8/25/17 Report - Up To 14 Foot Surf From Hurricane Harvey To Hit Texas Coast. Shipwrecks of Padre Island. More Intertwined Silver Rings.

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

Intertwined Silver Rings Found by John C.
Photo by John C.

John C. said, Both these rings were found in the same cut. maybe 20' feet apart..no markings.

Thanks much for the pictures and emails John.

These are really worn very thin and show the characteristic patina and corrosion of rings that have been on the beach a good while.

If these were found on a shipwreck beach, it would seem the evidence of a shipwreck source for some of these types of rings would be building.

I've asked John and expect to hear from him soon.

I've found intertwined rings before.  I think one set had one ring of gold, one of silver, and one of some other metal.  I'll have to look for my records and see if I can find where they were found.  I'm pretty sure it was found down south rather than on the Treasure Coast though.

If others can add to this discussion, especially if they've found similar rings, that would be helpful.

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Harvey is now sitting off the Texas coast creating havoc.  The surf, according to MagicSeaWeed will be up to possibly fourteen feet at Matagorda.  I feel sorry for those people.  Harvey could remain stationary as a major hurricane for a matter of days.  Pray for the safety and welfare of the people.

Below is a MagicSeaWeed chart showing the predicted surf for the Matagorda area.

Hurricane Harvey almost died a couple of times before he even got started but then ended up being one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in years.  It just goes to show how quickly things can change.

You probably know about the Padre Island shipwreck treasures and coins.  Harvey will undoubtedly bring some of that treasure to the surface.  Here is a bit of an introduction from the National Park Service.

In April 1554, three Spanish naos (a type of cargo and passenger ship similar to Columbus’s Santa Maria) went aground on Padre Island following a storm that had blown them across the Gulf of Mexico from the coast of Cuba. At the time this was the greatest disaster to ever befall the Spanish fleet in the New World. Tons of treasure bound for Spain was lost in addition to the lives of approximately three hundred passengers and crew who died from hunger, thirst, and attacks by natives as they attempted to walk back to the port of Vera Cruz. 

But the story of the 1554 shipwreck does not end there nor does it end with the conclusion of the salvage operations that took place later that year. As with any important historical event, its effects resonate through the centuries and can still be felt today—if one looks for them.

First of all, the wrecks were the first documented occurrence of Europeans on the island and one of the first occurrences of Europeans in what was to become Texas. The salvage operation was the first documented instance of Europeans intentionally coming to the island and staying for an extended period.

Second, the three ships that wrecked (the Santa Maria de Yciar, the Espiritu Santo, and the San Esteban) are the oldest shipwrecks ever found in North America (excluding the Caribbean and Latin America)...


Here is the link to that web site.

https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/historyculture/1554-1.htm

And here is link to a good article on the same subject by the Texas State Historical Association.


https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/etpfe

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We have a good start on the blog poll about what brand metal detector you all use.  It seemed like the Minelab users showed up as a block very suddenly last night.  Strange!

Hoping for the safety and welfare of the people of the Texas Gulf Coast.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/16/16 Report - Three Tropical Storms Plus Now. Padre Island and Emanuel Point Shipwreck Study. Fossils.

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

Julia has become a tropical storm again.  It is lingering off of South Carlina and it looks like it is bringing some northeast winds to parts of North Carolina, South Carolina an North Florida.

That is the kind of thing I'd like to see happen off the Treasure Coast - a storm that sits off shore and churns for a while.

We now have three tropical storms, two depressions, but no partridge in a pear tree.

Karl is expected to become a hurricane, but is expected at this point to move to the north before long.  I've made the observation before that when they get strong that far away they tend to move north into the Atlantic.

Another depression is about to come off of Africa.  

It is pretty busy out there.

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You might enjoy this fossil slideshow.  Just some very neat fossils.

http://animalmozo.com/2016/09/03/24-insane-fossil-discoveries

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I found a paper on the Padre Island and Emanuel Point shipwrecks.  Simplified, the hypothesis is that the pattern of ceramics on a wreck site can help you determine something about the type of ship was involved.  There were however some other details that you might find interesting, for example the following illustrations on early salvage techniques.

I suspect that there will be differences between deep and shallow water wrecks and some other factors.

Dragging for a Wreck.
Source: Arnold, 1979.

Salvage Divers Following Chain Down To Wreck.
Source: Arnold, 1979

The source of those illustrations is the following.

Arnold III, J. Barto, 1979.  Documentary Sources for the Wreck of the New Spain Fleet of 1554, David McDonald, translator. Texas Antiquities Committee Publication, No. 8, Austin.

You might find the study of the wreck sites, ceramics, etc. interesting.

Here is the link.

http://etd.fcla.edu/WF/WFE0000406/Sorset_Scott_Ryan_201306_MA.pdf

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The World Health Organization found that the United States ranks third (behind India and China) in most depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol abuse.

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Promoting interest in Florida archaeology.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net