Friday, April 29, 2016

4/29/16 Report - Humanoid Robotic Diver On Flagship of King Louis XIV. Mourning Jewelry. Jamestown Mystery Object Identified.


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


Looks like something out of a comic book.

The maiden voyage of a humanoid robotic diver has gone swimmingly, concluding with the successful recovery of an antique vase from La Lune, King Louis XIV’s flagship, which sank in the Mediterranean in 1664.

The mermaid-like robot, called OceanOne, consists of a five-foot torso, a head with stereoscopic vision and two fully articulated arms. The torso houses the robot’s batteries, computers and eight multi-directional thrusters...


Here are a couple links for more about that.

http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/11957/Humanoid-Robotic-Diver-Recovers-Treasure-from-King-Louis-XIVs-Flagship.aspx

https://news.stanford.edu/2016/04/27/robotic-diver-recovers-treasures/

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Here is a great web site for learning more about the history of jewelry and mourning and much more. There is a great section on rings, and also a lot of information on symbolism seen in jewelry.  There is a lot to be learned from this site and recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about antique jewelry and how it changed during different times in history.

http://artofmourning.com

http://artofmourning.com/category/rings/

http://artofmourning.com/category/other/symbolism/

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I've been collecting information and have receive emails on the topic of silver rings from the 1715 Fleet.  The topic has been very stimulating and has led to a lot of interesting ideas.  I'll address the topic in the future from time to time.

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This was a mystery find at Jamestown.  It was found in a cellar.

This cellar, like other cellars in and around the fort, was filled in with trash by the settlers at the end of its useful life as a structure. In a relatively short period of time, the colonists would have filled it with all kinds of garbage and debris, which is why cellars like this one are so rich in artifacts and so interesting to archaeologists who study the material culture and consumption habits of a particular time period.


Below is what it must have looked like when it was new and complete.



This article has several things that I might comment on when I can give it the time.

I've seen old cellars and how they fill in.  The top layers have a lot of junk.  I know of one that on the top, besides vines and leaves and things like that, had bicycle and car parts.  As you get down you get to smaller and older things, some work down to the bottom because they are small and heavy, and some that are simply older.

Here is another paragraph from the article.

With the purpose of the object [the grill] no longer a mystery, one question remains: If baking grills like this were probably relatively common at the settlement, why have archaeologists found so few of them?

Sounds like a familiar question, doesn't it?  

Here is part of the answer from the same article.

In the rare event that the grill broke, the colonists may have chosen to repurpose the metal rather than discard the entire grill, which may also account for why this was such a rare find.

That is something we might fail to think of in this "disposable" culture.  Years ago things were not thrown away so quickly.  They were often repaired or the materials cannibalized and used for some other purpose.  There was no Walmart or Home Depot to supply whatever parts or objects were needed.

Here is the link.  It provides some good clues for the detectorist.

http://wydaily.com/2016/04/29/local-news-jamestown-unearthed-common-cooking-grill-a-rare-find-for-archaeologists/

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Saturday we'll have a very small  surf along with small tides.  I'm waiting for some good negative tides to hit one spot that I've been wanting to hunt for some time.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Thursday, April 28, 2016

4/28/16 Report - Huge Cross Planted by De Soto. Almiranta de Honduras. Valuable Pearls. Dog Tags Found and Returned.


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


Archaeologists unearthed what they believe are remains of a large wooden Christian cross Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto placed atop a hill in 1541 at what is now part of Parkin Archeological State Park in Cross County.
Jeffrey Mitchem, the Parkin park site archaeologist for the Arkansas Archeological Survey, said he will send a 2-foot chunk of baldcypress thought to have been used for the cross more than 500 years ago to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville next week for further testing...
Here is the link for the entire article.
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/apr/23/piece-of-wood-exciting-find-20160423/

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The Treasure Coast has shipwrecks other than those of the 1715 Fleet.  Here is a article about one of those - The 1618 Wreck of the San Martín, Almiranta de Honduras by Dave Horner, Edited by Cori Sedwick Downing.

http://www.sedwickcoins.com/ta19/san_martin.pdf

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In early April, two brothers-in-law were planting trees in a southeast Portland backyard when they found dog tags.  The tags were returned to the family...

Read more: http://www.kptv.com/story/31804559/wwii-dog-tags-found-in-yard-returned-to-family#ixzz477rY3TVr

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Is not unusual to find a ring or ear ring containing a pearl.  Not all pearls are the same.  Like diamonds, there can be huge differences in quality and value.  It isn't easy to judge a pearl by sight though.  Pearls are not very durable, and are easily damaged.

Here are a some tips for caring for pearls.

Pearls are organic gemstones that are vulnerable to acid, alkaline and extremes of humidity. To preserve your pearls' radiance, avoid letting them come into contact with cosmetics, hair spray, or perfume. Always put on your jewelry as a final touch, after applying make-up and styling hair. The pearl's luster can also be harmed by perspiration. To prevent this, before returning your pearls to the jewelry box, wipe them gently with a soft cloth.

