4/3/20 Report - Alternatives to Metal Detecting. Putting Treasure Back. Hoard Uncovered. Seeking and Finding: The Necessity.

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

Tool - Possibly Paleo.

Photo submitted by JamminJack

4/4/20 correction: I originally described the above item as an archaic point, but JamminJack tells me it is close to six inches long so could be an axe or something else and may be paleo.  Also, it was found by Jack's buddy.


Some people have been doing other kinds of hunting since the beaches have been closed.  I received the following message from JamminJack.

I have been getting back into arrowhead hunting. The field was plowed last week, and was able to find two bags of flint and two archaic period points during one day visit.

Crockpot Shard.

Find and photo by JamminJack.

Today my buddy was already out and found the scraper (not shown) just as he was going back to his car. The scraper is close to 5 inches. 

Small Bottle.

Find and photo by JamminJack.

I found the ceramic crockpot piece and small bottle. Bottle about 2 inches...

Good signs for metal detecting too.  This is obviously a site that was populated or visited by different groups for quite a while.

I know I have that exact same bottle somewhere.

---

Underwater archaeologists have returned 52 pre-Hispanic ritual objects to the place where they were found: the bed of one of the two crater lakes of the Nevado de Toluca volcano.

Members of the underwater archaeology team at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) deposited the mostly spherical and conical resin objects on the bed of the Lake of the Moon earlier this month.

The objects, believed to have been made by the Matlatzinca people between the 13th and 15th centuries and placed in the lake by pre-Hispanic priests, are stored in a specially-made container that allows water and sediment to flow over them. As a result, they are protected from deterioration.

The trove of objects is the first in situ underwater archaeological archive in Mexico, according to an INAH statement. The decision to preserve the objects in their place of origin complies with recommendations in the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/archaeological-objects-deposited-in-lake/

---

While removing the floor of the church in Obišovce near Košice, the foundations of the old church were uncovered. After this discovery, the archaeological company Triglav conducted research that took place at the beginning of February 2020, the Regional Monuments Board Košice reported.

During this work, the archaeologists discovered a unique treasure trove of coins, kept in a ceramic mug and covered with a small stone slab, under the original stone floor close to the western entrance of the church.

The hoard consists of more than 500 coins, most of them mining salary plates. The silver coins were wrapped separately, probably in linen clothing. The coins date the treasure to 1702 at the earliest...


Here is the link for more about that.

https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22359500/archaeologists-unearth-treasure-in-obisovce.html

---

Even when they don't yet see it, treasure hunter's know there is something good out there to be found.  Treasure hunter's by nature must be optimistic.  Not only do they believe that there is something good out there to be found, they also believe that it can be found, and they can do it.

You might have misinterpreted something I said.  It happens, but I never meant to imply that we should not take the threat seriously or that any individual should not be responsible in every action.  It is just the opposite.

I believe that men are not only created with inalienable rights, but they are also created with  minds capable of finding wonderful solutions.  Humans are creative.  That is how they have survived and thrived.

Yes there is evil - great evil, but eventually, through great vision, effort and hardship, mankind generally wins.  Innovators do not blindly accept authority.

You might call me an optimist.  I am a treasure hunter in some small way, although my seeking is not always limited to objects.  Sometimes my seeking is in the stars, or in the thought-ways of the mind.  I like astronomy, and I like thinking.

Some may think we will fail.  I think there is a better way.  I believe that there are ingenious solutions waiting to be found.  I believe in tirelessly seeking those solutions and, remaining open to alternatives ideas, always believing that we can do it, and knowing that we have not only survived in the past, but also improved.

I encourage striving and seeking the smarter and better way.  Thinking is the ultimate weapon.   We can not simply accept fear, sloth, inertia and blind dependence, but must always seek the better solution - the better way.

I seldom believe that what I am told or where I am is the end of the matter.  I  tend to believe that there is usually another and better way to be found, and I believe that it can be found, but only if we believe and strive.

 ---

The Treasure Coast surf predictions have changed a little.  Now Sunday should see something like a 4 - 6 foot surf and Sunday, a 5 - 7 foot surf.   That isn't quite as much as was predicted a few days ago.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/1/19 Report - Florida Fort Found. Antiquarian Book Treasures. Victorio Peak. Numismatics.

