Farmfield Privies - How I locate Them Page 2
I cannot stress enough, the second most important factor in locating privies in farmfields, that is, the visual debris on the surface. It provides the only evidence you have, to determine factors about the house site. If I pick up a surface item to examine it, I'll put it back in the same area, if I'm not going to keep it. This could help me determine something about the area later on. To me, the most important factor in finding privies is perseverance. I keep saying to myself, "It's out here some where." If I just jump in and start poking holes without "reading the site," I'll burn myself out. That's why I like to probe as I detect. I can stare at the ground while detecting and examine the surface items. If I get tired and have no luck, I'll go to another site and give the other one a rest. When I come back to the original site, I'll have a revived attitude and new ideas on where I'll search. But I will not give up until I find something. It might take a while, but as long as I have access to the site, but I'll keep poking away at it :o).
When I do find one privy, there will usually be more. Experience tells me that the rural privies were shallow, 3- 4&1/2' deep. When it filled, another was dug close by, and the outhouse was drug over the new hole. The homeowner had plenty of space to dig new ones. I have found 5 and 6 privy locations on some of these sites. Sometimes the house will change ownership and the privy location could change to suit the new owner's idea of where he wants it. I have also found them intersecting each other. I guess the owner forgot or didn't know where the previous ones were.

Deeper privy cutting through shallow one
 Keep in mind that rural privies generally will not have as many items in them as the ones in the cities or towns might have. Space was limited on the city lots, and the privies were used more for trash. There was plenty of space to pitch trash out in the rural areas, but convenience has a way of producing goodies in these anyway. It was real easy to just throw away items in the nearest hole, the privy, instead of taking it to the dump at the far end of the property, especially if it was cold or raining outside. Don't forget about the items that were lost by mistake. Any privy could hold some interesting items that were lost with the shuffle of  clothes coming up and down :o) 

I hope this helps if you should try to locate and dig these "honey holes." It isn't easy moving the amount of dirt required to dig one, but there is always something unique and interesting in each one that makes you go for another one ;o). Bye for now, --Tom  DETEC10@aol.com