What’s the deepest you have dug?

[Crumb]

Hey guys I was just wanting to know what is the deepest y’all have dug a rock shelter before you got to the habitation layer. I’m on my land above a field that is full of flint under a nice shelter that faces west . I’ve dug a test hole probably 3 and a half feet deep and ain’t hit the dark dirt. Maybe a more experienced person can educate me,I’ve dug in a few places with other people but it was shallow digging. thanks

 

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[antmike915]

I would dig until I couldn't throw the dirt out anymore. I would dig holes at least 6 feet in Florida, or at least until I hit the hardpan.

 

[joshuaream]

I know a digger in Kentucky that re-digs rockshelters, and he's found archaic stuff down past 10 feet. I had a picture he texted of what looked like a 20 foot extension ladder going down into one of his shelters. His father and uncles had dug out the first 5 feet or so years before.

There are some professional digs have gone down 30+ feet, but they have the resources to deal with the logistics of moving that much dirt and shoring up the hole. (Carrying up that much dirt bucket by bucket usually requires student labor.)

 

[joshuaream]

I would dig until I couldn't throw the dirt out anymore. I would dig holes at least 6 feet in Florida, or at least until I hit the hardpan.

That's about my personal limit as well. Even in decent sandy soil, it is hard work.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Not a rock shelter, but at the Olive Branch site in SW IL Mike Gramly had a track hoe remove 6' of dirt in a 30' X 30' area. Hand digging then continued and artifacts were found. Then, in the 30 x 30, he had a hole dug a meter x a meter and another 6' down. Searching for the hardpan, a digger climbed into the hole with a post hole digger and dug down another 2 or 3' and pulled out a complete Beaver Lake point. The Beaver Lake was approx. 14' from the present surface. Gary

 

[CaptEsteban]

Also, just because it appears to be a " rock shelter," that might not be the case. It may never have been used as such.

 

[ptsofnc]

5' +.....my property. But is wasn't a rock shelter. Was near the base of hills where springs ran in front of obvious NA work area. So the buildup of sediment was greater because of the low (in elevation) area. The "habitation layer" ranged from about 1' down to below 5' all around this work area. Found a uniface scraper well below 5'. It is hard (fun/fascinating) work. BTW I invited archeologists out but they declined. My reaction (to myself) to their disinterest was "great"! I'll excavate the site myself.

 

[southfork]

All the way to bedrock if you want the whole story .

 

[DaveSmith]

I have an overhang/shelter I have been wanting to dig out for years, but I figured everyone would think I was nuts!! lol It has a blackened "ceiling" and from listening to yall talk about depth, I guess its about time to get my shovel.....

 

[Older The Better]

It was more to see how deep the soil was on the uplands but I went 8’ before I got tired. Buried a cow skull and some beer cans, figured someday somebody is going to be very confused finding those things at that depth

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have dug few feet, a friend in Texas uses backhoe and gas operated shacker table and has dug over 10 feet deep along the rivers, streams and creeks of central Texas.

 

[Coinboy]

2.5 feet for a big iron relic

 

[GoldieLocks]

What is, "hardpan"?

 

[Garscale]

My Houston county tx site was 13 to 15 ft of stratified occupation. I have dug several sites where eroded material on the side if a hill was over 20 ft deep.

 

[antmike915]

What is, "hardpan"?

A hard, usually clay-rich layer of soil lying at or just below the ground surface, in which soil particles are cemented together by silica, iron oxide, calcium carbonate, or organic matter that has precipitated from water percolating through the soil.

 

[Crumb]

Ok guys thanks for the replies I’ll keep at it awhile it’s a killer looking spot they has to be something in there. When I get a chance I’ll lay it on it again and see what happens