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(Hopefully) Found my first privy/trash pit

ynnek4

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2017
Messages
454
Location
Treasure Coast Florida
Hi,

I was recently detecting and happened upon what I believe to be my first privy/trash pit. Upon digging the hole I heard that unmistakable sound of metal hitting glass and after digging some iron out of the hole I noticed another bottle and then another and then another. After continuing to dig out broken bottle after broken bottle (about a Home Depot bucket full) I finally was able to find a complete undamaged one (as well as a small white milk glass "Mentholatum" jar). This was my first ever embossed cork top bottle so I was very excited. I have only dug about 2 feet deep and about 2-3 wide. The land owner allowed me to cover the hole up and come back this weekend to further dig. I have some questions to the more experienced diggers:

Is it safe to assume this is indeed a privy and not a "one time" localized small trash pit? With the appearance of the lime be indicative of a privy? It is very thick inside the hole. Also, I am digging out some pieces of brick and broken ceramic dishes

How should I continue to dig? Is there a rule of thumb with this? Should I maybe mark out 6' by 6' square over the current hole and just dig that out?

How deep did privies tend to go? The first bottles I found were only about 1 foot under ground. As I kept going to the side I kept discovering bottles (which seemed like a good sign).

There was a 1900'ish house that stood in very close proximity to this hole. I would assume this helps the chances of this being a a long term privy. I have also found a Barber quarter, a Seated dime, a V Nickel (my avatar), and 4 Indians close by.

I realize there may not be an exact science to this but I figured it didn't hurt to ask. I do have access to a probe so that is an option as well.

Any other pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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IMG-5791.jpg
 
I love that whisky flask!!! Get yourself a Privy probe and probe the ground around your hole looking for soft/easy penetrable ground. A privy hole will allow the probe to enter the disturbed soil easy vs undisturbed ground will be hard! Go slow with the probe as it will let you know if you are hitting bottles as well. Looks to me you have found a Privy. Dig slow and careful, follow the glass. Lime was used to help control the smell in Privy's. You will know when you hit the bottom. The ground will get much harder to dig and of course you will stop finding items. Good luck and be safe. Post your finds! If you can clean up that Whisky bottle and post another picture of it...
 
Last edited:
Love the bottle, that’s my sons middle name [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Right on! I have yet to find one that hasn't already been dug (privy hole). That is a beautiful bottle [emoji3060] Follow the glass and wear gloves I'd say. A three pronged type garden digger/double sided hand pick/mattock works well for working around bottles [emoji106] Nice find and good luck!
 
Good advice from above responses. If it was me standing there I would first probe it out to: 1) find the outer edges of where the bottles/debris stops and 2) check the depth of the "pit". Once you know whatcha got, I'd start removing the top layers of dirt (and roots if any) and *carefully* start hand-digging the thing out, using small tools and the probe to find each item one at a time. If the glass starts, say, a foot down, dig down to that level, then start the careful digging. Many bottles may already be broken so watch the putting your hands in to free up bottles (or rusty metal!). Just go slow and take your time digging. Haste makes waste. Especially when probing. You don't want the probe to be very pointed as it can "ding" a bottle or even go right through it. Earlier glass can be quite thin.

That is one nice flask there. Most flasks are not embossed to that degree. A real nice find. Here's some info on that flask:
http://pre-prowhiskeymen.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-man-in-middle-of-phoenix-bourbon.html
 
"(Hopefully) Found my first privy/trash pit"

What is...things only a relic hunter would say.
 
I love that whisky flask!!! Get yourself a Privy probe and probe the ground around your hole looking for soft/easy penetrable ground. A privy hole will allow the probe to enter the disturbed soil easy vs undisturbed ground will be hard! Go slow with the probe as it will let you know if you are hitting bottles as well. Looks to me you have found a Privy. Dig slow and careful, follow the glass. Lime was used to help control the smell in Privy's. You will know when you hit the bottom. The ground will get much harder to dig and of course you will stop finding items. Good luck and be safe. Post your finds!
Thanks for your response! I plan on excavating tomorrow. Looks like I just need to go slow and be methodical and bring my probe. I am optimistic there is some more "unbrokens" there. Some of the broken pieces had a ridiculously rainbow sheen to them. There were also some cobalt pieces.
Cool hope you find some colored whiskeys!
Me too! I am hoping the original land owners were major alcoholics!
Love the bottle, that’s my sons middle name [emoji1303]Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks! I am very happy with it! Now I have to figure out how to clean the inside of it!
Right on! I have yet to find one that hasn't already been dug (privy hole). That is a beautiful bottle [emoji3060] Follow the glass and wear gloves I'd say. A three pronged type garden digger/double sided hand pick/mattock works well for working around bottles [emoji106] Nice find and good luck!
Great advice! I will need to swing by Home Depot to grab a hand cultivator! Thanks the reply!

