8/16/19 Report - Treasure Diggers Arrested. Evidence of People in Florida 14550 Years Ago. Fossils and Stone Tools.

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

Mastodon Tusk Found in Florida.

Source: National Geographic - See link below.

Prehistoric mastodon bones and a stone knife found in Florida’s Aucilla River provide further evidence of early humans in the Americas. The findings, radiocarbon dated to around 14,550 years ago, puts humans in the southeast U.S. about 1500 years earlier than previously thought.


A thousand years before big game hunters who used what are known as Clovis spearpoints spread across North America, earlier arrivals were living near Florida’s Aucilla River alongside mastodon and other animals now long extinct. So say archaeologists who spent four years investigating an underwater sinkhole known as the Page-Ladson site, located in northern Florida east of Tallahassee.

A “bifacial” stone knife—one with a blade chipped to sharpness on both edges—and other stone artifacts found in riverbed sediment dated to 14,550 years ago provide “unequivocal” evidence of human habitation, says one of the principal investigators, Michael Waters of Texas A and M University, The researchers’ findings were reported Friday in the journal Science Advances...

Click here to read more of that National Geographic article.

Thanks to Dustin L for that link.

As you might know fossil bones, including Mastodon are found on the Treasure Coast beaches, I've seen both Mastodon teeth and tusk sections, as well as bones of many other animals including Rhinoceros, which was one of my favorites.

Fossils showed up on some beaches in large numbers back a few years ago after some heavy erosion.  I haven't seen many in the last few years.

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A 56-year-old man suspected of trying to dig up “precious metals” on Ted Binion’s former property in Pahrump has been arrested, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office said.

The manager of the property once owned by the late gambling executive had identified 56-year-old Richard Cleaves to detectives on April 2 as one of three men who trespassed on the land with shovels on March 30. The men were captured by surveillance cameras, according to a sheriff’s office video posted on social media Wednesday.

The sheriff's office that arrested Cleaves, who formerly worked on the property, on Friday on charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit grand larceny and destruction of property...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://pvtimes.com/news/suspect-arrested-in-treasure-dig-on-binion-property-in-pahrump-video-69387/

Thanks to SuperRick for the link. Rick says that shows why you need to get permission to detect on private property.

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Mitch K. found a photo of a plated ink well very much like the one I talked about yesterday.  This one is described as vintage on ebay, thought I don't think the author really knows its age.

Vintage Ink Well Shown on eBay.

Notice the dimensions.  It is about three inches in diameter - not circumference.

Let me remind you once again that if you want help identifying an item, it helps if you provide dimensions and/or some object for comparison.  Also multiple views and the composition of the item can be very helpful.  Mention any marks.

I wondered about the apparent ledge around the opening of the item.  I didn't know for sure if there was an inner pot or if it was just a ledge.  If it is like this inkwell on eBay, the ledge is to seat the top.

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It is at night that my brain turns on the brightest.  Sometimes it runs and runs in a long train of memories and ideas.  Sometimes a dream starts the train of thought, and sometimes that is what leads to the thoughts that I end up posting.

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night like I often do.  Pitch black and totally quiet, I laid there and smiled inside.  The only thing I heard was the beating of my own heart.  It sounded like a base drum in my ears, but that isn't what I noticed most.  It was the joy that shined inside me.  It is life - awareness - undistracted by things and cares.  Just the pure joy of awareness and the presence of my wife that slept beside me.

I always liked quiet.  That is one thing I very much like about a deserted beach, which is even more quiet at night,

I used to like to detect the beach at night - not that I recommend it.  Usually there is some light from the moon, and sometimes the stars are bright, but sometimes it is pitch black.  At night there are fewer distractions. You feel the wind and hear your headphones, and maybe you hear the surf.

I remember moving to Florida (for the second time) in 1979.  Driving down either the turnpike or 95 ( I don't remember for sure which it was now, but I think it must have been 95. ) and noticing snapped trees and a broken billboard.  Hurricane David had just passed.  

I knew nothing about the storm.  I hadn't paid any attention to the news or anything.  I just packed a very few things into my Porsche 914 that was getting like 64 miles per gallon in overdrive while drafting big trucks on the way from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale.  At some point, probably around Cape Canaveral, I decided to go over and take A1A the rest of the way.  Remember, this was back in 1979 and it wasn't nearly as built up as it is today.  It was dark and quiet for long stretches.

