8/13/25 Report - What Detectorists Need to Know About AI. Post Contact Indigenous Artifacts. Utilitarian Tools and Horse Tack. Erin Coming.

 

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Trasure Beaches Report.

B. and C. Above Are Iron Objects from the Post-contact Period.

Dated to roughly AD 1700–1750, the River Bend site captures a pivotal moment—just after Euro-American contact began altering Indigenous societies, but before those changes completely took root. What emerges is a portrait of Native ingenuity and identity, etched into shell beads, bone tools, and elk ivory pendants...

“We haven’t seen awls like this at other sites from the same period,” Pelton explains. “But they seem to be among the first types of metal tools to appear at early contact sites. They quickly replaced older technologies, which had been used for thousands of years.”

These utilitarian tools—along with metal knives, kettles, needles, and axes—offered tangible improvements in daily life. Their early adoption reflects the practical needs of the community, not just their openness to novelty. Tools that could be integrated into existing lifeways were the first to cross the cultural threshold.

At River Bend, the presence of metal awls likely helped artisans work more quickly and effectively, especially with abundant materials like shell. This small technological change had ripple effects, possibly increasing the production and distribution of adornment items, reinforcing social networks, and shaping identity practices...

Here is the link to the rest of that article.

Ancient Beads and Lost Stories Unearthed in a Wyoming Field

I've found an iron awl and some others that I'm more uncertain about.

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The warrior’s grave contained a rich array of artifacts. Weapons included iron spears, a curved sword known as a machaira (Greek: Μάχαιρα), and a shield with an iron umbo. Jewelry finds featured a silver fibula, bracelet, and ring. Ceramic and glass vessels, some imported from Mediterranean centers, suggest far-reaching trade connections.

The find was made during rescue excavations along the planned route of a cable connection between Topolovgrad and a nearby solar park.

Experts describe it as a masterpiece of ancient sculpture and a rare example of high-class Hellenistic art. Animal figures, likely representing beasts vanquished by Heracles, adorned the cheekpieces.

Here is the link for more of that story.

Hellenistic Era Warrior Tomb and Sanctuary Unearthed in Bulgaria - GreekReporter.com

Horse tack and related objects have been found on the Treasure Coast - probaby more than we realize.  Some are correctly identified, while others probably remain mystery objects.

I had one mystery find that for a long time remained a mystery to me.  I now think it was one of these.

Here is the former mystery item.

And here is what I now think it is.  I'm talking about the object in the middle of the harness.

Here is the link to the post on horse tack.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 11/25/19 Report - Horse Tack and Related Finds. Gold Coin Counterfeits and Cautions. High Tides and Flat Surf.

---

AI can be helpful and save a lot of research time for detectorists and treasure hunters, but there are some things you need to know about the accuracy and reliability of AI systems like Copilot, ChatGPT and Grok. 

If you were on the Treasure Coast Tuesday evening, you probably heard a sonic boom around maybe 10:30 PM.  I thought it was a sonic boom but checked this morning.  I asked copilot and copilot said there was a sonic boom due to a SpaceX launch.  Copilot also mentioned sonic boom alerts being online, and I asked where I could find those "sonic boom alerts."  Copilot gave an answer that was somewhat lacking.  It sounded good.  It mentioned some TV stations, for example, and said to check the SpaceX feed on Twitter.

Unable to find record of any SpaceX launch Tuesday evening after checking some of the listed sources, my wife, using her own computer, also queried Copilot, using nearly the same wording I used.  Copilot told her the boom was from a ULA launch.  ULA is United Launch Alliance, a Boeing/Lockheed project.  Nothing about SpaceX this time.  The biggest difference between her query and mine, was she asked about Fort Pierce and I asked about St. Lucie.  I don't think that would account for the different Copilot responses - one talking about a SpaceX launch and the other about a ULA launch.

My wife checked and did find evidence of a ULA launch that accounted for the boom.  The point of all that being that while the AI systems can be helpful, they are not always correct, and they are sometimes inconsistent or unreliable.  Small differences in wording of the query can apparently result in distinctly different respons

As I've said before, I've been doing an informal evaluation and comparison of those three AI systems. At this point I would give Copilot, which I've used the most, no more than an 80% or a grade of B.  When it comes to leading edge or more challenging issues, probably B-.  For example, it knew nothing of the Claytom metalphone listed in the old New York Times article.