Pearls are exceptionally cohesive and shock-resistant, but may be scratched by contact with sharp objects or other gemstones. To prevent tangles and scratches, fasten clasps and pins, then lay each item out separately in a compartmentalized jewelry box. When carrying jewelry, use a protective jewelry pouch. Leaving pearl jewelry in a security box for long periods may cause pearls to dehydrate, so enjoy them frequently. There is a saying that "pearls want to be worn," and it is true!


Here is the link.

http://www.mikimotoamerica.com/pearl-guide/pearl-basics

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This morning we have a 2 - 3 foot surf and a south wind.  Saturday the surf will be down to one foot.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

4/27/16 Report - More On Shipwreck Silver Rings Question. Florida Scenic National Trail. Nazi Treasure.


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


Couple Old Silver Beach Finds.

If you want to do a little exploring off the beaten path, you might try the Florida National Scenic Trail.

The Florida Trail (FNST) is a congressionally designated National Scenic Trail.  It is approximately 1,300-miles long, and is intended to offer a continuous, permanent non-motorized recreation opportunity for hiking and other compatible activities.  Over its length, it showcases the incredible biodiversity, history, and rich culture of Florida.
The Florida Trail begins on the edge of the everglades ecosystem in Big Cypress National Preserve. It’s end point lies in the white sands of Gulf Islands National Seashore. at historic Fort Pickens. The Florida Trail is one of the United States 11 National Scenic Trails and offers an experience that is unique to Florida. No other trail in the world compares to the Florida Trail...
https://www.floridatrail.org/fnst/floridatrail/

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Some consider it "the world's most valuable piece of lost art," says Reuters and according to a Polish historian, the Russian treasure may have been located. Bartlomiej Plebanczyk on Friday told his country's TVN24 he's "almost certain" the Amber Room, a chamber made of gold leaf and amber panels, lies under an old World War II German bunker in northern Poland. Plebanczyk's theory was born out of his use of ground-penetrating radar at the site, he tells the Mirro, which reports the previously unknown room measures only 65 square feet. "We need to drill into the room in the bunker and lower a camcorder there," says Plebanczyk, who feels confident he'll find the Amber Room, which is valued at around $500 million and was stolen by the Nazis from Russia's Catherine Palace in 1941, the AP reports...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

http://www.newser.com/story/224063/historian-ive-found-500m-treasure-in-old-nazi-bunker.html?intcmp=hpdm

Thanks to Dean R. for this link.

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The past couple of days I've been talking about silver rings not being found on 1715 wrecks.   I haven't seen much to dispute that and wonder why it would be.  I have been doing some research on that, and am hoping to learn why silver rings are so scarce when gold and copper alloy rings are as scarce.  I haven't concluded that research yet, but have already learned a lot in the process.  I'll be following up with more research and ideas on that topic in the future.

It appears that the finding of few or no silver rings may not be limited to the 1715 Fleet but also to the Atocha and Margarita.  That is what I found when I used the Mel Fisher Artifact Database.  A search for "silver rings" turned up no silver rings for the Atocha, Margarita or the 1715 Fleet.  That seems even more surprising and difficult to account for.

Searching for "gold ring" in the database, I found 37 gold rings listed, but no silver rings.  More than half were from the 1715 Fleet.  Again, no silver rings were listed at all, when the search included both the 1715 Fleet and the Atocha and Margarita.

I'm not sure how complete the database is, and I'm not sure how the filters work.  I assume that the database works fairly well, and it includes over 200,000 artifacts, so that sounds like a very good sample.

I'm going to continue researching this question.  I don't know if it can be answered.  I'm sure that there have been silver ring beach finds that have been attributed to Treasure Coast shipwrecks.  Are those attributions wrong, or are they exceptions.

We know that archaeologists have found some silver rings at Spanish colonial sites.  So far I have not been able to account for the reported total or relative lack of silver ring finds on the 1715 Fleet wrecks.

At the top of this post I'm showing two old silver beach finds.  It is difficult to determine how old they might be or where they came from.  They have no markings other than what you can see in the photo.

By the way, does anyone recognize the symbol on the ring.  If so, please let me know.

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The wind and tides are not particularly favorable for beach hunting.  The surf is 2 to 3 feet.  It will be calm this weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Monday, April 25, 2016

4/25/16 Report - Spanish Colonial Finger Rings and Deagan's Book. Book On Finger Ring Lore.


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

Yesterday I talked about the observation that silver rings are not found on 1715 wrecks.  The day before that I showed a silver ring that was in question.  Deagan's book on Spanish colonial artifacts shows that some, though not a lot of silver rings have been found at Spanish colonial land sites, but even those are few, especially in comparison to finger rings made of other materials such as copper alloys.

Deagan's book includes an extensive table showing the number of personal items of adornment going to the New World between 1526 and 1613 as indicated by shipping records of the period.  To give an example of one of the largest quantities of finger ring shipments in the table, 7,200 sortijas de vidrio (rings of glass) were shipped in 1590.

I haven't really looked into it, but don't recall any detectorists or treasure salvors reporting glass ring finds.  In fact, I just looked in the Mel Fisher artifact database and found glass items, but no glass rings.  There were beads, buttons and unidentified glass fragments, but no finger rings.

