Historical digging

Backfilling an urban privy chamber, ca. 1849.

Historical digging is the pursuit of antique bottles and related things while excavating old privies (backyard outhouse vaults), old town dumps, assorted landfill, and elsewhere. Commonly found objects can include tableware, kitchenware, stoneware or crockery, decorative porcelain pot lids and bases used for pomades and skin creams, hard rubber combs and hair picks, marbles, buttons, toothbrushes, pipes, assorted tea set pieces, china dolls, and a variety of other objects, all of which are routinely found broken or damaged.

The term historical digging has been in use for decades, though it is not clear when it was first coined or who initiated its usage. It may apply to any grade of privy digging, dump digging, metal detecting and scavenging specifically for older things, and even "sludging" depending on the age of the materials being encountered in a given location (sludging is digging or sifting through the sediment build up of municipal storm drains and old sewers in search of lost coins, jewelry, metal badges, antique marbles, various trinkets, doll parts, etc.). Historical digging was mentioned in two different articles by the late 1990s, "Making It Work, Through Bottles, Darkly, Glimpses of the Past" (New York Times May 30, 1999) by Nina Siegal, which gives her rendition of a historical dig at the home of an heir to Johnson & Johnson, and “Excavating Tiny Treasures” (Dollhouse Miniatures, September 2000) by Eliza de Sola Mendez where historical digging is referred to directly as a pursuit separate from conventional archaeology.

Controversies

Historical dig site prior to demolition and backyard removal, ca. 1858.

There are ongoing controversies regarding who should be permitted to pursue historical digging, and what is actually being found on the average dig. Historical digging articles such as Into the Night Soil address this issue from a diggers point of view. The conventional archaeological perspective commonly assumes that all properties contain vital and unique information that cannot be found elsewhere, and that only a professional archaeologist should investigate them. Even on private property, there are different schools of thought regarding how it should be practiced and who should be allowed to pursue it.

Many historical diggers emphasize that their efforts are frequently applied to areas being developed, locations where privies, dumps, landfills and residential backyards are in the process of being permanently altered or destroyed by major renovations and assorted excavations.

There is a prevalent misconception among some archaeologists, historians, and others that most potential historical dig sites are artifact goldmines, that each property contains otherwise unattainable information and objects that are vital in nature, and that a detailed forensic approach should be used in every instance. While privy diggers concur that perhaps 75% of the privies they have been involved with do not contain a "night soil" layer, or other in situ layers, and that food bones and related information and privy-artifact discoveries in general, are exceedingly repetitive for most purposes. The main cause for the large percentage of barren vaults today being that the suppliers of the booming waste-generated fertilizer business of the late 19th and early 20th century operated widely and diligently. In the pursuit of cheap and easy to acquire fertilizer material these “dippers” emptied millions of defunct vaults during the advent of modern plumbing. The early waste management workers routinely backfilled the subterranean chambers with sterile dirt, assorted rubble, debris and ashes, and occasionally random bottles and other later period garbage.

Historical diggers often remark that they are excavating on private properties with the owners’ permission, and reiterate that they are an integral part of the vast amount of information that already exists regarding excavated objects and their histories. They are bottle collectors, coin collectors and other kinds of collectors and enthusiasts and are involved with salvaging these things as the opportunities arise. They focus on the many areas that will be dug up by heavy machinery during major developments.

Those excavating privies, cisterns, dumps, landfills, and operating metal detectors and other ground penetrating equipment on private property, are frequently targeted as “looters”, by the professional archaeological community in general. An accusation of actual stealing the term looter has been in use for centuries. Moreover, it is applied loosely to define and condemn a wide range of both professional and amateur digging activities worldwide depending on the specific conditions. For example, when a rogue or pirate grade historical digger is observed excavating on national park lands or archaeological sites directly, from a legal perspective they are in fact looters. While engaged in these same activities legally, behind private residences and on construction sites for instance, historical diggers are routinely considered looters by the archaeological community in general. For altering and disturbing sacred sites, burial grounds, and doing other things within ongoing "sensitive" areas without the full consent of all those connected to the places involved, professional archaeologists pursuing their own projects have also been routinely categorized as looters.

