History in the Back Yard: Tardis or Turd House?
A few years ago, I noticed a spot, about a foot in diameter, in our still undeveloped backyard where the grass would dry sooner than nearby. Chickens would dig around in there, and there was a little depression. Upon closer examination, this spot appeared to be composed of sand and gravel--round gravel--rather than the sandy loam topsoil normal in this area. Hmmm, I thought, maybe it was a gray-water dump spot... used by the lady that previously lived in this house... rather primitively. After removing 6-10 inches of topsoil. Hmmm. Why is this gravel here? What's down there? Fast forward to summer 2017.... Unexpectedly, I needed to replace our entire septic system: tank, lines, everything. So, I did. In the midst of this effort, while I had my excavator in the vicinity, I decided to investigate the mystery of the dry sandy spot in our back yard that I had wondered about for several years. I had the 36" finishing bucket on (smooth lip, no teeth), and took my first f