2/12/17 Report - T. C. Beach Detecting Conditions Rating Back To 1. Flying Along the Beach. Small Surf and Negative Tides Continue

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

John Brooks Beach Saturday.

I finally got out a little Saturday around four o'clock.   I was surprised to see that the three foot cut that I found Friday was completely gone.  Compare the photo above with the one I posted Friday (immediately below).

Same View of John Brooks Beach Friday.

That shows how quickly things can change, but it doesn't show how quickly it did change.  I suspect that the cut might have disappeared in an hour or two.

Man Flying Motorized Kite

There were some guys flying around in these motorized kites.

Below is what the device looked like.  It had a chair, a motor and propeller and a kite.

Closeup of Motorized Kite

Very small and compact.  Not much too it.

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Never confuse this blog with a professional journal.  I don't think you would.  I am just saying that I do a post nearly everyday and don't sit down and deliberate with experts or editors and struggle over every word or attempt to fact check every reference.  This blog is not my job.  I don't get paid for it.  It is  just something I do because I feel like it.  There are a some issues on which I think my research and conclusions are as good you'll find anywhere, including academic or professional journals, but for the most part I post my casual observations and thoughts.  When I state something as fact, I am careful about what I say, but when I just throw out an idea (as I sometimes do) or post a link for reference, I leave some of the judgment up to you.  Almost every post I disappoint myself when I go back and notice misspellings, grammar mistakes, and writing that is simply not up to what I would like to post. Sometimes I am a little more careful than others, depending upon the amount of time I have and other things, but I don't give this blog the same priority in my life that I would if it were a professional or paid activity, so I hope you'll be forgiving and take it for what it is.

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I have some more topics to talk about but will keep them for another day.

I am giving a 1 (poor) rating on my beach detecting conditions rating scale.

The surf will remain small for a few days, but we will still be getting some big and some negative tides.  I noticed yesterday that the water got up pretty high at high tide.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

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

3/11/16 Report - Lead Stylus From Treasure Coast Beach. Good Negative Tides Today.

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

Four Lead Styluses.

The four lead styluses (both styli and styluses seems to be accepted) shown above were recovered from Wayne County Michigan, the site of the Battle of Brownstown Creek.  They are shown in Identification Guide to Recovered Colonial and Revolutionary War Artifacts by Timothy J. McGuire.

Styluses were used as far back as the days of the Roman empire.  From Wikipedia ,"The original form of "lead pencil" was the leaden stylus used by the ancient Romans, who also used it to write on wood or papyrus by leaving dark streaks where the soft metal rubbed off onto the surface. The concept has been revived in recent times as the core of the "inkless pen": a lead-based metal alloy that leaves dark markings on paper by abrading small pieces of core onto the surface."

I've also seen styluses that were made of bronze and silver.  Some were quite ornate.

Those shown above are described as being from 1770 to 1813,

The stylus shown below is from a Treasure Coast beach. Unlike the more refined examples that can be found both those shown above and the one from the Treasure Coast are more crude, yet functional.

Lead, of course, was used to make shot and was very plentiful in many situations.  It was easily melted or pounded into different forms and used for a variety of purposes.

I've found lead sinkers that were obviously hand-made by melting and drilling or rolling.  Without context it can be difficult to date such items because there are still a few people around who will make their own sinkers out of left-over lead.

Lead Stylus Found
On Treasure Coast
Beach Some
Years Ago.

When I was a child, one of my favorite toys was an electric melting pot and molds that I could use to melt lead and pour my own lead soldiers.  They weren't so particular about lead and heat and safety issues in general in those days.  I wish I had that neat little kit today.

McGuire points out that "Lead was used for many purposes on the Frontier.  It was easily melted and recycled into many different items."

The stylus found on the Treasure Coast was not found on one of the well known 1715 Fleet beaches.  It was found on a shipwreck beach though, where I believe there are multiple shipwrecks nearby from various centuries.  I believe one of those shipwrecks is probably a 19th century shipwreck.

I have found very little good research information on lead styluses like these.

This stylus leaves a black or grey mark on a hard surface.

I have not yet learned anything about what the most common tablet would be made of in the 18th century.

If you let your imagination run wild, you might imagine an officer standing on the beach over seeing recovery efforts and keeping tally of goods that were salvaged.  You can raise many questions or objections to that scenario.

If you can find any good information about how lead styli were used and what they were typically used on I'd appreciate an email.  Or any of your thoughts on the subject.

I could see how this kind of stylus could be used to mark on a large piece of olive jar or even a brick or something.

This is the kind of item that a detectorist might find and toss as junk.

There are a lot of questions remaining in my mind about this item.  I'm sure there are some who will think that it is nothing but rolled lead.  That might be right.  I'm not sure.

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On the Treasure Coast it is pretty breezy.  The news is talking about the rough surf and rip tides.  Be careful with those rip tides.

The surf isn't that big though - only around three feet.  And the wind continues from the southeast.

The one thing to consider is the big tides right now.  The high tides are high and there are some good negative tides.  That can be just as important as the surf.  Take advantage of the tides.  I haven't been able to get out to the beach lately, but I'm sure with those tides you will be able to find some small cuts if you look around enough.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net