunting. Here is the hole I opened up.

At about a foot down, there is a layer of broken ceramics about 8 inches deep. I like to save the colorful pieces to put in display cases.

I was only able to recover one good metallic target, a large cent with a glob of iron fused to it.

It took a little work to remove the iron encrustation from the LC, but I got it to the point where it's recognizable.

Here is my hole sewed back up. I will return in the winter months with a tarp and open a larger area.

 

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[Steve in PA]

Great work and post! I'm looking forward to seeing what you find when you widen that up with the tarp- Good luck!!

Thanks and stay tuned. I will probably get back in there late October or November.

 

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[Diggindennis]

Those are some beautiful ceramic shards, and nice LC, I have alot of ceramic shards its hard not to save them when some are Chinese or Japanese handpainted. Obviously that's a good spot, wouldn't be surprised if you found clay pipe fragment there

 

[crashbandicoot]

Sounds like you have a plan!Good hunting.

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

Beautiful glass Steve
That looks like a great day digging
Hh gl

 

[Steve in PA]

Those are some beautiful ceramic shards, and nice LC, I have alot of ceramic shards its hard not to save them when some are Chinese or Japanese handpainted. Obviously that's a good spot, wouldn't be surprised if you found clay pipe fragment there

Thanks DD. There are clay pipe fragments in this area. I found a couple pipe stems when I first discovered this trash deposit. It would be nice to find an intact bowl. I'm also hoping I come across an intact bottle. I didn't find any broken bottle pieces which is strange.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

It looks to me as if your LC was in a fire Steve, but the other fragments don't look to be burned?
Did this tavern burn down or was this possibly a trash?
Dave

 

[Steve in PA]

Dave, the LC was fused to a piece of iron, and that left a mark on the copper.

 

[Swamp Fox]

Saturday I dug a small exploratory test hole into a trash deposit on the site of a tavern/inn that was active from the 1830s into the 1860s. I have found a large cent, a half cent, a two cent, a flying eagle, fatty IHPs, and a seated dime, along with other relics from the period, but I have exhausted all the targets accessible by surface hunting. Here is the hole I opened up.

At about a foot down, there is a layer of broken ceramics about 8 inches deep. I like to save the colorful pieces to put in display cases.

I was only able to recover one good metallic target, a large cent with a glob of iron fused to it.

It took a little work to remove the iron encrustation from the LC, but I got it to the point where it's recognizable.

Here is my hole sewed back up. I will return in the winter months with a tarp and open a larger area.

interesting finds