Field Hunting And The Creation of A Field

[JoshinMO]

A Few of you might have noticed mounds of dirt along edges of Field's. I have, out here most areas are "naturally forested" and were cleared out for farming, leveling out areas was a must for ease of machinery etc. There's probably something in some of those farmer created mounds of dirt and rock. :dunno:
What's your opinion on old sites in fields and such?

[JoshinMO]

Most of the time i have better luck on the edge of a field.

[sailorjoe]

Most of the field sites I use to hunt were cleared of trees long before there was any machinery to use. It was all done by human hands with the help of mules and horses. What to do with the stumps was a big problem. I never saw mounds on the edges of fields. And the edges were not the best places to hunt unless the edge was near a spring or creek bank or some other such feature. Depending on the size of the field, it could be a long walk to the site if it was a 50 acre or larger field. Nowadays when fields are cleared heavy machinery is used to push over the stumps and move the stumps and rootwads to where ever the farmer or developer wants and then disposes of them in any of a number of ways. Sometimes this is on the edge of the field. When that occurs I suppose if the rootwads were being moved to the edge then whatever is in the wad and associated dirt (artifacts ?) could result in more artifacts being found on the edge.

[Hoss]

I come from Southern New England originally. Rocks where a huge concern to early farming.   Not only that but Iron ore was abundant and was found on the surface in many areas. In seeking the iron large areas where cleared of rock the iron ore was brought to furnaces and the regular rock was used to create stone walls. Same with farming rock was cleared and stone walls built. I used to walk the stone walls looking can't say I ever found much but it was worth it to me. Just being out and seeing what was built before I walked there.  My cousin bought a metal detector one year and he and his buddy went to an old cellar foundation. Searched the property and found nothing but some old iron nails. They took a break and went into te foundation. sat for a spell and then stood up and on one of the sills they discovered 5 ax heads. An early farmer must have had a little stash down in his cellar and when he passed so did the knowledge of his stash place. That is until my cousin came along.

[JoshinMO]

While at my aunts yesterday i was taking a little stroll, she lives in crescent quarry central (jefferson co and st lou co line) which is where the high grade burlington is from. Anyway, there was a field. I went ahead and checked it out a little and if you ever heard someone say a place was loaded with flakes but hadn't seen something like it, you are in for a treat if you keep going to different fields. Really, well most did seem to be concentrated but couldn't check some as half of field had been planted so didn't want to hurt the little plants. May ask owners about field next time. B)
Then I went to a creek that is right there but had never walked in it either, wow/awesome creek but its chock full of "modern" limestone or development rock however you want to put it. BUT, it is like a creek you would dream of, shallow,rocky and around every bend there is more gravel! I found a new spot!
All I found was a midsection in field and what looked like "quarry knapping" in the creek but I want to walk that songun!  :laugh:

[JoshinMO]

BTW, I was on the edge/corner of field.