In the metal detecting world, you would expect that most finds would be metal.  Besides not being detectable, glass might be broken into small pieces and might not be easy to see in different environments.

That is just one reason there might be a big difference between what is out there and what is found. Some items are found more easily than others and some items are preserved much better than others. Metal items, big items and durable items will be found disproportionately when compared to items lost in similar numbers.

There are differences between what items were shipped to the colonies and the types of items shipped from the New World back to Spain.  Large numbers of cobs are found because they are metal, do not generally break down completely in the surf, were shipped from the New World in large quantities, and are detected by metal detectors.

I often talk eye-balling, which will help you find non-metallic items.  From time to time I also talk about techniques such as sifting.

Just as an example, the table shows 36 annilos de alquimia (gilded rings) being shipped in 1592.  Also, 432 sortijas de alquimia (rings with metalwork) were shipped in 1602.  Those are still small numbers when compared to rings made of non-metallic materials.  Compare that, for example, with the 7200 glass rings shipped in 1590 alone.

I'll have to do some research, but I'm not aware of glass finger ring finds made either by detectorists or treasure salvors.   Neither am I aware of finds of  rings made of other non-metallic materials, despite the large number that were shipped to the new world. Not surprisingly, underwater finds appear to be heavily skewed in the direction of metal items.  One of the more significant exceptions seems to be the emeralds that have been found on some shipwrecks.

I am wondering why silver rings seem to be so scarce on 1715 Fleet ships while gold and copper alloy rings are not so scarce.   I'll eventually throw out some ideas for your consideration.  At this point I have a few ideas.  I am considering sociological as well as economic and other reasons.  I want to do a little more research before putting those ideas out there.

I am still looking for ideas to explain the apparent lack of silver rings being found on the 1715 wrecks.

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Correction/Clarification.

The picture of the eroded renourishment sand at Jupiter in my 4/23/16 post was not a recent picture.  It was from early 2015.  Sorry for any confusion.  I didn't post those pictures as an indication of current conditions.  I just wanted to use the pictures to talk about renourishment sand.

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Here is an interesting book, Finger Ring Lore; Historical, Lengendary, Anecdotal by William Jones.

You can read it online by clicking on the title.

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\
Sailors and shipwrights have long believed a silver coin under the mast brings good luck.This practice started with the Romans, whose custom was to place a coin in the mouth of a dead person to pay Charon, the boatman who ferried the souls.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Sunday, April 24, 2016

4/24/16 Report - Top Treasure Coast Treasure Hunter Says No Silver Rings Ever Found On 1715 Wrecks.


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

One of the best things about doing this blog is all of the great information I receive from readers. Last night I got a very interesting email from Captain Jonah.  He told me what one of the most experienced treasure hunters, who, by the way, has been in the treasure hunting and treasure salvage business about as long as anybody, said.  The fellow said that there has never been a 1715 Fleet silver ring found.  Although I'm not giving you the name of the person, I'll assure you that he is one of the most knowledgeable sources you could ever find.  I would tell you his name if I received the email directly from him, but since I got it second hand and without express permission to give his name, I'll leave him nameless for now.

We know that all kinds of things found on 1715 Fleet sites are made of silver, but now we learn that there has never been a silver ring found from a 1715 Fleet wreck.  Very interesting!

I'm very cautious with what I say - maybe too cautious.  I seldom say words like "never."  I'm always thinking that there might be some exception somewhere.

Even if there is some exception somewhere, I now feel very confident in concluding that silver rings from the 1715 Fleet are extremely rare, if they exist at all.

I'm glad to have that new information. I will now assume that any silver rings are not be from a 1715 Fleet source unless I have good evidence to prove otherwise.

In order to test my new knowledge, I first went to the Mel Fisher artifact database and searched for silver rings.  I found no silver rings in the database.  That supports the idea that there are none, or if there are any at all, they are very rare.

The next source that I checked was Deagan's book, Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, `1500 - 1800.   The book includes artifacts found on both land sites and under water. Thousands of finger rings are documented.  Many are non-metallic.  Many were made of jet, presumably because of the presumed supernatural qualities or the symbolic or cultural significance. Other non-metallic rings were made of glass, stone, wood and even horse hair.

Of the rings made of metal, the vast majority are made of copper alloys, and a smaller number are made of gold.

There are a very few examples of silver Spanish colonial rings mentioned in that book.  Only one was specifically described and pictured.  It was from Santa Catalina and shows a flame-crowned heart that is very similar in to the heart-shaped cobs that I've discussed in the past.

I find it fascinating that no silver rings have been found on the 1715 Fleet wrecks and wonder why. Silver rings were common from much earlier times as well as the 18th century and common around the world, so why not on the 1715 Fleet?  That is an interesting question and the answer might prove significant.

I can think of a number of possibilities, but none are any more than possibilities.  Can you think of any reason why there might not be any 1715 Fleet silver rings?  Or why they haven't been found? Maybe it is a matter of numbers.

I've only entertained this idea for less than one day, so maybe this is all premature.  I'm glad to put it out there to be investigated and tested.  We'll see where it goes.

