South Carolina Old Rice Plantation

[readonly]

The Whitish circle is of most intrigue to me, as it is very heavy (lead for something?) Can provide more pictures and detail if needed. Assume other pieces axe / plow equipment?

 

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[kuger]

I see a axe head(nice early one)a hoe,and pretty sure a musket,or rifle butt plate

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Whoa thats a lot of iron my friend!! you are bound to hit something really good soon like a buckle!!!

 

[readonly]

Whoa thats a lot of iron my friend!! you are bound to hit something really good soon like a buckle!!!

The area I am hunting this was about 3 hours....What do I do with this stuff? I have found other square nails and one other axe head also. Also am only person hunting about 600 acres.

Any idea on the white thing? It registered high 90's on my AT pro, and it weighs about a full lb.

 

[kuger]

........it appears to be lead,could be anything from bullet stock to pipe solder...

 

[readonly]

........it appears to be lead,could be anything from bullet stock to pipe solder...

Should I try electrolysis to clean up the large iron pieces?

 

[kuger]

Should I try electrolysis to clean up the large iron pieces?

Sure!Dont throw em away what ever you do!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

The area I am hunting this was about 3 hours....What do I do with this stuff? I have found other square nails and one other axe head also. Also am only person hunting about 600 acres.

Any idea on the white thing? It registered high 90's on my AT pro, and it weighs about a full lb.

The best thing to do is get alittle box and keep it all, that is what i do... Then get back out there and hunt hunt hunt, dig dig dig!! good luck!!!!!!

 

[birdman]

Electrolysis is the ticket for rusty goodness.

 

[corben1120]

I am also hunting a Rice Plantation is South Carolina, I sent you a private message let me know if we maybe are hunting the same plantation if so we can grid it out and work together to cover more area.

 

[CC Hunter]

I see a axe head(nice early one)a hoe,and pretty sure a musket,or rifle butt plate

The last photo does have the appearance of a heavily encrusted iron butt plate from a rifle or musket. However, a reference check of the first photo shows 4 larger iron objects in the group display. The last 3 photos are actually all different angles of the item shown in the center of the first group photo. The different angles show without a doubt this is NOT a shape that could match a firearm butt plate. The slight curvature, protruding post shape, and relative thin metal in the main portion, show that is is most definitely a broken portion of the bottom of a 3-legged cast iron cooking pot.

The round item with the grayish white color, shows the patina matching excavated lead or lead alloy. While the shape could suggest to viewers here to possibly surmise this may be a large caliber musket ball that was intentionally flattened with a hammer or similar heavy strike, the group shot in photo #1, gives us a relative size of this lead item, in comparison with the axe head and hoe head. The lead item is in fact larger in diameter than the socket hole in the hoe head, meaning it is likely well over 2" in diameter. The added description of this weighing over a pound, also adds further evidence that this is a rather substantial piece of metal. My hunch is that this is possible an improvised counter weight for balance scales. This may have been made to specifically match the weight of a particular object(s), that were weighed on a regular basis. While they likely had a manufactured weight set of say brass counterweights marked as such, there could also be a need for a specific counterweight of a odd weight amount. If repeated weighing was done using containers where a tare weight was needed, then this could have been a counterweight to compensate for tare.

The thick outer portions of these iron objects, shows considerable leaching of iron sulfides. Left exposed to air and untreated, this iron will eventually crumble to little more than chunky crumbs and dust. While in the ground, the iron is somewhat in a slower rate of decay, where salts have entered the porous surface, remaining in a semi-moist state. Once removed, the iron will dry, allowing the salts to form into micro-crystals. This basically has the effect similar to freezing water, where expansion can destroy even the hardest material. In this condition, electrolysis is a very slow process, often involving weeks or months to remove salts from the iron. If one has iron items that may warrant further interest and saving at a later date, it is advisable to either bury them back in the ground, or place them fully immersed in fresh water along with a liberal sprinkling of sodium carbonate in the water (available in most home supply stores as ph balance for swimming pools). With ample sodium carbonate in the water, there should be no leaching of iron sulfides even after weeks or more, and the water will remain relatively clear. Too little, or no sodium carbonate, and the immersed iron will soon turn the water rusty brown color.

The iron axe head is about the only iron item here deemed worthy of possible salvage. The broken hoe head and portion of iron cooking pot, are about as common to 18th and 19th century plantation sites, as beer cans at a redneck barbeque. These iron objects are great indicators though, to slow down while searching, as a period site is in close proximity.

CC Hunter

 

[dimedigger]

could be bulk lead used to melt to make bullets