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

1615 Bible Stolen and Recovered.

I used to be amazed by the valuable treasures that you could find on the shelves of lending libraries.   Library staffs were not always aware of value of some of their books.  Back twenty or thirty years ago I noticed a very old book of Durer prints that was very valuable on the shelves of one library.  Someone was making photocopies of each of the valuable full-page Durer prints.  They evidently knew they were of value, but in the process of spreading the prints out on the photocopier were damaging the old book. I hated to see valuable antiquarian books like that being ruined.

It would have been easy for anyone to walk out of the library with an antique book worth tens of thousands of dollars and never return.  If they were to be charged with late fees, they could have probably paid a ridiculously low fee for "losing" such a rare book.  I was amazed that such books were on the shelves and that they didn't disappear.

The Bible above was part of the $8 million dollars of books stolen by one group, including an library archivist so I guess that some of those old books did disappear.  The stolen Bible shown above, and printed a hundred years before the wrecking of the 1715 Fleet was recovered in the Netherlands.

I noticed a rare collection of valuable books at one local library that was going to get rid of the entire collection of valuable books for essentially nothing.  I told one librarian what they were worth and that they should be saved.  Several of the books were worth hundreds, and a few, thousands of dollars.

Here is the link for more about the stolen and returned Bible.

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/400-year-bible-stolen-us-found-netherlands-62627071

---

Hurricane Michael uprooted trees in north Florida and revealed artifacts from 'Negro Fort' where 270 escaped slaves died.

Here is the link for more of that story.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/04/27/hurricane-michael-unearths-artifacts-historic-apalachicola-river-negro-fort/3472717002/

I always like to check in the roots and in the hole created by uprooted trees.

---

I posted a link the other day to the Doc Noss Victorie Peak treasure story.  Here is another.

https://dailyoddsandends.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/victorio-peak-treasure-milton-doc-noss-biggest-con-of-the-20th-century/

Thanks to Norbert B. for that link.

---

Here is a great video and discussion of some of the earliest ancient coins ever created.  It is very educational.

https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/watch-talking-ancient-coins-with-mike-beall-and-mike-markowitz-part-i/

---

I once created a video while I walked along a good shell line and picked up a sea glass and fossils that I saw.  It wasn't a very good video.  It was my first attempt at doing something like that and every time I bent down to pick up a piece of sea glass the camera didn't catch a good picture of the item I picked up.  If you wanted to get a real good look at the find, you could stop the video and get s somewhat better look at it.

Yesterday I got notice of a comment on the video.  The comment was, "Horrible video."  I wouldn't argue with that.  My reply to the comment was, "Thanks. Great comment."

Another person had commented on the video a long time ago, and said that I was being intentionally evasive and I "wasn't fooling anybody."  I think I fooled him, but not intentionally.

I don't know what those people were looking for, but I  suspect the second person wanted to gain something from the video that he failed to get from it.  He was evidently unhappy about that.  People reveal a lot about themselves from their comments.

Those are the only two comments that the video received over maybe a year or so.  The video did get a lot of "thumbs up," and almost as many "thumbs down."  Some people evidently got something out of the video, and some people didn't.

Rightly or wrongly, I expect treasure hunters to be able to take advantage of small signs, and anything that might be provide a hint or clue.  I don't think a treasure hunter of any type should expect somebody to tell them exactly where to go and where to dig.  That would not be treasure "hunting."

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/29/19 Report - Incidental Sight Finds: Insulators. $30 Billion Dollar Treasure Story. Cookout Huge Success.

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

Blue Hemingray 19 Insulator.

I recently added a couple finds to my insulator collection.  One is a green Hemingray - No 9. (below), and the other is the blue No. 19 Hemingray shown above.

The green one  is in very nice condition. Otherwise it is nothing very special.

When I first saw it I thought it was broken because just a small piece of it was sticking out of the sand.  I almost didn't take the time to dig it up, but was glad I did.

It was just walking along and area where I've been many times before and wasn't really expecting much of anything because of the accumulating sand.  It was certainly not the place to expect coins.

Hemmingray No. 9 Insulator.

The blue insulator is the better one.  I don't know how much it is worth, but I saw the following ad.

---

HEMINGRAY

[070] (F-Skirt) HEMINGRAY (R-Skirt) No 19 SDP

Cobalt Blue . . . . . . . . . . . $350-400

The least expensive Cobalt Blue insulator you can find! Be careful not to confuse this color with the very common Hemingray Blue.