I drove for miles in the pitch dark along A1A after the storm, hearing nothing but the roaring sea to my left and seeing nothing but the road in my headlights.  I liked the sound, but I didn't know what it was saying.

It had to have been the stretch between Cocoa and Vero.  I remember stopping at a gas station in Vero and the fellow told me if I went over and took the newly completed highway, which must have been the turnpike, I'd make Fort Lauderdale before dawn.

In my head I can still hear the sound of the beating waves as I drove down A1A that night in 1979. The roaring surf was the like voice of a stranger back then.  Now it is the voice of an old friend that I eagerly want to hear call out to me again.


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According to the National Hurricane Center map there is nothing of interest forming yet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/30/19 Report - Summer Beaches. Copper Bracelet. Cookout Fun. Increased UFO Sightings Concerns Military.

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

Frederick Douglass Beach Sunday

Photo by DJ

Thanks DJ.

Looks like we are getting into real summer conditions.  You might think about making changes to where and how you hunt.

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Terry S. found this bracelet and would like to hear your ideas about it. Here is what he said.

This was a beach find in an area that has produced ship wreck artifacts for me in the past. I found it quite a while back and had really forgot about it until today.  I attended the treasure hunters cookout and on a whim took it with me and showed it to a few people there. They all agreed that it was copper and old and they had some interesting ideas. I enjoyed and appreciated all the input I received on the gold pendant and even had people approach me at the cookout to discuss it...  I enjoy your blog and read it daily and appreciate the information that you pass along.  Sincerely, Terry Shannon

It has two faces on it.  Here are the photos.

Jerry also said it was totally encrusted when found, but it cleaned up well.

Send me your thoughts.

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2019 Annual Treasure Hunter's Cookout

Photo by Joe D.

Yesterday I posted an email from Chris N. telling about how good a time he and his son had at the cookout.  Here are a couple photos of the scalawags, pirates and other characters that attended.

2019 Annual Treasure Hunter's Cookout

Photo by Joe D.

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I added one suggestion by Bill P. to yesterday's post.  I added it a little late, so in case you missed it, Bill suggested having the white pieces of melted metal test by XRF analysis.  Good idea.

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The military has been observing an increased number of UFO sightings and wants them taken more seriously.  They are developing new reporting guidelines.

Maybe you'll find some previously unknown metals from undocumented aliens from space. 

Here is the link on the sightings increase and new guidelines.

https://www.navytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/04/25/aliens-ahoy-navy-developing-guidelines-on-reporting-ufo-sightings/

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Looks like we'll be having nothing but a two to four foot surf for a while.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/24/19 Report - Treasure Hunter's Cookout April 27. Great American Coin Hunt. Now Parapsychologist on Oak Island.

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

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It has started!  "It" is the Great American Coin Hunt.

On April 21, hundreds of dealers and collectors will be seeding America’s pocket change with millions of vintage coins from the 1800s, including Indian and Lincoln “wheat” cents from 1859-1958, Indian Head and Liberty Head nickels from 1883-1938, silver dimes from the 19th and first half of the 20th century, silver quarters, half dollars, and Ike dollars. The group will also distribute vintage one, two, five, and ten dollar notes. Rob Oberth plans to make one lucky person’s day by spending a gold coin. Other dealers throughout the country will mark the event in their own unique ways.

The United States Mint learned about Oberth’s plan to infuse collectible coins in pocket change last year and worked to create its own chase coin for circulation. As a result, on April 1, the Mint mixed into circulation two million quarter dollars bearing the W mintmark of the West Point Mint...
For more about that, here is the link.

https://coinweek.com/us-coins/the-great-american-coin-hunt-has-arrived/

Watch your change.

Thanks to Joe D. for that link.

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I had pretty much given up on the Oak Island TV show, but last night when switching through the channels, I saw that the producer added a new expert to the show to drum up some drama and attention - a parapsychologist.  I thought we were going to hear the voice of a deceased Templar Knight, but they didn't go that far, even though the producer did try to make something out of a totally ambiguous bit of recorded noise, and another clang that the Lagina's dismissed.

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If you have any ideas on either of the objects, let me know.

The surf will be 2 - 3 feet tomorrow but a foot or so higher the next day when the wind will be from the south.

Enjoy the cookout.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/11/18 Report - Swindlers and Bamboozlers: Treasure Hunters and Scams.

