When to stop (how deep)

[congerman]

Last summer I was out inland with Geoff (eddiethefly)  ( red hot day) and he had A cracking signal on his ctx 3030,,
 (in the middle of the field ) it was showing deep an hour later I went over to see what it was but he was still digging he had dug through loads of flint and was down 12+ inches the detector was still giving A good signal so on we dug we ended up putting the coil into the  hole and the signal was still the same crisp + clear still having to break through the flint we had the problem now that the contents were wet through and little pools of water were forming at the bottom of the hole we removed the wet soil but it was still reading 9nches + on the detector we checked all round the edge inside of  the hole with the pin pointers but the signal was at the bottom we got about half way up the spade handle after 3hrs  digging then we called it and filled it in we still talk about what could of been down there  and should we of carried on digging  just thinking how deep would some others go to see whats down there  

[diggaduff]

Fair play on leaving it there, I don't think I could cope with the possibility of reading about a  hoard found were I had been detecting 

[matthewbullingham123]

They had a Roman anvil from a fair depth in that program featuring Mud Men Johnny Vaughan and Steve Brooker

[Youngsmiler]

It would kill me thinking what could still be down there.

Jcb time....just fill that hole back in afters haha.

[celticspikey]

Last summer I was out inland with Geoff (eddiethefly)  ( red hot day) and he had A cracking signal on his ctx 3030,,
 (in the middle of the field ) it was showing deep an hour later I went over to see what it was but he was still digging he had dug through loads of flint and was down 12+ inches the detector was still giving A good signal so on we dug we ended up putting the coil into the  hole and the signal was still the same crisp + clear still having to break through the flint we had the problem now that the contents were wet through and little pools of water were forming at the bottom of the hole we removed the wet soil but it was still reading 9nches + on the detector we checked all round the edge inside of  the hole with the pin pointers but the signal was at the bottom we got about half way up the spade handle after 3hrs  digging then we called it and filled it in we still talk about what could of been down there  and should we of carried on digging  just thinking how deep would some others go to see whats down there  

I work flint fields and have dug seriously deep holes, and had a hoard at 18 inches! The only way I would stop digging a hole on a good signal is if I saw flames and the devil himself told me to f**** off! Go back and finish the dig mate

[outlaw]

Basically by rule of thumb you shouldnt dig deeper than the plough soil depth.

In reality it is very difficult to walk away especially if you are sure that the signal is a good target. Personally I would have probably carried on till I had found it.

A while ago on a roman site, I too had a cracking signal. I rang the farmer to ask permission top dig a large hole and did have his blessing. 2 feet down and a large hole later, I found roman tiles and a gigantic piece of lead approximately
12 x 3' !

Brecon museum sent it down to Mark Lodwick, unfortunately no one could say one way or the other whether it was roman or not.
Though seeing that it was near roman tiles I felt it was roman  

[welshjohn]

I'm with everyone else; it would have to come up even if it meant going back another day just to excavate that signal !

John

[Val Beechey]

Yea, I fell for that one once.  So deep I gave up but it nagged me to go back. I ended up with a huge hole at the bottom of a bank under a tree and what was it...................an old cattle grid.   Mind you that was back when I had the Whites machine.  The Safari is much more reliable.

Val

[ysbytymike]

Never give up - Never surrender...  (Galaxy quest)

[hoover-G]

 I remember one off the first times I went out too search a field and within an hour my day went from using my machine and turned into a ground work crafting day with the spade. I also gave up on it and it played on my mind so I went back weeks later and could not find any signal there. Puzzled me!! I no for certain I wasn't wearing toecap boots so it couldn't off been that lol. Since that moment I will not give up on any signal until I see it with my own eyes after all I'm out there too retrieve whatever it may be that gives me a good enough signal and tells me too dig that target in the first place. 

[celticspikey]

Basically by rule of thumb you shouldnt dig deeper than the plough soil depth.

In reality it is very difficult to walk away especially if you are sure that the signal is a good target. Personally I would have probably carried on till I had found it.

A while ago on a roman site, I too had a cracking signal. I rang the farmer to ask permission top dig a large hole and did have his blessing. 2 feet down and a large hole later, I found roman tiles and a gigantic piece of lead approximately
12 x 3' !

Brecon museum sent it down to Mark Lodwick, unfortunately no one could say one way or the other whether it was roman or not.
Though seeing that it was near roman tiles I felt it was roman  

Rule of thumb  ???shouldn't dig deeper than the plough soil ???how does that work, some of my best finds have been below that, not by a lot admittedly   and a lot hoards on display in museums probably came from that level, mine certainly did, and the archaeologists who removed most of it was glad I dug it and saved it  

[Dale]

I don't know why we cant go deeper than the plough soil? is the reason arachnology? most farmers only plough 10-12 inches, but what about the 24 plus inch subsoiler ripping through, what most use before the plough to brake the ground.

[Mike]

had a signal at the penmark rally a few years ago , dug down and down , hole got deeper , wider , different machines used to test the signal all said the same thing DIG IT  , through the top soil , through a layer of stone , more soil , im at around 24" and 1/2 ton of spoil and a flat stone at the bottom , its gotto be a hoard , uuuummm no it was a reinforced patio slab /concrete thing with galvanised rebar within it  , how the f#### did it get there 

chef told me a story once of a large hole dug to expose the corner of a fridge freezer which the farmer new nothing about 

if it sounds like a good un' dig it , one day it might not be just rubbish 

[Dryland]

Was there any food in the fridge ?

[legio11augustus]

it would niggle away at me , curiosity killed the cat, but i would have to know wether it was rubbish or not ...it could of been anything.........and i would certainly dig below plough soil .you dont get hoard buriers ,thinking i will  only bury this treasure in the plough soil