I also wonder how many non-metallic rings have been found from 1715 wrecks.  I'll investigate that. Deagan's book documents hundreds and hundreds.   Obviously a metal detector would not detect  non-metallic rings, and they might be destroyed in the surf.   Explaining the apparent absence of silver rings seems more difficult.  That will make for a good research project.

If we assume that there were none and none will be found on the 1715 wrecks and too quickly dismiss each possible exception, we have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I want to thank Jonah and the person who told him there are no silver rings that have been found on the 1715 wrecks for sharing.  I appreciate that knowledge and am eager to see what more we can learn about that.

What I believe today might not be what I believe tomorrow.  I'll be glad to learn something new.  Let me know what you think, especially if I got any of this wrong.

In looking through Deagan's book once again, I also noticed some other interesting facts.  I'll discuss some of those in the future.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

Saturday, April 23, 2016

4/23/16 Report - Treasures In Renourishment Sand. Jupiter Inlet Beach. Ring: How Old Is It? Dare.


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

Big Cut South of Jupiter Inlet
Photo by John B.
T,his cut is in renourishment sand, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is nothing good in it.  Although it doesn't happen often, very good things can be found in renourishment sand.  WW II items were found in renourishment sand at Fort Pierce.  Silver U. S. coins were found in the renourishment sand at Ambersands not too long ago. Even Spanish galleon materials have been found in renourishment sand.  It is good to know where renoruishment sand is collected, and it can be worth checking renourishment sand.  There are times when there will be tons of old aluminum cans and other junk, but sometimes there will be things that are millions of years old.

Same Cut Showing Layers of Shells Etc.
Photo by John B.
Check the face of any cut to determine what might be in the sand.  In the photo above, you can clearly see some layers.

Thanks for the great pictures John!


Very Nice Shark Tooth
Find and photo by John B.
Here is what John said.  There was a pretty good cut along the beach just south of Jupiter inlet but it was all renourishment sand.  Lots of small iron junk targets, shells and shark teeth.    

That is a nice tooth.  Notice the serrations.

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Yesterday I posted some items from the beach at Corrigan's.  That prompted Paul B. to send me the following email.

Hello, found this ring on one of the Ft. pierce beaches several years ago. I thought it was a more modern piece, but after looking at the pictures you posted today of the gold rings, now I'm not sure. It's silver with no markings and the stone looks as if it could be jade. What do you think? I'm attaching pictures.
Thanks,
Paul B.

Find and photo by Paul B.

What do you all think?  I have a hard time telling from photos.  Most modern rings would have a marking, especially if it is gold or silver.   

Paul provided a number of excellent photos.  Still there are some things I can't tell without actually handling.  It can be difficult enough even when having the item in your hand.

I'd appreciate any comments though.

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The crew of the Dare is using Dolores (HAUV) to explore the deep mud at the south of the Atocha trail.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Friday, April 22, 2016

4/22/16 Report - 1715 Fleet Beach Rings From Corrigans. Message In A Bottle. New Look Bills. Unexpected Finds At Malcolm X Home Site.


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

Two Shipwreck Rings
Found On A Treasure Coast Beach

Both of these gold rings were found on the beach at Corrigans.  They are listed in the current Sedwick Coins auction, lots 1863 and 1864.  The stone for both is quartz.

It is not always easy to distinguish some 1715 Fleet rings from modern rings.  They look pretty much the same as modern rings.  Those with stones are a little easier to identify as being old.  Notice how the stones are set.

Many years ago I found a gold enameled ring that I first thought was modern.  It looked so new.

The starting price for each of these is $1200.

A lot of stuff has been found at Corrigan's over the years.

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After 108 years, a message in a bottle was found by a German woman on vacation in the North Frisian Islands.  The bottle was part of a experiment conducted to determine ocean currents.  The find goes into the Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest message in a bottle ever found.

Here is the link.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/19/message-bottle-washed-ashore-108-years-worlds-oldest

It makes you wonder where the bottle was all of that time.

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Alexander Hamilton will stay on the front of the $10 bill, and Harriet Tubman will boot Andrew Jackson from the face of the $20. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew made the announcement Wednesday after months of debate and controversy. He also announced plans for the reverse side of each bill. A montage of women involved in the American suffrage movement — Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul — will be on the back of the Hamilton-led $10.


You can read more about that by using the following link.



An archaeological dig at the boyhood home of Malcolm X in Boston has turned up some surprising findings, but they're unrelated to the early life of the slain civil rights activist.
City archaeologist Joseph Bagley said this week that researchers digging outside the 2 ½-story home have found kitchenware, ceramics and other evidence of a settlement dating to the 1700s that they hadn't expected to find.
"We've come onto a whole layer, roughly 2 feet down and across the whole site, that's absolutely filled with stuff from the period," he said. "So we have this whole new research question, which is: What the heck was going on here in the 18th century?"
Here is the link for the rest of that story.
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The surf is down to around 3 - 5 feet now.  Expect continuing smoothing of the surf for several days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net


Wednesday, April 20, 2016

4/20/16 Report - Gold Brooch From Corrigans. Poll Results On Treasure Hunter Spirituality. More On Andy's Crucifix Find.