---

I don't know if it is worth that much, but it is my first blue insultor, so I'm happy to add it to my collection.  Now I have to learn if it is cobalt blue or just blue.

I always like sight finds, even if they are not metal.  I like a variety of types of treasure - not just metallic.  Keep your eyes open whether you are metal detecting or not.

I also learned that there are fake insulators.  They make copies of virtually anything that might have some value.

http://www.hemingray.info/database/index.php

I'm amazed by the different ways that insulators are altered and faked.  They are altered and faked just like coins.

---

Here is the beginning of big treasure story written by Thomas Whittle for Freedom Magazine, June 1986.  The title is The Mystery of the $30 Billion Treasure.

Here is the beginning.

You are about to read a story that strains the imagination. It is about the disappearance of a fortune of up to $30 billion in gold bullion. When it was first presented as a “tip” to a Freedom Magazine reporter in El Paso, Texas, in 1981, it was discounted as beyond belief. However, when dozens of unrelated, independent sources began to corroborate the story, it could no longer be disregarded, no matter how bizarre. The following story, constructed from personal interviews, documents and confidential reports, is the result of a five-year investigation...

In one of the most closely guarded crimes of recent history, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tons of gold bullion were secretly and illegally removed from caverns on White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the beneficiaries allegedly including former President Lyndon Johnson and individuals connected with the U.S. Army, the Central Intelligence Agency and organized crime.

The caverns are located in and around Victorio Peak, in a remote, rugged section of south-central New Mexico... 

And here is the link for the rest of the article.

https://www.freedommag.org/english/vol18I10/ 

Thanks to DJ for that link.

Good reading.

---

I received the following review of the annual Treasure Hunter's Cookout.

Treasure Guide,

Hello Friends!

What a wonderful time at the 11th annual Treasure Hunters Pic Nic, I had the pleasure to visit with some really interesting folks and seriously sincere Hunters whom some I knew, and others who I had the pleasure meeting.

For the short time I was there, I reflected on my time in Base Camp in Afghanistan during Operations with all the men whom appeared to look like us during during Operation Enduring Freedom, as we deployed to that area of the world.

One senior officer was reported saying he looked at us as "Pirates of the Caribbean" all of us,, not just one particular unit...

"I mean that with respect, to all who attended this gala."

Terry Shannon and friends, Capt. Fizzmer,  Taff Fisher, 1715 Captains, The Masters from NC, Capt. White, Capt Dominic to name a few...

If I missed anyone else it's was because it was so hard to meet every one involved, and the hero of the deep who made this possible.

Food was great and hospitality was what I expected from the "Breathen of the Coast" in a sincere manner.

I also what to mention all these men and women were exceptionally nice to my young son, who they paid attention to while I was talking to the folks there.

I look forward to seeing many of them again soon, and wish all of those passionate treasure Hunters the best of Fortune Safety and Joy these coming seasons.

Thank you from one Veteran to Another.

Respectively,Pirate Booty... 
 Chris N.  

---

Thanks for the report on the huge success of the cookout.

If you missed it this year, you won't want to miss it next year.

---

I just got an email from Bill P. suggesting XRF analysis to determine the content of the white melted pieces.  I talked about XRF analysis not too long ago, but didn't think of it in this context.

I think that should do it, if you want to take some samples to a pawn shop or where ever they might do an analysis for you.

Thanks Bill!

---

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/26/18 Report - Mysterious Tunnels Discovered. Treasure Hunter Can't Present Coins to Court. Florida Shoreline Change Database. Plastic in Whales.

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

More evidence has emerged of a mysterious network of tunnels beneath the historic neighborhood of Ybor City in Tampa, Fla.

Earlier this week, architect Gerry Curts was on site showing pictures and offering descriptions of one of the tunnels, Fox 13 reported. He said that a new opening to the tunnels was revealed during demolition work by developers planning an office building./..

Mormino speculated that the tunnels may have been part of a network that transported Chinese prostitutes from Cuba to the Port of Tampa to Ybor City in the early 1900s, but added that we may never discover their real use. "The tunnels of Ybor City represent one of the great riddles and mysteries," he said...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.foxnews.com/science/mysterious-tunnels-discovered-in-florida

---

COLUMBUS (AP) — A treasure hunter has taken back a pledge to turn over 500 missing coins just days after he promised to deliver the coins minted from gold found in a shipwreck off the South Carolina coast.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Tommy Thompson agreed on Wednesday to deliver the coins to a court-appointed receiver by Sunday to settle a lawsuit brought by an investor.