When it comes to metal detecting, I often feel that I am spending too much time training the AI system.  These systems are not innovators.  They scan what is already out there and give weight to the most highly regarded or "authoritative" sources.  I asked either Copilot of ChatGPT for the criteria used to determine "authoritativeness."  Of course it cited things like reputation, respected institutions and stuff like that.  All of that is backwards looking.

If you check the sources provided by Copilot, and I assume the others too, you'll sometimes find that the information is sometimes actually not in the source referenced.  Upon pointing that to Copilot, that the information provided was not in the source it provided, it something like, "You are exactly right."  It then goes on to explain that from the available information that it (Copilot) somewhow derived the conclusion.

Musk and others seem proud to say that Grok4 scores better than Harvard professors, or something like that.  That is ok if you want to find out what the most accepted thinking is among those recognized as authorities, but I wouldn't ask those same people for advice on things like relationships, spiritual life, or many other practical issues of daily living.  And certainly not metal detecting.

I got long winded there, but my point is that you can not assume an answer given by an AI system is correct.  As I've said, I've found AI very useful.  It can save a lot of time.  But it is far from perfect.

---

Above is the current NHC map.  Below is the projected track for Erin.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

It looks like we'll have south winds for a few days, but after that we'll get some north winds.

The view using the ECMWF track shows Erin's projected postiion for about a week from now.

Windy.com.

 

According to the ECMWF model, Erin will stay out to sea.  

Here is the surf chart from SurfGuru.com.

Source: SurfGuru.com.

So it doesn't look like Erin will cause any increase in surf until next week.

 

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

Atocha Keys Found. Cocos Island Pirate Treasure. Clayton Metalphone. Beach Petroglyph. Georgia Meteorite. Hurricane Erin.

 

Written by the Treassureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Above: Ancient 'stick figures' on beach once again visible at tourist destination

Seasonal ocean swells reveal 500-year-old petroglyphs on Oahu's shores for the first time in years

Hawaiian petroglyphs dating back at least half a millennium are visible for the first time in years, according to The Associated Press (AP). (See the video at the top of this article.)

The stick figure-like etchings were revealed due to seasonal ocean swells that peel away sand that had been covering over two dozen images, AP reported.

---

From Mel Fisher Treasures via email...