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


High Carat Gold Brooch With 12 Emeralds
Listed In Current Sedwick Treasure Auction.

This broach was found on the beach at Corrigans.  It is listed in the current Sedwick Treasure Auction.  The item number is 1682.  I posted it because it is an interesting beach find.

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The most current blog poll has concluded and the results are in.  77% of the respondents said they were religious or spiritual.

It should be noted that some good number of churches preach against what might be called "religiousity" so a good number of those who described themselves as spiritual might also be affiliated with a church.  In retrospect, I probably should have defined the first two categories a little differently.

Nonetheless, the poll does show that most detectorists do have some spiritual or religious feeling. That is what I suspected from the emails I receive and what I hear people say.

Religious or spiritual feelings are evidenced in how treasure hunting is experienced and how events are interpreted.  For example, I often hear karma mentioned.  That could indicate a type of spirituality however it also could be little more than a common expression that implies little about any deeper analysis or feelings.  It might be one of those things, like the very common phrase "in our thoughts an prayers," which I believe is often used these days as a politically correct thing to say in certain situations even though the person does not have any intention of seriously praying.

9% of the blog poll respondents described themselves as agnostic, and the same number described themselves as atheistic.  A PEW poll conducted in 2014 found 4% to  be agnostic and 4.2% to be atheist.  A higher number of those that responded to the blog poll and therefore presumed to be detectorist are atheist or agnostic.  The poll therefore did not support my feeling that detectorists and treasure hunters tend to be more spiritually or religiously inclined than the general population. The blog poll did support the notion that a large majority of detectorists or treasure hunters are religious or spiritual.

A spiritual world view will affect how people behave and interpret events.  As I mentioned above, I often hear terms like karma used in the metal detecting community.  That suggests a certain type of behavior based upon what I would think would have to be a spiritual world view or at least some universal intelligence or governing agency.  I guess it could, however, be a concept held by those believing in an entirely material world that somehow behaves in a karmic manner, although I have a hard time imagining how that would work.

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Concerning the crucifix that I talked about the last couple of days, Laura Strolia added the following.

I imagine the cross is from the 20th century. Keyholes [hangers*] began in the early 1900s. The Victorian era was known for nails, wire, and ribbon.

I never asked what the cross is made of. Why isn't it corroded? My guess it was someone's inherited crucifix from a family member and the person decided to bury it. I put my broken rosaries and other objects in the ground as one shouldn't "throw out" blessed religious artifacts. Ironic, here I am digging and placing treasure back into God's holy earth, opposite of what I do when metal detecting!

Laura

Thanks Laura!

* Added by TG.

Andy thinks it might be bronze.
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The Treasure Coast surf has decreased and is now down to around three to five feet.  By Monday we'll be back to a one-foot surf.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

4/19/16 Report - Sedwick Treasure Auction Number 19. 2016 Hurricane Season Predictions. Treasure Coast Found Crucifix.


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



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Here is an interesting article about the movement of wealth.  Many wealthy are now leaving metropolitan areas and some are moving to fortified communities.   It is not entirely new but seems to be occurring at much increased rates.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/why-are-thousands-of-millionaires-fleeing-chicago-and-other-major-cities-around-the-world

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...What may be truly confusing is this summer's Atlantic hurricane season, Halpert said. At the start of the summer, Earth may still be in the tail end of an El Niño, which often reduces the number of Atlantic hurricanes. But by the time the hurricane season hits its fall peak, it should be a La Niña, which tends to increase the number of storms...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/04/15/el-nino-la-nina/83078500/


And here is another article on the upcoming hurricane season.

ST. CROIX — Meteorologists stationed at Colorado State University this week issued the results of their research into the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, predicting 12 named storms, five of which will form into hurricanes...

And here is that link.

http://viconsortium.com/caribbean/top-meteorologists-predict-near-average-hurricane-season-with-12-storms-5-hurricanes/

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Concerning Andy's crucifix find that I posted yesterday, I have a few comments.

I asked author Laura Strolia what she thought of the cross.  As you probably know, Laura did research and wrote a lot on some of the religious artifacts found on 1715 Fleet wrecks as well as the book, The Marigalera of the 1715 Fleet.

Laura thought the ends of the cross looked like they might signify scallop shells, which refer to The Way of St. James.  She pointed me to a cross with similar ends.  The product description of that cross says, The arms of this cross suggest the scallop shell, associated with water, the symbol of renewal, it is sometimes used to decorate baptismal fonts. The scallop shell is also the symbol for the Christian pilgrim. 

The cross is seven inches tall.  That suggests that it is not to be worn.  If you look at the key hole opening on the back, it looks like it is made to be hung on a wall, furniture or perhaps a baptismal font.

The one thing that I am very uncertain about is the key hole style of hanger.  That does not strike me as being centuries old.  It could be, but I don't know.  Maybe somebody else can tell me that.

The corpus seems to be attached to the cross at three points.  Many modern crucifixes are made in one piece. Older ones more often seem to have the corpus attached rather than made in one piece.  I am sure that is not fool-proof, just an observation of mine.  It might not be a good one.