The paper says the deal fell apart Friday when Thompson said he has no idea how to obtain the coins.

Thompson found the S.S. Central America in 1988 after convincing more than 100 investors to fund the voyage for nearly $13 million.

Thompson never repaid the investors. He became a fugitive and fled...

Here are a couple links.

https://www.limaohio.com/wire/state-wire/329120/treasure-hunter-flip-flops-over-returning-missing-gold-coins

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181114/tommy-thompson-agrees-to-surrender-gold-coins-in-tentative-settlement

You might remember when a fugitive Tommy Thompson was apprehended in a Boca Raton hotel.

---

Here is a link that you can use to find some information on Florida shoreline changes.  Not all of it is up-to-date.

https://floridadep.gov/water/beaches/content/historic-shoreline-database

---

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including drinking cups, bottles and flip-flops, a park official said Tuesday, causing concern among environmentalists and government officials in one of the world’s largest plastic-polluting countries...

Santoso said researchers from wildlife conservation group WWF and the park’s conservation academy found about 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) of plastic waste in the animal’s stomach containing 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, 2 flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other assorted pieces of plastic...

For more - 

http://www.startribune.com/dead-whale-had-115-plastic-cups-2-flip-flops-in-its-stomach/500897282/

I'm always amazed by the number of flip flops and other plastic that washes up on the beaches on the Treasure Coast.

----

I've been busy with holiday activities already.  I always like the holidays.

Cooler weather is on the way.  The Treasure Coast surf is down to two to three feet, but the tides are still big.

We'll be getting more west and northwest winds, so I'm not expecting any improvement in beach detecting conditions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1 of 3

In this undated photo released by Akademi Komunitas Kelautan dan Perikanan Wakatobi (Wakatobi Marine and Fisheries Community Acad

emy or AKKP Wakatobi), researchers collect data of the carcass of a beached whale at Wakatobi National Park in South

11/10/17 Report - Millions of Dollars of Coins Found By Detectorist. Turtle Trail. Oak Island Artifacts and Observations.

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

Coins Found by Detectorist Mike Smale
Source: See DailyMail link below.

• Treasure hunter discovers a rare hoard of 2,000-year-old silver Roman coins worth up to £200,000 with a metal detector in a farmer's field (but he'll have to split the cash with the farmer)
• Some of the coins were minted during the era of Roman general Mark Antony
• Experts said the find is very rare and each coin could sell for £900 ($12,000)
• Coins would have circulated widely during Roman times - some dating to 32BC
• Mike Smale, 35, found the hoard of rare ancient coins in a farmer's field

Detectorist Mike Smale With The Field's Owner.
Source: See DailyMail link below.

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4932822/Treasure-hunter-discovers-rare-2-000-year-old-Roman-coins.html

Thanks much to Dean R. for the link.

---

Turtle Trail Yesterday.
Photo by Darrel S.

Darrel S. has been detecting the Treasure Coast beaches and sending in daily photos and reports.  I appreciate that a lot because I haven't been out to take a look at things much myself.

Yesterday he stopped at Treasure Shores, where he found a number of detectorists already there, so he moved on to Turtle Trail, where targets were scarce once again.  You can see the small dips or scallops that he described to me via email.

Thanks Darrel.

---

I didn't mean to carry on with this topic, but last night I watched a bit of a new episode of Oak Island and saw two things that I wanted to comment on.  First, there is now another spike.  The new spike was found in  the spoil pile.  I will refer to that spike as the "rose head" spike.  It is longer and does not have an offset head like the first spike.  I think things got more muddled when they discussed the new spike and why it was not a railroad spike. I don't know who would ever confuse the rose head spike with a railroad spike.  You could tell that even if the head was not present or was totally ignored.

The first spike, however, which I will refer to as the "swamp spike" was shown once again for a brief second or two earlier in the episode.  The view they gave only VERY briefly showed the offset head before it was turned to an angle that did not show the offset head.  It was super quick and you would not notice the offset head unless you were specifically looking for it.

It was supposedly the swamp spike that was researched by Dr. Lori.  However the spike she had in front of her did not appear to me to have the same offset head.  They undoubtedly were aware of the skepticism caused by that spike.  It was discussed all over the internet.

