Craziest Thing You Have Dug Up :minelab:

[AngelicStorm]

I decided to make this because of I saw one in the AT Pro forum but thought I better make it here since I use a CTX 3030.

Anyway, I would say the craziest thing I dug up was a spine bone with a pistol ball inside it. I have also found what appeared to be a crack pipe. That is technically two things but I thought they were both worthy of mentioning. I could mention many more.

What crazy thing/s have you found?

 

[dmckee17]

A brass pinch hitter as my friend informed me, I though it was a whistle?

 

[G. E. Edwards]

A live hand grenade from WWII or my wife not sure which.

 

[Roland58]

G.E. said, "A live hand grenade from WWII or my wife not sure which." Dang, G.E., you had to dig up your wife? That's kinda creepy!

Mine would be crazy just because of the effort I put into getting it. I was using my F75 (I use a CTX now) and got a weak, but, repeatable quarter signal. I was thinking, "Wow, this deep, it has to be a standing liberty or better!" I dug with my Lesche until I was past my elbow and still couldn't get my pin pointer to chirp, but, the signal on the F75 was getting stronger. It got dark on me, so, I left the hole open (it was in a heavily wooded area, safe to leave open) and came back early the next morning with a sharpshooter. The ground was hard red clay, but, I was determined and on a quest by now. I was almost as deep as my shoulder when I finally hit metal, I could see it was rusty....not a quarter. After more digging, I finally retrieved the bottom of an old poultry feeder. It looked like a small, metal sombrero about 8 or 9 inches in diameter.

I still have it.......

 

[Altamaha]

1. A jaw bone found in an old yard (only about 4 inches deep) with a 4 teeth gold (18k) bridge on it, kinda grusome. Nope it wasn't a grave. Had an expert look at it and by examining the dental work the estimation was that it was from the late 1800s.

2.. While detecting on old 1600s Dutch house, I found an old purse under a large tree in the back yard. The purse was rotted and falling apart and upon recognizing what it was I became very excited thinking "Old Coins". As I dug and retrieved the rotted pieces I found no coins (the signal was from the metal parts of the purse), but to my surprise it contained a perfectly preserved photograph of a young civil war soldier standing on the front porch. I was now baffled because I was wondering how a 150 year old picture could be so well preserved in the ground. Through further examination and research I found that it was on a glass plate and was known as an Ambrotype, which was a process used to expose pictures on glass during that period. I gave the picture to the owner of the house (a woman) and needless to say she was as surprised and excited as I was.

 

[OldBeechnut]

Detecting an Old Mill site...........Gold brick that weight a ton, was the right color when we scraped off some of the muck, with a half moon slot on top..... We though we had hit the mother load

Later only to find out to be a brass brick used as a bearing

 

[AngelicStorm]

1. A jaw bone found in an old yard (only about 4 inches deep) with a 4 teeth gold (18k) bridge on it, kinda grusome. Nope it wasn't a grave. Had an expert look at it and by examining the dental work the estimation was that it was from the late 1800s.

2.. While detecting on old 1600s Dutch house, I found an old purse under a large tree in the back yard. The purse was rotted and falling apart and upon recognizing what it was I became very excited thinking "Old Coins". As I dug and retrieved the rotted pieces I found no coins (the signal was from the metal parts of the purse), but to my surprise it contained a perfectly preserved photograph of a young civil war soldier standing on the front porch. I was now baffled because I was wondering how a 150 year old picture could be so well preserved in the ground. Through further examination and research I found that it was on a glass plate and was known as an Ambrotype, which was a process used to expose pictures on glass during that period. I gave the picture to the owner of the house (a woman) and needless to say she was as surprised and excited as I was.

I thought I had made a crazy discovery with the spine bone, but that jaw bone is something crazy too. Nice find with the picture.

Detecting an Old Mill site...........Gold brick that weight a ton, was the right color when we scraped off some of the muck, with a half moon slot on top..... We though we had hit the mother load

Later only to find out to be a brass brick used as a bearing

Probably a big disappointment. At least you know you can or could get a good bit for the brass. Maybe one day you'll find that golden brick.

