
Big Silver, Tiny Silver On Beautiful Autumn Metal Detecting Hunt
It was going to be a perfect weather day for detecting - highs in the 50s, no rain. I gave a call to a great property owner in Bourbon County, KY with whom I'd discussed ...

Do Metal Detecting Hobbyists Need a National PR Message?
Let's face it. We're not all good writers, journalists or storytellers. But the hobby of metal detecting needs clear, constant messaging, standards and PR responses. We need a clear stance on the hobby's relationship with public resources, ...

“The Blood is The Life” – Quack Medicine History Uncovered
Found part of an 1880s Quack Medical Device. Going to go back and see if I can find the rest. Looks better in real life than my scanner can show. "Boyd's Battery" on one side ...

Jack Jouett Distillery Project – Bourbon Archaeology in Kentucky
Last week I started on a brand new detecting/archaeology volunteering/partnership working with my friend, the "Bourbon Archaeologist" Nick Laracuente. Our new project is surveying and excavation of the Jack Jouett distillery in Kentucky. (You can get involved ...

Locating a Loaded Gun For A Worried Property Owner
A farm manager contacted me regarding the loss of his pocket pistol while he was mowing at his farm. Of course, their primary concern was the safety of any kids who might find the gun ...

Metal Detecting Mysteries – Huge Skeleton Keys Unlocked Bits of KY History
Now this is a serious key. Found at an early 1800s location, this key was over 10" deep. My E-trac was maxed out at 30 sensitivity to find it. Retrieval was a workout. See ...

Mystery Item: Knights Templar or Crusader’s Cross on Livestock Tag
I'm going to begin posting some of my mystery finds in hopes that some of the thousands of visitors to this site could help me identify them. This tag was machine pressed, found at ...

Metal Detecting Civil War Union Camp – Documenting Plowed Fields’ Role in War’s Waning Months
With the holiday break, I've made a lot of progress on my exploratory metal detecting survey of the Civil War Union Infantry campsite. It's been incredibly enjoyable combination of research, reading, field time and ...

More History from Hatfield and McCoy
Ed: This was from 2015: Kudos to National Geographic, Pike County Tourism, Convention and Visitors Bureau and Pikeville City Staff for again inviting George Wyant and Tim Saylor ("Diggers") to metal detect for artifacts on ...

The Impossible Idealism of the “Professionals-Only” Relic Hunt (A response)
I saw a post that caught my eye, especially this headline: The Impossible Idealism of the "Professionals-Only" Argument An excerpt: ....The argument against these [reality] shows illustrates the divide between traditional archeology and amateur enthusiasts, ...