Two keys were recently discovered on the Atocha site by Mel Fisher's Treasures Divers. Keys found on 1600s Spanish galleons were typically made of brass or iron and served functional and symbolic roles. Here's what they may have been used for. Treasure chests (containing coins, gems, or bullion) Personal lockers for officers or nobles Cargo crates holding valuables, trade goods, or important documents While we can't be certain what these keys were used for, we can only keep searching for clues to unlock their secrets. --- From Sedwick Coins... Consign Now for Our Upcoming Auction – November 13 to 15 This is the last chance to consign to our Auction 38 while at a major coin show. We will be at the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Oklahoma City, ready to review your material in person and provide professional evaluations at no cost or obligation. This is the perfect opportunity to secure your place in what promises to be one of the most important auctions we have ever held. The sale will be anchored by an extraordinary lineup of named collections: The Sedwick–Downing Collection of Charles and Joanna Mexican Coins The McGregor Collection of Gold Cobs from the 1715 Fleet The Almenara Collection of Peruvian Republic Gold Coins The Darby Collection of Guatemalan Cobs The Val y Mexía Collection of Chilean Bust Four Reales Along with these major consignments, the auction will offer an exceptional range of shipwreck coins and some of the rarest and finest Latin American issues seen in years. --- Through the roof. A piece of space rock that crashed into a home in Atlanta, Georgia, had been zooming around in space for longer than Earth has existed, a recent analysis has found. The newly named McDonough Meteorite that punched through Earth's atmosphere on 26 June 2025 formed around 4.56 billion years ago, according to planetary geologist Scott Harris of the University of Georgia. Our home planet, for context, is thought to be around 4.5 billion years old – making the tiny fragments of rock that survived the impact at least a few hundred million years older. Here is the link for more about that. Atlanta Home Struck by Meteorite Older Than Earth, Study Finds : ScienceAlert --- I read about a metal locating device from the 1930s referred to as the "Clayton metalphone."  I haven't been able to find and information about the device beyond its mention in a Cocos Island treasure story in a 1931 newspaper article.  The person who apparently discovered the metal locating device which could have been a scam, also had a company called the Clayton Metalphone Company.   If you can find any information on the device, I'd like to find out more about it.  The free internet AI systems knew nothing of the device other than what I pointed out, which is the mention of the device in a the New York Times article.  If it is what it sounds like rather than a scam, it could be one of the earliest commercial metal detectors. Again let me know if you have any aditional information on the Clayton metalphone. The newspaper article in which the metal locating device was mentioned, involved a huge pirate treasure, and like many treasure hunts also involved disputes over rights or ownership and the legal issues that go with that.  Below is an excerpt from the newspaper story. Somewhere within the fourteen square miles of the romantic isle there is believed to be a spot where pirates hid some 300 tons of treasure valued at from sixty to ninety million dollars. This treasure is supposed to have been plundered from ships bringing wealth from Peru and Mexico for shipment to Europe across the Isthmus of Panama. When hard pressed by other pirates and the ships of Spain they hid their treasure on Cocos Island to prevent its falling into the hands of enemies. And here is the link to read the article, which I think you will want to do. COCOS ISLAND GOLD TO BE SOUGHT AGAIN; New Company Will Search for Pirate Treasure With Device for Detecting Metals. COSTA RICA DEMANS SHARE That Nobody Has Ever Found the Legendary Wealth Seems to Be No Deterrent. No Treasure Found. - The New York Times --- Below is the NHC map showing the projected path of Hurricane Erin. Projected trac of Erin. Source: nhc.noaa.gov. Source: nhc.noaa.gov. Their is a system over in the Gulf.  That has been an active area in recent years, but the one of most interest, in my opinion, is Erin.  I expect it to stay out to sea, but it is too early to say with a high degree of confidence.  Keep watching that one. For the next week, the Surfguru surf chart shows nothing more than a two-foot surf for the Treasure Coast for the next week. We will, however, have over three-foot high tides. Good hunting, TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/11/25 Report - Research and Developments Relevant to the Future of Metal Detecting. Alternative Methods and AI. Military Applications.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Still Clip from American Valor: One Marine's Story
Showing Joey Jones with Metal Detector in Afganistan.
Source: American Valor: One Marine's Story

I'm not sure what the metal detector is, but notice the Big Foot style elongated rectangular coil.  In one quick view I thought it was a Garrett, but I don't know.  Anyone know?

You  might know the story.  Joey later had his legs blown off and nearly died.  You can view the story.  

American Valor: One Marine's Story

I recently mentioned some of the changes I thought you might see in metal detectors of the future.  I found some research on the changes I thought could be coming.  One of the things I predicted was the integration of various forms of detecting such as thermal, and GPR to supplement current metal detector technology.  Here are a few excerpts I just found in one report to add to that.

 The most mature sensors for mine and IED detection include metal-detector coils, infrared (IR) cameras, and ground-penetrating radars (GPR). Depending on the type and depth of the target, each of these systems has advantages and limitations. 

 • Metal detectors can detect targets deeper than a GPR but cannot reliably detect low-metal targets.

 • GPRs can detect metal and low-metal targets, but do not perform as well against deeply buried targets. 

 • IR cameras can provide contrast between targets and the surrounding soil, but are ineffective during thermal crossover points (dawn and dusk)...

There is almost always a tradeoff between sensitivity and false positives or false alarms.  Below is how the article puts it.  (ROC stands for Receiver Operating Characteristics)

...  ROC curves show the trade-off between probability of detection (PD ) and false-alarm rate (FAR)....

As sensitivity is increased, systems usually have an increase in false alarms.  You therefore need to make a strategic decision of how sensitive you want to go considering the likely increase in false positives.  For most detectorists that means turning sensitivity or discrimination up or down.

You might want to read the rest of that article that also deals with the challenges of the other technologies as they relate to detecting IEDs.

Here is the link.

https://www.ida.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Publications/ResearchNotes/RN2010/DetectingImprovisedExplosiveDevices.pdf

Here are a few excerpts from another article on research to develop more effective detecting technologies.  This research is also concerned with military contexts but the developments apply equally well to the detection of buried treasures.