 

[muggsc]

I found 4 gold teeth at one spot on the beach. Creeped me out but my gold buyer loved them.

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I dug an iffy signal and pulled out a bent nail and these 3 quarter size baby turtles while hunting with Dr. Bob last winter. I carefully placed them back under the soil.

 

[AngelicStorm]

I dug an iffy signal and pulled out a bent nail and these 3 quarter size baby turtles while hunting with Dr. Bob last winter. I carefully placed them back under the soil.

That's cool. What kind of turtles are they and were they still alive?

 

[DrBobinMO]

They looked like baby red-eared sliders and yes they were alive. We covered them back up to hibernate longer

Coolest thing I've ever seen dug up

 

[DE-Digger]

Once dug up a complete roll of pennies (all from the 1980's) while "fishing" at an old Fair Grounds.
The paper from the roll was gone, but all of the pennies were there all lined up.

 

[GKMan]

this is a good thread, its fun...I suppose the craziest thing I would have to have found is a train hand brake wheel...
but that is pale in comparison to some of these other cool finds over the years people have made

 

[Des D]

{ I got a really nice signal, dug and found a very old pale green Gin bottle: it had that rainbow color effect: signal was from the lead used to make it? }

{ I also have dug at least three shovels on beaches }

innochio

True stories...couldn't resist putting up the long nose one above!!

 

[pghmole]

I seen a guy dig up a ring that was brass that was still attached to a finger bone on a site that was from a major civil war disaster where 76 people died (mostly young girls) they were blown up by an explosion in a powder magazine, I warned the guy that the ring probably had bad ju-ju and it should go back in the ground but he kept it anyways, the very next morning a old man dropped dead right in front of the guys shop from a heart attack in full view...He took it back with a quickness right then!

 

[AngelicStorm]

I seen a guy dig up a ring that was brass that was still attached to a finger bone on a site that was from a major civil war disaster where 76 people died (mostly young girls) they were blown up by an explosion in a powder magazine, I warned the guy that the ring probably had bad ju-ju and it should go back in the ground but he kept it anyways, the very next morning a old man dropped dead right in front of the guys shop from a heart attack in full view...He took it back with a quickness right then!

Cool story. It's also a haunting one. I would have tried to get that finger bone DNA traced.

 

[pghmole]

Thanks, I hear ya,i would have eather made a call or just filled the hole back in, the ring was definitely 1800s era ,and the explosion was in 1862, but it wasn't my call because it wasn't my find,and something like that could also shut the area down for detecting there. I just hope I never dig anything like that personally,still gives me chills every time I think about it.gl&hh

 

[AngelicStorm]

Thanks, I hear ya,i would have eather made a call or just filled the hole back in, the ring was definitely 1800s era ,and the explosion was in 1862, but it wasn't my call because it wasn't my find,and something like that could also shut the area down for detecting there. I just hope I never dig anything like that personally,still gives me chills every time I think about it.gl&hh

I agree that it may have shut the area down. I thought about that right after I posted my last comment. That guy probably made the best decision. It seems from this thread, I am finding out there are a few more people besides myself who have discovered metal and body parts together.

 

[INSAYN]

This ring with a finger still in it reminded me of this curb strip I am currently working on during Sunday mornings while most folks are off at church, or nursing a Saturday night hangover. It's normally a busy area that could give those Nosey Nancy's too much to work with.

Anywho... I had a good solid 6" deep wheat penny tone, and popped a plug to suit. After I lifted the plug, there was a pink fingernail laying right there. However, as I swept some the dirt away with my hand, it looked like a rotting finger bone right under the nail.

Turns out it was just a tree root and a plastic fingernail perfectly placed to fool me!

Found the wheat just a few inches to the side.

 

[shadowman]

I was detecting a old park along a river and got a good signal dug the plug and out popped a barber dime with and indian arrowhead cool I still have both.