After getting another glimpse of the the swamp spike when the cut back again when it was found, I was not able to dismiss my impression that it was not the same spike discussed by Dr. Lori.  I hope to get another view of the spike that was in front of Dr. Lori and am sure I will in time.   If anyone wants to go back and really study the images of the swamp spike found as shown when it was found and when it was discussed by Dr. Lori, I'd really like to hear your conclusions.

So to summarize, there is now a new spike (rose head), which I don't think hardly anyone would confuse with a railroad spike even though they took the time to present the reasons why it was not a railroad spike.  It seemed to me that that would confuse many viewers and muddy the controversy around the railroad spike for the more casual viewer.

I haven't watched every minute of the show, and I might have missed or confused something myself.  If I did miss something or you need to correct me, please let me know.

I recently posted some thoughts on how hard it can be to identify and date artifacts so I won't delve into that much again.   I guess it is my scientific training that makes me very cautious about jumping to conclusions.  To me it is very foolish to pick up something out of the dirt and quickly state that it is from a certain time period.  I remember, for example, the time I found a musket ball on Cape Florida, where musket balls from the Seminole War period might be found.  That was way back a few decades ago.  I didn't recognize at first, that it was a new reproduction.  Musket balls are still made today using the same processes, and they are used with antique guns etc.  Rose head nails are still made today too.  And just because a coin has an 18th century date, does not mean that it was lost in the 18th century.  There are many possibilities, and quickly jumping to conclusions does not give me a great deal of confidence in either the source or the conclusions.  I know that it is a TV show and they are going to try to make it exciting,    but while saying that a piece of metal with holes in it could have been used in a treasure chest without providing any other evidence might excite some viewers, it will raise questions for the more discriminating viewer.  I'd really like to see a more thoughtful scientific approach.

Just one more example.  Did you notice the golden balls floating in the water in front of the diver's camera in the last episode?  That is how light sometimes reflects off particles under water.  Do you remember the "golden" object in the wall of the pit that they talked about as if it was gold?  Might be, but I really doubt it.

---

North winds have started today. Watch for the five to eight foot surf coming this weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/16/17 Report - Artificial Intelligence Helped Find Lost Treasure Hunter. Can It Help You Find Treasure? Colonial Period Items of Personal Adornment.

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

Find and photo By Captain Jonah Matinez.

Jonah sent me this picture several months ago but I never posted it before.  Looks like it might have held some decorative stones.

---

A treasure hunter that disappeared while seeking the Fenn treasure was located by with the help of artificial intelligence.

When Randy Bilyeu disappeared, he was hunting for the Fenn Treasure, a chest allegedly filled with gold, precious stones, and jewelry, supposedly hidden in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe, New Mexico...

Essentially, it’s an artificial intelligence system that figures out the current location of someone (or thing) using a data set of known previous locations. For example, geospatial abduction can pinpoint the location of a bear’s cave using the coordinates of animal’s droppings, or a serial killer’s address using the coordinates of known killings. Serial killers usually attack within six miles from their home, and bears will stay within the same distance of their cave when they go out on their daily hunts or bathroom trips. Shakarian has designed algorithms that take information like that into account, ingest data points, and, after ruling out obviously impossible locations like lakes, rivers and so on, come up with the most feasible solution to current whereabouts. As with most algorithms of this sort, the more data—the more killings or droppings—the more likely for the solution to be correct.

https://qz.com/770022/ai-for-missing-persons-found-fenn-treasure-hunter-randy-bilyeu/

I bolded and underlined two words in the above excerpt to draw your attention to the fact that AI systems can be used to find things.  The same AI system that helped find the lost treasure hunter could also be used to find treasure.

Artificial intelligence is being talked about a lot these days.  Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Google all offer AI capabilities to various industries.  AI was one of my interests some thirty years ago.  I constructed a couple of few "expert systems." Now artificial intelligence is receiving new attention and is being applied to more significant tasks.

The treasure industry could benefit tremendously from AI but probably won't.  There are a variety of reasons for that.  It requires expertise that most treasure hunters do not have and do not want to take the time to develop.  You almost have to start with the computer skills and then bring those skills to the application.

The tons of GPS data stored over the years by the treasure salvage in Florida provides a very rich database.  That would be an ideal starting place for an AI project.  The data has already been computerized for the most part.

