History on the Farm

ChuckieEgg · 22-10-2020 11:39am #1

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 11:59am

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e8ww3yrm9v6s6p6/20201021_104930.jpg?dl=0

Interesting to find out what that is. Found a large medal which I still have, father brought it into the national museum and they were able to tell use what it was produced for. You might be able to just send in a photo and ask if they know what it is.

Although you might get an answer from some knowledgeable person on here

Water John · 22-10-2020 12:02pm

Looks like a fire iron. You put it into the fire, when hot you took it out and slipped it into the iron for ironing clothes.

Say my name · 22-10-2020 12:43pm

Water John wrote: »

Looks like a fire iron. You put it into the fire, when hot you took it out and slipped it into the iron for ironing clothes.

In the land of giants!

Use the concrete blocks it's beside in the gate pier as a size comparison.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 12:47pm

Is that a harp on it ?

Say my name · 22-10-2020 12:48pm

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

It looks to be 1807 and a harp.

After that and it's significance and use?

Say my name · 22-10-2020 12:48pm

NcdJd wrote: »

Is that a harp on it ?

Great minds..

amadangomor · 22-10-2020 12:54pm

What part of the country are you in Chuckie?

Imagination going on that. Harp represents Ireland so maybe used by some secret Irish Nationaist society?

Maybe post in archeology forum for more input.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 1:12pm

Say my name wrote: »

Great minds..

Maybe my eyes are a bit bonkers but if you look at the hole near the pointy end does it look to have a circular ware on it out from the hole ? Like there was something circular against it and this was turned.

Probably eyes are playing tricks on me. But if you look at the photo from a distance.

Say my name · 22-10-2020 1:22pm

NcdJd wrote: »

Maybe my eyes are a bit bonkers but if you look at the hole near the pointy end does it look to have a circular ware on it out from the hole ? Like there was something circular against it and this was turned.

Probably eyes are playing tricks on me. But if you look at the photo from a distance.

How far of a distance are we talking here? :pac:

Ah there was something in it. And sure then if it goes the whole way through or not?
And then there's another hole above the numbers.
And that 8 looks dodgy enough. Like it was a 9 made into an 8.
And looks to be in limestone or sandstone.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 1:26pm

Say my name wrote: »

How far of a distance are we talking here? :pac:

Ah there was something in it. And sure then if it goes the whole way through or not?
And then there's another hole above the numbers.
And that 8 looks dodgy enough. Like it was a 9 made into an 8.
And looks to be in limestone.

Ancient star trek badge so ha

Say my name · 22-10-2020 1:34pm

NcdJd wrote: »

Ancient star trek badge so ha

Commemorating the theft of the Irish Crown jewels.

It's like something someone would do when a house is built.

Testacalda · 22-10-2020 1:35pm

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

ChuckieEgg · 22-10-2020 4:01pm

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I was thinking it was some sort of plough. Two holes one at each end.
Definitely not a clothes Iron!!!
No real wear marks on it from what I can tell. I'm in west Clare and the ground is fierce muddy around me so its hard to believe that people once ploughed the place.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 5:12pm

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

I was thinking it was some sort of plough. Two holes one at each end.
Definitely not a clothes Iron!!!
No real wear marks on it from what I can tell. I'm in west Clare and the ground is fierce muddy around me so its hard to believe that people once ploughed the place.

Don't think it's for a plough if there's no wear marks.. Unless some sort of weight. Why would someone have engraved a date and harp if it was attached to a plough.

Also if it was going along the ground that wouldn't last long until it would have cracked at the hole on the bottom if it hit a large stone ?

Kickstart1.3 · 22-10-2020 10:11pm

The 1807 doesn't really look like a date. I wonder is it Ogham?
Might be worth asking someone in the Dept of Heritage to look at it.

Dickie10 · 22-10-2020 10:15pm

i have dead bodies on my land but i dont want to tell anyone, but at same time im a bit nosy as to why they are there.

amadangomor · 22-10-2020 10:15pm

Kickstart1.3 wrote: »

The 1807 doesn't really look like a date. I wonder is it Ogham?
Might be worth asking someone in the Dept of Heritage to look at it.

looking at it more closely it looks more like 1907 to me. Definitely not Ogham

Kickstart1.3 · 22-10-2020 10:22pm

you could be right. It looks upside-down. Strange looking stone though

gk5000 · 22-10-2020 10:22pm

Could it be a symbolic or keystone to hold down a piece of thatch?

satstheway · 22-10-2020 10:55pm

Is it a jug or a harp on it

Tig98 · 22-10-2020 11:05pm

Bit of a stretch, but...

