This year has been all about staycations and exploring areas close to home. What if you started to dig in your own backyard and discovered something? If you’ve always dreamed of being an archeologist and uncovering something unusual, this could be your chance. You never know what you might find, and you’ll have so much fun doing it. To get started, you’ll need to make sure you have all the tools! Explore your yard with these 20 archaeology products.
The world of archaeology awaits you when you open this incredible beginner’s guide to everything you need. Photo Credit: Amazon
A Practical Handbook of Archaeology: A Beginner’s Guide to Unearthing the Past
As your entry to the fantastic world of archeology, this handbook should be the perfect place to start. Let it pique your interest even more in the subject and inspire you to start in your own backyard. It is the ideal new hobby you have been searching for, and there could be something just waiting to be uncovered somewhere in your yard. This book will be your hands-on resource as you make your way through the processes of archaeology as an amateur. It has step-by-step photographs and even shows some amazing excavations from around the world.
J. Thompson says, “I wanted a book that walked me through the thought and physical process of the practice of archaeology. This book is an easy-to-understand format with photos and diagrams. It is, as advertised, a practical handbook. I knew nothing about how a dig went from “hey there might be something here” to plan, organize, layout, and work a dig. Now I feel I have a wealth of information about the entire process, including documenting and preserving the artifacts found.”
Buy the A Practical Handbook of Archaeology: A Beginner’s Guide to Unearthing the Past for $18.34
Begin your journey into your new hobby of archeology with this fantastic starter set. Photo Credit: Amazon
Bon 84-948 Archaeologist’s Starter Tool Kit
This kit is an excellent tool set for beginners and those who have been doing it for a while. You’re going to want to dig into the new world of archaeology, and you’ll need a set of tools to do that. The great thing about this set is that it gives you a variety of different devices. You will get a 250′ neon line, a ⅜” leaf, and square, a line level, a Lufkin metric rule, a 5″ x 2″ margin trowel, a 7″ x 3″ pointing trowel, a five-piece set of detail brushes as well as a canvas bag to house all of the things you might find on your backyard dig.
David says, “The tools stood up to the hard test of an Iron Age dig and came through with flying colors. Although I may suggest adding a compass and excavation diary and small pick to complete the set properly, the set nevertheless stood the test of excavation. The bag was also helpful in keeping the equipment well wrapped. If you are a student, I would certainly suggest this for a first dig. The tape measure helped immensely in squaring off sides of our excavations.”
Purchase the Bon 84-948 Archaeologist’s Starter Tool Kit for $74.50
Get chiseling away at the rocks in your background to see if you can find any fossil remains from thousands of years ago. Photo Credit: Amazon
Rock Hammer Mining Kit
Depending on your goal in your backyard dig, this rock hammer mining kit might be a better kit for you to use. This kit comes with three different chisels to choose from: a geological hammer, a rock pick, a magnifying glass, and a musette bag. This bag is sturdy as it is made from canvas and has many pockets to store your tools. You can start to explore your new hobby with this set of tools and is perfect for a beginner. You can work on either geology or archeology projects with this product.
This set is also suitable for children to use, with the supervision, of course, to get the whole family involved for a day of fun in the backyard. Patrick Reines says, “This set contains lots of good stuff for your geology explorations. I’m just an amateur, so I don’t get out to the rocks every day. But for me, this kit was perfect, and there’s no reason it won’t last a long time. I haven’t used the chisels yet, but I have used the hammer to collect some specimens from in situ settings.”
Order the Rock Hammer Mining Kit for $41.98 today!
Hammers at the ready – it’s time to start investigating and finding those fossils in your own garden. Photo Credit: Amazon
Best Choice 22-Ounce All Steel Rock Pick Hammer
Now that you’re all sorted with an overall kit, you’re going to find that there are some pieces you need added to your new hobby collection. One of those items might just be this essential tool. It is excellent for many hobbies, and you can even take it with you when you go camping. It helps to chip away at brick, stone, or rock. It is made so that it has a perfect balance and power-to-weight ratio, which increases the striking power of the tool.
Remember, you won’t have the power of electrical excavation tools used on big archeological digs, so something like this will come in handy. It also has an anti-shock and anti-slip soft rubber grip to make it an easy to use tool for everyone. Karen Richard let her kids use it on a fossil dig they did, “I wasn’t sure what to expect for what we needed to take our children, ages 6, 3, and 1, on their first fossil hunt. I looked for a low-cost well-made rock hammer. My six-year-old was the main user of this. He loved it. It was great to take on our first official fossil dig. It worked great for him in breaking up the shale rocks to reveal fossils underneath.”
