Greetings,

Has anyone encountered hoe blades or other iron tools in concealed
contexts? I have one that was recovered concealed in the framing for the
first floor ceiling, immediately south of a chimney. I have done a fair
bit of reading on concealed ritual objects, and though I've found
references to the uses of iron, and their placement near chimneys, I
haven't found any reference to hoes or other relatively large iron
objects.

Also, has anyone encountered dwellings that were built by converting
existing outbuildings? The framing of the two-story dwelling indicates
that it was built by converting a single story, slope-roofed,
crudely-built outbuilding. The outbuilding was constructed using
repurposed wood from some other building, as well as tree trunks, several
of which retain their bark.

The questions are both regarding the same context; the building appears to
have been converted to a dwelling in the mid-1850s or so.

Regards,
Megan Springate, RPA