Musket Balls!!!!!! early 19th century battle site

[moa]

As I mentioned I was going to use my new detector for archaeological work at a historic site. Well This week I have been paid 250 a day to detect!!!!!!

These two musket balls came up. I first did a grid survey with the detector and marked all the signals and then we went back and sieved the ground around the signal... in most cases they were shotgun shells, and wire but two turned out to be the musket balls we were looking for!!!
They are the best finds I will ever make detecting, as we are not allowed to normally detect on historic sites. This was done as part of a salvage excavation. They will hopefully become part of a museum exhibition.

 

[hogedog]

BRAVO! And yes, I'm jealous!

 

[I a thr]

I have always wanted to do something like this but had no idea they paid you for having so much fun.. Seriously how do you go about doing something like this? Good finds.
Bill

 

[moa]

Its not all this glorious!!! Before this week I have been stuck behind a desk for 4 months....... the only reason I was allowed out was that I had a detector. I got My MA in archaeology, which took 5 years. I am contracted to to the archaeologist that is running this dig. He is contacted to the developer who has to contract an archaeologist by law... today Im back out digging, hopefully we find the camp under the sand hills.....

 

[Canewrap]

See if you have a local Archaeology Club or Chapter. Go to their meetings and talk to whoever is in charge about talking to the local archaeologist to volunteer to participate on any public oriented (weekend) digs they might have. Once you've done a few volunteer weekends and made your contacts, you can take it from there. I was an Archaeologist back in the 1980's and that's how I got into it. I did volunteer digs from when I was 14 until I was 18 and then started working on paid digs with a couple of outfits and while I was in college signed on with an outfit full-time and worked at it with them for about 6 years. Once you're onboard as a volunteer and they know you are familiar with procedure they would probably welcome help with you using your detector, especially if its a historical site. Of course this all speculation based on what I experienced 20 years ago. You'd have to talk to some people to see if its feasible.

 

[moa]

Thats interesting, In NZ they dont like volunteers unless you have been to University and studied archaeology. today work consisted of more metal detecting, the archaeologists think that detectors work well in the rain.... i have no cover so used a couple of plastic bags.

 

[I a thr]

Thanks for the replies. I have an Associates Degree in Civil Engineering and have done survey and construction work for 37 years. Also have been detecting since 1972. If I was to do life over I seriously believe I would shoot for the Archeology Buss. I was just curious and thought that might be a good retirement gig in a few years.
Bill