1700's English Fort Expedition - Advice Needed!
shudson
Posts: 108
Hi folks,
I haven't had the opportunity to do much quality detecting this summer, but I hope to make up for it with an expedition in a couple of weeks.
The area in question is a small island that housed an English fort for a good part of the 1700s. It's a little hard to get to (the perfect spot for a defensible fort) and I have period, hand-drawn maps of the island which include all the fortifications, gun emplacements, storehouses, and even the privies!
As the story goes, periodically when the French would sail in and attack the surrounding settlements, the entire population would retreat to the island and fortify themselves in the fort. The French would sack and burn the towns, but they could never take the island... I just have to wonder how much loot was hastily brought ashore and hidden on the island to keep it out of French hands!
Of course, I'm bringing my detector (Minelab X-terra 50 with 6" and 10" DD coils) and all related tools, but I was also thinking about doing some privy digging if I can determine their exact location. I purchased a 5 foot spring steel probe just for that purpose and it should be here within a week or so, but as I haven't dug a privy before, and I could use some advice and what else to bring besides a bucket and a shovel!
Any and all suggestions welcome... Thanks in advance!
0
Comments
You need a detector caddy....
Chris
The thing is, the fort is all but forgotten about these days and the island is unremarkable so you couldn't just "stumble" upon it. There is only one landing and access point on the island and I'm not sure how they accessed it back in the day, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in for some climbing... at least I hope so.... the harder it is to get to, the less likely it's been trashed on or picked over. Plus, you'd have to have done some serious research to gather together most of the information I have, and I'm in the process of extrapolating data from 4 or 5 different maps (all from the 1700s) into one map I can overlay on a satellite image of the island.
As I said before, I have the general location of all the major structures on the island, including a floor plan of the barracks, and as crazy as it sounds I'm REALLY looking forward to finding and digging up those old privies! One of the maps had what appears to be garden plots on it, which kind of makes sense since in times of trouble the island would have to house and feed in excess of 2000 people. The two main storehouses, the powder magazine, gun batteries, and even a lighthouse are also shown.
My dad will be coming with me on this trip... he grew up not far from the area, and he's the one driving the boat! However if I end up having to any serious rock climbing to get to the island plateau, I'll probably be doing so solo since my dad is in his 60s. Hopefully I can find some interesting stuff that will convince some friends to come along on the next trip!
Thanks for the votes of confidence and well wishing, guys. I'll be sure and take lots of pics and post my findings when I return. Secretly, I'm hoping to find a big ol' bag of US chain cents that was privateered from an American merchantman.
However, what I was really hoping to get were a few tips from the experienced privy diggers on the board in the way of "must have" equipment, and things to avoid or watch out for.
But what do I know, I don't fill in my holes.
<< <i>Mmm, I think you're straddling a fine, fine line between metal detecting and plundering a historic site and compromising the archaeological value.
But what do I know, I don't fill in my holes.
did ya get your girl detector yet ?
<< <i>
<< <i>Mmm, I think you're straddling a fine, fine line between metal detecting and plundering a historic site and compromising the archaeological value.
But what do I know, I don't fill in my holes.
did ya get your girl detector yet ? >>
I... did not.
Actually, I want to highlight the differences between detecting the UK and here. I really, really wish detectorists got more respect and worked with museums. Honestly, though, as long as you bag n' tag anything significant you find, I don't have a problem with it.
<< <i>Mmm, I think you're straddling a fine, fine line between metal detecting and plundering a historic site and compromising the archaeological value.
But what do I know, I don't fill in my holes.
Well, the way I look at it is this... they've had over 250 years to do something with the area and they haven't even so much as errected a sign, let alone any historical marker of any kind.
There are lots of other sites in the province that ARE considered historical sites and ARE protected (actually, they dug up a gold piece from the 1600s at one recently), but I guess no one thought this particular island was worth protecting.
If the english used native slave labor for excavation, they may have dug a side vent for circulation, dewatering, ventilation. Hence you might find a side that extends.
Think of a privvy as just anohter type of, err, dump. Use the same excavation techniques. i.e. don't just start slamming the shovel in there b.c. u might break glass or other objects (though the glass probably won't start until 2 feet below ground surface. Bottles will probably be your best target. Use a small punjab or rock bar or some lightweight poker. like those cascading walking poles baby boomer use on their power walks. Stick this in the ground to determine soft spots. Can't say enough about looking for soft spots. Use the standard grid system to hunt and focus on soft earth. Once dug, soil requires hundreds or thousands of years to regain previous sturcture.
Use a mesh screen if you can to filter thorugh loose earth. Screen over a tarp so you can just dump the soil back inot the pit by lifting one side of the tarp. Remember, broken glass and porcelain rise in a dump/privvy whereas whole pieces sink.
You might look into renting electromagnetic equipment. EM 61 is a great method to survey large areas for geo-tech abornormalities including voids (not just metal). Use of geophysics can help you pinpoint underground structures, and voids such as privvys and dumps.