Get the Best Choice 22-Ounce All Steel Rock Pick Hammer for $16.99
Ensure you have quality tools that will do the job well and last you a long time through your hobby. Photo Credit: Amazon
Archaeology Pointing Trowel with Leather Handle
If you’re looking for a better tool for digging, this trowel will undoubtedly get the job done. It is designed to have the ability to handle very tough digs and is made from very high-grade steel. It has a thicker and beveled blade that is perfect for digging and scrapping. The design of the handle also reduces the chance of early hand fatigue, which means you can be exploring for longer. You can also choose your grip from wood, leather, or preforms soft grip.
This tool will facilitate your hobby and be a great addition to your tool kit. Cowboymike specifically commented on the power of the blade and said, “Thick blade, nice feel.” It’s also very affordable and good quality so it should last a long time too.
Buy the Archaeology Pointing Trowel with Leather Handle for $27.41
This portable ruler is durable for an archaeological dig and for learning more about your findings. Photo Credit: Amazon
Mini Copper Ruler for Archaeology
When you eventually find something in your archeological dig, it’s always great to have a ruler with you to measure the item you’ve discovered. This archaeology tool will provide more information on your discovery as you do more research into the product. The great thing about this ruler is that it is made of pure copper, which means that it won’t rust easily, and given the conditions of archeology digs, this is a fantastic idea. It is also very portable and is a great addition to your tool bag.
This tool can also help measure out the space you want to dig and how deep. A versatile tool like this is essential to this type of hobby, and the ruler will last you forever thanks to how it is made and, of course, if you look after it properly. By investing in the right tools, this hobby can be fascinating.
Order the Mini Copper Ruler for Archaeology for $7.49
You can’t start digging without this essential and compact tool – order yours today! Photo Credit: Amazon
Bond LH015 Mini D Handle Shovel
This mini and compact shovel design are perfect for backyard archeological digs. Its small size makes it very easy to handle and is very useful in moving and lifting dirt. It has sharpened edges, which helps to minimize the effort required when working with tough dirt. It also has rust-resistant powder and comes with a five-year guarantee, so you know you are getting a quality product. It won’t fit in your hobby bag, but it’s easy to store in a shed or even in your home without getting in the way.
A good shovel is necessary as it helps to move dirt out the way that may be covering up something inspiring. You can also use it for other tasks around the home, such as gardening if you decide to take a break from archeology. Davis says, “Days and days of entertainment value. Our yard is full of giant holes (the dog helped too), but our kids were outside almost all summer.”
Get the Bond LH015 Mini D Handle Shovel today for $19.96
Illuminate your findings with this LED light-up magnifying glass that has interchangeable lenses. Photo Credit: Amazon
iMagniphy LED Illuminated Magnifying Glass Set
When you discover something, you’re going to want to take a good and close look at it. For that, you’ll need a wonderful magnifying glass, and this is the perfect one for you. It comes with two interchangeable lenses, which makes it very useful for this hobby. It also comes with a carry pouch and a cleaning cloth to keep the lenses in good condition in your kit bag. It has an x10 magnification, and the brand offers other magnifying glasses if you need more magnification.
It also has a fantastic LED light attached to it so you can truly illuminate your findings. Robert Mansfield says, “This product is head and shoulders above the rest. Perfect really. I purchased two other magnifying glasses before this one, and they were either too big, too heavy, and not enough power, useless shape, and so on. This product gives you the best of all options. It’s not too big, not too heavy, and you can switch lenses depending on the situation.”
Purchase the iMagniphy LED Illuminated Magnifying Glass Set for only $19.99
Get sifting through the dirt with this panning classifier; it will be essential to your hobby’s tool kit. Photo Credit: Amazon
Stansport Gold Panning Classifier
This tool is terrific for sifting the dirt that you are working on. It helps to separate the more significant items from the smaller dirt and will help you see if you have come across something. It is lightweight and durable, so you should be adding this to your kit for your new hobby. It also conveniently fits into a 5-gallon bucket, so there is a great place to store all your unwanted dirt.
Caroline Trent gave it five stars and said, “Durable, sturdy, and excellent for sifting out rocks/pebbles so you can pan for gold easier and faster! It is the perfect size to get rid of larger material while you pan before you use your pan! This classifier/sifter made our process more efficient. Hands down!”
Order the Stansport Gold Panning Classifier for $13.76
Take your pick from three different-sized mesh sieves to work with on your backyard archeological dig. Photo Credit: Amazon
4pc Soil Sieve Set
If you’re looking for a soil sieve that gives you more options when it comes to mesh size, this is a fantastic option. It comes with three interchangeable sieves that range in size. You can see what is working for the soil you are going through and what type of items you are searching for. This tool is actually made for Bonsai work but has been used for archeology, too – it is great to have a multi-purpose tool in your tool collection. It also costs a lot less than other scientific equipment and could be a great gift to someone starting in the archeology world.
