Jump to content

Recommended Posts

So it was my yearly visit to talk and basically train some new field school students about metal detecting. I do this pretty much every year and it's just some basic training and some hands on digging and pinpointing. Just very basic stuff. This year's students numbered about 20 from all parts of the country, and I must say they were a pretty enthusiastic bunch. Nice to see the youngins showing some effort. 😄 This is one of my favorite spots to detect, as it is a Native village site that dates to the 1630's and happens to be one that the English attacked on their withdrawal from Mistick Fort on May 26, 1637. This place just keeps giving up artifacts and by the time we are done there, it should give an extremely detailed account of how they lived and worked.  Of course everything is documented by archaeologists and added to the collection and we keep nothing (except 22 bullets 😡). Hey free lead 😁 I didn't get pictures of all the scrap brass I found that day but did get this picture someone took of a signet ring I found. Almost looks like some kind of bird (or Thunderbird?) of some sorts. Any ideas anyone? It's not a beach, but still fun to detect.

signet ring 2.jpg

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Wish ya had a slightly clearer photo, I'd lens it for ya. Nice ring tho! Mystic is a cool town. Been there many times.👍

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Wish ya had a slightly clearer photo, I'd lens it for ya. Nice ring tho! Mystic is a cool town. Been there many times.👍

Thanks. That was in the field, so maybe there will be better pictures later. Maybe an x ray would show it all. They do that on some coins, but the only draw back is that you see both the obverse and reverse in one image 😄 It is a nice area down there by the coast.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

   Great story! And thanks for teaching, and helping to save history! Archaeologists should be more respectful towards, and work better with, detectorists! We shouldn't ALL be punished for a few bad apples!

   I sharpened the signet ring best I could with limited software! Almost looks like two birds looking at one another!! A bird of prey and a dove? Or firebird and mate? Maybe representing war and peace, or male and female, or life and death?? There appears to be a clear center line, inferring some type of separation between the two! Except one "wing" of the "dove", which appears to be over the chest of the other "bird" on the left! And the two curved outer lines closing them in; not unlike a modern heart symbol, or open ended "earth to sky" oval,  suggesting some type of relationship, and/or ascension upward! Maybe a warrior being led by an ancestor!?

   JMO!! I'm no professor or archeologist! But I am a fan of iconology, and ancient history! And of course, more "modern" history, since that is the majority of what we have in the States!! And i did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!😁👍👍

 

20210606_231921.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Joe D. said:

   Great story! And thanks for teaching, and helping to save history! Archaeologists should be more respectful towards, and work better with, detectorists! We shouldn't ALL be punished for a few bad apples!

   I sharpened the signet ring best I could with limited software! Almost looks like two birds looking at one another!! A bird of prey and a dove? Or firebird and mate? Maybe representing war and peace, or male and female, or life and death?? There appears to be a clear center line, inferring some type of separation between the two! Except one "wing" of the "dove", which appears to be over the chest of the other "bird" on the left! And the two curved outer lines closing them in; not unlike a modern heart symbol, or open ended "earth to sky" oval,  suggesting some type of relationship, and/or ascension upward! Maybe a warrior being led by an ancestor!?

   JMO!! I'm no professor or archeologist! But I am a fan of iconology, and ancient history! And of course, more "modern" history, since that is the majority of what we have in the States!! And i did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!😁👍👍

 

20210606_231921.jpg

Thanks. I'm lucky to work with this group of people for over 10 years now. I don't see archaeologists in general working toward a joint effort in preserving history together unfortunately. Probably what will happen is the new generation of archaeologists will learn to detect just enough to find stuff. Then they will not need us, thinking they got it all. There will always be some cooperation between the ones that understand that we have vast experience over someone new coming into the hobby, no matter how many degrees they have 😄 But to some extent, I can see their point. Just in the past year I have seen posts of people finding multiple Kettle points from some "private" sites. They don't realize they are removing artifacts that could lead to an unknown village, trading post or a summertime hunting camp. In a perfect world, that information would go to archaeologists who could then test pit the area locating shell middens, pottery, bone and wampum. History is lost that way, so I get their point. You should see how excited they get over shells in the dirt😲. It usually means occupation, aka a hut or wigwam. So, again looking over the image on the ring, I'm now thinking it depicts a scene of plowed land and then a background of hills and maybe some sort of occupation (house, barn etc...) Probably a typical 17th century English homestead. Or it's UFO's 😆

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

Or it's UFO's 😆

🤣 Got one more possibility for you. Lots of birds drop oysters/mussels everywhere here. I find 'em in my back yard. Oysters are rife in the rivers, uncovered at low tide. That must be a lot of work for them, but these birds are BIG.

Stumbled across info on that project, it was interesting. They at least give a nod to detectorists. There are some projects here like that, when I am confident in my ability I may get involved. Glad you get a chance to help out! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

🤣 Got one more possibility for you. Lots of birds drop oysters/mussels everywhere here. I find 'em in my back yard. Oysters are rife in the rivers, uncovered at low tide. That must be a lot of work for them, but these birds are BIG.

Stumbled across info on that project, it was interesting. They at least give a nod to detectorists. There are some projects here like that, when I am confident in my ability I may get involved. Glad you get a chance to help out! 

I'm sticking to the UFO theory 😆 Yep random shell drops are probably common by the shore. Here inland, there are small but packed shell middens that are the result of repeated layering of discarded shell. Their trash pits. The good thing is that there are usually other items discarded as well. When they are metallic, that is when they are located by detectors. The projects are great when they come about. Pequot War, King Philip War, various battles at waterways, and swamps, war of 1812, etc... haven't done a Rev war site yet. If you have a chance to get involved, try it out. It just takes some discussion on how to keep you digging technique in line with the requirements they need in order to log the artifacts in accurately. Once they understand that you understand how to do it, they usually turn you loose. Most don't realize how many artifacts you can locate in a single day. They are not used to volume. In the first project, they would just love to recover one brass kettle point that they know should exist, along with some round ball. That was done the first day along with probably 30 or more war related items. Total for that part of the project probably ran well into the hundreds. Following the rest of the trail probably led to 500 other war related items and many kettle points. That is what will make metal detecting a necessity for battle field archaeology.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

   I think both disciplines have their place! But there is a fine line between everything being hidden away in a museum for only academics to view! Or hidden away in someone's display case, or closet, for their own enjoyment! There's a place  for both! Especially when it comes to objects that are no longer in context (situ) in farm fields, beaches etc..! On private, and public lands!

   I think the Eurpeans have it set up with as good of a balance to both sides as you could ask for! Both sides benefit, and foster respect! And few(er) issues with artifact thieves, as they are more likely to be reported!

   And before anyone gets their shorts in a bunch, this is a personal observation, not a political one! I value both disciplines with near equal importance!😁👍👍

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Joe D. said:

   I think both disciplines have their place! But there is a fine line between everything being hidden away in a museum for only academics to view! Or hidden away in someone's display case, or closet, for their own enjoyment! Especially when it comes to objects that are no longer in context (situ) in farm fields, beaches etc..! On private, and public lands!

   I think the Eurpeans have it set up with as good of a balance to both sides as you could get! Both sides benefit! And few issues with artifact thieves!

   And before anyone gets their shorts in a bunch, this is a personal observation, not a political one! I value both disciplines!😁👍👍

agreed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...