fredtoad

Hi All,

Im sorry to ask a daft question I have often wondered why in a feild
which has never been ploughed you sometimes find a new coin 10" deep
and a very old coin near the top !, When coins/artifacts are in the
groud do they sink or is it a build up over the years off dead
leaves/waste on top of them.(if you see what i mean)

Thanks for your help,

Fred.

Theo

This is an interesting phenomenon, and it affects other objects on the
ground, like boulders and stones - not just coins.
The main culprits are earthworms.
During their daily travels, they eat and digest the organic matter that
constitutes a high percentage in soil. In doing so, they create voids in the
soil. Eventually these voids collapse, causing the ground level to sink, and
if there are any heavy items like coins or boulders, these gradually sink
further into the soil than the surrounding soil until they are hidden from
sight.
Also, wind tends to distribute a layer of dust-like particles of soil over
the surface which will add to the soil in any given area whilst depleting it
in others.
Hope this helps.

Theo
fredtoad" <fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:60357720.0504221144.18191e58@posting.google.c om...
> Hi All,
>
> Im sorry to ask a daft question I have often wondered why in a feild
> which has never been ploughed you sometimes find a new coin 10" deep
> and a very old coin near the top !, When coins/artifacts are in the
> groud do they sink or is it a build up over the years off dead
> leaves/waste on top of them.(if you see what i mean)
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Fred.

Odd Job John

Theo, in theory your reply is correct, but geologists and gardeners will
tell you different.

I read somewhere, yes I can read, and no I can't remember where, that the
effects of the winter weather works in a differing manner than you suggest.

Many gardeners are perturbed and surprised when they have spent many hours
clearing all stones and rocks from their gardens to find them re-appearing
later in the year, or the following year. (Come on you lot with gardens,
don't deny it.)

This is caused by the effects of frost. Allegedly, when the ground freezes
the forces of the water freezing forces rocks and stones up out of the soil
as opposed to forcing them down into the soil as per a coin going down.

I can explain why stones and rocks keep appearing in yer flower beds, but I
don't know why coins and metal items sink :-(


"Theo" <theodore.twyler@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:wIJae.2626$395.1885@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...
> This is an interesting phenomenon, and it affects other objects on the
> ground, like boulders and stones - not just coins.
> The main culprits are earthworms.
> During their daily travels, they eat and digest the organic matter that
> constitutes a high percentage in soil. In doing so, they create voids in
the
> soil. Eventually these voids collapse, causing the ground level to sink,
and
> if there are any heavy items like coins or boulders, these gradually sink
> further into the soil than the surrounding soil until they are hidden from
> sight.
> Also, wind tends to distribute a layer of dust-like particles of soil over
> the surface which will add to the soil in any given area whilst depleting
it
> in others.
> Hope this helps.
>
> Theo
> fredtoad" <fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:60357720.0504221144.18191e58@posting.google.c om...
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Im sorry to ask a daft question I have often wondered why in a feild
> > which has never been ploughed you sometimes find a new coin 10" deep
> > and a very old coin near the top !, When coins/artifacts are in the
> > groud do they sink or is it a build up over the years off dead
> > leaves/waste on top of them.(if you see what i mean)
> >
> > Thanks for your help,
> >
> > Fred.
>
>