If your sieve gets damaged, you can also order replacement ones, so you don’t have to get a whole new set. Krystull says, “I ordered this sifter to use sifting debris, especially palm tree seeds and dead grass, out of rubber mulch. It worked excellently; I got the job done a lot quicker once I started using this sifter.”
Buy the 4pc Soil Sieve Set for only $32.75
Pick up all sorts of things with this extendable magnetic pick-up tool that will easily fit your tool kit. Photo Credit: Amazon
Telescoping Magnetic Pick Up Tool
This tool could come in very handy if you find something that is metal and needs to pick it up. It has 50 pounds of pull, so you can use it on a wide variety of items that you might find. This tool is fantastic because it has an extendable grip handle that extends to 40 inches. You can reach things that you wouldn’t have been able to previously thanks to the ease of this tool.
It is compact and easy to store at a collapsed length of 24 inches. Make sure you don’t miss anything that you find when you order this to add to your collection. Girlyz says, “Had a new garage installed. There were screws, washers, and metal filings deep in the yard. The magnet was strong enough to get them all, even through thick carpet grass.”
Get the Telescoping Magnetic Pick Up Tool for $23.11
Be efficient with your metal detection so that you can save time on searching and spending more time uncovering. Photo Credit: Amazon
sakobs Metal Detector
This metal detector has a high accuracy to make sure you are detecting everything possible in your garden. The bigger the search coil, the higher the sensitivity, and this metal detector has it all. It is more efficient, and this will save you time, so you can spend more time digging and discovering instead of just searching all day long. It has three secure modes so that you can do the best search possible. It also has an intuitive LCD, which comes in handy if you are working at night. It also really provides deep detection and can detect metals up to 8.7 inches underground.
Daphne Metzger says, “I was pleased with the ease of assembly. Having never used a detector before, I did what most men don’t do and read the instructions. Wow, that proved to be worth the time reading. Experimented as suggested and went out and located all my buried survey stakes on the property with ease. As a bonus, I found a 1976 penny.”
Enjoy the sakobs Metal Detector for $99.99
If you’re serious about getting into your hobby of archeology, this product is something worth the investment. Photo Credit: Amazon
URPRO Infrared (IR) Thermal Imager Imaging Camera
If you want to get fancy with your archeological search, invest in this amazing thermal imaging camera. It has a wide viewing angle and a high-resolution screen to get the best image of what you’re digging. It has temperature measurement as well as a real-time thermal image. This feature makes it a very efficient tool to use. This tool is used in many fields, including archeology, agriculture, geology, and even fire fighting.
It is a more expensive tool, but if archeology is a hobby you enjoy, it might be something you should consider saving. Gonzalez F. says, “Did my research against more expensive units. I could not get a unit that offered the features and ease of use as this unit. The price was perfect. The only thing is the clock is in 24HR as opposed to 12H. Besides that, I am happy with the unit and recommend it.”
Upgrade to the URPRO Infrared (IR) Thermal Imager Imaging Camera for $229.00
Shine a light on your new hobby with this incredibly bright headlamp with rechargeable batteries. Photo Credit: Amazon
Rechargeable Headlamp
Get your outfit ready for a dig outdoors, day or night, with this rechargeable and super bright LED headlamp. A torch is excellent, but this leaves your hands free to do the digging and exploring. You don’t want to be held back by having to handle a torch in one hand and your tools in another. It has 6 LED bulbs that provide much light so that you can see exactly what you are doing. It can also adjust thanks to its eight lighting modes with just the flip of a switch. It’s waterproof as well, so if it’s the rainy season, you can still enjoy your hobby. It comes with two durable life rechargeable batteries, and you can simply charge these with the included USB cable.
You no longer have to worry about not having batteries because you’ll always have them and can just recharge them when you need to. Elois says, “Best headlight I purchase, why better than the other one I got. The brightness is amazing; it shines through the darkness like nothing; you think an Angel is in the room.”
Order the Rechargeable Headlamp for $16.98
Put your findings on display or store them safely while working on them after you’ve found them. Photo Credit: Amazon
mDesign Stackable Closet Plastic Storage Box with Lid
Once you’ve found something in your backyard or on a site, you’ll want to make sure that it is displayed. You would have put much work into it, and now it’s time to show it off. You’ll need a lovely display case and possibly one that can be sealed off nicely too. If you aren’t ready to display the item but need to have a safe place to store it, this product is a terrific option for that as well. It’s affordable, too, so you can buy a few of these plastic storage boxes to ensure that all your findings are safe and sound while you work through them. They come in sizes: small to extra-large.
They also have hinged lids, so you don’t need to worry about losing a cap or struggling with getting it on properly. It’s transparent design allows you to see correctly into the unit. Mariela Valencia is excited by this product’s versatility and says, “Best bucks I’ve ever spent! I know it says shoe box storage, but who says it’s only for that! Normally I’m not that excited about a purchase, but this exceeded my expectations.”
