4/4/19 Report - Thoughts and Theories On The Gold Mystery Object. Beach Reports. More Beach Renourishment.

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

Gold Spoon
Picture submitted by Joe D.

I received several emails concerning Terry's recent gold find.  All were excellent, and the nearly unanimous consensus is that it is a Native American decorative item (one person used the specific word gorget) made from shipwreck or Spanish gold.  Coins were mentioned most.

The bowl of the spoon in the picture above bears a remarkable resemblance to Terry's holed gold item.  There is the possibility that the gold mystery item was not made from a coin, but maybe something else, like a bar, spoon, religious item, nuggets or whatever. 

It wouldn't take much to convert the bowl of the spoon.  Even if you don't accept the idea that the item was made from a similar spoon, the spoon does suggest the idea of other possible sources.

Dan B. suggested weighing the object to see if it's weight corresponded to that of an escudo.  Terry's object weighs 4.1 grams, which is less than the weight of a 2-escudo.  A piece of the item is missing, but I don't think that is enough, but maybe it is.   Investigating the weight was great idea, but it turned out to be inconclusive in this case.

Joe D. also mentioned that the shape of the holed item looked very much like a fishing spoon and the possibility that it might have had a more practical use.

A couple people were interested in the smaller item that looked something like a roofing nail in the photo. 

I appreciate all of the ideas submitted, and found each and every one worthwhile.  It is important to be open to alternative explanations.  Some will be eliminated, but you can benefit from getting all the ideas you can and thinking it through. 

What we know now is that the gold item was found on the same stretch of beach as an old sounding lead, lead sheathing, and another small piece.  As found, the items might be taken to suggest the presence of a nearby wreck.  If I generalize from what I've read from people, the consensus seems to be that a piece of gold (possibly a coin) was discovered by a native (quite possibly Ais, as was the opinion of one archeologist), which was hammered into an pendant, and then subsequently lost in the same area.

Now we can start to think it through.  How likely does that seem, and are there other reasonable scenarios?  For example, would it seem more likely that found or salvaged gold would be carried away before being reworked and lost?  

Alternatively, if an item reworked by the local natives was indeed lost at the same site where the gold was found, how might that happen?  I'm sure you can imagine some reasonable scenarios?

Maybe the natives returned to the wreck site on multiple occasions to see what they could find..  Maybe they even had a camp there.  That idea provides a possible direction for future research.  If they returned to the site often or if they had a camp at the site, then you might expect to find more evidence of their presence - perhaps shards in the nearby dunes.

Of course there are a variety of other possibilities.  Maybe the item was manufactured by someone other than local natives, even though that seems to be the favorite theory.  Maybe it came from South America or wherever the hypothesized ship came from. Or maybe the native was on the wrecked ship.  Just a little brainstorming.  Or maybe the gold in the item was given as payment for salvage work.  That might seem like too much unless it was given to a leader for providing a crew of salvage divers.  

Terry and others mentioned that we may never be able to say much more about the item, but if you think it through, develop some theories and hypotheses, you might eventually be able to answer some of the remaining questions.  And in if you are like me, you will enjoy the problem-solving process and learn a lot as you work through it..

The find is great, but it is the story that makes it meaningful, and the process that makes it fun. 

Before closing, I want to report one more thing people said to me in the emails about the mystery item.  They said Terry is a very fine fellow.

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Joe D. reported that both Jupiter and Hobe Sound beaches are being renourished, as shown below.

Hobe Sound
Photo by Joe D.

Jupiter Inlet
Photo submitted by Joe D.

Another frequent contributor sent in the following report last night.

Riomar, Turtle Trail and Seagrape today looked to me like a lot of the sand that left recently is back. Some old broken posts that were 8 inches out of the sand are now covered...

Riomar had a lot of seaweed and the old cuts were knocked down, there were  few short cuts at the bend but were smooth and mushy in front. Targets were few and mainly just can slaw.