Here is the first excerpt.

Current state-of-the-art electromagnetic induction (EMI) metal detectors can detect small metal objects at shallow depths and large metal objects at greater depths under a wide range of environmental and soil conditions. However, nonlethal metal (clutter) objects commonly found in the environment are a major issue. Because these clutter objects represent false targets, they create a false alarm when detected by a conventional metal detector. Ideally, the detected metal targets should be classified as to their threat potential: landmine/UXO, weapon, or clutter. This article describes several current research projects at APL that focus on solving this metal target detection and classification problem...

[UXO = Unexploded Explosive Ordnance]

 It has been estimated that for every real land mine detected there are as many as 100 to 1000 metal clutter objects detected.  Obviously, it is desirable to be able to discriminate the metal clutter from the real landmine... 

Most EMI sensors designed for UXO detection and discrimination do not take advantage of the available information that is inherent in the metal target’s elec tromagnetic response to an external magnetic fi eld excitation. Rather, these sensors tend to measure only a single dimension of a target’s response or, in the case of a spatially scanned metal target, try to infer a multi dimensional response. Some experimental EMI sensors that do attempt to generate a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field and measure a target’s 3D response do so with magnetic field antennas that have complex spatial magnetic fi eld distributions...

The prototype ETD sensor was constructed using commercial off the-shelf technology and was de- signed to demonstrate advanced detection and discrimination capabilities. It differs from conventional metal detectors in several aspects. First, the sensor’s high-speed data collection system accurately mea sures the time-decay signatures of the landmine signature. The prototype ETD sensor was constructed using commercial off the-shelf technology and was de- signed to demonstrate advanced detection and discrimination capabilities. It differs from conventional metal detectors in several aspects. First, the sensor’s high-speed data collection system accurately measures the time-decay signature of the metal object. Second, its bandwidth is about 10 times that of other metal detectors, thus allowing the sensor to detect small, fast-decaying metal objects not normally detectable with a conventional metal detector. And third, the sensor uses a differential or gradiometer coil antenna design that has several advantages over most conventional metal detector coil antenna designs: automatic ground balance, mineralized soil effect rejection, void detection, far-fi eld noise minimization, and cancellation of transmitter coil decay currents...

To read the rest of that article here is the link.  untitled

In summary, research is being done on using additional types of sensors in addition to our familiar metal detector coils to make detecting buried objects more accurate.  The additional data will be integrated and AI will do the pattern recognition using a library of data patterns.

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SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - All eyes are locked on the Atlantic tonight.A tropical system known as Invest 97L is showing all the signs of strengthening, and it likely to become the season’s first hurricane in the days ahead.

Some early computer models try to turn it north before it gets close to Florida, but it is simply too early to count on that. We’re tracking every update and will let you know the moment confidence grows in where this storm is headed.

The National Hurricane Center gives it a 90% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm this week, and it could become a hurricane later. It would be named Erin...

Here is that link.

Atlantic season’s first hurricane likely. What it means for Florida’s weather

---

Source: SurfGuru.com.

As you can see, despite the possible formation of this year's first hurricane, SurfGuru is not showing much of any increase in surf for the Treasure Coast.  The storms are a good ways off and there still could be an impact depending upon how things go.

We are going to have today some over three-foot hide tides and a slightly negative low tide.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/10/25 - More on Wrecks Discovered After Erosion. Dating Bottles. One of First Asians in America. Good Salvage Season Continues.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Four shipwrecks — including the remains believed to be a 1748 Spanish privateer ship — were recently found at a historical site in North Carolina...

... the university said the team collected wood samples that suggest the shipbuilders incorporated raw materials from Spanish Caribbean colonies in the 18th century. The team said that while more work is needed to confirm any identification of the remains, they believe they may be those of La Fortuna, a Spanish privateer from Cuba that exploded near the colonial wharves during an attack on the port at the end of King George's War in September 1748.

This is another article on the story I posted Friday.  Here is the link for the rest of this article.

Wreck of historic Spanish ship that was attacked in 1748 possibly found in North Carolina - CBS News

Thanks to John E. for that link.

---

Here is a good timeline for "Non-returnable" bottles.