Historical dig sites

Salvaging from a pile of disturbed landfill.

An average dig or investigation will take place within a residential backyard or on a property where it is known that an old structure of some kind once stood. One of the most frequent spots to attempt to locate and investigate is the defunct outhouse vault, particularly one dating to the mid 19th century or earlier (see images from Mongo: Adventures in Trash). Since most of these were filled in a century ago or more probing for them is usually necessary. Depending on the circumstances this is done with a custom made spring steel probe of varying lengths and widths. Historical diggers develop many different probing techniques over time and many become adept at locating not only privy vaults but cisterns, water wells, and a wide assortment of other structural remains and materials situated underground.

The locations where these digs take place are frequently being renovated, demolished, or otherwise permanently altered. Many privy diggers and those who operate metal detectors in pursuit of old things, seek permission to look on properties that are not being renovated or disturbed. In either instance a high percentage of all buried bottles and other things likely to be found while digging in this manner, are usually discovered broken or damaged. Additionally, a large amount of intact antique bottle discoveries are exceedingly repetitive, and only of nominal value. The historical diggers who target old coins, jewelry, and military relics via a metal detecting machine also find a high percentage of items that are damaged, in poor condition, and repetitive as well. Nails, modern coins, bottle caps, and pull tabs long ago separated from countless beverage cans, are some of the most likely things to “beep” up with a metal detector in many locations.

Construction sites and old industrial areas, early landfill deposits and shorelines are also potential areas where glass, metal, porcelain and pottery objects can sometimes be found. Along with residential properties, privy diggers, dump diggers, metal detectorists, artifact scavengers, and various urban explorers are all likely to pursue permission to investigate and salvage from these places as they become available.

Bottle history

Salvaged antique bottles, manufactured between 1855-1870.

An important time for glassmaking and bottle collecting in general is known among collectors as the ‘patent medicine period’ (bitters) or the ‘pontil medicine period’. During the 1840s and 50s a plethora of remarkable designs, colors, names and outlandish claims or promises became indelibly linked with medicinal glass containers. Many other striking bottles were being produced then as well, such as mineral waters (Excelsior Springs or Saratoga Springs), sodas and beers, inks, and historical flasks. The Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website, a scholarly resource, addresses all aspects of bottle making.

The pontil rod, which leaves a distinct scar on the base of a bottle, went out of general use in bottle making by about 1865 and is inherently linked to serious historical digging. By the 1850s and 1860s assorted clamping devices known as “snap cases” and other devices were being used to grip the hot bottles once they were removed from their molds. From then on the pontil rod was basically no longer needed for this maneuver. Mouth-blown bottles without a pontil scar on their bottom are known as “smooth base” bottles. Unprecedented examples of pontiled bottles of all types were made in the decades just prior to this change but they are very difficult to find, in any condition, underground. It can take years of persistent digging to unearth just one intact example worthy of a serious collector or historian. Despite the very low odds, historical digging produces some fine examples of rare pontiled bottles each year. Rare embossed bottles, those with raised lettering denoting contents, proprietor’s name, address, and other marketing information, which date to about 1835-1865, are among the most sought after in the world.

Early smooth base bottles from around 1855-1875 sometimes look identical to their predecessors. Lacking only the pontil scar on their bases they are not usually anywhere near as valuable as their earlier pontiled counterparts can be; even those examples blown in exactly the same molds and produced in the same color as their slightly older pontiled relatives.

Many bottles being found on historical digs were still being mouth-blown, and the lips formed by hand tooling devices, as late as 1910-1920. These are considered late period smooth base bottles. Presently these late period smooth base bottles are of little monetary value but are relatively easy to find on most historical digs. Those produced between the 1880s and 1915-20 being the easiest to find as they were manufactured and subsequently discarded in enormous quantities annually. Like earlier pontiled bottles an endless variety of shapes, sizes, colors and assorted embossing are known to exist. In 1903 the first fully automatic bottle machine, the Owens Automatic Bottle Machine was patented. By the end of World War I almost all bottles being produced in the United Sates were machine made.

