- Joined
- Apr 22, 2013
- Messages
- 174
- Reaction score
- 164
A little more about myself and detecting in old Europe.
A friend of mine found out that a village was abandonned around 1200, rebuild farther and then abandonned again around 1950.
We decided to go out and see if there was something worth the dig.
The path begins with an old bridge (around 1450) crossing the creek:
After a long climb with few finds from the target era, we arrive on the top of the mountain, which was obviously the site of watch tower (nails, coins from the 12th century, ...).
I am on the right.
The watch tower gave a few interesting finds, but not in great quantity. The coins were in an exceptionnal state, because there was mainly rocks and very few mud that could have corroded them. I found some on them just laying on the rock in the cliff, waiting for me to see them.
The small coins in the center are hammered silver coins, all from the area (Provence), and all from the 12th-13th century (just before the battle that made people leaving the village).
The big coin in the middle-left-top is a typical 10cent from Napoleon III, the coin you find the most in detection in France, between 1854 and 1870. I have a bucket full of such coins...
On the bottom right, it is nails.
On the top right, it a special button that was used not to attach clothes, but more as a decoration.
We came back several times on this spot, and the village was actually 100m below the watch tower and 1km away of the more recent village.
We even found evidence of roman occupation through a few roman coins (none of very good quality), and we found more coins and objects on this site.
That was one of my very lucky trip of 2012!
It is very hard now to find place in France where people doesn't have already washed everything with detector.
A friend of mine found out that a village was abandonned around 1200, rebuild farther and then abandonned again around 1950.
We decided to go out and see if there was something worth the dig.
The path begins with an old bridge (around 1450) crossing the creek:
After a long climb with few finds from the target era, we arrive on the top of the mountain, which was obviously the site of watch tower (nails, coins from the 12th century, ...).
I am on the right.
The watch tower gave a few interesting finds, but not in great quantity. The coins were in an exceptionnal state, because there was mainly rocks and very few mud that could have corroded them. I found some on them just laying on the rock in the cliff, waiting for me to see them.
The small coins in the center are hammered silver coins, all from the area (Provence), and all from the 12th-13th century (just before the battle that made people leaving the village).
The big coin in the middle-left-top is a typical 10cent from Napoleon III, the coin you find the most in detection in France, between 1854 and 1870. I have a bucket full of such coins...
On the bottom right, it is nails.
On the top right, it a special button that was used not to attach clothes, but more as a decoration.
We came back several times on this spot, and the village was actually 100m below the watch tower and 1km away of the more recent village.
We even found evidence of roman occupation through a few roman coins (none of very good quality), and we found more coins and objects on this site.
That was one of my very lucky trip of 2012!
It is very hard now to find place in France where people doesn't have already washed everything with detector.
We're ecstatic when we find a 100 year old coin, but i guess that fades into insignificance compared to European history. Cheers Wal. 
