Althoughthe thesite sitehad had Although Although the site had beenhunted huntedbefore, before, been been hunted before, thelast laststop stopof of the the last stop of the the tripyielded yieldedplenty plentyof of trip trip yielded plenty of targets.(Left) (Left) Streak targets. targets. (Left) Streak Streak holds some ofhis hisfinds, finds, holds some of holds some of his finds, includingan an odd“star” “star” including including an odd odd “star” button.At At rightare are button. button. At right right more are some of Butch’s some of more some of Butch’s Butch’s more common finds. common finds. common finds. lar holes, holes, and and in in one onecase, case,aacut cutstepsteplar larping holes, and in one case, a cut stepstone leading leadingfrom fromthe theroad roadand and ping stone ping stone leading from the road and into nothingness. into nothingness. into nothingness. Although this thisarea areahad hadseen seensome some Although Although this area had seen some hunting pressure pressureover overthe theyears yearsfrom from hunting hunting pressure over the years from local metal detectorists, it was still local metal detectorists, it was still local metal detectorists, it was still loaded with good targets. targets. Ourfinds finds loaded with good Our loaded with good targets. Our finds ranged from from the the mid mid1700s 1700sup upto tothe the ranged ranged from the mid 1700s up to the late 1800s, after which it appears late 1800s, after which it appears latethat 1800s, after it appears that the area area waswhich abandoned. large the was abandoned. AAlarge that the area was abandoned. A large aged and and overgrown overgrown pond pond sat sat nearnearaged by, and I found myself wondering aged and overgrown pond sat nearby, and I found myself wondering ifif hadI been been here backwondering then. IfIf so, so,ifII by,ititand foundhere myself had back then. can understand why the buildings it had here back If so, I can been understand why then. the buildings sprang up on onthe the hillsides whichsursurup hillsides cansprang understand why the which buildings rounded it. the hillsides which surrounded it. sprang up on Among the earliest earliest items items found found Among rounded it. the here wasthe pewter religious medalhere was aa pewter religious Among earliest items medalfound lion, which recovered inmedalan area area lion, which II recovered in an here was a pewter religious between two prominent stone founbetween two prominent stone founlion, which I recovered in an area between two prominent stone foun-
dations. Judging Judging from from the the matematedations. dations. Judging from the material and design of the artifact, not rial and design of the artifact, not rial and design of the artifact, not mentionthe thedeteriorated deterioratedcondiconditotomention to mention thethat deteriorated tion, suspect datestotocondition, I Isuspect that ititdates nono tion, I suspect that it dates to laterthan than1800, 1800,and andpossibly possiblytotoa ano later laterearlier than 1800, and possibly to a much earlier era.Although Although now much era. ititisisnow much earlier era. Although it is now hard makeout outonon thecrumbling crumbling hard totomake the hard toaamake out the crumbling pewter, heartcan canon seen below pewter, heart bebeseen below pewter, a heart can be seen cross,and andwhat whatappears appearstotobebelow bea a aacross, a cross, and what appears to be wreath around the border. Was an a wreath around the border. Was ititan item carried anearly earlymissionmissionwreath around the border. Was it an item carried bybyan ary, maybe trade item forone oneofof item carried by an early missionary, maybe a atrade item for the many Native American Indians ary, maybe a trade item for one of the many Native American Indians who inhabited thearea area verylong long the inhabited many Native American Indians who the sosovery Thispewter pewtermedallion medallion This ago? Or was it carried much later ago? was it carried later whoOr inhabited the areamuch so very long is embossed with a is embossed with a This pewter medallion by a priest or even a Sunday School by a priest or even a Sunday School ago? Or was it carried much later cross overaaheart. heart. While cross over While is embossed with a student? While thejury still out student? While the isisstill out by a priest or even ajury Sunday School itsexact exactaorigins origins are its cross over heart.are While on on it, I suspect the former, as it, I suspect anan student? Whilethe theformer, jury is as still out unknown, it is thought to unknown, it is thought to its exact origins are 1800s pewter spoon handle was 1800s pewter spoon handle was on it, I suspect the former, as an dateno nolater later than 1800. date 1800. unknown, it isthan thought to found found nearby muchmore more solid inina aspoon much solid 1800snearby pewter handle was condition. date no later than 1800. condition. found nearby in a much more solid Thatevening, evening,after aftera abrief briefcleancleanThat condition. up and and aevening, a hot hot cup cupafter we up ofofcoffee, we That acoffee, brief cleanthanked our gracious hosts and once thanked our gracious hosts and once up and a hot cup of coffee, we againhit hitthe theroad. road.We Wehad hadsought soughtout out again thanked our gracious hosts and once early earlyAmerica, America,and andwe wehad hadfound founditit again hit the road. We had sought out here hereininConnecticut. Connecticut.We Wefound foundititinin early America, and we had found it the theform formofofColonial Colonialartifacts, artifacts,stone stone here in Connecticut. We found it in ruins, ruins,forgotten forgottenroads, roads,and andverbal verbal the form of Colonial artifacts, stone history historyshared sharedbybyJerry. Jerry. ruins, forgotten roads, and new verbal Above all, Above all, I I had had found found new If If anything anything can can be be called called aa typical typicalcellar cellarhole holefind, find,itit historyinin shared by Jerry. friends new places while redisfriends new places while rediswould would be be flat flat buttons. buttons. Above Aboveleft: left:these thesewere weredug dugby by Above all, I had found Ifhost anything can be called a typical cellar hole find, it covering America’s past. That, II covering America’s past. That,new Jerry Burr during our trip at one site. Also shown host Jerry Burr during our trip at one site. Also shown friends in new places while rediswould be flat buttons. Above left: these were dug by mussed to myself, is the essence of mussed to myself, is the essence of are are aa pewter pewter spoon spoon bowl bowl and and aaworn worn1700s 1700scopper coppercoin. coin. covering That, our hobby. That essence ofof I host Jerry Burr during our trip at one site. Also shown our hobby.America’s Thatisisthe thepast. essence But other finds are made, even beyond the Colonial But other finds are made, even beyond the Colonial mussed to myself, isthe the essence of Digger ononthe Road. arecoins a pewter spoonafter bowlby and a worn 1700s copper coin. American American Digger Road. so Connecticut diggers. AAgood coins so sought sought after by Connecticut diggers. good our hobby. That is the essence of But other is finds made, musket even beyond theassembly, Colonial example complete flintlock example is this thisare complete musket flintlock assembly, American Digger on the Road. coinsfound so sought after by months Connecticut diggers. A good by aa few our found by Jerry Jerry few monthsbefore before ourarrival. arrival. example is this complete musket flintlock assembly, 60 Digger Magazine Vol. 22 60 American American Digger Magazine Vol.6, 6,Issue IssueSampler 82 2010 American Digger Magazine found by Jerry a few months before our arrival.