Source: NRBeers.pdf

You might not recognize all the bottle types, but you might want to remember that 1939 was the beginning of the "No Return -No Deposit" type of message being embossed on the shoulder. That is an easy and clear marker.  That is shown in the middle of the chart above.

Here is the link for much more information on non-returnable beer bottles.

NRBeers.pdf

Here is another good clue.

Before the 1930's beer came in green bottles then after the Prohibition brown glass was used because it was thought to preserve freshness by filtering out sunlight.

I suspect by green they include aqua.

---

Catarina de San Juan’s life reads like an epic – and her extraordinary story is little known.

Born in South Asia during the early 17th century, she was captured by the Portuguese at age 8 and sold to Spaniards in the Philippines. Spanish merchants then traded her across the Pacific to Mexico,  where she became a free woman and a spiritual icon, famous in the city of Puebla for her devotion to Catholicism.  ...she deserves to become a household name for anyone with even a passing interest in Asian American history or the history of slavery.

Catarina was one of the first Asians in the Americas...  and arrived through a little-known slave trade that crossed the Pacific Ocean. In colonial Mexico, she lived in the "nideaquinidealla,"  the “neither-from-here-nor-from-there”: a valley between acceptance and foreignness, an in-between state familiar to many migrants today...

Here is the link for more about Catatinade San Juan.

From South Asia to Mexico, from slave to spiritual icon, this woman’s life is a snapshot of Spain’s colonization – and the Pacific slave trade history that books often leave out

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This salvage season has been a good one on the Treasure Coast.  The weather has provided a lot of opportunities, and the season began with a bang.  In May, on their shakedown outing, the crew of the Mighty Mo started out with a find of gold coins and followed that up later with more gold coins.  The season continued with many good finds. 

---

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

Everything seems to be going north.  I am expecting a change in wind direction in a few days, but from what SurfGuru is saying, the surf won't increase much in the next week.

Source: SurfGuru.com.

“The more I study science, the more I believe in God.” – Albert Einstein

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

8/9/25 Report - Bottle with Message Found in Wall. Ark of the Covenant: Remote Viewing Documents and More. The Treasure of Ideas.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Old Bottle With Message Found in Wall.

A 122-year-old message in a bottle hidden inside a wall has been uncovered from one of Australia’s oldest lighthouses in Tasmania, sparking interest from historians...

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) said the painter noticed “something unusual” while treating a badly rusted section of the wall and, on closer inspection, realized it was a glass bottle containing a letter.

The bottle was brought to Hobart, where conservators from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) carefully opened it, cutting through a cork coated in bitumen before extracting the fragile contents.

Inside was an envelope with a two-page handwritten letter dated 29 January 1903, written by James Robert Meech, then Inspector of Lighthouses for the Hobart Marine Board...

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

122-year-old message in bottle found hidden in wall of Tasmanian lighthouse | The Independent

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The CIA used experimental intelligence methods to attempt to locate the Ark of the Covenant, but the revelations are about 25 years old.

The Ark of the Covenant is more than a lost treasure for Indiana Jones to track down, it is also an important symbol in Jewish faith and history.

In "recently resurfaced" documents, as reported by right-wing British outlet the Daily Mail, the CIA outlines how it used a "remote viewer" to mentally locate the site of the artifact, which has remained a mystery for centuries.

Here is the link.

CIA Ark of the Covenant: Classified documents released decades ago

The readers of this blog showed a lot of interest in remote viewing.  The interest is easy to understand because of the potential usefulness of remote viewing for treasure hunters.  The blog experiment on remote viewing, however, has shown no results.  That does not surprise me since the experiment was so vague and open-ended.  No one took a shot at sending in any impressions or responses to the challenge.  Perhaps the following documents showing how one CIA remote viewer progressed on one remote viewing task concerning the Ark of the Covenant.   Maybe those notes will make the process more clear to you and show how impressions on a site were recorded.

Below are a few of the CIA documents on that project.  First is a summary of a later session. You can see some session notes here and others by using the following link.

Below is the link for more of the notes.

SUN STREAK PROJECT 0209 SESSION NUMBER: - CRV VIEWER: 032

It is process of gathering impressions, not a quick detailed snapshot.  Keep in mind that the remote viewer had no knowledge of the site but seems to have received some accurate impressions, although admittedly not highly specific and could possibly be applied to other unrelated sites. 

