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Unpopular opinion: wet sifting my backyard dirt in a colander saved my whole summer dig
I have been digging test pits behind my house in Tuscaloosa since May and kept coming up with nothing but brick bits and nails. A retired archaeologist at the local society meeting told me to stop dry sifting and try wet sifting through a kitchen colander with a garden hose. First afternoon I did it, I pulled three tiny flakes of chert and a broken trade bead out of dirt I had already gone through twice. Now I keep a 5 gallon bucket and a colander on the porch and wet sift everything from the 40 to 60 centimeter level. Has anyone else switched to wet sifting for clay heavy soil, and did you build a screen box or just use something from the kitchen?
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hunt.jana10h ago
Wet sifting is the move for clay dirt, no question. I just use a cheap plastic colander from the dollar store and a bucket, nothing fancy. Built a wooden screen box once but honestly the colander works better because the holes are the right size and you can see everything. Only thing I'd say is don't hose it too hard or you'll blast the small stuff right through.
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