Turtle trail, lots of new seaweed and no cuts, scallops or other features. Aluminum high on the beach and a few iron chips low on the beach.

Seagrape was the same to the north but did not go south of the crossover.

Did not take pictures today as it was just sand and seaweed.

Thanks to everybody for the ideas and reports submitted.  Much appreciated.

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Thanks also to those who expressed appreciation for this blog.   It is encouraging to me.

The Treasure Coast surf will be only about two to three feet for a few days.

Happy hunting
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/13/17 Report - Disappearing Shipwreck Site. More Seminole Reading. Gorget. Smooth Surf.

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

A maritime survey in 1987 reported that the remains of the ship were still visible in shallow water beside the reef wall, but the latest expedition, in January of this year, found that the sea has now claimed the last traces of the Jenny Lind...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

https://www.livescience.com/59422-19th-century-shipwreck-vanished-from-south-pacific.html

In thirty years, evidence of the shipwreck disappeared.  That illustrates the foolishness of the belief held by many archaeologists that it is better to let shipwrecks remain untouched even for decades or centuries rather than salvage them in anything less than the most thorough and strict way.  The fact is things deteriorate - sometimes more rapidly than might be expected.

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As I was saying yesterday, I want to become more familiar with Seminole silver.  As I looked for more information, I ran across a number of posts in this blog that provided information and references that I forgot about.  That happens every once in a while.  When searching the internet, I frequently end up getting pointed back to my own blog.

While looking for more information on Seminole silver, In one of my old posts I found a link to the NativeTech web.  Below is an example of the type of thing you will find at that web site.

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I found some items like these at an old 1700s site in the Carribbean.  I posted a picture of one of those. Some people thought it might be a gorget.  I don't know, but at this point it is still my best guess. I don't know what else it could be.

Here is the link to the NativeTech web site.

http://www.nativetech.org/seminole/silverwork/index.php

The web site says that ornamental Seminole metalwork was made of German silver or by hammering silver coins.

Here are a couple additional references listed on that web site.

"Silver Work of the Florida Seminole.", John Goggin, El Palacio, Vol. 40, No. 2, 1940.

"Florida Seminole Silverwork.", Byron Johnson, Florida Anthropologist, Vol. 29, No. 3, 1976.

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I also found a link that I once posted that will take you to a great free ebook.  It is A Voyage to the Spanish Main in the Ship "Two Friends."  It was written by John Miller and published in 1819.

That ebook provides some very interesting reading, including a section on the Seminole War.

Here is that link if you want to read that book online.

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89096224696;view=1up;seq=316;size=75


Here is another digital book, entitled The Seminoles of Florida (1910 edition).

Click here to go to that one.

And here is an 1836 book, The War in Florida, which you can also read online.

Click here to read The War in Florida.


One thing leads to another.  I'm going to wrap up this topic for now.

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I heard some thunder early this morning.  Didn't seem to get to the coast though.

We're supposed to have a one foot surf for a few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/3/15 Report - Two BIG gold Metal Detector Finds! The Will To Discover!

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



87 Oz. Gold Nugget Found Using Minelab Gold Detector.

I received these first two photos and the information about the gold nugget find via email from Nicole D. of VineSprout Public Relations.  The nugget was found using a Minelab gold detector.



Michael Brown
Finder of the 87 Oz. Nugget

Here is what Nicole said.   I'd like to share some exciting news with you. Australian gold prospector Michael Brown has uncovered an astonishing 87-ounce solid gold nugget during a prospecting expedition in Inglewood. gold prospector Michael Brown has uncovered an astonishing 87-ounce solid gold nugget during a prospecting expedition in Inglewood. Discovered in six inches of ground with a state-of-the-art Minelab detector, Brown’s find is estimated to be worth over $130,000 AUD. Please find the press release and images attached. Let me know if you would like more information...   




That is one huge nugget.