You can still take a shot a the blog experiment involving a small golden coin shaped object secreted some years ago.  Let me know if you have any impressions.  It might be fun and possibly instructive.

----

Below are some excerpts from an article from the Jewish News Syndicate about a replica of the Ark of the Covenant that has been created.  

First, the lead...

With eyes on winning war, building third Jewish Temple, Ark replica shown in Jerusalem

“Now we can see with our own eyes something which we have missed for 2,000 years,” said Israeli scholar Lt. Col. (res.) Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University.

A replica of the Ark of the Covenant, painstakingly constructed, its creators say, to the Torah specifications of the sacred vessel that was the First Temple’s central fixture, was displayed in Jerusalem on Sunday evening, during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday.

The ark described in the Torah, which housed the Ten Commandments tablets among other holy objects, was hidden after the destruction of the First Temple, per rabbinic tradition. At Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, the replica shown in the hotel’s sukkah contained a refurbished Torah scroll, which survived the Holocaust, from Thessaloniki, Greece...

Here is the link for much more about that.

With eyes on winning war, building third Jewish Temple, Ark replica shown in Jerusalem - JNS.org

There is much discussion and some photos on the internet concerning the replica Ark of the Covenant being at Mar-a-Lago.  Some say the photos are fake, but this article from the Jewish News Syndicate, clearly states that the replica did visit Mar-a-Lago.  That would not seem surprising since one, if not the primary, funder of the project lives in New York and Florida and would most likely be in circles familiar to the President.

---

While the dragon like sketch in the remote viewer notes looks something like how the cherubs have been portrayed in many illustrations, they are not exactly like those shown on the replica.  Wouldn't it be shocking if the real Ark (which I personally doubt exists anymore) has cherubs that look more like those shown by the remote viewer despite the extreme efforts of the group to make the replica as much like the original as possible.  

---

If the remote viewer is correct, I wouldn't expect to see the Ark on Oak Island.  Dark and wet applies, but I haven't seen any Arabs or Mosques there.  But I haven't been watching for a long time.  Maybe I missed something.

---

Whether you feel like trying remote viewing, or even giving it a thought, I would suggest that there is some use in occasionally quieting your mind and letting it run.  At the very least that can facilitate a little brain storming.  

Einstein has supposedly said, · “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."  

Think about it.  

How does that apply to AI?

How do you problem solve or approach the future.  Can you imagine better options, techniques or solutions?  It is a process of putting a new dot on the map and connecting it with the other dots that needed connecting.  

Just a few ideas.

---

Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch S5 E4 shows metal detecting a battle site, musket balls and talk of Spanish and Inca gold.  

They now seem to be after a treasure of Inca gold.  I haven't seen hardly any of that show. Maybe I'll watch for it more now.

---

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

So far we are seeing only a slight increase in the Treasure Coast surf.

They aren't showing the second system turning north yet.  We'll see.

Rip Current Warning.

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents. * WHERE...All Central Florida Atlantic Beaches. * WHEN...Through late tonight. * IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/8/25 Report - Erosion Uncovers Shipwrecks Including La Fortuna. Wave Attenuators. Discovery of Old Silver Diggings Site.

 

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (07/24/2025) — A team of archaeologists with East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies recently discovered multiple shipwrecks and colonial waterfront features at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) in Brunswick County, North Carolina. One group of remains may be those of La Fortuna, the Spanish privateer from Cuba that exploded near the colonial wharves at Brunswick Town during an attack on the port at the end of King George’s War in September 1748.

“We are extremely excited about these important sites, as each one will help us to better understand the role of BTFA as one of the state’s earliest colonial port towns,” said Dr. Jason Raupp... “These submerged colonial waterfront features are incredibly well-preserved and present an excellent opportunity for ECU students to engage in hands-on, collaborative research.”

BTFA is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places that contains a well-preserved landscape with archaeological sites associated with the colonial port town and Civil War defensive fortifications...

Unfortunately, these shipwrecks, waterfront infrastructure and artifacts are at risk, Raupp said. Ongoing shoreline erosion at BTFA from recent channel dredging, dynamic wave energy, and larger storms have all contributed to significant damage to BTFA’s natural and historic waterfront. Living shoreline wave attenuators currently protect the northern half of the historic site’s shoreline. Wave energy, however, continues to erode the unprotected estuarine marsh at the southern shoreline above the historic property’s boundary with the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point.

