The archaeology season was extended for me as I participated in a two day survey using a metal detector to locate the Fort Chambers site in Boulder, Colorado. Along with myself, there were about 17 members of the Eureka Treasure Hunting Club out of Denver Colorado.
We were under the supervision of archaeologists from the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks organization. All told, we surveyed using metal detectors approximately 40 acres over a two day period.
From the City of Boulder website: “In mid-August 1864, more than 100 Boulder County residents mobilized into Company D of the Third Colorado Cavalry at Fort Chambers, along Boulder Creek east of what is now known as Boulder. Company D included 46 Boulder men and prominent Boulder County residents. The company drilled at Fort Chambers until the 16th of September”.
The fort was an earthen fort constructed near the banks of Boulder Creek and named for the Chambers farm where the volunteers gathered. The reason the fort was constructed and men stationed there was that Colorado Governor Evans issued on August 11, 1864 a proclamation calling for volunteers to attack Native Americans.. The fort was abandoned by October, 1864 as the volunteers left to go southeast to Fort Lyon. From there, the volunteers attacked Cheyenne on October 10, 1864 at Buffalo Springs, near Sterling, Colorado. The volunteers later participated in the Sand Creek massacre of Arapaho and Cheyenne in November 29, 1864. For more information, you can read: https://bouldercolorado.gov/fort-chambers-and-sand-creek-massacre.
The survey began on Saturday morning. The archaeologist reminded us that we might not find any artifacts related to the fort as the location of the fort may have been destroyed by gravel mining along the creek. The area we surveyed was based upon these factors: 1) a marker erected in the 1950’s which indicated the fort stood about a quarter mile east of the marker, 2) oral and written accounts by residents who lived at the farm, and 3) period maps which included a general location of the fort.
Within the first ten minutes, a butt plate of a period rifle was found as well as a Mini ball. But that was the high water mark. For the next two days, we found many farming implements such as stakes and washers from farming equipment. We dug every “hit” our metal detectors indicated and flagged those artifacts. The archaeologists then plotted the artifact locations on a map. The next day, the archaeologists had us detect specific areas in the 40 acre plot to ensure we had covered the ground thoroughly. We continued to find artifacts related to farming.
After lunch on the second day, we walked to a hill that overlooked the farm and there we found period Mini balls. So someone had either been shooting at the hill or were shooting from atop the hill and lost some ammunition.
For me, I brushed up on my metal detection skills.
Notes on Metal Detecting
The first day, I used a round coil, which covered more ground but I had trouble pinpointing artifacts in the rich soil. I dug holes that were wider than I like to dig. The next day, I switched to an elliptical (or oval) coil, which provided less coverage but more depth. I found I could pinpoint artifacts more accurately. But the cost was I could locate artifacts at a deeper depth, including an aluminum can located at about 10 inches. The picture below is an artifact I located, that initially, looked like an oval shaped canister, such as an artillery shell, but turned out to be something from a farm tractor.
