The effects of the harsh winter, the lack of mosquitoes and weeds encouraged me to go back to the archeological dig (old dump) I discovered on a section of our property last year. Here are some of the goodies I found near the surface.

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Oh how interesting, makes you wonder about the people who had previously lived on the property. Oh, it was a dump, slapping hand on forehead, oh well, it is hard telling where they came from.

From another Mainer - I have a 'dump' in my yard, too! My house was built in 1937, and I get the impression back then that they just threw whatever they didn't want any more into the yard.

My property is tiered, which you may be able to see in this pic. The picnic table is up behind the house on the upper level, and the wrought iron 'arbor' is at the top of some granite steps leading to the lower portion.

While digging in the bank between the two sections years ago to plant, I found dishes, medicine bottles, and many old VW pieces! I swear they buried a car back there for 'fill' when they were building up the bank.

We used to find lots of doll parts etc even on our small lot, but the oldest house in our town had a really great "dump" I used to have access to! Got great bottles, crockery bits etc. That looks like a sweet little pitcher, Mary Ann.

That diaper pin may be a collectible in future years. I'll bet there are a lot of young mothers now who have never seen one.

And those little bottles look like what they used to have cream in with a little cardboard top to remove.

Its only when I see things like this that I realize that I, too, am quickly becoming "antique".

Love,
Lu

It has been fun and my MIL wants to wander down with me next weekend and take a nice big spade and see what we can find!

Joyce, I call it a dump, but as far as I know I dont' think it was a community or neighborhood one. We have only found the remains of one stone foundation on our property, so I suspect that the "dump" was where they piled things they no longer needed.

BDM, your post made me laugh. My "dig has evidence of lots of old car parts. Further back in the brush there is even an old backseat with no fabric remaining , but every spring in place!

Emily it is the most darling pitcher! It is so small it must have belonged to a tea set for dolls. Why would anyone discard it? It was made in Japan after all!

Lu, you are right. Perhaps there is a whole collection of diaper pins for me to find.

Honestly, I am hoping to find some old coins and jewelry!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Maine Lady,

What fun to have an archaeological dig on your own property. I guess people must have thrown out things on their property. I mean they didn't have landfills.

quote:

Brittany dog mom

I just love the river flowing through your backyard. Any property left on the river?
I would be in heaven in your backyard.

Thinking about selling this home when the market recovers, and buying a small property in Maine for the summer, (RVing south in the winter). We can't afford beach, but I'll take a piece of a big stream or river.

Well, garbage pick up is a fairly new concept! Most houses of any age - especially those in the country - had dumps on the property somewhere. They would bury any garbage that wasn't in the compost heap, including dishes, dolls, bottles, bed springs, car parts etc. They would also shoot this junk down into the privey - many a bottle digger and artifact hunter will scope out an old property for the potential privey sites and start digging. In our yard - like BDM - tho not as beautiful - they threw every darned thing over the hill - bikes, old rugs, glass to no end etc. We hauled a ton of it out - finally, as more usually surfaced after every good rain - we covered it up with a nice thick layer of good clay and called it good. Whew - we'd be toting stuff yet - 30 yrs later I think!! have fun at your dig!

When did garbage pick up become popular?