Took me 8 hours to dig a single test pit in my backyard

I wanted to find old artifacts on my property near Montpelier, so I picked a spot and started digging. Had to stop every 20 minutes to clear roots and rocks, plus I hit a layer of clay that felt like concrete. Eight hours later, I found a single 1800s horseshoe and nothing else. Has anyone else dealt with super slow excavation in rocky soil, or do you just pick easier spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

jason_stone5916d agoMost Upvoted

Reminds me of how everything worthwhile seems to take way longer than you expect. I spent a whole summer restoring an old rowboat, sanding and painting every inch, and the first time I took it out it leaked like a sieve. Had to start over. Same with gardening for me - those first few years were nothing but rocks and weeds, then slowly the soil got better and things started growing. Digging a hole for eight hours for one horseshoe feels about right. It's like the universe makes you earn every small win.

henry_ross16d ago

Read something similar about how most woodworkers fail their first three projects. @jason_stone59 gets it spot on there.

the_wesley16d ago

You dug for eight hours straight and only got one horseshoe? Man, that's brutal. I would've given up after the first hour of fighting clay.