digging is like archaeology

Digging in the garden is like archeology in that it reveals and reminds me of past times in the garden.

We moved into the garden - which was almost bare - when our older child was 2, the younger not yet born for another year. The garden grew, evolved with the changing needs of an evolving, growing family. It also evolved due to my growing interest in growing, an activity which at that time was totally alien to me. So there was much experimentation, changes of mind and many unexpected unplanned outcomes, some of which were welcomed and some rejected.

Recent digging up of a border which was established during the '80s, has revealed:

1. Bits of glass - that rule about only using plastic drinking glasses in the garden, like all rules, only worked some of the time.

2. A marble - reminding me of one of my own favourite childhood activities and how I wanted my children to love it too but of course they didn't.

3. A china cup handle - there was lots of sitting around and drinking cups of tea. (In this respect little has changed).

4. A small toy car - the garden was full of invisible roads and tracks for cars and other vehicles.

5. Bits of bricks from the paving that we laid under next door's tree - the only shade in the garden then. The lush tree (I'm not sure what it was called) was a haven for possums. The possums must have been desperate because they systematically ate their haven. By this time there was other shade in the garden, so one day I energetically lifted up the bricks and turned our bricked seating and playing area into a garden bed.

6. Nails. These may have have been from the gate in the fence which connected us with the family next door. The children were friends, the parents were friends, and always in and out of each others' house and garden. Then they moved to the country and after that the gate was rarely used.

Comments

  1. Hi Catmint, how fun to find things from your own past in the digging. We have found the same sorts of things too, but from gardens and people long since gone, even the marbles. I like to save the bits and keep them on a shelf in the shed.

    Frances at Fairegarden

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  2. Hi Frances, now that is a good idea, over the years I found so many things and I just chucked them away - I wasn't really thinking archaeologically at all!

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  3. Hi catmint,your own archaeological site. Many finds of treasured memories. When we were establishing our garden 20 years ago, I found one horseshoe, I still have it! If you have time go to my blogdiary "underahottersun"October 15th
    scroll to"The big clean up."
    we had a big archeological site there!

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  4. Hi Catmint,
    Gotta love those buried treasures! I'm trying to think of something interesting I've found but am coming up blank. My neighbors down on the hill dug up someone's pet cat last summer. Yuck. They were digging a grave for their chickens which were killed by their neighbor's dogs. I guess the animals were all (re)buried together. Regards, VW

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  5. Hi Titania, I read your post - you were creating a site for future archaeologists! I'm not superstitious but I do think it's a good thing you kept the horse shoe - just in case it really is lucky!

    Hi VW, love your comment, I'm a fan of the horror genre, and it sounds a bit like a Stephen King novel to me.

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