Buried Treasures Found Under Farmland

How did a collection of superb arrowheads stolen from beneath a boy’s bed lead to the greatest collection of farmland marbles ever gathered? Welcome to Wyman Atwood’s unlikely tale of obsession, deceit and an astounding marble mountain that's still growing.

An adrenaline junkie needs a farmland fix. Metal detector in hand, Andy Thaxton marches the rows and pasture of countless acres, hunting coins, keys, bullets and bells — the final testament of forgotten lives.

Every May to November, Tom Askjem descends to depths of 13’-plus and returns to the surface with treasure — bottles and glassware from farming’s past. After 1,800 pits and hundreds of thousands of relics, the North Dakota farm boy is equal parts archeologist, thrill seeker and mole.