Diggin' in Virginia VIII (DIV VIII) was held on October 26, 27, 28 2007 in northern Virginia. The site was a beautiful 160 acre wooded area known as Hansborough Ridge. This location had seen a lot of action during the Civil War as both Union and Confederate troops had formed lines of battle throughout this area. Several running battles took place with both sides moving the enemy lines back and forth across this ridge.
In addition to battles, the site was the location of several camps for both the Union and Confederate armies. As you walked through the wooded area, numerous hut sites were apparent. Most of these huts were stone lined which made them evident even 144 years later.
Day one of the hunt was very tough as a constant rain fell on the hunters. From the base camp, there were two distinct areas that had seen activity. For the most part, the northern end of the ridge was the location of the Union camps and the southern end of the ridge held the Confederate camps. The roughly 250 hunters spread out in all directions with some concentrating on surface relics while others started to locate the huts. Bullets and buttons started to come to light with the occasional belt, box or sword plate.
Day two and three dawned with much better weather. The rain stopped which made the hunting even more enjoyable. By this point, many of the major camp areas were starting to become more evident. Even with the thick underbrush, one could see how the huts were starting to line up which made locating them even better. Most of the huts were only a few feet deep but the occasional hut went even deeper. The hut areas were starting to produce some very nice bottles including ink wells, whiskey, food and medicine bottles. One find of note was a very nice 12 pound Confederate Read artillery shell. There was also a great script C Confederate rosette found that had everyone excited.
There was a huge array of different detectors used during this hunt with all of them performing well. The ground was very neutral for the most part. On the White's front, the MXT seemed to be a very popular choice among the hunters. It's versatility seems to help greatly in some of the iron laden areas. Minelab was well represented with most hunters using either the Explorer or the X-Terra. Fisher had a contingent of hunters putting the new F-75 through it's paces. During the rain on the first day I kind of wished I had my DetectorPro water machine.
As usual, Kellyco Detectors showed their strong support for DIV VIII by donating detectors, headphones, towels and pouches as prizes for the hunters. It should be noted that KellyCo has been involved as a supporter in every DIV held. In addition to prizes, KellyCo shows their concern for the health and well being of the hunters by providing bottled water during the hunt. This commitment demonstrates their strong support for the hobby of metal detecting and it is greatly appreciated.
While only a small fraction of the finds are listed here, DIV VIII turned out to be another successful hunt with a large assortment of relics being recovered and saved for future generations. John and Rose Kendrick, hunt organizers, once again put together an enjoyable hunt for relic hunters from all over the USA and beyond.
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