Here’s a note and some pictures from a reader who recently dug up the concrete that had been covering her rear and front yards and found an archaeological trove underneath, including tons of bluestone, pieces of marble and an old cast iron sign. From the horse’s mouth…

We started breaking up all the concrete at the beginning of the month, initially using a sledgehammer and crowbar – Bad Idea! After a day of back-breaking work, we decided to get a jack hammer to complete the job. This was much easier but we still had to move all the concrete and cinder block wall pieces out of the way to allow us access to the bluestone. Anyway, we finished breaking it all in about 4 days. We were surprised to find the original bluestone patio and path in the backyard. A couple of pieces have a fleur de lis design and some have crosses and 1836 stamped on them.

We also found quite a bit of marble (broken pieces), glass, random iron and a lion head sign. In the end, we were able to use all of the found bluestone to enlarge the original patio. We also used the remaining stone to pave the front yard path as you will see in the pix. Everything turned out beautifully – the hardest part was trying to find someone to take away the mountains of debris. We also lucked out by finding Denny Wiggers Gardens, who had a couple of larger bluestone pieces we needed for the front yard. Next we will put down sod in the back and create our flower and vegetable garden. We also have to do the front sidewalk which has cracked and raised pieces.

We also found a lot of bluestone buried on our yard but have yet to jackhammer the small portion (first ten feet or so) that has concrete poured over it. What have other readers found in their yards?
Treasure Found Under Concrete [Forum]