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

I ran across an interesting article in True West Magazine.  In one article on swindlers and bamboozlers I read the following.

Salting is best loosely defined as increasing the value of a worthless mine with a fraudulent intent to enrich it in a manner contrary to the laws of nature.

There were a number of ways to do this. A shotgun was a handy instrument when it came to salting a worthless mine. One of the qualities of gold is that it’s malleable. The rascal simply removed the shot from the shell and substituted gold dust. Then he blasted the walls, impregnating with gold.

Another clever trick was filling his smoking pipe with gold dust then casually emptying the contents right before the unsuspecting eyes of the prospective buyer.

And if the clever buyer wanted to look beyond the surface walls the seller would oblige but in anticipation of such a request he’d prepared headsticks of his dynamite with gold dust. Light the fuse and the inner rock would be impregnated right before the buyers eyes.

But my favorite was the deceptive method using bichloride of gold. You see, when gold is chemically treated it becomes a liquid. It was commonly used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of alcoholism and kidney ailments and when taken internally it passes through the body exiting liquid fluid with high assay values. The scalawag could salt his mine by peeing on the rocks anywhere the spirit moved him.

See https://truewestmagazine.com/swindlers-bamboozlers/ for more of that article.

Now that is interesting enough - at least I thought so - but human nature hasn't changed and salting and other forms of deception are still practiced today.

Maybe you've heard of salted shipwrecks designed to lure investors, but fraud can be carried out in many ways.

DelawareOnline reported on one complicated scheme involving a fake treasure map and altered emeralds.

( https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/10/08/wilmington-attorney-law-firm-sued-fraud/16949099/ )

Here is another scam.

The 44-year-old Palm Beach Gardens man would lend $190,000 and get it back in four months with 10 percent interest. If the borrower defaulted, he’d get collateral worth 150 percent of his investment: $285,000 worth of shipwreck treasure.

The venture was a fraud, he alleges, with each detail more bizarre than the previous — involving a self-anointed doctor of theology, a faked Time magazine cover, a psychic that located the ship, a chest of lesser jewels that experts said couldn’t have come from Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes’ stash, and a business headquarters dubbed “the treasure room” inside the defunct Ambrosia pizza parlor on South Dixie Highway..

And the link for more about that.

https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/local/lawsuit-treasure-hunters-scammed-out-190-000/NBvw6xIUrJ2Tp92XXN22KN/


Sometimes deception might be no big deal, and sometimes the intent might even be generous.  I remember one instance when I wanted to learn about hunting fossils and paid a fee to go to a good fossil site with an expert and his partner.  I was digging and using a sifter.  After a short while, a good sized shark tooth showed up in my sifter.  I'm sure it was slipped there by the expert, and I think a little earlier I heard him say to his partner who was digging off to the side, "Let them have this one."

I found a lot of fossils that day myself and had no complaints, but I'm sure he slipped that one into the sifter when I wasn't looking.  Maybe he wanted to make sure I had a good time or would go with them again.  It really had no effect, and it might have even been a generous move.

But the thing that started me off on this today is of another sort.  TV provides a bigger tent than Barnum ever had, and the pressure is on to make sure there is something of interest for the viewers.  A string of fruitless hunts will quickly lose viewers, and, for a TV show that is death.

I watched a show last Friday that featured a few Florida "treasure hunters," most of whom I know and respect - but also one I know who is not trustworthy.  I caught him in too many lies.   It was no surprise that his spot on the TV show was the only one that actually produced on-camera finds.

Not too long ago I was asked by a TV station to take them on a hunt.  I told them the truth.  I told them that considering the current beach conditions, the chances of finding anything very exciting was very slim and it wouldn't be a good time to do it.

I've seen TV shows where I'm sure they planted things.  It is especially easy on a beach.  It is even easier in the water.  Just toss out a coin and watch it disappear or drop an item and walk over it.

On the TV show I was watching last Friday, I caught an item being tossed out into the murky water while the host was working with his detector.   It was done quickly and it was hard to see, but if you run it back a few times, you can clearly see the trick.

Other cases simply involve misrepresentation of finds, sometimes where they came from, time period or the value.  It is easy enough to make a mistake like that, but when you see the same person doing the same type of thing over and over, pretty soon you have to wonder about their honesty.

