12/15/19 Report - Conserved Shield Changes Ideas of History. Nuestra Señora de Begoña Shipwreck Underwater Museum.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

In a story seemingly fit for Game of Thrones, an ornate Iron Age shield that was unearthed from a “warrior grave” is now being deemed “the most important British Celtic art object of the millennium,” according to Dr. Melanie Giles, of the University of Manchester’s archaeology department. The sweeping proclamation comes after two years of extensive conservation work was conducted on the bronze shield, the results of which found design features—the most prominent being its scalloped border—never before seen in any other Iron Age object.

Measuring 30 inches, the piece of armor boasts an elaborate, detailed pattern, which would have required its maker to hammer from the opposite side in order to render the asymmetrical formation of mollusk shells that culminate at the shield’s raised center. Experts categorize this swirling design as early Celtic art, estimating its date between 320–174 BC, and say it is typical of the La Tène culture that dominated Europe during the late Iron Age...

Here is that link.

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/celtic-shield-warrior-grave-1725090

It seems they think this is an earth-shattering discovery because the shield appears to have been pierced by a sword, which they think suggests the ornate shield was used in battle.  I think that is very little evidence for such a conclusion, and many other possible ways the shield could have been pierced.   I've seen quite a few items that were pierced by the detectorist making the recovery.  Of course you'd think archaeologists would be more careful and observant, but still the shield could have been pierced without having been in battle.

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Under 55 feet of water isn’t the typical setting for a museum exhibit, but it can work. For years, underwater archaeologists from Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science have collaborated with the government of the Dominican Republic to study the historic wrecks off its shores. More recently they’ve worked together to open a series of publicly accessible maritime archaeological parks—essentially life-size historic shipwreck museum dioramas beneath the waves. Recently, the fifth museum of this kind was put together, and will open on December 12, 2019, not far from Santo Domingo.

The new Living Museum in the Sea as they’re called, is the wreck site of a Spanish merchant vessel, Nuestra Señora de Begoña, that went down in a storm in 1725 (while smuggling silver). Other underwater museums include Spanish galleons in Samana Bay to the north, and the wreck of Captain Kidd’s vessel, Quedagh Merchant, off the southern coast...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/shipwreck-park-dominican-republic

Thanks to Douglas for that link.

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We're getting some good high tides on the Treasure Coast now, but the surf is only two or three feet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

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I won't go on about this long but there are some things I've been thinking about that I want to clarify and expressing it forces me to do that.

It seems that objectivity is at serious risk.  By that I mean increasing numbers of people seem to be unable to be objective.  You see it in politics.  You can see it almost everywhere.  Perhaps they don't want to be objective, but I think there are increasing numbers that are unable to be objective.

Consider this: when you find a coin or other object while metal detecting on the beach, you get an auditory signal and perhaps check a meter or readout.  It grabs your attention.  It alerts you.  It is something like when you are in a crowded all or on the street and someone yells your name, or when you are in an airport awaiting the arrival of a loved one and in the distance you see a hand waving at you in the crowd.  Something grabs your attention.  It, at least for the moment, among all other possible objects, becomes the center of your awareness.

Questions arise.  What is it?  Should I dig it?  And if it is dug and explored, what does it mean to me?

7/16/19 Report - Native American Plummet. Old Spanish Friendship Bracelet. Roman Shot. Archaeological Metal Detecting. Old Lead Physics.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Plummet Found At Jupiter,Beach.

A few days ago I showed some arrowheads that had been found on the Treasure Coast, and I asked people to send in Native American artifacts they found.  Bill T. sent in this photo of a plummet that he found in front of the Jupiter Civic Center about 4-5 years ago when the beach was heavily eroding.  That is a nice piece that would bring a good price.

Congratulations, and thanks Bill!

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Yesterday I posted a photo of what I think might be a silver bracelet from a 1715 Fleet wreck and mentioned that there were some things about the design that are common to other Spanish shipwreck artifacts that have been found.  I mentioned that rings and bracelets from the period and culture often featured hands.  Then I noticed this "friendship bracelet" reproduction on sale at the Mel Fisher Museum web site.

The bracelet I showed yesterday is thinner and the hands are not clasping, but there are some similarities.  The one shown here also has ruffled cuffs, although they are a little different too.

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I was reading a good article on an archaeological investigation of a Roman assault on a hillfort in Scotland.  The article included a discussion of the distribution of shot and what could be learned from that.  Included was the following discussion of the use of metal detectors.

