Going back in TIME... 1700s Sundial.

[pitdiggers]

Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Thanks to my digging partner Monkeyboy this may be my best find ever. The pitdigger and monkeyboy clans hit the woods at a spot that was settled in the 1700's. Monkeyboy has popped out some super early coins that go back to the 1600-1700's over the years. After a few hours of popping out some tombacs, cast pewter and flat buttons I got a huge signal in an area where a natural spring was in the woods.

A few inches in the rocky wet ground I pulled out a large brass disc. The water gave this thing a different looking patina and it was covered in dirt so I carefully put it in my pack and kept digging. I had no idea what I had just found. Once we all took a break I pulled out the disc and handed it to monkeyboy. With a little water he slowly started to see some markings. Without hesitation he yelled SUNDIAL!!! Unreal. All of the roman numerals and markings are hand-engraved with excellent detail. The compassrose is hand engraved or stamped N,S,E,W. I was ecstatic!

After getting home I used a little water to continue to remove the mud and have done nothing else to it. After some research I found out that the early american settlers would use sundials instead of more expensive time pieces. Could be my best find to date!

 

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[Go Bills]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

I voted banner it's really a striking piece, great patina.

Go back there with a probe, and grid out the area and check downstream/downhill. You may find the pedestal/rod it was mounted on and other related items

 

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[terpfan]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Congratulations on finding a great piece of American history. I LOVE IT! Banner all the way.

 

[LuckOfTheIrish]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Beautiful sundial what an amazing find!! BANNNER...BANNER...BANNER!!

 

[DigginThePast]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Yup, had to hit the old Banner button. That is a very cool find.

Maybe with enough time you'll find more of it.

 

[Deepdiger60]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

That is 1 rare cool find WTG

 

[pitdiggers]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Thank you all for you banner nominations. I just found an awesome article from a historian on time pieces. Read below if interested.

"A sundial is one of the oldest—it may be the oldest—of all scientific instruments. It depends on the Earth's rotation, although when it was first contrived, probably before 1500 b.c., its makers believed that the Sun revolved around a stationary Earth. Either way one envisions the heavens, the practice is the same: the Sun shines on the dial, and a protruding "gnomon" (from the Greek for "one who knows"—presumably one who knows what time it is) casts a shadow among the hour lines marked on a dial plate, indicating the time. What could be simpler? Or rather, what could be more deceptive than the apparent simplicity of this device? For in order to make the fallen shadow even approximate the correct time, the dial must be laid out with regard to latitude north or south of the Equator where it is to be used, respecting the changing high point of the Sun in the sky from day to day over the course of the year and the variable speed of the Earth's annual motion....."In the 1700s, after the inventions of the pendulum clock in The Hague and the balance spring in Paris inaugurated the era of precision timekeeping, sundials achieved even greater importance than before. "Just as the computer increased the need for the paper that some people thought it would replace," Andrewes says, "clocks—and later watches—greatly increased the demand for sundials, because every timekeeper needs, at some point, to be set correctly." A clock or watch may keep time, but only a sundial can find time—a distinctly different function—by deriving the hour from the relative positions of the Earth and Sun."...Written # By Dava Sobel
# Smithsonian magazine, January 2007

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sundial.html

 

[99Brown]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Great find!

I am ignorant on sundials and please don't take this the wrong way, but can you explain to me how you know it is 1700's? Is this piece dated?

I think it is a great find and congrats! One I would surely like to find!

Thank you

99Brown

 

[naturegirl]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

I voted banner! Animals must do it instinctivly, we create tools to aid us. BANNER!

 

[collector01]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Man that thing is awesome!! I would definitely hang it on my wall. Congrats on a great find!

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Thats a big ole sundial but one unique find for sure
Very cool

 

[Imnengr]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Great find! Ban-ner! Ban-ner! Ban-ner!

 

[Michiganne]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

An inspiring relic find! Very unique. You get my Banner vote.

Keep digging!

 

[Rickiowa2009]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Interesting find

 

[pitdiggers]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial....MORE PICS added

Just shot a few more pics that seem to significantly better. Thanks for all your comments. Enjoy the new pics!

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Oh my goodness how did I almost miss this " that was made by a early coppersmith" INCREDIBLE pitdiggers ,where was this found ..above or below ground Never mind I re read thread .. oxidizes diff. definitely banner U have my vote Congratulations

 

[DMN]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Boy, now that it's cleaned up bit more you can really see some detail. I like the scribe lines. It looks like the rosette letters are punched, as well as the gradiations. The numbers look to be a combination of punched and scribed. Looks like the center point was attempted more than once which makes it seem more personal to the craftsman than some manufactured piece. Just keeps looking better. Is it possible to see the flip-side of that disk?

 

[Iron Patch]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Here's the lead one I found in the Fall. Pocket size I guess.

 

[pitdiggers]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Thanks everyone! Thanks Treasurenet. Your comments are all exciting to read.

I have to thank Monkeyboy for this. First he introduced me to this great site and second he shares his dig sites and research with me which is what lead me to this awesome relic. I hope all of you have as great a digging partner and friend as I.

That is an awesome lead one you found IP. If anyone else has found one I would love to see a pic. I am so pumped I will be researching these things all weekend.

 

[Deepdiger60]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Congratulations on the Banner a rare find indeed i looked up early 18th century sundials and found this made of Pewter it shows what could still be in the dirt the dial ! i thought it might come in handy . Great find Jim

 

[allan]

Re: Going back in TIME... 1700's Sundial.

Great find ! congrats