You can't believe everything you see on TV.  You know that, but there is usually a motive and a pattern of behavior that will tip you off. 

TV is a demanding and rewarding medium. There are plenty of people who will take advantage of the opportunities, even when it means being deceptive.  There are total fakes and then there are little things done just to build a reputation or spice up a program.

Treasure hunting too often gets a bad rap.  It isn't made any better by individuals or programs that do not maintain the highest standards of integrity.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Treasure Coast Archaeological Society Hunt Will Be Held Saturday in Wabasso.

If you want to have some fun and meet a lot of other detectorists, you will want to be at the TCAS hunt, which will be held in Wabasso tomorrow.  Festivities begin at 9 AM.

Here is the link for more details.

http://www.tcas.us/tcashunt.htm

2/17/18 Report - The Very Real Threat to Treasure Hunting That You Need to Know About.

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

I just ran across a web site that you need to see. It is described as follows: "This website is intended for people fighting treasure hunters all over the world. It is the website I wish I had when I was fighting the treasure hunting legislation passed in Portugal in 1993 and repealed in 1995, fortunately before the government could issue any salvage permits. I hope you enjoy it."

The same web page leads with the following quotes. "Treasure Hunting! Always shallow, no matter how low treasure hunters sink." and, "You can say Expert Treasure-Hunter instead of Burglar if you like. Some of them do. Its all the same to us."  

(See http://nautarch.tamu.edu/shiplab/index_treasurehunters.htm.)

A lot of different things are all the same to them.  They seem incapable or unwilling to make important distinctions.

The web site does not generally make clear what they consider a treasure hunter to be other than evil. They do acknowledge two categories of treasure hunter. They say, "There is a small, silent minority who really finds and rescues precious cargoes, and that goes largely unnoticed by the general public."  They describe the other group as, "The large, noisy majority who advertises its activity in the press, on the internet, and through PR agencies in search of ignorant investors rarely rewards its investors."  Overall, their simple-minded cartoonish characterizations are more suited to propaganda than education, even though the web page is published on a state university site.

Definitions are critical for clear communication.  Here is a Merriam-Webster definition of "treasure" that I found on the internet.

Definition of treasure

1a (1) : wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded 

• buried treasure

 

(2) : wealth of any kind or in any form : riches

: a store of money in reserve

2: something of great worth or value; also : a person esteemed as rare or precious

: a collection of precious things

I'm sure there are detectorists that would consider their activities to be a type of treasure hunting, and  there are treasure hunters that do not hunt artifacts at all, such as gold miners and nugget shooters.  Maybe I don't really know what a treasure hunter is, but they definitely do not use the term the same way I do.  For them it seems to boil down to treasure hunting is not what they do and is evil.  

You'll find the link to the page I'm talking about below, and I highly recommend that you take a look at it.  I'll summarize a number of their statements in this post, but I'll give you the link and hope you check it out for yourself.

First, the author says that treasure hunters can not "do archaeology with high standards."  He says that treasure hunting companies depend on investor money and can not follow good standards and make enough money to survive.  That would be no problem if treasure hunters were funded by the tax-payers like these academicians.  They would have plenty of time to sit around drinking coffee in the faculty lounge and still have time to linger over each and every grain of sand when they feel like wandering out to the site.  I spent years in academia myself and know the torrid pace.

Second, he says that archaeologists and treasure hunters can not work together.  Basically he says that treasure hunters have no ethical code and sell artifacts for profit, while archaeologists have an ethical code, and I assume, perfectly adhere to it without exception.  Of course I disagree with both of those propositions.  The common view is that treasure hunters are motivated by greed and profit, while archaeologists don't care at all about fame or fortune.  It sounds like archaeologists donate all of their time, would not advance their career by taking credit for discoveries and make all of their findings freely available to the public, who they claim to serve.   I'm appalled by the tax-payer funded projects that are only published in expensive books instead of freely on the internet.

He says treasure hunters and archaeologists can not work together because archaeologists are bound by an ethical code and treasure hunters have none. Again, treasure hunter bad, archaeologists good.  That is what it comes down to.  That is why they can not work together.

He says that archaeology can be conducted by private organizations and give one example of such an organization. Their primary virtue of that company is that they never sold one artifact. I wonder if those artifacts that went unsold were ever seen by the public or if they are sitting in an office or dusty basement.

