dug bottles: another man's trash is our treasure

aqua ball mason jar

On our property, hidden back in the woods, we have an old farm glass pit dating from the earlier part of this century. The first time my hubby showed it to me I could hardly contain my excitement, one look and I could just see all the treasures waiting to be found.

I was mostly stoked about all those old bottles! Gems!

our secret treasure pit in the woods

glass, metal and a tangle of roots

I learned that the farm pit was in use for several decades by the many farmhouses in our vicinity. Back in those days, refuse that was not composted or burned in fire piles such as glass & metal was deposited into the pit, and then it all built up, layer upon layer.  

digging down deep for the older bottles

buried treasure, here is an old ammonia bottle

Sometime during the late 1950s the use of the pit was discontinued by the farmers and it was eventually forgotten with time....destined to be reclaimed by nature and swallowed up by woodland.  It is tucked away back in our woods and a secret trail now leads us to it. But back when it was in use, a dirt road once led the way, although that road is now all grown over.

An older neighbor down the road, that grew up around here, remembers taking his family's bottles to the pit and playing out there with his brothers when he was a little boy :)

my garden claw is the best tool ever, look at this sweet little cobalt bottle

So after all those years of quiet hibernation, I decided it was time that some of those interesting bottles were excavated and cleaned.  Most of the digging I did was last fall and I spent the better part of the winter washing them up, buckets and buckets full. Now I have lots of them for sale in my Etsy shop the Barn Loft.  I have more bottles now than I have the time to photograph and list in my shop.

there is plenty  more out there...if only i just had the time!

an assortment of dug bottles waiting to be collected

I need lots of bins and buckets

but carrying them back to the house is rough

surprise...the bottle guardian visits us

say hello!

digging up the bottles is a lot of fun, 
but once we get home the hard work begins

sorting the bottles to see what we've got

and more sorting

my fav...a pretty little amethyst medicine bottle

spooky...a doll face stares back!

old men's cologne bottle, custard glass moonshine jug

a strong spray to remove caked mud

an overnight soak in a mild bleach solution works magic

the next day a soapy bath

copper pads are great, they don't scratch glass

time to air dry in the sunshine,
just love this homemade bottle rack bob made


hope you enjoyed the tour of our big archaeology dig
lots of these bottles are now for sale in my etsy shop 
Outhouse Bottles ...come and see!