Recently, Milt Inman shared with readers about some of the dangers that might lurk hidden from easy view when exploring and investigating old sites where houses and farms once stood. During these exploratory expeditions, one might also find a treasure trove of other interesting items and artifacts.
Below are pictures of an old dump site, actually located on my own land here in Maine. The original property and old farm that my wife and I purchased several years ago, dates back to the late 18th century. For those who don’t know, most all of these older places had a dump site where cans, bottles and other assorted undesirables were piled. Food never got tossed out as any leftovers fed the animals.
When investigating old home sites, a favorite of many is to try to locate the dump site and see what kind of goodies can be found. My wife dug into our dump site, as can be seen in the first photograph. Notice the pile of old tin cans, which made up the bulk of what was found in this pile of refuse.
However, with some persistent and cautious digging, a few old bottles can be found – a sample of which is shown in the second photograph. Do they have any real value? Perhaps, but it takes some investigating to learn which, if any, are worth keeping or selling and which ones might just make a decorative piece placed back in the old barn window.
Photo by Tom Remington
