✅ SOLVED large nail/spikes from SC Plantation Home site

[wolfie72]

I am a newbie, and my first non-trash/coin dug items are these these 2 large iron nails or spikes (about 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" in length) were dug just off the side of a site that was a SC plantation home from 1790 until the Civil War. The exact site was occupied by Union soldiers throughout the Civil War, but these aren't tent stakes. Note that both discarded due to being bent (possible trash pile?)

I am trying to determine exactly what they are (just normal construction nails?) and how old they may be - are they are period pieces from the 19th century, or just newer 20th century items I happened to find in an old area. Thanks.

 

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[HutSiteDigger]

Yep I would say civil war period...

 

[Breezie]

Here ya go:
The history of nail making

Welcome to the forum! Breezie

 

[relicmeister]

THANKS for posting the nail history link, I have a huge amount of square nails, and spikes of every size and many variations, and I really treasure some of them.I'd love to be able to rough date them if possible, but there's not many clues and they're commonly
found in home-sites from early colonial to early 20th century.

 

[Breezie]

Relicmeister

 

[baywalker]

The reason they are bent is that they would bend the over to make them hold better. after the wood rots away that is all you have left is a bent nail.

 

[dimedigger]

they are railroad spikes

 

[kuger]

they are railroad spikes

No,just large square nails and there is no way from looking at a picture of rusted over nails where they date to.....very wide range of use.They do appear to possibly be rose heads which can kind of narrow a date down,but that was not mentioned.Large nails were used in beams and such....I dug one yesterday that is 7"

 

[clovis97]

My guess is that these are door nails.

I once disassembled the frame of a door out of a house that dated to 1860 to 1875 or so.

My goodness, those are HUGE nails. I still have them...they were just too cool to throw away.

 

[wolfie72]

interesting bent comment Baywalker.

No these are large nails but much smaller than RR spikes, and no railway was ever located anywhere near this area (although I've read the Union troops often carried the railroad spikes they obtained from sabotaging Confederate tracks for use in other locations which can sometimes explain why RR spikes can be found in odd locations).

I found these 2 nails after a relatively quick search of small portion of a large area, so I will definitely go back to see what else is there!