AI attempts to recognize patterns in existing data and make predictions from incoming data so the AI system is only as good as the data and the algorithms.

 I always enjoyed taking big data sets, soaking it in and analyzing the heck out of it.  If I was thirty or forty years younger, I would definitely be doing that.  So much in life and treasure hunting is about timing.

---

It would be easy enough for a manufacturer to install an expert system into a detector that would guide you to the best settings for a specific piece of ground and target type.  You heard it here first.

---

Here is a book you might like - especially if you find old things and try to identify them.

The book is American Artifacts of Personal Adornment, 1680-1820: A Guide to Identification and Interpretation by Carolyn White.

Here is a table from the book showing the items discussed.

Here is the link to the book, some of which can be viewed as a preview.

https://books.google.com/books?id=aWsnAAAAQBAJ&dq=artifacts+of+spanish+colonial+period

Aglets are often found and can easily be confused with a number of other items.  They are typically made of copper and in the shape of a rolled cone.

---

The surf is picking up a little.  Expect something like three to four feet along the Treasure Coast.  The wind is from the east.  I hope to get out to the beach in the next couple of days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/4/16 Report - 300-Year-Old Intact Pot Uncovered. Evolving As A Treasure Hunter. Mound Key Archaeology.

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

300-Year-Old Intact Bowl Uncovered In St. Augustine.

This rare 300-year-old intact bowl was recently uncovered by archaeologists in St. Augustine.

Here is the link to the video.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/300-year-old-bowl-found-in-st-augustine/164703194

---

If you don't evolve as a treasure hunter, you probably won't be a treasure hunter very long.  If you don't evolve, you'll probably quit.

I see some people who believe all they have to do is get a detector and swing it around, and the detector will find treasure.  That won't get you very far.  You won't find much, and you'll probably quit before long.

Learning is necessary if you want to find much, but it is also a lot of the fun of metal detecting.  If you are not learning, you're missing out in both ways.

To be most effective, you have to learn to use your detector.  You have to learn about different areas and how to read the environment so yo will see the clues that will lead you to good finds.  You have to learn techniques and strategies.  

You'll also change what you want to find.  Your goals will change.  You'll expect to find more, and you'll target higher quality finds.  

That is why I say, "If you don't evolve, you are not a treasure hunter."  It might be slightly more accurate to say, "If you don't evolve, you won't be a treasure hunter very long."

I think it is good to ask yourself every once in a while if you've been evolving.  If so, how, and if not, why not.  

---

Here is an academic publication in which the formation of Mound Key, the capital of the Calusa kingdom at the time of European contact in the sixteenth century was studied.


Here are some of the key observations from the study.

First, it appears that the island was occupied early in its existence, abandoned, and then reoccupied. During Mound Key’s second occupation, its inhabitants substantially altered the landscape by redepositing old midden to form at least the upper portions of the two largest midden-mounds. We argue that this reoccupation and the associated large-scale labor projects are part of a deep history of human-environmental interactions tied to the production of aquatic surpluses.

Here is the link if you want to read the entire article.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0154611#sec014

---.

It seems the crew of the Dare has identified a new target that has them excited on the site of the Atocha.  It is a new EM target that the magnetometer did not show. 

---

We got some much-needed rain. I'd rather have that than the hot sun.

The surf is smooth today, but there is a bigger tide.   I've been waiting for a negative tide, but won't get a chance to get out today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/3/14 Report - Unbelievable Silver Shaker Box From Treasure Coast Shipwreck Like New. Ace 250 Field Test At The Beach.

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

Silver Shaker Box Found On Treasure Coast Wreck Site
 By Crew of the Capitana
Photo submitted by Captain Jonah Martinez.

The crew of the Capitana made some great finds this summer off the Treasure Coast.  I showed you some of them.   Some of them have now been conserved.  Captain Jonah Martinez sent me a picture of the cleaned shaker box. 

UNBELIEVABLE ! 

That box looks like it is brand new but is hundreds of years old! 

Thanks for the great pictures Captain.

Below is a close up showing the top of the same box.

Top of Same Silver Shaker Box
Photo submitted by Captain Jonah Martinez.

Very ornate and intricate.  As fine as it gets.


We would not get to see stuff like this without the work of the early treasure hunters that worked the beaches and waters along the Treasure Coast decades ago.  They were the ones that invested time and effort and to find these wreck sites, and led to the eventual development of the field of underwater archaeology.