He then gives four reasons that archaeology collections should be kept together. I won't disagree with any of those, but I will say that museums sell artifacts and artifacts are deaccessed.  This actually raises some good questions that deserve to be explored in more detail some other time.

I'll skip to his last two points now.

He says that treasure hunting is not a profitable investment. He would have us believe that treasure hunting is done only for greed and profit, but that treasure hunting is not profitable.  I guess that is why treasure hunters have to cheat investors.

Is there a future for treasure hunting?  Here is his answer.  No. More and more countries are forbidding this activity in their national waters. Also, most museums have adopted a ban on the purchase of items salvaged from shipwrecks.

Here is the link if you want to read the rest of that page.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/shiplab/treasurehunters_04faqs.htm


Here is the link for the profile of the author.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/academic/FACULTY/castro.shtml

It was difficult for me to not go on at length in response to each and every item, but that would take forever.  I will perhaps address some of it more in the future.

I have never believed that universities should hire their own students as instructors.  That type of academic incest results in the kind of simplistic and extreme thinking you will see when you visit these web sites.

As part of the public for whom archaeology claims to be working, and as tax-payers, who support public universities and archaeology, and being among those most actively interested in the our past, I hope you will take a look at these web sites and judge for yourself. If this type of thinking goes unchallenged by good common sense, there will be no more treasure hunting or anything closely resembling treasure hunting.  That means the end to the metal detecting hobby.

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Before ending today, I want to express my deepest sorrow to the families, friends and acquaintances of those killed or injured in the recent school shootings.

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Appreciate the important things in life,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/14/16 Report - Contributions By Amateurs, Hobbyists, Detectorists and Treasure Hunters. TV Shows. The Florida Collection.

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

A Small Part of the Multi-million Dollar Staffordshire Hoard Found by a Detecting Hobbyist In a Farm Field.

I recently received an email from a casting director for a TV production company that is casting a new show designed to. in their words, "bring credibility back to the treasure-hunting world."  I don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds good.

I didn't followed up on several previous inquiries from TV production companies, but I am considering this one and suspect that I will do one someday when I find the right one.  It would be good to help set the record straight.

Despite their many contributions, treasure hunters have been vilified by some.  To read some sources, you'd think that treasure hunters are nothing but looters.  But looters are just that - looters.  There are unethical opportunists that will take advantage of any opportunity, but one quack doctor does not mean that the medical profession is bad.

I've been critical of some TV shows about metal detecting or treasure hunting, but this one, from the little I now know, seems like it could be something that I could support.  I can think of a couple shows that gave into the need for drama and ratings and presented treasure hunting in an inaccurate or unrealistic light.  I hope they keep this one honest and clearly portray the many benefits and contributions of treasure hunting.

I've discussed some of the issues concerning treasure hunting before and won't try to repeat all of that now.  I will, however, quickly remind the reader of the many contributions made by treasure hunters as well as amateurs, including those that might be considered amateur archaeologists.  Just yesterday I told about how one fifteen-year-old enthusiast discovered a previously undiscovered Maya city.

Detectorists, treasure hunters and amateurs have made a lot of very significant contributions.  I ran across a web site presenting what the authors felt were the six biggest treasure finds made by amateurs. They can be called treasure finds, but they are also important archaeological discoveries.

To get an idea of how significantly amateurs have contributed to archaeology, here is a link to a site that shows six of the most important discoveries made by amateurs in Britain.  The photo at the top of the post shows a small part of the Staffordshire Hoard, now owned by the British Museum and valued at around $6 million dollars.

Immediately below is the link to see the other amazing treasure finds made by amateurs.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/money/treasure-hunt-finds.aspx

In the past year, I showed some of the important finds made by Treasure Coast salvage crews.  Not long ago the State of Florida selected and took possession of their share of the 2015 treasure salvage finds, and the Florida collection was vastly enriched.  I hope to have a future post giving some detail about the 2015 distribution.

If you ever read one of Alan Craig's books about the silver or gold coins in the Florida collection, you know that a lot of the Florida Collection was provided by treasure hunters, and Mr. Craig acknowledges that in his books.

Those who work the 1715 Fleet wrecks work under a detailed agreement with the state.  Without the salvage crews our state collections would not be anything like what they are.  Our history would not be as well preserved, and we would not be able to enjoy and study the many items that are now available for viewing and research.

