Dumb question of the day: Cellar holes

[Viking]

I've seen a lot of great items posted on this site from cellar hole hunts, but I guess I don't know the answer to a fundamental question...are you hunting inside of the depressions, all around it, or both? :confused: Posted pictures of those rocky, branch filled cellar holes looks impossible to detect within! Do you spend a lot of time moving cobbles and debris around:huh:

Also, were colonial houses generally spaced far apart, or are these cellar holes somewhat near one another? If they're close, does that make the land between the two cellar holes perspective to hunt (assuming people were coming and going from neighbors houses, travelling to town, etc)?

Just curious. Clearly I don't live out East. I'll try to hold off on any more dumb questions! :behave:

Thanks guys!

[coinnut]

I've seen a lot of great items posted on this site from cellar hole hunts, but I guess I don't know the answer to a fundamental question...are you hunting inside of the depressions, all around it, or both? :confused: Posted pictures of those rocky, branch filled cellar holes looks impossible to detect within! Do you spend a lot of time moving cobbles and debris around:huh:

Also, were colonial houses generally spaced far apart, or are these cellar holes somewhat near one another? If they're close, does that make the land between the two cellar holes perspective to hunt (assuming people were coming and going from neighbors houses, travelling to town, etc)?

Just curious. Clearly I don't live out East. I'll try to hold off on any more dumb questions! :behave:

Thanks guys!


lol There are no dumb questions...only the un-asked ones ;) Inside a cellar hole can be hunted and some finds have come from there, but generally they are full of junk. But still huntable. Mostly, every square inch around a cellar hole is huntable lol This includes fields far away. Although the finds diminish as you move away from the cellar hole, there are still some nice items out farther away. We hunt it all :yes:

[del]

cellar holes are a common thing out in the east and they can be placed close together or be very remotely by themselves . heres in Connecticut /Rhode Island/ Massachusette area these will be stone lined holes or depressions and Coinnut and i have been able to date them pretty well just from their size , layout and current condition . most are as George said full of junk for a numerous reasons but the most common is early 20th century dumping. we detect all around them sometimes in them , places like these are loaded with iron scraps , nails , brass , tin and the like and theres also buttons and coins as well as other nice items to recover.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr228/del1786/2011/hatplatesite2.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr228/del1786/monstercenterchimneycoloniallookingtoroad1.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr228/del1786/1787machinmillscoppercellarsite1.jpg

[coinnut]

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: Me want to dig coppers :girlcry: :girlcry: :girlcry: rofl Makes me want to hunt now after seeing them pictures Dan :yes:

[del]

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: Me want to dig coppers :girlcry: :girlcry: :girlcry: rofl Makes me want to hunt now after seeing them pictures Dan :yes:


you and me both George , i feel like i've been in the pen waiting for early parole lol lol

[angellionel]

Hey Viking, Dan also wrote an informative article on New England Cellar Hole Hunting. It is posted at the American Detectorist home page (http://www.americandetectorist.com/newenglandcellarhole.shtml). :yes:

[del]

Hey Viking, Dan also wrote an informative article on New England Cellar Hole Hunting. It is posted at the American Detectorist home page (http://www.americandetectorist.com/newenglandcellarhole.shtml). :yes:


thanks for the plug Angel , now if we can get Coinnut to finish the Part II :rolleyes: lol lol

[angellionel]

thanks for the plug Angel , now if we can get Coinnut to finish the Part II :rolleyes: lol lol


Yes. lol

[mike l]

Those pictures you guys posted are great, I wish we had some of those on Long Island :drool: :drool: :drool:.

[Viking]

Hey Viking, Dan also wrote an informative article on New England Cellar Hole Hunting. It is posted at the American Detectorist home page (http://www.americandetectorist.com/newenglandcellarhole.shtml). :yes:


Thanks Angel! Very cool article (nice pictures above too). thumbsup01 They sure look like fun sites to hunt, but I'm sure there's a pretty severe learning curve, and some real soul searching to find a nirvana-like state of patience ahead of time! From what I've seen, patience and persistence are probably the keys to cleaning up at cellar holes (as well as hunted out parks). Thanks for the responses guys. :clapping:

[coinnut]

now if we can get Coinnut to finish the Part II :rolleyes: lol lol


I'm gaining experience first :rolleyes: I'll dig it up again 8/ It's buried under stuff lol

[del]

hey Viking i bet you have alot of cabin sites around in the north mid-west , they were built on top of the ground and after they burnt down , fell down and the wood rotted away there really isn't alot of evidence of them to be seen . i'm sure theres a few around hiding in the woods around somewhere but there just not easy to spot for a novice. i've been doing this for around 12 years now and some are still hard for me to see at first. :shocked01: lol lol

[russellt]

great pics... for sure. i would hunt that place hi --low and innbetween. move rocks, hunt around trees ..you guys are lucky