… Unlike many battlefields that lie below featureless arable land, our site lay directly on top of a fragile and eroding hillfort from which mass extraction of artefacts would hamper any subsequent archaeological investigation. We therefore proposed a non-invasive metal-detection survey. This aimed to use the latest metal-detecting technology to profile the nature of the metal targets without extracting the finds, and then carry out highly selective test excavation to confirm the projectile scatter. This was made possible by the use of a high-quality reference detector, which was harmonised to the signals received from sling bullets from the 1898 Burnswark excavations held by the museum in Dumfries.

Of course, the use of systematic metal-detecting is not new: it has been around at least since the 1980s, when the pioneering work of Scott and Fox revealed what had really happened to General Custer and the men of the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Little Bighorn. Indeed, metal-detection represents the primary survey technique for identifying and determining the extent of battles that have taken place since the advent of gunpowder; the Roman lead sling-bullets presented an ideal opportunity to investigate the true extent of the metal-projectile scatter at a site that saw action at a much earlier date. The Burnswark Project was also designed to review the Roman camp morphology and how this related to the hillfort defences (or lack of them) and the wider landscape. It would take a forensic look at the fabric and ballistic properties of the Roman missile assemblage too....


I wonder if someone might be able to find more detail on the specific detector and procedures they used?

Good article that you might want to read.

Here is the link.

https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/burnswark.htm

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... The use of old lead for shielding increases the sensitivity of our most delicate experiments by orders of magnitude, an increase that is crucial when looking for a reaction that sheds light on new physics. Lead recovered from roofs, old plumbing, and even stained glass windows has been used, but Roman lead from a shipwreck is the best you can find...

That excerpt comes from an article about the conflicting uses of archaeological lead.

Here is that link.

https://newatlas.com/relics-physics-archaeology-roman-lead/30032/

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There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about an asteroid carrying tons of gold and other valuable minerals.  It seems I lost that link though.

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I was thinking this morning of subtitling this blog Treasure Every Day - Almost.

It seems like every morning I think of some type of treasure to talk about.  When I think of it, it surprises me that I almost always have something to say.  But I have a lot of contributors to keep me going - such as Bill's plummet today.

I think it is good to know all the different types of things that can be and are found along the Treasure Coast.  It is really remarkable how much is out there, even though it might seem at times like everything has been found.  When that happens, you just have to do things a little differently, because there is always something waiting to be found.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, they say is the definition of insanity.  I don't know about that, but doing something different once in a while can be fun and profitable.

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Barry is fading away, and we are left with another week of predicted one-foot surf.  You can be sure, though, that we will be getting some storms before long.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/15/16 Report - An Important Warning. Treasure Coast Fossils. A Spanish Shipwreck. Spanish Horses.

Written by the TreaureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Horse Teeth Found On Treasure Coast Beaches.

First I have some bad news and an important warning.  Last weekend two beach-goers were robbed at gun point while leaving the beach at Pepper Park after 10 PM.  It is always necessary to be cautious, but especially when it is dark or when there aren't many people around.  The suspects, who were not caught, were in a white Volkswagen Passat.  A car break-in is one thing, but having a gun pointed at you is something else.

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Horses were brought to the New World by the conquistadors.  But that wasn't the first time that horses were in America.  Horses were in the Americas long before the Europeans arrived.  Then they died out and were reintroduced by the Spanish.

Here is what the horsetalk web site says.

The end of the Pleistocene epoch – the geological period roughly spanning 12,000 to 2.5 million years ago, coincided with a global cooling event and the extinction of many large mammals. Evidence suggests North America was hardest hit by extinctions.

This extinction event saw the demise of the horse in North America..

Here is the link.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2012/11/29/why-did-horses-die-out-in-north-america/#ixzz4HRGWr6iR 

Fossilized teeth of the preColumbian horses can be found on the Treasure Coast beaches when conditions are right.

Four horse teeth are shown at the top of the post.  Three are black.  Those three are fossilized horse teeth from thousand or millions of years ago.

The lighter colored horse tooth is a modern horse tooth that was found on a Treasure Coast beach.  It is sitting in a small  piece of the jaw bone.  

Most of you know that you can occasionally find fossil shark teeth on the beach, but there are a lot of other kinds of fossils that will appear on the beach when conditions are right.

If you didn't love that article on horsetalk, try this one.  It is about a Spanish shipwreck and the horses that survived the wreck and whose ancestors roam Americas pasture lands today.

Here is an excerpt.

