Do Relic Hunters Keep Records?

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Do most relic hunters keep any detailed records about where they find their artifacts?

I don't simply mean what battlefield or camp. I'm thinking of GPS coordinates, sketch maps, or other information that would be potentially useful to researchers. Especially if the private property they're hunting on is later acquired for preservation, undergoes a professional archeological dig, or is destroyed by development.

 

[Carol]

I do. I mainly research the old roads and their histories. But I've documented many artifacts over the years. I say no detail is too small when it comes to notes and references. My style includes, mapping, lat/long coordinates, preservation if available, video recording, photos, historical references, documentation, etc.

 

[UCVRelics]

Do most relic hunters keep any detailed records about where they find their artifacts?

I don't simply mean what battlefield or camp. I'm thinking of GPS coordinates, sketch maps, or other information that would be potentially useful to researchers. Especially if the private property they're hunting on is layer acquired for preservation, undergoes a professional archeological dig, or is destroyed by development.

I do. Back in the early days I keep a ledger with hand drawn maps and locations of my finds. Now I have an app on my phone that allows me to photograph my finds and log GPS location.

 

[archieclement]

I would say most dont, it depends on how serious or into it they are, and would say there are far more casual participants then die hards. That has been my experience with both metal detecting and amateur archaeology (arrowhead, camp, mound hunting).

Especially concerning sites or practices that may involve lets say "legal technicality's" there would certainly be little incentive to keep detailed records, that could be incriminating.

But most hunters can actually tell you where finds of much significance were found from memory as finds are memorable, with arrow heads often the county and state might be marked with marker. Though that doesn't mean they will tell you where it was found..........sites are often rather protected to secrecy like good mushroom patches.......so you get the vague responses like in a field, under a tree, in a creek

As far as data to researchers, in most cases don't see even if it was, how much actual use it would have. As sites of much significance, usually had been picked fairly clean well before today's hunters......why old timers would have coffee cans full of arrowheads or relics. The sheer number of missing data points would limit the few you'd provide.

 

[DixieRifles]

Do most relic hunters keep any detailed records about where they find their artifacts?

I recently read a FB post from a local high school teacher/relic hunter that said he has dug 12,000 bullets. And he knew how many were Colt rifle bullets —in the 50's.

My question is do they document & publish their findings of campsites roads and info on regiments??
They seem to keep this data classified. My worry is it will be lost to history.

 

[Woods-walker]

I recently read a FB post from a local high school teacher/relic hunter that said he has dug 12,000 bullets. And he knew how many were Colt rifle bullets —in the 50's.

My question is do they document & publish their findings of campsites roads and info on regiments??
They seem to keep this data classified. My worry is it will be lost to history.

A smart relic hunter doesn't give any information as to the whereabouts of their finds or even where they're hunting

 

[archieclement]

I recently read a FB post from a local high school teacher/relic hunter that said he has dug 12,000 bullets. And he knew how many were Colt rifle bullets —in the 50's.

My question is do they document & publish their findings of campsites roads and info on regiments??
They seem to keep this data classified. My worry is it will be lost to history.

Of course they keep it classified.......... Or every tom, dick, and harry would be hunting their site, or worse some college or governmental group would want to step in, which both landowners, and hunters would wish to avoid.

Which is actually the most ironic, as the NPS or state parks seldom do the type of detailed archaeological surveys or recoveries amateurs do.

Also going public with finds could lead to lawsuits, which don't know why anyone would want. Most landowners grant permission on the understanding you can keep what you find. Start saying you found something with much value they might renege. Anything of value, from legal perspective you found in your backyard where ownership is clear.........

Its always struck me odd the majority of archeological artifacts we have, came and still come from amateur archaeologists. Its a resource that could certainly have been tapped by governmental and academic agencies. Instead governmental and academic agencies took an adversarial approach guaranteeing little cooperation. As if they become involved, they want everything and the amateurs to get nothing, so gee from the amateur perspective that actually finds most the stuff anyway, little reason to cooperate.

 

[Woods-walker]

I got permission from a developer several years ago to hunt an area at Chancellorsville he was preparing to build houses on. I had previous dealings with him so He gave me permission with the stipulations that I would not tell anyone what I found, including him and I would not take anymore with me….I kept that promise

 

[DixieRifles]

Also going public with finds could lead to lawsuits, which don't know why anyone would want. Most landowners grant permission on the understanding you can keep what you find.