In summary, I am not sure how old the artifact might be.  The keyhole hanger might help answer that question if it can be determined how long those have been used.

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The surf will be decreasing a little every day for several days.  We'll be back to a small surf in a week or so.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Monday, April 18, 2016

4/18/16 Report - Beach Conditions On The Treasure Coast, Cross or Crucifix Find.


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

John Brooks Beach This Morning.
Yesterday morning this same beach had some three-foot cuts.  Today, none.  What happened is that the water got up to near the dunes last night.  It washed up over the front beach and smoothed it out.

I took a look at Turtle Trail, Seagrape Trail, Wabasso, Ambersands, and the beach north of the McClarty Museum.  None of those had any significant cuts.

At Turtle Trail, for example, just a little more of the blue bags were showing.  It looked like the beach there lost a little sand, but just a few inches from over the bags.

I would have taken more pictures but my camera battery ran down.

For the size of the surf, not much happened.  None of the beaches looked very interesting this morning,and most of the front beaches were pretty mushy.

The surf will decrease a little tomorrow.  I don't expect much improvement in the beach conditions the next couple of days.

Still, there were some interesting finds the past couple of days.  Below is one find made by Andy S.

Front


Back

Close Up.
The cross is about seven inches tall.  It was found yesterday on a shipwreck beach where a shipwreck spike was also found.

Let me know if you have any thoughts on the item.  I noticed some things that I'll comment on some other time.  I've also asked for expert opinion.

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Concerning my "Hero's Journey" post, Jerry P. said, Today's post is so much like I feel about this "hobby" that I felt compelled to let you know. The "Hero's Journey" chart really fits me and other Detectorists that I've come to know in the short time since I began my "Journey".

Thanks for your comments Jerry.

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Only one day remaining to respond to the current blog poll.  Thanks in advance.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Sunday, April 17, 2016

4/17/16 Report - Up To Nine Foot Surf Predicted For Tomorrow. Survey of Some Treasure Beaches.


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

Wabasso This Morning Before Low Tide.
With the increased surf I wanted to look around to see what was happening.  Above you see Wabasso. Nothing very exciting there.

Looking North From Turtle Trail Beach Access This Morning.
I didn't see anything very exciting from the Turtle Trail access either.

The waves this morning were hitting the beach directly from the east.

South of Seagrape Trail Beach Access Looking North Towards The First Flag Pole.
There was some sand loss around the Seagrape Trail Access.  

To the south around the first and second flag poles the sand was reduced, but only to the level that the very top of some of the erosion control bags were visible.  Another couple of feet would be required to take it down to where it was at the end of 2015 when it was producing.

South of Seagrape Trail Access Looking South Towards the Second Flag Pole.
You can barely see a little of the erosion control bags in the picture immediately above.

John Brooks Beach This Morning Before Low Tide.

There was some additional erosion here today, but not a lot.  You can compare it to the picture I posted yesterday, which I mistakenly labeled Frederick Douglass.

The sand in front of these cuts is still pretty mushy here.  The maximum cut is about three feet.

That is about it for today.

To summarize, there is some additional sand loss, but very little.  It has not improved enough for me to issue a beach conditions upgrade yet.

Although the surf is bigger, the tides are not very big and the waves are hitting straight on.

Tomorrow the surf is supposed to be up to 6 - 9 feet.  That is pretty big.  I wish we would get a good change in wind and wave direction.  As I've said many times before, it takes more than waves.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Saturday, April 16, 2016

4/16/16 Report - Surf Increasing This Weekend. Beach Photos. Toy Cannon Soldier Art.


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



Frederick Douglas Beach This Morning.


Walton Rocks Beach This Morning.
This morning the wind was coming from the east, and I went out to see if anything was starting to happen on the beaches.  I checked a couple of beaches on South Hutchinson Island, and neither had changed much.  If you go back and look at the last time I posted these beaches, you'll see they look about the same.

The surf is supposed to increase Sunday and Monday.  I'll be watching to see what is happening.

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Mystery Object Submitted by John C.

I posted this mystery object some time ago.  I didn't receive any guesses.  My thought is that it is a lead melt.  Whether it was melted accidently or intentionally is unknown.  The chips or material on the bottom might be accidental too.  Other than that I have no answer.

Melted lead is common.  Lead was carried and made into musket balls and was used for a wide variety of other uses.  Musket balls pounded or melted to be used for other things too.





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I posted the following before but thought it would be worth repeating today.

Toy Lead Cannon
From Old Sedwick Auction.



This toy lead cannon is from a mid-1800s shipwreck The reason it caught my attention is that I once found a similar lead item. For a long time I thought it was a finial, but now I am convinced that it is probably a soldier-art cannon.







The one I found (below) was found near an 18th century cannon emplacement on Pigeon Island.

Carved 18th Century Soldier-Art Cannon

It is always fun to metal detect new places when you travel. It was a lot easier to travel with a metal detector before the 911 tragedy.

I would take my detector with me as carry-on luggage. Security would look at it, ask me what it was, I'd tell them, they'd scratch their heads and I'd walk on the plane with it.

St. Lucia is one island I visited a few times. On a couple of occasions I explored Pigeon Island, which is now connected to St. Lucia by a causeway. 

