Imagine, for a moment, that you have just received permission from the proper authorities to metal detect the site of a protected battlefield, like Gettysburg, Bunker Hill or Antietam. But there's one catch -- you can't keep anything you find. Every find must be turned over to state authorities, cleaned, preserved and displayed in a battlefield museum. Would you agree to hunt under those terms?
If you think you would, chances are you can. Archeological surveys using volunteer treasure hunters have already taken place at two U.S. Cavalry engagements, Custer Battlefield in Wyo. and the Battle of Bighole in Mont. They were just the beginning. It seems all over the country, state archeologists are turning to volunteer treasure hunting clubs to assist them in battlefield surveys. It's happening in New Jersey, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio, Wyoming -- almost anywhere a significant battle took place that used modern firearms.
"Using volunteer metal detectorists is now starting to become accepted," said Dan Sivilich, a New Jersey a vocational archeologist and metal detectorist. "The concept is starting to blossom right now. Archeological surveys of battlefields are faster, easier and much more logical than traditional archeological digs."
It appears that at last some archeologists are beginning to realize two things: (1) Not all metal detectors users are lowlife poachers who sneak into protected sites under cover of night to steal historic relics, and (2) Using large groups of volunteer metal detectorists is the best way to study a modern battle site; the pattern of bullets, spent cartridges, artillery shells and other metallic objects found by skilled detectorists can tell volumes about what actually occurred during the fight.
"What I've been doing is showing archeologists that by looking at the entire site as one large picture, you can interpret the battle," said Sivilich, who has appeared twice to discuss his methodology before the prestigious Society of Historical Archeologists.
This story began seven years ago when Sivilich went hunting with his Fisher 1266X metal detector across the street from the Monmouth Battlefield State Park in a county park that is open to metal detecting. The Monmouth Battlefield State Park, is strictly off limits to any kind of collecting. Across the street, in the county park, Sivilich began finding musket balls, but instead of just taking them home, he began recording their position, weight and diameter. After entering this information into a CAD computer program overlaid with a scanned in topographical map of the battlefield, patterns began to emerge. Such things as intensity of fire, types of firearms and troop movements became easier to understand.
When Sivilich showed his project to members of his metal detecting club, it was met with enthusiasm, and soon other members of the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club were helping him out. Hundreds of musket balls and canister shot, dating from the 1778 battle, were dug and their position, diameter and weight recorded. When the club donated its finds to the Monmouth Battlefield Museum and Visitor's Center, officials at the New Jersey State Department of Archeology took notice.
"They actually came to us and asked if we would work for them on a volunteer basis," Sivilich recalls.
Even though he has a degree in chemical engineering and not archeology, Sivilich has received considerable respect from the professional archeological community for his work at Monmouth Battlefield. Both papers he has presented to the Society of Historical Archeologists have been well received.
"I'm now recognized as an archeologist," Sivilich said. "One of the reasons is that we're breaking new ground. We've been able to do something that no archeologist has been able to do before. We've rewritten the Battle of Monmouth, literally, from top to bottom."
For the past six years, Sivilich and about 50 other members of the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club have been metal detecting the site of the Battle of Monmouth -- the longest and largest artillery land battle of the American Revolutionary War. Working under the close supervision of Dr. Gary Stone, New Jersey State Archeologist, all finds made by the club are recorded and turned over to Sivilich, who has became the official liaison with the State Archeological Department.
"At first, we were skeptical of each other," he remembers. "But as the work progressed and they began to know our group, we began to respect and trust each other. We've been able to breach the gap between archeologists and metal detecting clubs very successfully."
The finds at Monmouth -- musket balls, canister shot, pieces of firearms, coins, buttons, shell fragments and grape shot--are now on display in the Battlefield Museum and Visitors' Center. Because of the volunteer efforts of the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club, the Monmouth Battlefield Museum houses one of the largest collections of actual battlefield relics ever assembled.
The Battle of Monmouth, which took place during the third year of the American Revolutionary War, helped turn the tide of the war in favor of the Americans. It was the first time the British were beaten at their own game, providing a strong boost to American morale.