Back a few months ago I did a test of the Ace 250.  I first used it on an old yard and by an old wooded wagon trail.  It worked very well in those inland tests, but I suspected that it might not be good for hunting in wet sand. 

This morning I took it for its first test at the beach.  What I suspected was proved to be true.  It did not work well in wet sand.  It gave many false signals, especially in All Metals mode. 

In Coin mode it worked better than in All Metals mode in the wet sand but still gave a good number of false signals.

[Added 10/4.  One thing I forgot to mention is that the factory default sensitivity was use.  I did not attempt to reduce the sensitivity.]

The sand was not only salt water wet, but there was also a scattering of black sand.

I took it up to the dry sand where it did everything you could possibly expect out of an inexpensive detector.

It performed excellently in a very junky area, correctly identifying coins and junk.

One thing about the 250, and I suspect most detectors with target ID, is that if the ID is consistent, the ID is correct a very high percentage of the time.  However if the ID jumps around, for example between pull tab and penny, it is likely junk rather than a penny.   Consistent good target IDs are almost always correct.

In summary, the 250 is in my opinion an excellent machine for the money. As far as I'm concerned, it will do the job very well on a dry sand beach.  It is not, however, a good choice for salt water wet sand.

I also tested the 250 on a thin gold ring.   It gave a good clear loud signal on that particular thin gold ring in the Coin, Jewelry, and All Metals Mode.

Some more expensive detectors that would far out-perform the 250 in the wet sand would not do as well as the 250 in the dry sand. 

As I've said before, a detector that is good in one situation might not be good in another situation.  There are situations when an expensive detector will not work as well as an inexpensive detector.


On the Treasure Coast we had a one to two foot surf again.  Sunday the surf will increase a little, but probably not enough to do us much good.

The low tides are not going down very much.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

9/21/14 Report - Mystery Object. Wreck Of The Civil War Blockade Runner Mary Celestia. More On Missing Treasure Hunter.

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




Anybody have an ideas what this is.  I haven't posted many mystery items lately.  This one has no metal in it.   I don't know if it is naturally formed or was made.

 It is made of compressed bits of shell or conglomerate.  There are no signs of rust or anything like that.

As it is, it would make a decent candle holder.

Here are two pictures.  Below is a close-up.

What do you think?   Any ideas appreciated.









The Mary Celestia was a Civil War iron-hulled sidewheel steamship that sank near Bermuda. It was a blockade runner.

Bermuda is surrounded by more than 150 shipwrecks.

It was discovered in 1505 by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez.

It wasn’t until Hurricane Bill in 2009 that Mary Celestia would reveal more of its secrets. On August 22, 2009, Hurricane Bill passed 80 miles off Bermuda, with 75-mileper- hour winds that knocked out power and sent massive waves crashing into the south shore. As surges washed over the reefs and around Mary Celestia, tons of sand, close to eight feet deep on the wreck and packed into the tight spaces inside the bow, were removed, along with the 12 sandbags Rouja placed there in 2006. Revealed were a single corked and still full bottle of wine, the corner of what appeared to be a wooden case, and also the entire starboard side of the stern of the ship—something Rouja had never seen in all his years of diving the site. Rouja photographed the site, retrieved the bottle of wine for analysis, and placed fresh sandbags in the bow. (Excerpt from the article linked immediately below.)

This is a good article about the history and partial excavation of the Mary Celestia.

http://archive.archaeology.org/1111/letter/mary_celestia_bermuda_civil_war_noaa.html



Close-up View Looking Into the Hole
Of The Mystery Object.

I've talked about using magnets or other items to remove iron from junky sites before detecting.  Some sites without a lot of iron have a lot of aluminum near the surface.  Older items can be beneath that.   Instead of using the types of tools that I've described for removing iron junk, I've found a pole with a sharp nail on the end helpful for removing aluminum junk.   Save the aluminum for recycling.






Here is another article on missing Tommy Thompson, the missing Treasure Hunter.   He is the fellow that who discovered the SS Central America and was last seen in Vero.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/mystery-missing-discoverer-gold-shipwreck-tommy-thompson-ss-central-America


Right now there is no indication of any tropical storms forming that could affect the Treasure Coast in the near future.

We are getting close to the time when we normally get our first good Fall storm -  normally October or November.

The Treasure Coast surf will be down around one or two feet for at least a couple of days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net