There was a lot of history on the ground to see. There were a lot of historic ruins, and shards all over the place. I even eye-balled a grapeshot at the base of tree.

I left the grapeshot where it was. If it was taken on the plane and considered an explosive device, which I suppose would have been the case, the fine at the time, if I remember correctly, would have been something like $250,000. I wasn't going to chance anything like that.

Here is a little of the history of the Pigeon Island. 

Pigeon Island was first occupied by the Amerindians, mainly Caribs. The island was later occupied by pirates whose leader was a Norman Captain called Francois Le Clerc. He had a wooden leg and was known to the French as Jambe de Bois. The French who owned the island in 1778 declared war on the British, who retaliated by attacking them in Saint Lucia and capturing the island. The British then built a Naval Base at Gros-Islet Bay, heavily fortifying Pigeon Island. From there they were able to monitor the French fleet in Martinique which resulted in the defeat of the French at the Battle of the Saints in 1782. Pigeon Island was therefore a key factor in the Battles between the British and the French. In 1909 a whaling station was established at Pigeon Island.

That came from the following web site. 

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?q=st+lucia+pigeon+island+le+clerc&s_it=tb50-ie-aolmail-ab-en-us

If you look at the photos of the island, I think you will see that it is an interesting looking place.

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The salvage vessel Dare is deploying a hovering autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with an EM detector to scan the deep hard-packed mud and clay in search of new targets south of the Atocha's main pile.

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The surf is supposed to be up to 4 - 6 feet today and larger tomorrow.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Friday, April 15, 2016

4/15/16 Report - Tomb of Spanish Priest in Aztec Temple. Treasure Hunting As Hero's Journey. Big Surf Monday?


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

Source: See link below.
The first thing I want to point out today is the predicted big surf, The prediction right now is for a peak surf of 6 - 9 feet on Monday.

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Archaeologists have found a heavy stone slab covering the tomb of one of the first Catholic priests in Mexico following the 1521 Spanish conquest, a grave sunk into the floor of what appears to be an Aztec temple.
The discovery suggests the extent to which the Spanish reused the temples of the Aztec capital in the first years after capturing it. The huge slab was uncovered in recent days at the site of the now-disappeared first cathedral of Mexico City, built in 1524 yards from the current cathedral that replaced it in the 1620s...
Here is the  link for more about that.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/13/mexico-priest-grave-spanish-conquest-aztec-archaeology

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At the top of this page is an illustration that summarizes Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey."  ( http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html )

Whether you are talking about Indiana Jones or Star Wars or any of a large number of other popular films or stories there are plot elements that you will see over and over again.

You might wonder what that has to do with treasure hunting. I'm not writing about the art of writing today.  I'm writing about human adventure and experience.  Those who "follow their passion" go through the steps and stages shown in the illustration to one extent or another.  There are treasure hunters that actually live the hero's journey.

If you look at the illustration at the top of the page, you'll see that the hero's journey begins in the ordinary everyday world.  It starts out in a place of relative comfort.  You might call it home.  Then the prospective hero receives a calling.  Just as one example, Luke Skywalker started as a farm boy living on a small backwater planet.  In his case, the calling was initiated when two droids appeared with a mysterious message.

The calling is to a life of adventure.  The life of adventure requires leaving comfort, ease, safety, and the current state of affairs.  Whether it is Never-Never-Land, Emerald City, Shangra-la, or a strange distant galaxy, after much conflict, the hero has to step out into a new life where he is tested over an over again.

Some treasure hunters experience the sequence of events described in the Hero's Journey and shown in the illustration above.  They make a decision to leave the life of familiarity and jump into the adventure. In a previous post I tried to describe something like that as being "all in."  Many reject the calling, and that might be the right thing to do for them.  The life of adventure is a life of risk.  You don't know if you will be successful, and there is a lot to overcome.  It requires a leap of faith.

You can find a complete breakdown of Raiders of the Lost Ark and how it follows the stages of the Hero's Journey at the following web site.  http://gordonnapier.com/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-the-heros-journey-breakdown/

I know I didn't do this topic justice, and I apologize.  It would probably take hundreds of pages, if I could do the topic justice at all.

Some treasure hunters actually live the Hero's Journey very much as it is described by Joseph Campbell and the illustration above.  If you look into what I talked about today and think about it, you might get some good insight into treasure hunting.  That is my hope.

As I suggested in a previous post, the hero's journey is more about the journey and personal development than it is about any object or objects. Traveling the yellow brick road, the cowardly lion finds courage, and the tin man and scarecrow find what they lacked.  In the end, Dorothy returns home changed.

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Let me know if you got anything at all out of this post.  It wasn't easy for me to try to address a subject like this in a brief post, and I don't really know if I should have tried.  I got something out of it anyway.

Thanks for your responses to the new blog poll.

Remember to watch the surf predictions.  It looks like we might actually get a 6 - 9 foot surf by Monday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

4/13/16 Report - Blockade Runner Found. St. Augustine Well. WW I Ships Investigated Using Drone. Eight or Nine Foot Surf Predicted.