If you could do it, and you can't, it would be an interesting experiment to go back and see what the cheapest detector would be that would detect the same nugget under the same circumstances.   Of course you shouldn't hold your breathe while waiting to find another nugget like that.

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7th Century Gold and Garnet Pendant
Source of photo: see link.

Here is the second big find.  It was discovered in a field along with other items.  It is thought to be among the most spectacular artifacts ever found in the region.

It is made of gold, which has cells that are inlaid with garnet.

Click here for more photos and more of the story.

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I received an email from Kenneth H. about the carved gorget  that I posted yesterday.  Here is what Ken said.

Hello TG dropped a line to state the image on the photo is not half fish/half cat. Must consider geography and natural wildlife where such artifacts are found. That image you posted, most likely, is a beaver (although the head appears to be more like a wild hog). The tail is a bit small in proportion though. I back that up with 30 plus years experience in archaeology. More importantly, I always enjoy this blog and your untiring efforts to maintain it. Your contribution to Florida Archaeology, Florida History and Florida Treasure Hunting is appreciated by many. -- Yes! I dare to combine all three together because all are fueled by the same drive. That is, since the Paleo era, man was born with the will to discover. No pen strike in a book of laws can ever change it...

Thanks Ken! The kind words are especially appreciated coming from someone who has done so much in the field of archaeology.  And thanks for highlighting the basic unifying drive behind all of this.

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It looks like we are stuck with something like a 3 - 5 foot surf and predominant East winds for several days.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/1/15 Report - Saturday's Wind Did Nothng Good For the Treasure Coast Beaches. Neat Shell Gorget.

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

Yesterday was a rainy windy day from beginning to end.  Unfortunately the wind was from the East.  I went out this morning to check out the beaches.  The wind didn't do anything good.

One beach (shown in the photo) had some rounded scallops.

Some beaches showed the remains of old cuts.  Some of those types of beaches had wide flat front beaches but were filling.  

There are very few targets out there along the Treasure Coast now.  The beaches are as clean and over-hunted as I've ever seen.  There are very few easy targets.  I suspect a lot of people will get discouraged.

I saw a few guys wandering around with detectors.

One beach had only shredded aluminum junk.  As I've said before, many beaches have only one or two types of junk.  This one had only shredded aluminum - no iron, bottle caps or pull tabs.  That tells you that some one has been detecting that site heavily and only discriminated thin aluminum.

Take notice of that type of thing.  If you do find anything at a beach like that, except for things just dropped, the best chance is for small gold that might be discriminated out with the aluminum.

Like I said, you can tell what others have been doing or not doing at a beach, and you can adjust accordingly.

One thing I'd say today is that instead of sticking to the same old over-hunted beaches and doing the same thing over and over with no success, you might want to spread out and try some different sites and strategies.

When will we ever get some good erosion?  It has been a very slow winter season, and it is nearly over.  Then we'll have to wait for some summer storms.

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Shell Gorget
Photo source: wvxu.org link.

Contractors digging a trench for a fiber optics box found human remains and a neat carved shell gorget.

Here is that link.

http://wvxu.org/post/rare-native-american-artifact-discovered-newtown

On the Treasure Coast from time to time people looking for shells on the beach find arrow heads or shell tools or artifacts.  Keep your eyes open.

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I mentioned the ATX detector a few days ago.  One reader who does a lot of water hunting down South gave up on the ATX because the stem locks kept getting filled with sand and froze.   Seems to be a weak spot on that detector.

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That's all for today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

10/18/11 Report - Gorget and Clay Pipes

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

Five inch drilled slate gorget with shell necklace.

The cord had disappeared.

This a great find that has been studied by the Smithsonian.

It is a rainy day on the Treasure Coast. Watch for items that have been uncovered by the rain.

The seas are a little rough today, but nothing that would really improve conditions. And tomorrow the sea will become even calmer, lasting for a few days.

