Remember the arborvitae tree the HH couldn’t plant because there was a bird’s nest in it?
Well the birds have left the nest and haven’t been back to the tree in a while so yesterday he decided to dig a hole to plant the tree. And well, now I want to dig up the whole yard and see what’s hiding under the dirt.
This is what he found after digging about a foot down.
Another minute later he came over to show me another jar. This one had a root growing in it {and out!} of it.
How crazy is that?
I tried pulling the root out and he told me I’d never get it out. IMPOSSIBLE he said. Can’t be done. It’s stuck in there.
Well, maybe it is for now… But once the wood dries out I bet I’ll be able to shake the {now clipped} root out. 😉
There were more bottles, broken blue glass and a few shards of pottery.
Are there any antique dealers out there? Do you know what company this symbol is from? It looks like a unicorn to me.
Seriously, all this, from ONE hole! I feel like there is SO MUCH more out there. There’s gotta be. We could be sitting on a gold mine!
Or at the very least, a coffee can full of someone’s forgotten treasures… Right?
We do know that before the house had indoor plumbing, there was a two seater off the back of the house {yikes!} so there could be a whole trove of treasures in that spot.
It kind of makes me want to bury a couple of jars out back. I wonder if anyone 50-100 years from now would think an old salsa jar was exciting. Who knows.
~Mavis
JulieP says
A canning jar might be good. At my parents house (Tudor Elizabethan farmhouse) when they dug the garden large and small stone jars came out of the soil beautiful things. At ours (1970s house alongside an old road) we’ve found old glass bottles with marbles in the neck, some old brown glass bottles and some beautiful huge flint nodules, we live near Grimes Graves which was a Neolithic flint mine! There must have been some old houses or buildings where our house stands as we often used to dig up big stones that have formed parts of doors or windows too. So interesting but it does seem a shame to keep digging that lawn up 🙂
Christa H says
So exciting! You probably have several privy areas full of treasures! There’s a guy in Selma, NC who looks at old maps and then digs where he thinks the privy areas are and sells the bottles he finds. He has some really cool stuff but the shop is a mess, so you have to look past that.
Keep your finds on display! I have also found buried treasures on our farm. Lots and lots of old rusty stuff like square nail heads, hinges, an old pocket knife, a thick chain, old beer bottles, and also real amethysts!
Nancy Settel says
I was an antique dealer for over 30 years (from late 1700 to about mid 1800’s New England primitives mostly) have no idea about the unicorn but dang it is interesting. I know you can look up flowers on line (I don’t have a clue how to do it as I don’t live in this century) so maybe there is something like that for symbols etc. Love that you got them so clean and on display. Such a fun journey you are on.
Cathy Strasser says
We’ve had a similar experience with our house in PA. We’ve heard the previous owners were doting grandparents and I think it must be true because every time I go out to weed or plant something new, I find some kind of small toy. It makes me smile every time.
Mrs. C. says
There are subreddits on Reddit where people post photos on their finds and get feedback. Someone might know what the unicorn means!
Mallory L. says
The style of the unicorn and the curved lines beneath immediately made me think of a makers mark stamp from fine China. A quick google of “bone china hallmark with unicorn” > images tab, showed me this:
https://www.worthpoint.com/marks/ceramics/mark-36442_lion-unicorn-ironstone-china-mellor-crown
Looks pretty close?
One of the homes I grew up in was on the edge of an old fair ground site, I uncovered quite a few tiny blue bottles digging in the woodline. Now you’ve made me curious if my parents still have them!
Dianne says
Depending on the variety of arborvitae it looks like yours are planted too close to the fence. These guys get Big. Speaking from experience
Mavis Butterfield says
Luckily these ones only get 3 feet wide. 🙂
Connie says
I love old bottles and jars. Have a jar like middle one in photo. I have shelf in my utility room with asst new and old colored bottles on it.
Bonnie in GA says
That jar must’ve come from someone’s “root” cellar. Lol!
I love finding old stuff. That’s cool. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Funny!!!!
Sue says
AI sez: “That black unicorn stamp on your sherd is highly likely a maker’s mark from Hollinshead & Kirkham (H&K), an English pottery manufacturer based at the historic Unicorn Pottery in Tunstall, Staffordshire. They frequently used a prancing unicorn trademark on the undersides of their transferware and dinnerware.”
You can connect with an online researcher at https://www.justanswer.com/antiques/
But it’s gonna cost you 5 bucks.
Given the hundreds of millions of salsa jars out there, I doubt one will be of interest a thousand years from now. Mass production means it will be even more common than…privy dirt. LOL!
Teresa M says
Holy cats! Be careful what you ask for!
Lynn says
I used Google Lens and found lots of info on the mark. You can add the area you live in and it has more info. Good luck!
Here is a snippet of what it found:
This pottery shard shows a maker’s mark featuring a unicorn, which is part of the British Royal Coat of Arms.Maker & Backstamp DetailsThe Design: The transfer-printed graphic depicts the head of a chained unicorn. It serves as a supporter on the right-hand side of the British Royal Coat of Arms, representing Scotland. A mirrored lion stands on the missing opposite side.The Letters: The remaining letters “MA” seen at the bottom curve inside a decorative ribbon banner. This banner typically held the name of the specific pottery manufacturer or the pattern name of the tableware (such as “MAY” by makers like Powell & Bishop).Origin and Age: This is typical of British ironstone or white earthenware from the Victorian era (mid-to-late 19th century). Hundreds of potteries based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, incorporated the Royal Arms into their stamps to give their everyday utility wares an air of quality and official prestige.
Essdee says
My bet is English earthenware, Staffordshire.
Kristin says
The little unicorn plate has an Ma. It may have said Mavis:)
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s what I was thinking!!
Bee says
While my backyard wasn’t extensively developed until the 20th century, we did have an old steam rail line pass by the property line, so I’m constantly accidentally digging up old bottles, ceramics, coal slag, and other mystery debris when trying to garden. While sometimes an annoyance, it is a really fun to see what I can find.
Reaching back into my college archaeology years, I recall various published resources for identifying maker’s marks on porcelain and ceramics. The “cropped” unicorn alone may make definitive identification difficult since it’s but a piece of the Royal Arms. For a bit more general information: https://www.poplarforest.org/268-2/
Maybe your local historical society could help provide more context into the historical land use of your property, buildings, and folks who once walked the same patch of earth. Please post if you find out more!