Buy the mDesign Stackable Closet Plastic Storage Box with Lid for $16.99
Make your findings look incredible and vital in this beautifully framed and vintage-looking glass display box. Photo Credit: Amazon
MyGift 5 inch Lidded Shadow Box
If you want a display case for your findings that is a little bit fancier than just a plastic storage box, this product is ideal. It is a beautiful glass curio display box with a stunning vintage brass metal frame that will make whatever you find. The clear glass design with an easy lid opening will be the perfect home for your discoveries. Just picture this on a side table or even on the mantle in a position of honor.
It is a great way to display small items and really bring focus to them and keep them safe as well. Imagine your archeology findings collection all set out in these beautiful glass boxes one day – that will inspire you to get going with your digging in the backyard. Towelmaster says, “I bought this intending to use it as a display box for collectibles. Seems sturdy and well made, and the patina of the metal parts is attractive. Overall the craftsmanship is clean.”
Purchase the MyGift 5 inch Lidded Shadow Box for $32.50
Protect your eyes and your prescription lenses with this fantastic pair of safety glasses. Photo Credit: Amazon
NoCry Over-Glasses Safety Glasses
You’re going to want to make sure that your eyes are protected when working with rock and picking it away. Safety first, remember that! Equipping yourself with these safety glasses will ensure that no rock shards can hurt your eyes when working on your new hobby. These glasses are designed with woodworking, construction, and chemistry in mind, so you’ll know that you are well protected. They also will fit perfectly over your prescription glasses, so you don’t need to worry about not wearing them.
There is a gap between the protective front of the safety glasses and your own lenses. They are also very lightweight and comfortable so you can wear them for a long time. Lilith Nick says, “These fit over my glasses fantastically, and the stems do not interfere with the stems of my prescriptions. They also do not feel like they are falling off what so ever. Highly recommended for anyone who needs safety glasses and prescription glasses!”
You need the NoCry Over-Glasses Safety Glasses for $19.99
Keep your findings free of dust and dirt with this well crafted and gentle dusting brush made from horsehair. Photo Credit: Amazon
Valentino Garemi Collectables Dusting Brush
Once you’ve found something and put it on display, you’re going to want to make sure that you are taking good care of it. You’ll need tools for that, and one of those crucial tools is this duster to allow you to wipe it gently and adequately. It is made out of 100% horsehair and will help you to keep your collection of items tidy and dust-free. It is created specifically to look after and clean collectibles. It includes things like antique artifacts or archeological finds.
This product would be the perfect tool to add to your archeological kit. It is a superior quality brush that you would be hard-pressed to find a better one, especially for this price. Shane C says, “Love the brush. Very good for dusting figurines and such. I am a carver/whittler and find the brush is a little light for moving around wood chips.”
Purchase the Valentino Garemi Collectables Dusting Brush for $21.25
Complete your kit with a collapsible bucket that is easy to take wherever you want to go and explore. Photo Credit: Amazon
ROADIE Collapsible 11 L Bucket
Complete your tool kit with this collapsible bucket. Ensure that you have a space to fill all unwanted dirt into so that you can replace it into the earth once you have finished. It is also useful to have a bucket to sieve your soil over so that you don’t miss anything you may encounter. The brilliant thing about this bucket is that it has a large capacity, but it is collapsible, which means it can be easily stored and kept out of the way. Every budding archeologist needs a good bucket, and this is an excellent option for you.
Nicole Lacey says, “My ultimate new favorite. From fishing to having the girls over for mimosas, my collapsible bucket is always making an appearance. It folds up into nothing, making transportation super easy. It’s also effortless to clean and doesn’t hold onto smells.”
Buy the ROADIE Collapsible 11 L Bucket for $14.97
Make your digging area clear by using these stakes and some tape to demarcate your site area. Photo Credit: Amazon
COSMOS 50 Pcs 4.5 Inches Multifunctional Plastic Yard & Garden Stakes
Last but not least, you don’t want to find a place to dig, and then someone comes and ruins your spot. The way to avoid this is to demarcate the area as the professionals do. For that, you’re going to need some pegs and some tape. It will help you to separate the area that you want to work within. It will also help you stick to an area that you think holds something promising beneath the surface. It will also alert anyone that this is a no-go area and keep it clear for you and your digging purposes. These pegs work well and can also be used for other purposes, such as camping and general gardening, so they’re worth the investment.
D.H. says, “We used these to hold down straw mats on sloped areas in our yard. They are working well for this project. They are not as heavy-duty as some we have purchased in the past, but this project did not need a heavy-duty stake.”
Try the COSMOS 50 Pcs 4.5 Inches Multifunctional Plastic Yard & Garden Stakes for only $9.00