CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new season of “Diggers” premieres Monday night on the National Geographic Channel and one episode includes a return to southern West Virginia after first doing a “Hatfield & McCoy” episode in an earlier season.
Metal detectorists George “KG” Wyant and his friend Tim “Ringy” Saylor travel the country looking for lost pieces of history. It’s a hobby Ringy told MetroNews they love.
“We’re just two regular guys. We have a real appreciation for history. We can help archaeologists locate some hot spots where they may want to dig in the future,” Ringy said.
One of those sites included the uncovering of the lost Randall McCoy homestead in Season 1. Ringy said the well was located, but they discovered McCoy’s cabin that burned down during the Hatfield-McCoy battle in the 1800s.
“This season we got invited back because we had found, in the past basically, the only remaining artifacts of the Hatfield-McCoy feud,” said Ringy. “It was bringing in a bunch of money to Mingo County, which was good for everybody.”
The two men got to scope out some Hatfield sites this season, where the Hatfied-McCoy clan helped them join in on the dig. KG said that joining together of the two families was a pretty cool site to see.
“That’s an incredible feeling – looking over and seeing one side dig and the other side dig there and they’re all getting along. I mean, it was an awesome experience,” he said.
KG said the families then signed a treaty stating they would never fight again.
The site was just one example of the show’s success, but KG said technology has helped them make their discoveries that were not as easy to locate before. He said there’s also better access to the sites now.
With the second season premiering, KG said him and Ringy feel extremely proud of what they have been able to accomplish.
“Anybody can go buy a metal detector if you get permission from land owners and if you do it the right way where you’re following the laws, it’s a great hobby.”
The new season airs Monday at 9 p.m. “The Real McCoy” episode will air Aug. 10 at 9:30 p.m.