What if your backyard held forgotten pieces of American history? Today’s guest is Nicholas Pupera, a lifelong bottle digger and archaeologist from Gonzales, Louisiana who has spent over two decades unearthing relics buried beneath Louisiana soil. What began as a childhood passion has evolved into a mission to preserve the past before development buries it forever.
Nick joins us to offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of archaeology, where old outhouses and water wells become unexpected treasure troves. He shares what these artifacts reveal about everyday lives long gone, and why that matters. Along the way, he reflects on hard-earned lessons, including a key takeaway: don’t let greed ruin the joy. For Nick, it’s never been about profit, it’s about saving history and keeping the lost stories of the past alive.
Here’s what we discuss in this episode: 🗺️ Using maps and trust to find dig sites in New Orleans 🦷 How he found 18th-century dentures 💡 The ethics and etiquette of archaeology 🧭 Why “one man’s trash” reveals so much more than we think 0:00 – Intro 0:19 – Meet Nick: 21 Years of Digging 4:00 – How to Identify a Promising Dig Site 6:45 – What’s Hidden in 150-Year-Old Outhouses 11:23 – Unique Artifacts: From Baby Dolls to Bone Toothbrushes 17:10 – FOHBC and bottle shows 18:27 – Life lessons from treasure hunting
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