A Bit of Digging...

There's nothing better than finding buried treasure.  I've always loved the feeling I got when I discovered some object from an era gone by, whether it be in some cruddy box at a flea market, in my grandmother's jewelry box or even out in some stranger's trash (yes, I am a confessed dumpster diver).  Nothing compares, though, to unearthing little bits and pieces of history right from the ground.  I love to think about the last person to hold that object in their hand before me.  What were they thinking?  What was life like in their world?  How did this object end up here?

A few treasures that I've unearthed.

Most of us never realize we can find such amazing things just digging in the dirt.

Let me elaborate:

One thing about me that you absolutely must know is that I have quite a few hobbies.  One of these is metal detecting with my father.  Recently, we set out for our first official trip of the year: to a civil war memorial in a neighboring town.  I figured we'd find a few coins and mostly bottle caps, as the memorial is deteriorated and is used mostly as a party spot.  While the rest of my family stayed close to the tower, my boyfriend and I wandered off into the surrounding forest.  After frustratedly "detecting" all sorts of things and never actually finding them, I decided that the next time I heard the familiar beeping, I would persevere until I found something.  Just next to a protruding tree root, my chance arose.  I dug and dug, flinging dirt madly for close to five minutes.  Ready to give up, I sat back and wiped my brow while Ferdinando reached down into a loose pile of soil I'd thrown and discovered this:

At first, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed, after seeing some of the antique hardware my father had found and an 70s high school relay trophy that my step brother had uncovered, this button seemed so simple.  I brought it to my father and his eyes lit up.  He guessed that it was a civil war button, the kind of find that every metal detector dreams about.  I guessed it was a reproduction, just because I'd found it at a Civil War memorial; perhaps it'd been on the coat of some re-enactor.  My interest piqued, I placed it carefully in my pocket and kept looking.

About a hundred pop-tabs later, we decided to make the journey home.  As soon as we arrived, I went straight to the computer and searched online for civil war buttons  It was again disheartening, since my button looked nothing like the images on the screen.  Clicking around, I stumbled upon a military button database.  After some searching, I finally found that this was in fact a revolutionary war button, made in 1775.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I am guessing that it is authentic since it is made of heavy pewter just like the original buttons.


It is such a feeling of wonder to hold something over two hundred years old in your hands.  To stand in the same spot that some continental army soldier once stood.  Long after this soldier, his children, his children's children, and even their children had passed away, this little pewter button remains.  It amazes me.