The Battle of Monmouth is recorded as a victory for the Americans, but it wasn't an easy one. The musket and cannon fire was terrible for the 30,000 Americans and British soldiers who collided on the plains of Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey on June 28, 1778. Even more terrible was the record heat -- a heat that reached 96 degrees in the shade by afternoon, turning the white, sandy battlefield into an oven -- a heat so terrible that fully one half of the 501 men who died in the battle were killed by heat stroke. In all, l99 Americans and 302 British troops died that day before the British withdrew under cover of night.
An interesting sidelight to the battle is seen in the musket balls found by the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club. Some of the balls show teeth marks, suggesting they were chewed. These particular teeth marks are shallow and entirely different from the deep marks made by wounded soldiers to endure the pain of battlefield surgery. After participating in several reenactments of Revolutionary War battles, Sivilich believes he knows how the musket balls became slightly chewed. Firing a musket requires a soldier to bite off the rounds, leaving a taste somewhat less enjoyable than grandma's apple pie in the mouth. Sivilich believes the musket balls were chewed to keep saliva in the soldiers' mouths, allowing them to bite off the rounds and continue firing during the long, hot day. Without enough saliva, tongues can swell and choking can result, Sivilich said.
Historians assumed the American troops were better armed at Monmouth than they had been during earlier battles, like Lexington and Concord, and that more French made Charleville muskets were used during the battle. However, according to the types of musket balls found by the volunteer metal detectorists, the Americans were still firing whatever they had at hand.
"They brought to battle the gun they hunted with," Sivilich said. "The one that they hung over their mantle."
Choice of weapon for British soldiers also apparently involved some personal discretion. At the site of a skirmish between Anthony Wayne's regiment and the British 1st Battalion Grenadiers, many larger musket balls -- not just the .693inchdiameter musket balls of the Brown Bess were found in positions indicating they were fired by the British.
"The distribution of 0.60inch to 0.65inch diameter musket balls warrants further research as to the firearms being used by the [British]," writes Sivilich in his most recent archeological paper for the Society of Historical Archeologists, "Interpreting the Site of Gen. Anthony Wayne vs. the British Grenadiers at the Battle of Monmouth Using Computer Aided Design (CAD) Software."
Other surprising discoveries have been made, like the locations of two formerly unknown skirmishes between British and American troops. Bullet patterns also indicate that two bands of American "irregulars" may have roamed the battlefield, operating independently.
Artillery played a significant role in the Battle of Monmouth. Washington, perhaps understanding the New Jersey terrain better than his British counterpart, quickly positioned two artillery units on high hills over looking the battlefield. Cannon ball and shell fragment finds indicate that 12 American and 20 British cannons were engaged during the battle, as well as two British howitzers. A 2 12 hour artillery duel was waged late in the day between these cannons, eventually forcing the British to withdraw from the field.
The advantages of archeological battlefield surveys with metal detectors are so obvious that Sivilich hopes archeologists will use it to study the sites of many other battles that occurred on U.S. soil. Only a few of the 100s of potential battlefields have been studied, he said.
To treasure hunters who would like to get involved in volunteer archeological battlefield survey work, Sivilich offers this advice: "The most important thing is to talk to the archeologists. Indicate that you have an interest in history and you don't have an interest in taking things out of an historic site," Sivilich said. "I've had a heck of a lot of requests from archeologists to come dig at their sites,"
Some detectorists may balk at the idea of turning over their finds to archeologists, but Sivilich gladly surrenders the finds he makes at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. In exchange, he has the opportunity to hunt an historic battlefield that has been protected for decades.
"I know I feel that it's well worth it," Sivilich said about working with archeologists. "It is absolutely fascinating to go out and dig at a site. Keeping the artifact is inconsequential. It's the fun of finding it, the thrill of taking it from the ground. Where it ends up after that, who cares?"
Insurance is another important consideration if your club would like to volunteer for an archeological survey. Liability and property insurance for the Deep Search Metal Detecting Club costs about $300 a year, Sivilich said. This annual expenditure is essential if a club wants to work for the state on a volunteer basis.
It this all sounds like a good idea to you, and you're wondering how you can use your detecting skills to become involved in an archeological survey of a battlefield near your home town -- talk to your local treasure hunting club members. If they agree, contact your state archeological department. Keep after them, even if they think you're crazy at first, until they trust you.