Home Metal Detecting

Last week a guy got his truck stuck in the snow

in my driveway. We were in the middle of a spring snow storm that left behind 15" of heavy wet and very slippery snow. So I stood in my living room watching him try to move his ark of a truck, a new Ford 250 4wd. He appeared to not know what or how to get himself free. So after watching for at least 20 minutes I put my coat and boots on and went outside to see for myself why he couldn't move. As I approached his truck he let the passenger side window down. I leaned in a little and asked him,"You gonna be here long"? To which he announced the obvious, he was stuck. After a half hour of directing him how to get out (he didn't listen well) He finally got himself freed and after I had moved 3 other vehicles that I didn't want him to hit.
So after all that he thanked me and told me where he lived and how he came to be in my driveway by mistake. As it turned out he owns the farm down near the Kennebec River and a huge field that he plants corn in. I immediately thought how much I wanted to get down to that field and go over it with my detector. Now we get to the really interesting part.
He told me that the Federal Gov. has some sort of influence on the property and there can be no digging unless it is done by archaeologists from the University. I have been down there on my ATV and that alone is a no no and there are signs everywhere prohibiting disturbing anything. You see it is an ancient part of Maine that dates back to the 1600's, it is an Indian encampment and somewhere there was a church and a "school" operated by a Missionary by the name of Father Rasle.
So, I have very few options to get down there. One option I am considering is working the grounds outside the guarded permiter, those people had to go way beyond the signs that are now posted. There is so much history around here where I live and I think I should get out more but something always comes up and keeps me from it.


here is a link with a brief story of Sebastian Rasle,
http://www.suite101.com/content/father-sebastian-rasle-a60193
"If I had a nickel for every nickel I ever had, I'd have all my nickels back".

Comments

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Isn't farming the land 'digging' in the soil?? Some of those tillers go at least twelve inches deep..... tell him you will surface hunt (with an MD before he plants... should be interesting. Cheers, RickO
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I just have to add... no one is doing anything 'archeaologically speaking', and yet, no one is allowed to do 'anything' at all. This is all so ridiculous..... Cheers, RickO
  • laserartlaserart Posts: 2,255
    Every once in awhile the University does a dig. One day my son and his friend happened upon 7 rectangular plots that had obviously been dug and then filled. They looked just like graves, same size. So we called the police and Game Warden and together they went down there to have a look. That is when the boys discovered they should not have been there. But the police thanked them anyway for bringing it to their attention as it could have been graves. If you look up Benedict Arnold you would find out he trudged along the same paths as the Indians on his way to Quebec. A very interesting part of our history that is seldom told. Further north (50 miles) there have been discoveries of B. Arnolds lost wares including a rifle and a sword or maybe a bayonet. In the summer I camp along the same waterway he used to trying to get to Quebec. Too bad he chose the wrong time of the year.
    "If I had a nickel for every nickel I ever had, I'd have all my nickels back".
  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,765 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Interesting story!

    We out west do not have that kind of history to brag about but we do
    have Indian history.
    Soooo, that brings me to an event that happened, oh, ten years or so ago. I
    thought I'd like to do something good for mankind (kids too) and decided to
    be a one man clean up crew on a beach at Lake Mead. Winter time and the
    dog and I had the beach to ourselves.
    Spent a good hour picking up beer tabs, broken glass, other sharp objects and
    just anything that was not sand or rock. Did find two memorial Lincolns but
    that was not my purpose.
    Then along comes Mr. Forest Ranger who promptly informs my that my using
    of a metal detector in the Lake Mead Recreation Area was against the law.
    Oh, really? Said I. And why would that be so?
    Well, "we need to protect Indian artifacts"!
    I about lost my lunch on that one and asked where he was raised....Maine!
    Not that that had anything to do with it but he was used to something other
    than what the Paiutes, Shoshone, et al used in the desert southwest. Our
    Indians used flint and stone and had no metalworking skills.

    So, politely, I asked what I should do with all the trash I had picked up and had
    in my bib pocket. He said I could not have it and to dump it out. So, I did.
    Man that sucked! Then he said it was also against the law to allow a dog on
    the beach without a leash!! Dang, he was mean and ready to write a ticket.

    Even though I was tempted to sic my dog on the bastage, we beat it out of
    there as quick as we could. A hasty retreat was in order.

    Some laws are just plain stupid and should always be ignored when you can.

    bobimage
    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • pcgs69pcgs69 Posts: 4,327 ✭✭✭✭
    Wow, what's up with that? Maybe you can go check out the property and bring your faithful pooch with you... who just happens to dig lots of holes... nothing you can do about animals digging
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