If you live on land that was settled prior to 1910, there is an excellent chance that a wide variety of artifacts are buried right in your own backyard. There seldom was a town landfill a century ago, and often the homeowner would throw away their garbage in a backyard pit or on unusable land nearby. 100+ years later, this “trash” now provides unprecedented insight into the lives of the people who once called your house and property home. Even after a century, glassware (bottles, marbles, jars), stoneware (crockery) and certain metal objects (coins, copper, brass) often are well preserved and awaiting discovery.
Brian Richardson: Bottle Digger
I started digging in 2003 at the age of 13. I stumbled into this hobby quite by accident after coming to a ditch filled with… With over a decade of experience, I have refined the process of finding, digging, restoring and providing historical context to antique bottles and artifacts. I have dug countless dumps and outhouses throughout the Pacific Northwest and am driven by the excitement that comes with connecting to the past through this unique medium. This is not my day job, but a passion that I have a deep respect and commitment to. My work is not meant to challenge the services of professional archaeologists or loot historical sites. I focus on the cultural artifacts found at the everyman’s home, providing descendants and curious homeowners exciting new context about the history of their own property.
A Legal Note About Discover Underground
Discover Underground is the banner name for my “bottle digging” hobby and is not a business. It exists solely to increase awareness and knowledge of local history and does not exist to make a profit from the sale of antiquities or services. I operate with full accordance and respect to the law. I never dig on property without permission, never dig on protected historical or native american sites, and always leave a site looking better than I found it. The work is not meant to challenge or imitate that of professional archaeologists. Information collected from digs is shared openly with the public through the Discover Underground website and local historical societies. Discoveries, if any, are shared with property owners and interested historical societies.