Historical diggers

Assorted clay pipes (ca. 1835-1875).

Demographically, historical diggers are a diverse mixture consisting of skilled trade's people, white collar professionals, history buffs, teachers, students, artists, and others with an abiding interest in making subterranean discoveries of their own. No matter how dedicated or prolific a particular individual or organization might be, historical diggers generally do not get paid for their actual digging, researching and documenting efforts; few if any grants exist for this type of work.

Historical digging is exceptionally popular in many parts of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Many others around the world dig in some way, usually by hand, searching for antique bottles and other old things that do not disintegrate rapidly underground or in water.

By definition, historical diggers are not professional archaeologists but primarily operate as small scale independent investigators. Their work has things in common with treasure hunting and garbology but is none of these exclusively. Actual treasure is not usually found while excavating in this manner and digging through garbage is only one aspect of the process.

Going back to its early days there is a widespread myth or misconception that historical digging produces a regular and substantial income with little effort. That discovering prize items can be easily achieved without abundant research being applied regularly in some manner. Though compelling to outsiders and newcomers, in reality most noteworthy discoveries of valuable dug bottles, reclaimed jewels, coins, buttons, military related objects, and other things are almost always the end result of years of active searching, in many different locations. Though there are many exceptions, the vast majority of things discovered while historical digging do not have a high value in the antiques market. Moreover, many amateur diggers donate objects to assorted learning institutions, such as local museums, historical societies, and other places. Some rebury caches of incidental things that are too common or too damaged to warrant storing them indefinitely. Only a very small percentage of diggers attempt to make a living solely off the things they have excavated in privies, dumps and while metal detecting, and/or the restorations and artwork created from artifacts found on various sites (New York Artifact Art).

Rickett pioneered the three-piece mold during the early part of the 19th century (ca. 1825).

Many clubs fall under the general umbrella of historical digging. By 1970, over 100 bottle clubs with thousands of members had been formed. Collectively, these clubs spend much time and effort researching and doing historical digging work and salvaging, locating and maintaining historic sites, and additional history related volunteer activities. Members of these clubs and other individuals typically make their efforts available to the general public during annual bottle and artifact shows and other places, and for educational and recreational purposes through article writing, lectures, photography, books, and websites (The Manhattan Well Diggers).

An impressive body of documentation for this specific type of work can be found at the various free online websites, through coast-to-coast historical digging and bottle collecting clubs, and elsewhere. Locally and internationally antique bottle clubs and historical digging clubs and magazines (Antique Bottle & Glass Collector Magazine) have been responsible for helping form and maintain bottle and artifact museums (National Bottle Museum). Moreover, the majority of these organizations continually strive to elevate awareness of things of interest that are discovered among major renovations, on assorted construction projects, and during private backyard digs each year. These clubs often have antique-glass experts and other knowledgeable historians among their ranks. Overall, a wealth of information can be accessed through them.

Summary

Historical digging is a multi-level pastime that involves various techniques for locating and excavating old garbage dumps, landfill deposits, privies, construction sites, and occasionally battlefields and shipwrecks (Steamboat Arabia Museum), and investigating history via metal detecting. Through various digging and salvaging efforts, particularly those dating to the middle 19th century or earlier, historical digging has brought to light a remarkable array of antique bottles and other items, and specific knowledge relating to things of general use during the recent past.

See also

• American Stoneware
• Bottles
• Dump digging
• Garbology
• Night Soil
• Privy digging
• Outhouses

References

• Botha, T. (2004). "Mongo: Adventures in Trash" (Document). New York: Bloomsbury.

• Miller, B. (2000). "Fat of the Land: Garbage in New York: The Last Two Hundred Years" (Document). New York: Four Walls Eight Windows.

External links

• Antique Bottle and Glass Collector Magazine
• Antique Pot Lid Gallery
• Emmett and Marjories Inkwells
• Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors
• Historic Glass Bottle Indentification & Information Website
• Manhattan Well Diggers
• National Bottle Museum
• New York Artifact Art
• Steamboat Arabia Museum