Maybe it is what it depicts? One stick in one hole threaded with horse hair or whatever and they're fed through the hole on the other end. Ending up with a harp prototype of sorts. Interesting find all the same

Kickstart1.3 · 22-10-2020 11:06pm

A jug!!
I'd say whoever did the drawing Art wasn't his strongest subject

patsy_mccabe · 22-10-2020 11:09pm

gk5000 wrote: »

Could it be a symbolic or keystone to hold down a piece of thatch?

This is what I thought - a weight for end of a rope used to hold down a cock of hay or thatch on a roof.

NcdJd · 22-10-2020 11:10pm

Kickstart1.3 wrote: »

A jug!!
I'd say whoever did the drawing Art wasn't his strongest subject

Some lad named Lobi

Kickstart1.3 · 22-10-2020 11:14pm

NcdJd wrote: »

Some lad named Lobi

I think once Lobi failed as an artist his next job was on the Slean

Melanchthon · 22-10-2020 11:29pm

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

Looks right and date would fit

http://irisharchaeology.ie/2019/02/traditional-irish-farming-tools-drill-drag-stones/

keepalive213 · 22-10-2020 11:52pm

Most definitely a small headstone. But probably a mini plow

gozunda · 23-10-2020 1:24am

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

The first thing I thought of was it a trigonometry marker of some type or a bench mark stone for land surveing?

They usually use a Triangle and a reference number Indicating height ASL and are marked on maps thus.

https://i.imgflip.com/4jia4v.jpg

Possibly an old one from a private land survey - done by landlords to map their estates and land holdings

What are the dimensions of the stone btw?

mayota · 23-10-2020 3:31pm

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I found this one a few years ago on the farm here, Dad said it is a pull stone.Its roughly 36” x 16”.

blue5000 · 23-10-2020 10:10pm

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I'd go along with this too. I've heard of them called a drill stone, they were dragged by a horse to make potato drills.

djmc · 25-10-2020 6:14pm

I once found a cannonball in a plowed field here The farm was once owned by a family with strong republican links during the civil war one of which was blown up by the free state forces at the ballyseedy massacre near tralee. Lots of stories about things that happened around that time.

Birdnuts · 25-10-2020 10:06pm

I visited Grange Castle today(near Clondalkin) and its been restored by Dublin CC in recent years. The info board had lovely photos from the 70's when the house and lands were still a working farm. Took me back it did seeing all the old machinery on these mixed farms with cattle, pigs, veg etc. all produced free range and near organic next to each other

Dickie10 · 25-10-2020 11:13pm

i found skeletons on the land when digging at a hill i thought might have gravel , id love to know more about them , what would you lads do.

Base price · 25-10-2020 11:21pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

i found skeletons on the land when digging at a hill i thought might have gravel , id love to know more about them , what would you lads do.

What type of skeletons - If human like you need to contact your local Garda station. The Garda need to view the site and if they are historic, they will ask other institutions to look at the site.

Say my name · 25-10-2020 11:23pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

i found skeletons on the land when digging at a hill i thought might have gravel , id love to know more about them , what would you lads do.

How many?

Dickie10 · 25-10-2020 11:25pm

yes human of course, i was digging at side of a mound and they were just barely under the surface , there were 3 just left at differnent angles not buried properly, this area didnt suffer much in famine i think so could be form earlier, no grave marked on any os maps even 1820 one, i think mass was said thier during penal laws could be a massacre from then or cromwellian times.

Say my name · 25-10-2020 11:29pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

yes human of course, i was digging at side of a mound and they were just barely under the surface , there were 3 just left at differnent angles not buried properly, this area didnt suffer much in famine i think so could be form earlier, no grave marked on any os maps even 1820 one, i think mass was said thier during penal laws could be a massacre from then or cromwellian times.

Did you tell anyone else?

If so what was their reaction?

Dickie10 · 25-10-2020 11:36pm

there probably a good few there like i spotted 3 straight away all very close to each other as if thrown on a heap and covered over, just 2 ft down at most unfortunatly i badly damaged one corpse with the bucket of digger, but the others were ok. theres probably a lot there. i ahve a feeling it wasnt famine but from earlier like i say the mass rock is thier in field from penal times, one story was there was a timber church thier in 16th century , in 1649 cromwells soldiers passed through and burnt it, could have been a massacre from then maybe, then in penal times people said mass on that site to rememeber the dead . i dont know.

