# Incredible historic find



## Flasks

About 15 years ago my wife and I were digging a rocky and bushy bank which was only about 30 ft high. We were finding shards of early pottery and bottles but everything was broken. We continued to dig into the bank and came across a layer of small rocks we could roll or flop out of the way. We decided to get a couple more out of the way and leave as every man made thing was smashed or broken against the rocks. The last rock how-ever exposed only a brown handle of a gallon jug, Having no hope what so ever of this jug being whole, we started "ringing" it with our garden trowels. It came out whole!!  There wasn't
 a bit a damage and washing off the mud we found it was highly glaze embossed which distinguished it from any other jug we've ever seen or found. The embossing turned out to be equally as exciting as this was one of the infamous "LITTLE BROWN JUGS" that has been referred to in song and conversations for over 100 years. This was made for  Mr. S.T. Suit living in a town named after him and later became known as Washington, D.C. The jug advertised the age of the whiskey being "jugged" in 1864 and sold in 1880. I wish I have taken better photos of our jug but I didn't. The word got out I had found this jug and I foolishly sold it as I just couldn't turn down the offer. What a piece of history I let go!


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## shotdwn

Great jug and story. Too bad you sold it. That would be a nice piece to own and as you said a great piece of history.


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## Robby Raccoon

What an exquisite piece with a grand story.


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## Flasks

shotdwn said:


> Great jug and story. Too bad you sold it. That would be a nice piece to own and as you said a great piece of history.


My wife has reminded me of this mistake many times, the $$$ is long gone and the only thing I have left is a vivid memory of the find and a picture of it.


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## sandchip

Wow, what an absolutely beautiful piece.  I'm sick for you that you sold it, too.  As you said, the money is long gone and money cannot be enjoyed like a personally found artifact which continues to give to us, day after day.   I've heard the S.T. Suit name before.  Aren't there also some whiskey bottles out there embossed with that name?  Thanks for sharing that great jug and story with us.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

I totally feel for you. Just hearing your story makes me sick to my stomach. I too have memories like your too painful to think about. We just have to learn from our errors and move on. I think you should go back and see if the jug had any friends.  ROBBYBOBBY64


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## Flasks

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I totally feel for you. Just hearing your story makes me sick to my stomach. I too have memories like your too painful to think about. We just have to learn from our errors and move on. I think you should go back and see if the jug had any friends.  ROBBYBOBBY64


We returned to that area several times but nothing whole. That ghost town was called Fagundas in case you're interested in the area. Very active during the 1870's and associated with oil wells. Today nothing but nature and a pot holed secondary road.


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## sandchip

I came so close to selling my best personal find many years ago.  Even let the guy take the frame with it and many of my best points with him.  Back then, the site those artifacts came from was still producing and I thought the ride would never end.  Fortunately, I changed my mind before he paid me and got everything back.  The site was declared off-limits not long after and I doubt that I'll ever come across another like it ever again.  It was the place that got me started collecting Indian artifacts and over 30 years later, nothing has come close since.


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## Flasks

Finding a banner stone that perfect and nicely shaped is a  thousand to one. I once had a very large Indian relic collection hunting camp sites, shelters, stream runs and freshly plowed fields. I sold that collection but it really helped with the mortgage, 3 kids, car payments and monthly bills.  I did save one piece, as pictured. The rarest and most unique piece I had was found by my friend and companion artifact hunter was this complete fossilized skeleton. He lived in Central Fl. and dove in the many springs and found a cave in one of the springs...in the back of the cave was this solid complete body burial solidified by 10,000 years of calcium and other chemicals in the water. It weighed about 60 lbs so I made a concrete base to support it upright although the burial was buried in a fetal position. He also found fantastic fossils of that era. A pastor from N.M. had to have this for his collection, so again all I have are the memories and a picture.


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## yacorie

I’ve dove in and around crystal springs a gazillion times when I lived in Gainesville.  We found a lot of really cool artifacts but that mummified child takes the cake.


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## Flasks

The laws are becoming very strict about removing ANY artifact in the state of FL. If it weren't for us "pot" hunters, the historic knowledge of FL wouldn't amount to 1/3rd what it is now.  Before I retired and left FL, I contributed 3 substantial collections....25% of the artifacts from  a gold laden Galleon off Ft. Pierce., a paleo Indian collection of artifacts from mid state and I also located and assembled a large collection of artifacts from the original fort for which Ft. Pierce is named. No one knew where the fort actually was located until I found it...fortunately it was on the edge of the city and hadn't been overtaken with concrete and asphalt. It took a long time for me to learn to keep my mouth shut when I find something but now that I'm in my 80's I don't worry about it as I can't hunt as I did all those prior 60+ years. I'd love to see some of your finds, why don't you post some?