I discovered that you have to be careful about publicizing locations of cemeteries on private property. Im not sure if there are laws to protect the land owners.

My point is that sometimes my research leads me to look for a road, a bridge or a town that no longer exists. Im not searching for relics but trying to piece together history.
I was looking for a town called Wyatt (Miss) where my ancestor first engaged with the Federals. It was burned after the battle. I called a few libraries and they gave me a name of someone who helped me out. And fast forward to this week, when a relic hunter wrote an article on FB about a regiment and an incident that included a date. I guessed & inquired if this occurred at Wyatt. He quickly told me to hush up about it and any talk could jeopardize the site. That sounded quite selfish and pointless.

Another example is there were several Union earthwork redoubts built in this area. Most have disappeared with development of the towns, even at the small towns. However I learned about remnant of a large fort situated out in the woods that is bigger than a football field. The land owner and a few local historians wanted to keep this location secret. They would like to develop the area to protect and preserve it for safe viewing. I can understand the need to keep the public off private property. I just hope that some day the history of this fort will be researched and published.

 

[archieclement]

I discovered that you have to be careful about publicizing locations of cemeteries on private property. Im not sure if there are laws to protect the land owners.

My point is that sometimes my research leads me to look for a road, a bridge or a town that no longer exists. Im not searching for relics but trying to piece together history.
I was looking for a town called Wyatt (Miss) where my ancestor first engaged with the Federals. It was burned after the battle. I called a few libraries and they gave me a name of someone who helped me out. And fast forward to this week, when a relic hunter wrote an article on FB about a regiment and an incident that included a date. I guessed & inquired if this occurred at Wyatt. He quickly told me to hush up about it and any talk could jeopardize the site. That sounded quite selfish and pointless.

Another example is there were several Union earthwork redoubts built in this area. Most have disappeared with development of the towns, even at the small towns. However I learned about remnant of a large fort situated out in the woods that is bigger than a football field. The land owner and a few local historians wanted to keep this location secret. They would like to develop the area to protect and preserve it for safe viewing. I can understand the need to keep the public off private property. I just hope that some day the history of this fort will be researched and published.

Indeed there's differing perspectives, mine is mainly as a land owner as since my health issues I hardly hunt myself anymore.

Landowners don't particularly want something going from one or a few people they likely know and hence are respectful to the land and owner, to a bunch of strangers continually showing up and tearing up the property, unfortunately that is tied to how public the knowledge of the site is.

 

[digginfool]

I have been digging since 1984, and have kept all my relics, down to the last pistol ball, documented as to site, keeping ALL the items from a particular site together in the same container usually. Sometimes there may be a "top drawer" find, such as an accoutrement plate, an artillery shell, firearm parts, spur, bullet mold, etc. that is not kept in the container, but those items I write the recovery location at some place on the item, belt plate the lead solder back, shell on one side or the other, bullet mold on the inside of the handle and so on. Regrettably, I have not logged GPS coordinates for all my items. However, the locations are identified with the period site or camp name, and usually with a distance from a known point, such as, " US Camp Gordon at the Big Spring 5 miles east of Cassville." As someone earlier pointed out, you can't publish an exact location, or there could be 4 guys hunting it the next time you go, AND, you don't want your landowners bothered with multiple people bugging them. Many landowners will let one or two guys hunt, and they learn to trust you, but they don't want to be bothered every week, by people they don't know. I have got permission at campsites on private property that others were turned down, simply by sharing my research with the landowner, explaining to them what occurred on their property, promising that I would cover all holes, and leave the place in a good condition so that he would hardly know I had been there. Not climbing fences, nor discarding any trash, respecting the livestock, keeping closed gates closed, and often sharing relics with them. Seems like just good common sense, but some hunters don't get it. Digginfool

 

[redbob]

While not a digger, as a collector I've found that by keeping records of my collection using the who, what , when, where and how much has served me well from both a personal knowledge and at least once from a legal standpoint.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

A smart relic hunter doesn't give any information as to the whereabouts of their finds or even where they're hunting

Here in Florida, the contents of Florida Master Site Files maintained by the state and professional archeology reports are restricted access. It's not available to the general public, but it's there for professional archeologists and other people with legitimate reasons.