NcdJd · 25-10-2020 11:36pm

Jaysus that's mad. I'd be calling the Gardai straight away no matter how old they look.

Dickie10 · 25-10-2020 11:37pm

didnt tell anyone bar my father , who wasnt overly pushed either way. but i think i will plant a tree on the mound maybe a cherry blossom and but a litte playue and put an iron railing around it something nice like that, they were people just like me and you at one time so they desrve more.

FintanMcluskey · 25-10-2020 11:41pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

there probably a good few there like i spotted 3 straight away all very close to each other as if thrown on a heap and covered over, just 2 ft down at most unfortunatly i badly damaged one corpse with the bucket of digger, but the others were ok. theres probably a lot there. i ahve a feeling it wasnt famine but from earlier like i say the mass rock is thier in field from penal times, one story was there was a timber church thier in 16th century , in 1649 cromwells soldiers passed through and burnt it, could have been a massacre from then maybe, then in penal times people said mass on that site to rememeber the dead . i dont know.

Would probably be best to inform the authorities with the upmost urgency.

Genghis Cant · 25-10-2020 11:44pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

didnt tell anyone bar my father , who wasnt overly pushed either way. but i think i will plant a tree on the mound maybe a cherry blossom and but a litte playue and put an iron railing around it something nice like that, they were people just like me and you at one time so they desrve more.

You could be sitting on an important historical find. Chat to your local historical society. I'd certainly involve the authorities as well. It could be very interesting.

Base price · 25-10-2020 11:46pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

yes human of course, i was digging at side of a mound and they were just barely under the surface , there were 3 just left at differnent angles not buried properly, this area didnt suffer much in famine i think so could be form earlier, no grave marked on any os maps even 1820 one, i think mass was said thier during penal laws could be a massacre from then or cromwellian times.

I really think you should contact your local Garda station and tell them. It may not amount to anything other than historic graves but on the other hand it may.

Say my name · 25-10-2020 11:47pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

didnt tell anyone bar my father , who wasnt overly pushed either way. but i think i will plant a tree on the mound maybe a cherry blossom and but a litte playue and put an iron railing around it something nice like that, they were people just like me and you at one time so they desrve more.

Eh no.

Contact the Gardai first thing tomorrow and explain the whole thing and where you found the remains.

There's missing person files unanswered in this country and how do you know yourself as to when these were buried.
If it did happen to be a missing person it would give the family great peace.

You won't loose face by contacting the Gardai. In fact it's the proper thing to do.
And if these are historical remains from hundreds of years ago there's other officials will deal with them.

In no way is it up to you to decide on what happens those remains.

I don't want to be patronizing but do the right thing and contact the Gardai tomorrow.

Melodeon · 25-10-2020 11:48pm

Genghis Cant wrote: »

You could be sitting on an important historical find.

It could also be a crime scene!
There are lots of unresolved missing persons cases going back decades.
This MUST be notified to the Gardai immediately.

patsy_mccabe · 25-10-2020 11:48pm

I know a Guard and once he had someone contact him, about old skeletal remains they had found. He contacted the relevant body (no pun intended) in Ireland. They didn't want to know. He had to take a shovel and bury the remains himself where they were found.
The reality is the country is full of old skeletal remains. Still better to report it though.

forgottenhills · 25-10-2020 11:56pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

there probably a good few there like i spotted 3 straight away all very close to each other as if thrown on a heap and covered over, just 2 ft down at most unfortunatly i badly damaged one corpse with the bucket of digger, but the others were ok. theres probably a lot there. i ahve a feeling it wasnt famine but from earlier like i say the mass rock is thier in field from penal times, one story was there was a timber church thier in 16th century , in 1649 cromwells soldiers passed through and burnt it, could have been a massacre from then maybe, then in penal times people said mass on that site to rememeber the dead . i dont know.

The fact that the bodies don't seem to have been properly buried and buried together might suggest they might have died from plague or similar in bad times or perhaps in a battle or skirmish. As others have suggested you should get in touch with the proper authorities and have it looked at.

Dickie10 · 26-10-2020 12:19am

ok this was about 8 years ago just thought ii would put it out there cause i was really intreseted t find out

Markcheese · 26-10-2020 12:09pm

It's pretty unlikely to be anyway modern ... But it's still worth getting someone out , even if it's just someone who dates the site ..

Jb1989 · 26-10-2020 12:47pm

If you have a need for that particular field for the next while, I'd be slow to inform any authorities, possibly bring needless hassle to you.
If you don't need field, then option is what ever you choose.

History on the Farm

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