Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Ornate Viking Sword. Photo from http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/37504 |
A deadly weapon and symbol of power -- jewellery for a man, with magical properties. The sword gave power to the warrior, but the warrior's strength could also be transferred to the sword. That is how they were bound together: man and weapon, warrior and sword.
This sword was found in Langeid in Bygland in Setesdal in 2011. It is a truly unique sword from the late Viking Age, embellished with gold, inscriptions and other ornamentation. The discovery of the sword has not been published until now, when it is being displayed for the first time in the exhibition 'Take It Personally' at the Historical Museum in Oslo...
Here is the link for the rest of that article.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150714093658.htm
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When talking about where to hunt for gold jewelry on a dry beach, I could sum up ninety percent of what needs to be said in a couple of paragraphs. It isn't that complex. It doesn't change as much as the wet sand or water does.
It comes down to looking where the most people of the right type do the right things. The primary factors are (1) number of people, (2) type of people and (3) their behavior. Number is obvious. Go where many wealthy people who wear a lot of gold either participate in very active behaviors or are involved in taking off or adjusting jewelry. Example: busy volleyball court at a resort that attracts a lot of active wealthy people.
Of course there is a lot more that could be said, but that tells you the vast majority of what needs to be said. You can't sum up where to hunt wet sand and shallow water so easily. There are a lot more factors and things change a lot.
Number of people, type of people and type of activities would be a start for those areas too, but it would only be a start. After those factors you would want to include how the water moves sand and objects, and that is quite complex.
I've been at this a long time. I'd say something over thirty years, sometimes not as actively as others due to different careers and things, but one of the most surprising things to me is how much I continue to learn.
I knew a lot about where to look before, but a lot of the time I didn't know why. I didn't know how it all worked. In the last few years, I've filled in some of the blanks. I now understand some things that puzzled or confused me. Having a more complete understanding helps in a variety of ways.
A few days ago I talked about coins being flipped up and over the face of a cut. I first told what I saw happen on one occasion maybe twenty years ago. I then received and posted reports by others verifying what I'm now calling flip-ups. In a case reported by Clint L., the object flipped was a gold ring. In a case reported by Bill P., the object flipped was a reale.
You might have been skeptical. You might have wondered how objects could flip up and over a two foot cut.
I think the illustration that I provided in my 7/13 post might have satisfied many of you. However if you still are not sure, you might be satisfied after reading today's post.
I came across a book entitled, Wave Action In Relation To Engineering Structures, by D. D. Gaillard, Captain, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., 1904. It is a free Google ebook. It is a very technical and mathematical engineering book, and isn't easy to quickly browse. You'll find the link below.
The book provides a lot of good information - much that has been widely published and easily available in recent years, but also details of a lot of experiments and additional specifics that you might not have read before.
Below are just a few examples many similar examples found in the book. Whether you find these anecdotes convincing or not, I'm sure you'll find them interesting.
Just to give you the idea here are a few.
And a Florida example.
Like I said, that is to give you the idea. You can find more examples like this as well as experimental data and mathematical calculations in the book.
Click here to go to that book.
After these remarkable examples, you might not find it hard to believe that something like a coin or ring could be flung up and over a cliff.
The power of the sea is amazing. These events are almost beyond belief, yet this is a very credible source, and others have attested to similar things.
The book provides evidence of other things that I've talked about in the past. The effect of density on how items are moved is one important one. You can find the required force calculated for different examples. The density and surface area of the objects are factors, just as is the case for coins and jewelry. Precise mathematical formulae are provided.
While many of the principles I have presented are supported in this book, you will have to downscale many of them to apply to smaller objects.
You might wonder why you would want to know this. If you do know this type of material, you can look at the waves and know a good bit about the bottom. You can easily estimate the depth of the water where the waves are breaking, for example. You will know where sand is building and where it is getting washed away. That might tell you where to hunt when the water calms down.
If you know that the depth of the water is about one half the wave length ( distance between peak to peak) where the waves are breaking, you can look out and immediately have some idea about how deep or shallow the water is there. If you keep a mental note of that, you will know when the near shore sand is coming or going and something about the shape of the bottom in the shallow water at that location.
On the deep side of the breaking waves, the bottom is not being affected much.
Most importantly, you'll be able to get an idea of where and when objects will be moving. As a result you'll better know where to look to find things.
There is a great deal to it. I have learned a lot from experience, and I have learned a lot in recent years, putting together my own observations and experiences with what I read. I am enjoying the learning process and it is continuing at a rate that surprises me.
I got a lot more from that book that applies to metal detecting in very practical ways, but I can't put all of that into one post.
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The next two days the Treasure Coast surf is supposed to be very calm.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
