[Well, he doesn't really know the first thing about excavation or otherwise just digging holes, but...]

If you'll humor me and my magic touch, I can 'feel out' which spots are the most likely to have something old and preserved in them? We'd have to make a whole project of it.

["Have to," he says, like it's not delightful. Book club becomes rock club!!]

If I can find the spots, we're in business. We might want to wrangle another digger, so you can take breaks.