The shipwreck sites and colonial waterfront features previously covered beneath the protective marsh were found exposed and eroded in this area. This summer, the team documented the remains and undertook emergency recovery of over 40 shipwreck timbers from what is thought to be La Fortuna. Although the site itself had broken apart, individual shipwreck timbers demonstrated a remarkable degree of preservation with some containing tool markings left by the historic shipwright. All shipwreck timbers were transferred safely to the N.C. Office of State Archaeology’s Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory at ECU’s West Research Campus in Greenville for storage and eventual conservation treatment. Research and analysis into the construction and identity of each of the four shipwrecks is ongoing...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Archaeologists discover four at-risk shipwrecks on colonial waterfront at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site | News Services | ECU

North Carolina got more surf than we received from the systems to the north of us.  On Thursday they had around six feet.  Not huge for that part of the world, but more than what we've been getting.

I only metal detected up in that area once and didn't do any good.  I had very little time and didn't know the area at all.  I left a big knife I purchased at a store for digging buried at the base of a lamppost in case I returned and needed a digger again.  I never did return so maybe it is still there but probably badly corroded.  

---

La Fortuna is part of a lesser-known chapter in North Carolina's history, involving the Spanish attacks on British colonists and shipping.

Privately owned Spanish warships preyed on British ships off the coast in the early 1740s, leading to Spaniards landing at Brunswick and taking the town on Sept. 3, 1748, during what is known as King George's War, the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources says.

"The next day local militia led by Captain William Dry attacked the Spaniards, who fled to the safety of the Fortuna," the department says.

"In the chaos of the battle, the Fortuna opened fire with her cannons, and then (likely as a result of a fire in the powder magazine) ‘took fire and blew up.'"...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Ship that exploded in 1748 attack on NC town may have been found, officials say

Erosion continues to uncover the past.

---

Here is a little about the wave attenuators mentioned in the first article.

ts

Wave attenuators are aligned in batteries like shown below.  Each device disperses water in various directions.

Here is the link for more about wave attenuators.

Living Shoreline Solutions - Wave Attenuation Devices - Living Shoreline Solutions

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Rufus and his men indeed searched for silver, it seems, but decamped before hitting the mother lode. We now know there was enough silver in the region to have altered the course of the empire. But the enormity of their near miss would not become clear until millennia later, after a persistently curious German hunter put all the pieces together.

A keen-eyed German hunter named Jurgen Eigenbrod noticed subtle color differences in a grain field — a clue that would lead to one of the most fascinating archaeological discoveries in recent years.

From his elevated perch, Eigenbrod spotted faint markings in the crops.  These discolorations hinted at subsurfaee structures, possibly ancient.  His curiosity led to further investigation using drone photography and geomagnetic scans, which confirmed the presence of Roman military camps.

The camps were linked to Curtius Rufus, a Roman governor who attempted to mine silver in the area around 47 AD, but ultimately failed.  If they had kept digging, they might have uncovered enough silver to sustain mining for two centuries.

Eigenbrod’s sharp observation reignited interest in the site, leading to excavations that revealed two previously unknown military camps, a network of 40 wooden towers. 

For the entire story, here is the link.

The ancient Romans' most expensive mistake in their hunt for silver | National Geographic

Thanks to DJ for that link.

There are some good clues for you in that story.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

So the ativity has moved north, as expected.

We are left with more one and two foot surf on the Treasure Coast.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

8/7/25 Report - Another Shipwreck Discovered. Gold to$4000? Speculating About the Future of Metal Detecting.

 

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

The Wisconsin Historical Society's Maritime Preservation Program and the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association were conducting a high-resolution sonar survey earlier this year of the Fox River to map "potential cultural sites" in a 2.5-mile stretch of the waterway...  Those sites included the wreck of a steamer that sank in 1870 and the identified wreck of a ship that had been surveyed in 2016.  