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## sandchip

I think you're being too generous with your estimate of ⅓.  Many indoctrinated, ivory tower archs today give little credit to collectors who are responsible for them even knowing about roughly 90% of the sites known today.  Their love of history only goes so deep.  When the funding dries up, they mysteriously dissapear.  Lack of appreciation is one thing, but to actively lobby against collectors is another.  With that said, there are a few genuinely good archaeologists out there.  Sorry for my tirade.  Here's a few pictures to get this thread back on a more enjoyable track.


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## Flasks

Nice pieces..always like the agatized coral points.thanks for the pictures.


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## sandchip

Beautiful material!


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## stc1993

Back in the late 80s I found a giant megladon tooth.  It was bigger than my hand.

We were digging a pit for a 70' truck scale at a phosphate mine in Tampa.

I sold it for $75 they're worth around $1000 today.


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## Flasks

I think most of us are guilty of selling one of our "treasures"...but at the time we did what we felt was right. After all, none of us will be taking any of these items with us but were blessed to be a caretaker for awhile. Picture, when I was young, shows me holding one of 4 mammoth teeth I found that day, my hand is holding a tooth and the other the joint of a femur, tibia ?? from that animal.


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## sandchip

Flasks said:


> I think most of us are guilty of selling one of our "treasures"...but at the time we did what we felt was right. After all, none of us will be taking any of these items with us but were blessed to be a caretaker for awhile...



That pretty much sums it up.  Well said, brother.


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## Bufflehead

Flasks said:


> I think most of us are guilty of selling one of our "treasures"...but at the time we did what we felt was right. After all, none of us will be taking any of these items with us but were blessed to be a caretaker for awhile. Picture, when I was young, shows me holding one of 4 mammoth teeth I found that day, my hand is holding a tooth and the other the joint of a femur, tibia ?? from that animal.


!


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## Flasks

sandchip said:


> I think you're being too generous with your estimate of ⅓.  Many indoctrinated, ivory tower archs today give little credit to collectors who are responsible for them even knowing about roughly 90% of the sites known today.  Their love of history only goes so deep.  When the funding dries up, they mysteriously dissapear.  Lack of appreciation is one thing, but to actively lobby against collectors is another.  With that said, there are a few genuinely good archaeologists out there.  Sorry for my tirade.  Here's a few pictures to get this thread back on a more enjoyable track.
> 
> View attachment 203029 View attachment 203030 View attachment 203031View attachment 203032 View attachment 203033View attachment 203034View attachment 203035View attachment 203036


I don't know if you're aware of this book but if you aren't, it is a MUST HAVE, if you have any interest in early Fl inhabitants. This is a hardback book with many photos and the paper is highgrade gloss. Mr. Brown (author) is highly accurate and detailed in his writing of this book and if you dive there is a section that "diver" hunters will find much interest. I hope you get this message, if so please acknowledge. By the way....ABE'S books will probably have this book and you can usually save quite a bit over retail.  Good luck,  Don


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## sandchip

Yessir, I have that book.  It's a good one, for sure.


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## Warf rat

sandchip said:


> I came so close to selling my best personal find many years ago.  Even let the guy take the frame with it and many of my best points with him.  Back then, the site those artifacts came from was still producing and I thought the ride would never end.  Fortunately, I changed my mind before he paid me and got everything back.  The site was declared off-limits not long after and I doubt that I'll ever come across another like it ever again.  It was the place that got me started collecting Indian artifacts and over 30 years later, nothing has come close since.
> 
> View attachment 202991 View attachment 202992 View attachment 202993


Sand chip that banner stone is wonderful I’d trade all my bottles for that. Don’t believe we have them in Kansas


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## sandchip

Thanks Rat, for the kind words.  I was very blessed to have found it for sure.


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## Warf rat

sandchip said:


> Thanks Rat, for the kind words.  I was very blessed to have found it for sure.


Find anything else at that spot?


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## sandchip

A little bit.  Of all the folks that knew of that site, I'd bet all the stuff found wasn't 1% of what was out there.  The rest was destroyed for all practical purposes by earthmoving equipment.  A crying shame.  Here's some of the things that I found.


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