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



WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, was the Confederacy’s last port. During the Civil War, blockade runners that evaded the Union navy were one of the Confederate army’s few lifelines. But maneuvering a small, fast ship in the dead of night was hard as it sounds, and many of them didn’t make it. Archaeologists now think they’ve found the shipwreck of one of those long lost blockade runners off Wilmington: theAgnes E. Fry...

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

http://www.wired.com/2016/04/sonar-may-turned-long-lost-civil-war-ship-agnes-e-fry/

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An 18th century well was uncovered in St. Augustine.

Here is the link for more about that.

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2016-04-12/coquina-well-walls-found-mill-top-excavation#.Vw7r-vkrLIV

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NavyNews reports

A tiny drone has scanned the wrecks of two German WW1 warships – forgotten and mostly buried by the sludge and mud at the southern end of Whale Island.

Marine archaeologists hope to bring the two vessels - one a veteran of Jutland - back to life in 3D computer model form as part of centennial commemorations of the Great War...


Here is the link for more about that.

https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/14705

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I added a new poll to the blog.  I noticed that a lot of treasure hunters are very religious or spiritual.  I want to investigate that, but first wanted to see if my impressions are correct.

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Current predictions have the Treasure Coast surf building this weekend, perhaps up to eight or nine feet by Monday.  That should be interesting.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

4/12/16 Report - Poll Results. Musket Balls and Mystery Item. Mathematical Model For Finding Fossils.


Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Bunch Musket Balls
Photo submitted by John C.
Take a look at that bunch of musket balls shown above.  There are a lot of interesting things to see. Some shown the mold seams.  Some have been cut.  Some show some iron rust.  And there is even a hidden Mickey.


John sent the photo with the hidden Mickey musket ball after seeing my recent posts showing the Donald Duck figurine.  He said, "I guess it seems that the Spaniards may have come up with the Mickey Mouse concept  in Florida  long before Walt did...."

Did you find the hidden Mickey?  It is right in the center of the group.

Hidden Mickey Musket Balls
Photo by John C.
There is an entire book about the hidden Mickies that were placed all around Disney World.

Below is a mystery item John has been trying to figure out.

Mystery Item Photo by John C.
I already have my idea, but let me know what you think.





Very Neat Green Bottle Found Recently During Surface Hunt.
This bottle has no embossing and isn't real old but it is in my opinion very pretty.  Too bad it has scuffs and scratches.

My surface hunts have turned up a lot of bottles lately, but none are valuable.  Enough is being found to suggest something better will eventually show up.

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The most recent blog poll has concluded and the results are in.  The majority, about 61 percent of those who responded to the poll hunt mostly on the beach.  It is generally easy to access and hunt on beaches.  Recovery is easy and no permission or special equipment is needed.

About 21 percent of the respondents hunt mostly on dry land.  That is more than the number that hunt mostly in the water (16%).

The number that do hunt mostly on the beach is almost twice the number that does not hunt mostly on the beach.

The poll does not tell us how many beach hunters occasionally do a little land or water hunting.  It is clear, though, that the blog's readers hunt mostly on beaches.

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Science Daily has an article telling about the factors included in a mathematical model that was developed to identify areas where fossils are likely to be discovered.  It is very general.  I'll see if I can find more details.

Here is the link.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160408102058.htm

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We're supposed to have a few days of 2 - 3 foot surf and then by the weekend maybe up to an eight foot surf.  That will be something to watch for, but as so often happens, the surf might or might not get that high.  Here's hoping.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Sunday, April 10, 2016

4/10/16 Report - Treasure Hunter's Cookout Coming Soon. Sunken City. Bulgarian Treasure.



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


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When the shoreline receded during the 2004 tsunami, tourists in Mamallapuram swore they saw a long row of granite boulders emerge from the sea, before it was swallowed again as the water hurtled forward. More than a decade later, a team of scientists and divers have uncovered what eyewitnesses saw on that fateful day - vestiges of an ancient port.

In a discovery that could lead to more underwater explorations off the historic town of Mamallapuram, a group from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has found the remains of a port or ruins of one of the six shore temples which, according to legend, went under water. The 10-member team, comprising divers, geologists and archaeologists, found a 10m-long wall, a short flight of stairs, and chiselled stone blocks scattered on the seabed. They were found 800m from the shoreline at a depth of nearly 27ft...

Here is the link for more about that.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Millennium-old-sunken-town-found-off-Tamil-Nadu/articleshow/51465600.cms


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A treasure consisting of silver adornments which was most probably buried in the fall of 1688 during the so called Chiprovsti Uprising, the largest rebellion of Bulgarian Catholics against the Ottoman Empire, has been found near the city of Montana in Northwest Bulgaria.

The treasure has been found by locals and has been turned over to the National Museum of History in Sofia, which has announced its discovery...

Here is the link for the rest of the story.


http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2016/04/05/17th-century-silver-treasure-hidden-during-bulgarian-catholics-uprising-against-ottoman-empire-discovered-in-northwest-bulgaria/

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Just a few hours remaining to respond to the current blog poll.  Thanks.

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We'll have a two to three foot surf for a few days, however there are some big tides and some good negative tides.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net