Only a small portion of the Florida collection is on public display and it is not easy to gain access to what the state holds in its vaults. We can't forget that the purpose, as I understand it, is to preserve history for the people.  I would like to see the Florida Collection better documented online for viewing by the public.  It would not seem difficult for good photos of yearly distributions to be posted online.

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It looks like we're going to have a continued small surf for several days.  Take advantage of the smooth water.

With the 2015 distribution now completed, the 2016 salvage season is just getting underway.

I have been receiving photos of nice modern jewelry finds lately too.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/18/16 Report - State Laws. Changes Badly Needed.

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

It looks like we are in for a week or two of small surf.  It might be a good time to do a little scouting.

Yesterday morning the wind was stiff from the west when the tide was low.  It was an opportunity to get out a little farther.  Later in the day the wind shifted again.

If you like finding the older stuff, check for areas where the renousishment sand has been eroded down to the older layers or locations just outside the renourishment areas.

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People often ask me about the rules for hunting on the beach and in the water.  I hate those kind of questions because when you get down to the details it can be very confusing, and no matter how much I might say about it I can't cover every situation.  There can be multiple agencies or divisions involved including both state and local authorities.

Here is the link to what the Department of State Division of Historical Resources says.

https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/View_notice.asp?id=6172515

Here is just one paragraph that will help clear up some confusion for some of you.

(11) “Sovereignty submerged lands” means those lands including but not limited to tidal flats, sand bars, shallow banks, and lands waterward of the ordinary or mean high water line, under navigable fresh and salt waters to which the State of Florida acquired title on March 3, 1845 by virtue of statehood, and which have not been heretofore conveyed or alienated.

Rulemaking Authority 267.031(1) FS. Law Implemented 267.031(2), (5)(i), (k), (o), 267.061(1) FS. History–New 4-13-87, Amended 7-20-09.

They consider "historic" as being items 50 years old or more.  To me that is absolutely absurd.  I use items that I have owned longer than that.

Besides state parks, state lands includes submerged land in all navigable waterways.

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Some archaeologists consider treasure hunting (often considered to include metal detecting) to be almost anything done to any item that is at least fifty years old by anyone who is not one of them.   As is usually the case, the article leaves out a lot of important considerations.

The arguments against treasure hunting did not take into account the harsh nature of beaches and shallow water sites.  As you know, items don't conserve well in that environment.  Yes, there are some items that make it into cracks, crevices or remain under protective sand for long periods of time and hold up well even in very harsh salt water environments, but many, and perhaps most, do not, All are subject to possible harm or destruction and loss.  I've seen coins bent in half by being caught between rocks in the shifting surf zone.  My point is that time is not always a friend, especially in those environments, and many items will definitely be damaged or lost if they are not recovered. before it is too late.

As was demonstrated and admitted in the following linked article on the S.S. Georgia, not all salvaged items have any real value in terms of adding to our knowledge.  There were items that "they wanted," as well as others that they reburied. (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/half-artifacts-confederate-gunship-returned-river-36047145)

My estimate is that very few items add much if anything, no matter how well preserved, to our knowledge base.  There has been enough salvaged and dug up to this point that everybody knows that treasure ships carried coins, what kind and where they came from, etc. etc.  It is a true rarity that actually adds new information.  More real information is added by detailed research on items that have already been found.  Take for example the excellent in-depth research done by Laura Strolia on the heart shaped cobs.

It is true that you never know when that one truly unique and revealing item might pop up, but you must admit it is very rare, and many of those discoveries are made by the public.  The thing to do is to inform the public and make it easy for them to report anything that might be significant.  

A few years ago Richard Hulbert of the Florida Museum of Natural History attended a conference on Vero Man (based upon a huge contribution by a local non-professional) identified fossils brought in by attendees.  That is an excellent method for connecting the public with the professionals.  I applaud Dr. Hulbert for that.

It is always said that the purpose is to protect and preserve our history for the public.  The public who funds so much of the archaeology, is not only seldom involved, but efforts are actually made to keep them uninformed.  Sites are kept secret, and most artifacts are not easy to access. 

As I've shown by polls conducted in this blog, more people have visited the privately owned Fisher museums than have seen the Florida collections.  Public auctions also provides a way that we can see many artifacts.

The challenge for archaeology is to involve and educate the public, but first they'll need to get their paranoia and suspicion of the public under control.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net