Maybe I'll be able to get too a few items that I wasn't able to recover down by the waters edge when the sea calms down a little more.

That low presure area in the Guld that I mentioned yesterday is working its way up over Florida. We might have a few more rainy days.

There is a cold front due in Wednesday night.

The cut that I showed yesterday has partly filled in.

The south wind usually piles more sand on the beach front.

At least a few things got stirred up lately. I think we'll have some more good detecting weather and very possibly improved detecting conditions in the near future.

Right now I would call conditions generally poor.

As I often remind, my conditions rating scale starts with a 1 instead of a zero because their is always a chance that something good will pop up.

Even though conditions are what I would call poor, they are still better than they were before the big waves.


Florida Governor Rick Scott wants to stop funding for college majors such as archaeology that do not create skilled candidates for the most needed jobs.

Here is the link.

http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=governor+scott+archaeology+degrees&s_it=keyword_rollover

A nice collection of clay pipes found on a a river bank near an old US city.

I understand that these were purchased with the tobacco in them.

Clay Pipe Collection.

There is a high correlation between time spent hunting in the field and finds. I often see the guys that are making the finds out there on the beach. Of course, if you've had some luck, it tends to motivate you to hunt more. On the other hand, when you haven't been having much luck, you can get discouraged and not bother hunting as much.

One of those Treasure Coast shipwreck maps is now listed on ebay. I think it might be handy for snow birds who plan to visit the Treasure Coast treasure beaches this winter.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/20 Report - Gorget(?) & Seminole Information

Photo of Gorget? Found by Metal Detector.

Yesterday I mentioned a metal Seminole Indian find. Here is what might be a gorget. I don't know for sure what it is, but in my opinion that is one of the best suggestions that I've heard so far.

It is about three inches across, from point to point, and was found in an area that would have been long inhabited and where battles took place up into the early 1800s.

If you have any ideas on the item's identity, I would be glad to hear from you.

There are some smaller ones too - basically the same shape but more deep than wide - closer to the shape of a half circle.

Looks like different phases of the moon. But I think that is coincidental.

Back to the find that I mentioned yesterday. Although the Seminoles sometimes wore silver bands around a turban as described in the article found through the link below, the item I was talking about yesterday was not the band, but rather a plume holder for feathers worn with a headdress. I don't know if I used the right words to describe the object, but those are the words that came to me. It looked like it would hold three large feathers.

On a side note, the plume holder, or whatever it should be called, had a hole in the middle of it made by the detectorist during recovery. Be careful when you dig up items. You can't be too careful. Almost anything can be damaged. Nice coins can be easily scratched by a scoop.

The web site says that the preferred metal of the Seminoles was silver, and they sometimes worked silver coins to create other items. They sometimes also used German silver and other metals for the same purposes.

Here is a link to a web site on Seminole Indian dress. It will take you directly to a section discussing their silver work.

http://www.nativetech.org/seminole/silverwork/index.php

You might want to look at some of the other topics on that web site.

Notice the gorgets described in the article.

David J. submitted the following link to a digital book, The Seminoles of Florida, by Minnie-Moore Willson (1910 edition). David's submission provided a lead that helped me find the above link.

http://books.google.com/books?id=dJILAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=seminole+head+dresses&source=bl&ots=SuvcIvfPp0&sig=qVMig9uL1IeTRK-KAvQxR0Z6gJk&hl=en&ei=4ugOTbTjHZP-nAfPmNjnDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGUQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

You might find it interesting. There are a lot of things that can be found on the Treasure Coast.


Here is article on big time international looting. Not only are the looters looting, but it seems they are also producing forgeries that are being sold on auction sites.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/looting-matters-looting-in-spain-112077849.html

You really have to be cautious if you buy antiques these days.


Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is out of the west now and the seas are building to about 5.5 feet later today (Monday). I'll try to get out sometime soon to see what is happening. My guess is not much.

The seas will be tapering off the next two days.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net