We walk over history every day, and sometimes we come across a piece of it. I’m sure many out there have found coins, bottles or broken bits and pieces of this and that. My unearthed treasures include a silver thimble, one intact blue Bromo-seltzer bottle, a few coins and small toys (mainly “match-box” style and most likely my brother’s).

The thimble intrigues me the most, I found it outside my bedroom window, and my house is pushing 100 years old. Knowing who had owned the house previously, I can give this trinket a story. I’m ready for my “Indiana Jones” patch!

Archaeological digs conducted by the anthropology class at our high school have given us an up-close and personal look at our town and its past. And with the advent of social media, we have been given a new opportunity to dig into the past again. New stories and old photos have provided new context to our town and how she grew. (Yes, this is a reference to “East Lyme: Our Town and How It Grew” by Olive Tubbs Chendali.)

I also suggest you dig into “History Matters: Tales of New England That Still Echo Today; An Archaeological Look Into the Past” by James N. Littlefield.

Interested in learning more about archaeology? East Lyme Historical Society’s upcoming Spring Pot-Luck Dinner will host Brian Jones, state archaeologist. Also, the historical group this summer will be conducting its third Family Archaeological Dig Day. For more information on upcoming events, visit eastlymehistoricalsociety.org or check out its Facebook page.