hard white layer when digging

squibby17

I have started poking around the yard of our new home recently (old home built in late 1800's) when i had come across a slightly sunken in patch of dirt near our shed. Well i figured what the heck lets dig, maybe this could have been the outhouse..about a foot down i came upon a hard, chunky layer of a white-ish substance. It is about a half inch thick and hard, but breaks easily with the shovel..anybody have ideas on what this is? I am definately new to digging, so i do apologize if this sounds stupid : /

historic

Most likely wood ash or coal ash/cinders. It's commonly found since wood/coal is what everyone used for heat

Chris

BobB

My wood ash dumped at the side of my compost pile ends up like you describe; I suspect coal ash probably contains hard cinders that you don't find in wood ash. But you probably are onto something, so keep digging.

squibby17

How far down do you usually dig before finding anything? I have dug only about 2 feet and found some broken glass and rusted metal, but not much..and rocks..

BobB

At some depth you will reach the "bottom", where the soil is the original undisturbed layer from before there were people. To get an understanding of what the original soil surface was, you may have to explore what the first 12" (or more) below the surface is like in a bunch of test pits around your original dig. Two feet of digging should have given you some clues whether you are over a deep hole that has been backfilled (or not). So try to locate the perimeter of the depression and follow one edge down. You might try finding somebody with a metal detector to scan your whole yard, especially the borders of your property and around foundations, stone walls. Outhouses were usually situated away from other buildings & about 100 feet behind the house where possible. Besides outhouses, you should be looking for trash dumps and small lost valuables like coins & keys. Check out your local public library for books on bottle collecting that can provide more clues about how to conduct a dig; while there, inquire about whether your area has been illustrated in a "street atlas", as many American cities and towns were mapped between 1875 and 1920's in commercially sold atlases that show much detail of that period, often including out-buildings, property boundaries including stone walls, passable trails & roadways, owners' names. [How about some experienced diggers jumping in & givng squibby some more solid ideas?!]

squibby17

Thats the difficult part..i have been to the town hall and library, looking for history on the house, and they have NOTHING..just an old map that labels a school and boot shop across the the street and last name of owner of the house..other than that i have found previous owners through deed searches, but thats not going to get me anywhere! Very frustrating!

historic

A few research tools to consider: aerial photos - viewing the site 50-70 years ago can provide important insights. Sanborn tax maps - if you happen to be in an urban area or town center, these maps can provide great detail as to existing buildings. They are from the 19th century - dig around online to locate.

Another really important factor: do not assume that any site has been disturbed at some point in the 20th century. Even 30-40 years has a way of hiding the obvious clues that a backhoe or bulldozer has made big changes, or that fill has been deposited. Only experience can help you understand what an undisturbed soil profile looks like, and of course soils are very different across the US and even from one region of a state to another. The best place to start your education is local construction sites.