10 Oct last-minute backyard sleuthing leads to the discovery of an ash pit filled with 19th century “rubbish”

the workers cottage (1885-1887) was demolished just a few days ago, but excavation of the now-vacant lot is well underway. i stopped by the site on my way to work and asked the wrecker, one who i work with frequently, whether we could do a little “potholing” towards the back near the alley.

as i was preparing the photos for this post, i received an email from an individual wondering whether i was given any sort of grant money for this “unearthing chicago” project. the answer my reply was “no, i pay for anything and everything out of my own pocket.”

i pay the machine operator upfront to take a few “scoops” within an area where i commonly find scattered ash pits or privy vaults from previous digs. the majority of the finds as of late are sourced from residential excavation sites if time permits. i then pay additional money if fragments or intact bottles are found.

i’m fully aware that this “method” is not, by any means, the approach taken by trained and/or educated urban archaeologists, but at the very least, it’s better than nothing. artifacts are found and thus, can be researched and/or used for interpretative purposes pertaining to the daily life of a 19th century working class chicagoan.