Good advice from above responses. If it was me standing there I would first probe it out to: 1) find the outer edges of where the bottles/debris stops and 2) check the depth of the "pit". Once you know whatcha got, I'd start removing the top layers of dirt (and roots if any) and *carefully* start hand-digging the thing out, using small tools and the probe to find each item one at a time. If the glass starts, say, a foot down, dig down to that level, then start the careful digging. Many bottles may already be broken so watch the putting your hands in to free up bottles (or rusty metal!). Just go slow and take your time digging. Haste makes waste. Especially when probing. You don't want the probe to be very pointed as it can "ding" a bottle or even go right through it. Earlier glass can be quite thin.

That is one nice flask there. Most flasks are not embossed to that degree. A real nice find. Here's some info on that flask:
http://pre-prowhiskeymen.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-man-in-middle-of-phoenix-bourbon.html
Thanks for the great advice! From what I am reading probing it out is the way to go. The probe I have was purchased from "Old West Bottles" online. I had anticipated getting into finding bottles but I have actually have never used it. The flask was one of the first bottles I saw as I started to dig the hole. I noticed the embossing immediately and just kept hoping it was all there! It was a great feeling pulling it out! The flask info is very interesting! Thanks for that as well!

"(Hopefully) Found my first privy/trash pit"

What is...things only a relic hunter would say.
Yes, I am a complete newbie to this! :yes:
Isn't a "Privy" an out-house? Who wants to dig around in that?!
I highly recommend you inadvertently finding 100+ year old bottles in holes you have dug looking for coins/relics!:lol:
 
Isn't a "Privy" an out-house? Who wants to dig around in that?!

People who want to find things that were commonly dropped/thrown into the pits. The issues you're imagining aren't going to be a problem after 75+ years of no new...uh...personal deposits.
 
Isn't a "Privy" an out-house? Who wants to dig around in that?!


If you saw the stuff people find in old privies you'd be very surprised.

There's a display in a local museum of stuff a local privy digger finds. Museum quality bottles, marbles with farm animals inside them, silver cigarette cases, coins and jewelry. Etc.

The key is the outhouse was used in 1875. Not 1975.

Check this out: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privy_digging
 
Well, I got back out Saturday and had a decent day. I filled in the hole after I was done so not to inconvenience the land owner with a gaping hole. I figure I can dig it back up again in the near future. I actually forgot my probe so I think next time I will bring it and probe around the filled up hole to see which direction I should search.

Obviously, tons of broken glass, rusty metal (cast iron stove parts), harmonica reeds, and shotgun shells as well. I did get lucky with some "unbrokens."

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Really mad about these!

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Love seeing this in the hole!
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Best finds of the day.

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I was very #$%& about the round bottom bottle! I think I may have cracked that one. The green bottle appears to have cracks inside but is fully whole. Any ideas on the age of these? I was thinking turn of the century-teens.

I plan on going back in a couple weeks to probe out the rest of the hole. I am very confident there is even more down there and in the vicinity.

sidenote: While I was digging the kids got to pick some saw palmetto berries (which is all the rage down here). They actually picked over 80 pounds and sold them for $100+. The landowner even made us some saw palmetto berry tea. :nah:
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Happy hunting!
 
Go slow and keep digging till you hit the hard bottom. You have the potential to pull something really cool out of there.

I plan to!

I plan to finally get my probe out there and go around the hole with it next ime I am out there. I am certain there are a lot more interesting bottles in there. Just walking around the entire property you usually see broken china and purple glass. It is loaded. :yes:
 
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