{"product_id":"possible-gold-rush-era-wagon-harness-buckle-bear-valley-california-iron-relic","title":"Possible Gold Rush-Era Wagon Harness Buckle | Bear Valley California Iron Relic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA remarkable piece of Sierra Nevada transportation history, with its exact function and age still under investigation.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis substantially corroded iron fastening assembly was reportedly recovered approximately 12 inches below the surface near a rock outcrop in the Bear Valley area of Nevada County, California. Bear Valley lies within a historically documented corridor of the Truckee Trail and Nevada City emigrant and freight routes, used during the California Gold Rush and afterward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artifact features a thick rectangular frame, a horizontal center bar, and a broad curved paddle-shaped iron element. These characteristics suggest a \u003cstrong\u003epossible horse-drawn wagon harness trace\/tug buckle or related heavy strap-fastening mechanism\u003c\/strong\u003e. It is not definitively identified as a wagon buckle, and no manufacturer or model has been established.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eArtifact details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProposed identification:\u003c\/strong\u003e Iron wagon\/horse-harness buckle or heavy strap fitting (unverified)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePossible historical period:\u003c\/strong\u003e circa 1860–1910 (visual hypothesis only; not independently dated)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReported find locality:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bear Valley, Nevada County, California, Sierra Nevada\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiscovery context:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reportedly found about 12 inches underground near a rock outcrop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heavily oxidized ferrous metal, likely iron\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e As found, heavily corroded; curved central element does not move; not restored\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuantity:\u003c\/strong\u003e One individual artifact, photographed item\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBear Valley was part of a nineteenth-century overland emigrant transportation landscape. The object may be associated with wagon traffic, draft-animal equipment, later logging, or other historical activity in the region. \u003cstrong\u003eAn association with an individual Gold Rush wagon has not been proven.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImportant identification note:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold as an unidentified historical iron fitting with a provisional harness-buckle attribution. The exact date, function, and Gold Rush association are not authenticated. Buyer will receive the actual photographed object, in as-found condition. Measurements and weight are not yet recorded.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Hidden Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48381263446214,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0761\/9405\/4342\/files\/IMG_5538.jpg?v=1792560684","url":"https:\/\/thehiddenbazaar.com\/products\/possible-gold-rush-era-wagon-harness-buckle-bear-valley-california-iron-relic","provider":"THEHIDDENBAZAAR","version":"1.0","type":"link"}