...there really was a Spanish galleon wrecked on Assateague Island. On September 5, 1750, the 56-gun Spanish warship, La Galga, drove ashore in shallow water at Assateague, diverted by a hurricane from her intended course from Havana, Cuba, to Spain. The ship did not sink and no-one died on board. However, it took three days for everyone to gain the shore by swimming, rafts, and Native American canoes. Several of the Spaniards drowned in the surf with bags of money tied to their belts. Several others were not strong enough to swim the short distance.

Immediately after the Spaniards left, the locals began salvaging and the dismantling the ship. By late October, La Galga had been cut to the water line but she still held the valuable cargo of mahogany planks in her lower hold. In early November, a north-east storm wrenched the gun deck loose, allowing the mahogany to wash ashore. Sand immediately filled in the hull and covered what was left. This event would be remembered by succeeding generations and the sudden appearance of small horses on the island were linked to this shipwreck.

I'm sure you will enjoy reading the rest of this.  Here is the link.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2015/07/27/mystery-solved-assateague-islands-wild-ponies-spanish-origins/#axzz4HDf4IzSA

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I have a lot more to talk about but got a late start.

There is a new disturbance that has a 50%  chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours.

It is still closer to Africa than the West Indies.  I wouldn't be surprised if it forms early and spins off into the North Atlantic, but who knows.  We'll have to see what happens.

That is all for now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/11/16 Report - Silver Spoon from 1715 Fleet Shipwreck. Who Owns the Past?

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Bill Showing Freshly Discovered Silver Spoon.
Photo submitted By Captain Jonah M.

In an email containing the above picture, Captain Jonah said, Today Capitana boys recovered a beautiful silver spoon along with some other nice pieces. Including pottery ,musket balls ,a bunch of encrusted objects. More pics coming soon.

I just received another picture of the spoon and another nice artifact from Dan B. of the Capitana crew. I'll have that for you tomorrow or sometime soon.

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Who owns the past?  That is actually the title of a book and the subject of several more books, articles, classes and lectures.  

There are three basic views.  One is that the past is owned by humanity.  That is the view held by many archaeologists.   But they seem to see themselves as the only suitable trustees, and often, instead of making the past, as represented by the artifacts they collect and study, widely available to the public, they make them very inaccessible.  Take, for example, the coins in the Florida Collection.   The public is viewed with suspicion and certainly not qualified to interpret the past.  The public is not seen as trustworthy enough to own, touch or manage the past.  To me it seems very dishonest to say that history is owned by humanity and is being preserved for the people, when the people have such limited access.

The second common view is that the past is owned by the descendants of those who created it.  For example, artifacts created by Native Americans are thought to belong to the tribes that created them. This view presents several problems.  First, it is very often not possible to precisely determine who those rightful descendants are.  Very often some group jumps in and claims artifacts when it is very doubtful that they are the descendants of the group that created the artifacts.

The silver cobs that Odyssey Marine salvaged and had to give to Spain a couple of years ago is a good example.  The cobs were on a Spanish ship headed back to Spain, but couldn't you just as well say that those cobs belonged to Peru, where the silver was mined by native laborers?  If you believe Spain gained that silver unrightfully (theft),  would the silver not belong to Peru?  I believe that Peru did make a claim on those silver coins, but unsuccessfully.   But can the modern state of Peru represent the native groups anyhow?  Now it is believed that some of those so-called native groups arrived by sea travel from the Orient.  (There was also a recent report showing that mummies from before the time of Columbus showed signs of tuberculosis, which was previously thought to have been one of the many scourges brought by the explorers.)  To me, it is not all that simple to determine the originating group or culture.  In reality, things are too complex.

The final perspective on ownership of the past holds is that artifacts may be privately owned.  We know what that means.  As I said yesterday, I am glad that so many of our treasure coins and artifacts are in private hands because of the access we have to the information and images, much of which has been posted on the internet.  The internet and other technologies has given us access to a lot of information as items change hands in public auctions or through online retail sites, not to mention the web sites provided by private individuals to display and discuss their finds and collections.

If information and images, including possibly the data for 3-D printing and reproduction, is made available on the internet, the public may not own the physical item, but they will own something almost as good - the knowledge and information the item provides and the history it represents.

Ownership (control) of the physical item is not as important as it once was.  Technological innovation will only accelerate that trend.

Yes, there needs to be more scientific analysis than what individual collectors can do at home.  No problem.  Get to it, and publish the results so the public can see it.

If the images and information are provided to the public, the science will advance much faster.  The public is not stupid.  It has and will contribute tremendously if it is allowed access.  A cloud of eyes and brains will lead to many advances.

This is one of those topics that would take much longer to cover well.  Nonetheless, I'll cut it off there for now.

In my next post,  I'll post more finds and shipwreck news.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net