Using a sonar system that creates a 3D rendering of the river bottom, the researchers were able to map the entire section of the river in high resolution... The stretch that the team mapped has "a significant amount" of debris, the researchers said, including large trees, rocks and remnants of lumber rafts and collapsed bridges. But amid the debris, they were surprised to see the remains of what appeared to be a different ship...

The scan revealed a partially buried ship's hull about 90 feet long and 23 feet wide. The wreck is likely that of the L.W. Crane, the Wisconsin Historical Society said. The ship is of a different size than the 1870 wreck the team was initially looking for... 

Her is the link for more about that.

1880 shipwreck is discovered by accident in Wisconsin river - CBS News

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Gold Eyes $3,500 as Miners Race to Unlock High-Grade Ounces Before Year-End

Canada NewsWire

1:02 PM ET Aug-05-2025

Issued on behalf of RUA GOLD Inc.

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2025 /CNW/ -- Equity Insider News Commentary – The upward momentum for gold price projects continues, as the precious metal opened the week above $3,400 after a recent labor data revision. Analysts continue to adjust their gold price forecasts, with the next three months looking to hit $3,500, with Fidelity projecting a potential $4,000 per ounce price by year-end. And it's not just the bullion dealers that stand to benefit, as gold mining majors are already publicly stating they expect bumper profits as gold's prices and volumes surge. In response, gold miners as a group are leading in gains on spot price on the weak US jobs data, leaving an opportunity for retail investors in the market to take a better look at miners making moves as of late

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One day I started to write a post about the future of the metal detecting hobby.  I started but ended up only going over the history of metal detecting and didn't get to the future.  Today I'll try to pick up where I left off and talk about the future for metal detecting - if there is one.  

Here is my light-hearted fun fling on the topic.

There have been threats to the hobby from the public, property owners, government and archaeology.  I think the threat has been reduced somewhat in recent years, although that might just be my perspective.  It seems to me that hobby has achieved a good degree of acceptance by the public and some of the archaeological community, but there are still pockets of resistance. 

There is always the possibility of increased restrictions and environmental regulations, erosion control measures that alter the beaches, and greater regulations on beach accesses.  It is always a PR challenge for the hobby to maintain a good image in front of the public to prevent additional restrictions.

As I've discussed in recent posts, detectorists are now using AI in a variety of ways. I use it mostly to speed up searches for information that could be found through other searches, but not as quickly or efficiently.  It is proving to be useful for researching finds, sites, and other things.  But that is not entirely new. It is the present.

In the future, we might expect AI to assist with the development of detectors and other equipment as well as being integrated into the technology itself, helping to identify targets and classify metals. It might be used to guide metal detector setup and provide advice on settings and strategies.

Augmented Reality goggles that integrate data with the visual field will replace display screens. Thermal and night vision capabilities might be nice.

Maybe drone detectors rather than handheld detectors.  I've often thought about how you could put a detector coil on the bottom of a remotely controlled vehicle.  Spray paint could mark the spot where good items have been identified.

A drone or hovercraft might work better than a vehicle with wheels or tracks.  SUVs in the water, of course.  

People aren't so picky about moving sand under water. The public doesn't see it and it autofills.  More recovery methods are possible.  Maybe a compact handheld pulse jet or miniblower.

I always thought it would be interesting to train an otter to retrieve submerged shiny objects.

Detector coils could evolve to integrate other methods of detection, such as subsurface radar, detection methods, thermal and chemical analysis.  AI could be used to integrate and analyze the data.

Beach recovery methods could change as well.  Any method that affects the beach much will not be allowed.  Nothing that makes visible holes.  We might see further development of alternatives to the scoop, such as a battery powered Archimedes screw type method we've already seen used on the Treasure Coast.

Just a few sane and a few wild thoughts. 

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Edison believed that to discover a good idea you had to generate many ideas. Out of quantity comes quality. He set idea quotas for all his workers. His own quota was one minor invention every 10 days and a major invention every six months. It took over 50,000 experiments to invent the alkaline storage cell battery and 9000 to perfect the lightbulb. Edison looked at creativity as simply good, honest, hard work. Genius, he once said, is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration...

Here is that link.

Thomas Edison's Creative Thinking Habits — Think Jar Collective

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

A lot of action in the Atlantic, but nothing that will affect us much.

The Treasure Coast surf well remain around two or three feet.

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Einstein said, "· “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

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Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net