Privy Advice Needed

[saginawian]

My friend and I stumbled upon several old buried privys in a little known ghost town from (1880) ( like 6 in a row). We tried to dig one and got to about 3-4 feet down and found ashy soil and broken plates, but no bottles. It was too much work for nothing so we gave up for the time being. Question - how many of these privys have old bottles? All of them or just a few? Second, how deep do you generally have to dig to find the good stuff. If you dig like 4 feet and haven't found anything is it safe to say there is nothing? We did find many nice relics with our metal detectors nearby - so I'm fairly certain that they have not been dug previously. Any advice about digging these would be appreciated.

Thanks,


Ian

 

[mattockman]

Keep digging.......I can"t find my book on digging privies so can't reference to it but I know ash was use to stiphen the stink and yes.... there is more underneath...no, all do not have bottles but when you get to hard ground and there is nothing then yes move on!

 

[Boogeyman]

I know they used to use the fireplace/wood cookstove ash and later lime to cover when done. I would dig till I bottomed out. Just my personal trait, if I don't go to the end of a site, wondering what I missed or if that really great find was just another inch or two down will drive me up the walls. If you have the time go all the way, you might be surprised!

 

[redleg]

Always dig until there is nothing but dirt.