There's a big difference in terms of useful information between knowing stuff came from a site, and knowing where at the site stuff came from. The latter can locate battle lines or determine the layout of a camp.

 

[Tom Hughes]

I have a computer software program that I use to document my artifacts and allows me to include photos of my finds as well. I don't make this information public for now but I will provide an index to the archives and history when I'm too old to hunt.

 

[Woods-walker]

While not a digger, as a collector I've found that by keeping records of my collection using the who, what , when, where and how much has served me well from both a personal knowledge and at least once from a legal standpoint.

I have a computer software program that I use to document my artifacts and allows me to include photos of my finds as well. I don't make this information public for now but I will provide an index to the archives and history when I'm too old to hunt.

Nice idea Tom. I am getting there ( to old to hunt). Unfortunately most of my places where my memorable finds were made are gone to developments.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Nice idea Tom. I am getting there ( to old to hunt). Unfortunately most of my places where my memorable finds were made are gone to developments.

Truth is, most archaeologists or historians really don't care unless it's a REALLY significant find that would change the history books...lol
Now, indian artifacts are a different story. I do share my indian artifact finds with them and they document them for their records. We have a fantastic relationship with sharing prehistoric relic information here in Mississippi. The archaeologists here protect our privacy with landowners and keep that under wraps. And they don't want our relics, just our information. The civil war artifacts they don't really have an interest in. I keep my records to one day have on file with them for any future historians that may want to look at what I've found and where but that's about all I can ever hope for.

 

[archieclement]

Here in Florida, the contents of Florida Master Site Files maintained by the state and professional archeology reports are restricted access. It's not available to the general public, but it's there for professional archeologists and other people with legitimate reasons.

There's a big difference in terms of useful information between knowing stuff came from a site, and knowing where at the site stuff came from. The latter can locate battle lines or determine the layout of a camp.

The problem there is the sheer number of missing data points from items being taken over 150 years.

For example say if hunting a 100 acre site, and the majority of finds are in 2 acre corner.......its as likely it indicates a fringe area as it is a main area. People for 150 years who knew where the concentrations were focused on those areas until its virtually been picked clean. Often a concentration found today indicates its an area ignored or not hunted much, because when site was pristine it was the worst or insignificant area.

 

[Jack7171]

There is a large sand and gravel operation in the central U.S.,,which uses density separators, which are machines that separate different materials,, (they call it the magic machine), to sort out different materials that are excavated at the site for building materials. It separates gravel and sand, organics, but also, since it sits on private parcel of land that was part of a civil war battlefield, the density separators sort out brass, copper, steel, lead, and according to workers, bone fragments. The employees are under strict "unwritten" rules to keep any finds quiet, as it could cause a huge disruption to the quarrying operations and be financially devastating. I have personally seen gallon size buckets of minie balls the separators have removed. I was told every imaginable type of civil war battlefield relic has been found in the last several years. And these machines separate thousands of cubic yards of material, excavated from the site of a battle right down to the finest sand. And nothing is recorded, nothing made public, but instead kept as quiet as possible.

 

[Ole Miss]

Depending upon the location, some relic hunters may certainly have records that are perhaps encrypted to preserve their freedom!

Seriously, all relic hunters detail where, when and any other pertinent facts related to an artifacts location for further prospecting.
Regards
David

 

[archieclement]

There is a large sand and gravel operation in the central U.S.,,which uses density separators, which are machines that separate different materials,, (they call it the magic machine), to sort out different materials that are excavated at the site for building materials. It separates gravel and sand, organics, but also, since it sits on private parcel of land that was part of a civil war battlefield, the density separators sort out brass, copper, steel, lead, and according to workers, bone fragments. The employees are under strict "unwritten" rules to keep any finds quiet, as it could cause a huge disruption to the quarrying operations and be financially devastating. I have personally seen gallon size buckets of minie balls the separators have removed. I was told every imaginable type of civil war battlefield relic has been found in the last several years. And these machines separate thousands of cubic yards of material, excavated from the site of a battle right down to the finest sand. And nothing is recorded, nothing made public, but instead kept as quiet as possible.

Indeed, I have a cousin who was a supervisor in a construction company. If artifacts are found they are supposed to stop, for archaeological survey.

He said its seldom done. Think they just use common sense. If they encountered something out of the ordinary, that seemed it could be significant they probably would. But not for every minie ball, arrowhead, or bone fragment they encounter.