Burrel

Thank you so much for your input.  I don't think it was a farmer or land owner that was using the cave.  The place  is way off the trail and no one goes back their.  I wanted to contact the UK  archaeologist department, but my wife wants to wait until we get into the cave and I think she is right.  She and i are worried the governnent may take it.   You see the hole was only big enough to get my camera in to take a picture. It was not until I got back home and saw the picture that I saw what was in the cave.  I don't think anyone has been in that cave in over 150 years.  There is a marking on an old  tree by the cave that has 1859 carved on it.  If you look left and up a little of the rock, is that a brass canon.  If you look straight down on the rock, is that a canon ball?  Maybe the cave was sealed by a canon blast over 150 years ago.  The main thing is what is that metal thing mounted in the rock.  The shaving look like lead, but again i was not able to get in the cave, just my camera.  Thanks for any help.  Burrel

 

As I heard an archaeologist say once, we have to be very careful about distinguishing between the story we want to be true and the story that the evidence tells us. All we have for evidence right now is a blurry photo and your recollection of what you saw. If you were to dig in the hole and find (for example) parts of weapons and other military supplies marked "CSA" or that were known to have been used exclusively by the Confederacy and if you were also able to find some documentary evidence of Civil War activity in your area (which we still don't know, because you still haven't put your location in your profile settings), that would be, as they say, diagnostic. Is there a college with an archaeology program near where you are? You might be able to talk a professor into doing a proper excavation as a student project.

 

is this in a mine shaft?

I don't think it is a mine.  More of a cave i think.  The front entry of the cave.  I believe it was being used to forge some type of metal and storage of supplies.  This is the only picture i have.  Because when i went back to the spot the hole had caved in.  i have been digging for months to get back in.  No one but one other person knows and i have been working only with that other person.  It would be bad if people knew the location and news got out,  i would have people every.where.  Once I get back in I will take lots of pictures and then go from there.  I have a feeling this is going to be a major find.  If you zoom in on the rock, you will see some type of tool mounted in the rock.  I think it is some type of mould or casting for some type of metal. There is carving outside the cave on alot of trees.  I believe you can also see a canon in the picture.

This site is the only site i told my story, because of this site dealing with black smith and forges.  Thanks for any help.  Burrel

Slow process in dugging.  What type of metal could it be, that could be on top of the rock and not changed color?.  There was some kind of Blacksmith ing going on.  More to come

Frosty,

Thank you for help.  Early in the spring, i found a sink hole on my property. I pushed my way through the hole saw a opening to a cave.  I took a picture wth my SMART phone and backed out of the hole.  On the way up the hill I  heard a big noise of something drop under ground.  Later when i went back the hole was closed up.  I believe the south was using this cave as a base to reload troups with supplys and gun, ect.  I think the metat bracket was used to. To make lead musket balls or reload shells.  I saw this site about black smith.  This metal bracket may have been part of the blacksmith.  Hope this help 

9 hours ago, JHCC said:

Can you post a better picture? It's really hard to make out anything in this one.

I wish i could post a better and closer picture, but this is all I was able to get before the hole closed on me.

I have posted a blackSmith  picture, that maybe someone can answer as well. What is the metal bracket mounted in the rock used for?  Thanks to all for your help

How much would a black smith wagon from the civil war be worth?