Thursday’s metal detector survey volunteers Dee Minnich, Diana Jacobs, Jim Bartlett and intern Michael Thornton (picture 1) enjoyed 60 degree weather while investigating a multitude of metal detector hits in a 20×40 meter section.
Of the 44 objects retrieved, only 5 were likely to be from the time of Pickawillany. A wide majority of the hits proved to be post Pickawillany era nails, fence wire and barbed wire; undoubtedly the product of fence lines that have crossed the property over the past 200 years.
Picture 2 shows Diana examining one of the more unique items. It has an interesting shape (picture 3) and after cleaning it is recognizedas some sort of ornament (picture 4). And most interestingly, it is very similar to one recovered in 2002 which was found over 80 meters south and 20 meters east of this newly discovered one. Was it a part of a pair of ear rings? Was it a pendent? Was it worn at the time of loss or was it part of a trader’s supply of goods? Upon further investigation we might be able to deduce what the ornament type was but the means in which it was lost might never be known.