At the US army forts I've been on each battery had its own dump. Remember, those guys couldn't leave for weeks at a time and there was always someone there. The dump is often as far as a 19-yr old man can throw out a leg bone. On an island they likely dumped over the side into open water. Maybe you have a chance to explore the shore at low-low tide? (bring the tide charts).
Might not be on the map, but look for underground exits that also may have been used as a storehouse. Root cellars and ammunition buildings may have been seperate structures built away from the main fortification. Ash indicates an outdoor kitchen (to early an era for burn dump). Look closely for the ash layer. Too thick an ash layer (and one with shells) indicates indian midden layer.
You probably already are familiar with local vegetation enough to be able to determine what may have been a disturbed area. You are pre-brick so look for stacked rocks that may have provided privvy wall structure. Privvys were often built just a few feet from each other.
Five point harness, caribiner, top rope, and piton/other protection open up a lot more exploration. Consider a headlamp and dust masks.
If you are in unconsolidated material, be careful of cave-in. Make sure you are comfortable with the right way to develop excavations and know the signs of weak soil structure or an unstable feature. Water entering the pit from the side or below is not good.
Death by cave in ain't fun.
And, think of how the embarrassing obituary would read!
Have fun!
Text
<< <i>I've been on privvy digs and excavations of US forts on the west coast dating from the late 1800s but nothing as early or english/french you describe.
If the english used native slave labor for excavation, they may have dug a side vent for circulation, dewatering, ventilation. Hence you might find a side that extends.
Think of a privvy as just anohter type of, err, dump. Use the same excavation techniques. i.e. don't just start slamming the shovel in there b.c. u might break glass or other objects (though the glass probably won't start until 2 feet below ground surface. Bottles will probably be your best target. Use a small punjab or rock bar or some lightweight poker. like those cascading walking poles baby boomer use on their power walks. Stick this in the ground to determine soft spots. Can't say enough about looking for soft spots. Use the standard grid system to hunt and focus on soft earth. Once dug, soil requires hundreds or thousands of years to regain previous sturcture.
Use a mesh screen if you can to filter thorugh loose earth. Screen over a tarp so you can just dump the soil back inot the pit by lifting one side of the tarp. Remember, broken glass and porcelain rise in a dump/privvy whereas whole pieces sink.
You might look into renting electromagnetic equipment. EM 61 is a great method to survey large areas for geo-tech abornormalities including voids (not just metal). Use of geophysics can help you pinpoint underground structures, and voids such as privvys and dumps.
At the US army forts I've been on each battery had its own dump. Remember, those guys couldn't leave for weeks at a time and there was always someone there. The dump is often as far as a 19-yr old man can throw out a leg bone. On an island they likely dumped over the side into open water. Maybe you have a chance to explore the shore at low-low tide? (bring the tide charts).
Might not be on the map, but look for underground exits that also may have been used as a storehouse. Root cellars and ammunition buildings may have been seperate structures built away from the main fortification. Ash indicates an outdoor kitchen (to early an era for burn dump). Look closely for the ash layer. Too thick an ash layer (and one with shells) indicates indian midden layer.
You probably already are familiar with local vegetation enough to be able to determine what may have been a disturbed area. You are pre-brick so look for stacked rocks that may have provided privvy wall structure. Privvys were often built just a few feet from each other.
Five point harness, caribiner, top rope, and piton/other protection open up a lot more exploration. Consider a headlamp and dust masks.
If you are in unconsolidated material, be careful of cave-in. Make sure you are comfortable with the right way to develop excavations and know the signs of weak soil structure or an unstable feature. Water entering the pit from the side or below is not good.
Death by cave in ain't fun.
And, think of how the embarrassing obituary would read!
Have fun!
Text >>
great info coinminer1!...i hope you have some luck mr. shudson
Thanks for the advice CoinMiner1! When it comes to this sort of thing I'm a novice at best (but you have to start somewhere), and it really helps to hear from some of the more experienced hunters out there.
Everything I've uncovered so far leads me to believe that they didn't do much in the way of excavation. The island was/is naturally fortified on all sides by sheer cliffs, and they appear to have only dug trenches and built some wooden fortifications on the side with the only beach capable of landing a boat. Elaborate fortifications would be out of character with the other documented fortifications elsewhere in the region, but of course, I won't know for sure until I get there.
I'm confident I can find the location of some of the major structures and at least two large privies (8 ft x 4 ft) on the island. Clearly this will not be a single day's outing. My heart sunk when I read your entry about how it's likely they dumped refuse over the cliffs on the island, both because it makes perfect sense, and because the shore is going to be next to impossible to properly explore (sheer cliffs). I'm hoping that since the main buildings and kitchens were in the center of the island and the nearest cliff was maybe 400 to 500 feet away, that they sometimes opted to dump in the prives that were only 50 feet away instead!
The soil in these parts tends to be quite hard and rocky (not fun to dig, but pretty solid) but I've already decided to bring along some support beams and planks to brace the walls of any pits I dig. I'm not claustraphobic by any means, but I do have a strong sense of self-preservation and it just seems like the smart thing to do.
I've put off an exact expidition date until my probes arrive, but it will be within the next week or two... I'll return with updates!