Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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Later Saturday we might see something start to develop again.
This morning there is a small lazy surf and a high tide. The low tide will be around noon.
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Not too long ago I posted a fragment of what appeared to be a gold and diamond something or other, and the person who found it naturally wanted to know if it was old. That was made more difficult by not knowing exactly what kind of object it was. We were missing a lot of information that could have been helpful to better identify the object and its age. First, like with many such requests, the submission was lacking basic dimensions, and there was nothing in the photo for size comparison. That information could of been helpful.
Second, the item evidently hadn't been tested for gold content. We don't know for sure that it was gold. That information could have been helpful too. Modern gold is often 9, 10, 14 or 18K, although there are exceptions and some countries use more high purity gold, such as India and China. And there are various types of plating too. Deletion gilding is not uncommon on Spanish Colonial items from South America. Some forms of electroplating are more modern, but gilding is an old process. It gets complicated, but all that kind of information can help determine the source or age of an item.
A third important thing is context. Where was the item found? Was it found with other items or coins that can be dated? Was it found in area where shipwreck items have been found in the past or where some other historic event took place?
All of these things can add to the picture. Any one piece of information by itself probably will not determine if an item is old or not, but if you put together the whole picture you can get a better idea.
Many items have been used over the centuries without much or any change, such as simple gold or silver bands. Claddagh rings have been used for centuries and are still being made. Crucifixes have been used for centuries, although there are some diagnostic features or forms that might help determine the source or date range. Many styles have lasted centuries.
It is often difficult to determine the source or date of an item, especially from a photo. Things can end up in strange places. A 2020 coin can get dropped on an old shipwreck site. Items from different dates and even shipwrecks can get intermingled.
There can be all kinds misleading clues and tricky questions involved with determining the source or date of a mystery item and that is why it helps immensely to have all the information possible, including the things I mentioned above when submitting a mystery item to be solved. Help us help you by providing as much information as possible, even if the information might seem obvious or unimportant to you.
If you submit a mystery item, don't be afraid to submit more information or something more you learned after the initial post. If you were motivated to have the item tested, for example, let us know what you learned.
Sometimes it takes years to learn about an item. I've found things that I only figured out after several years went by.
As an example, for years I thought the item shown below was probably a finial. It is hollow on the right end and looks like it might fit onto something.
You can't tell from the photo alone, but the material is lead and it is less than two inches long. And the context, which you'd have no way of knowing unless I told you, was from canon emplacement on an island where there were battles during the 1700 and 1800s, which was evidenced by many artifacts of the era such as musket balls, grape shot, military buttons etc. Furthermore, it was dug just a few feet from where there was a cannon. In retrospect, I wonder why I didn't recognize the item as soldier art much earlier?
The mussel of the artifact is shaped very much like that of the cannon from the island and the item shares many of the same features as the actual cannon. Below is a picture of the real cannon. Compare the muzzle on miniature shown above.
The actual cannon also has rings around the barrel, very like the carving.
Even though the miniature is not an exact replica, I am now pretty confident that some soldier with some lead, maybe a musket ball or two, decided to spend some idle time making a little cannon. It took me years to come to that conclusion, I think partly because soldier art just wasn't something that I paid much attention to in the past and the miniature is much more decorative than the actual cannon.
A reader of this blog suggested that it might be soldier art. I am thankful for that and now feel highly confident that is what it is. Considering ALL the evidence and matching the artifact to an actual a cannon from the site, seems to make it all fit. The lead would be available and easily formed, and a model was right in front of the bored soldier.
Beside size, material and context, the form of the object is important. It can be functional and serve a purpose, or symbolic or decorative. I was trying to match the lead object to something functional and decorative - a finial, but it turns out, that it was more art and recreation. I was very fortunate to be able to match it to an item of similar form from seemingly the same location and time period.
Don't be too eager to accept the first answer you get as the end of the matter. Keep studying. Keep learning. What you learn from the process can be enriching and provide valuable information that you will find helpful far into the future.
Report whatever you know about the size, material, context (history of the area and similar find), and form. Pictures are two dimensional and don't show everything. Any of that information can help fill out the picture and help you come to a conclusion.
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Start with a quiet time and place. Maybe before bed or just after awakening. I feel meditation is more productive in the morning because you will be rested and awake.
Focus yourself on why you are there and what you intend to do.
Slow down your thinking and try to deeply relax. But keep your mental focus.
Many people use slow deep breathing to relax.
Be open to random thoughts but don't try to think about anything. Just let the thoughts go.
Place the artifact in front of you or hold it in your hand.
Record impressions. Don't judge or evaluate at this time.
Write or sketch whatever thoughts or visions come you. Don't write much - just one or two words at a time. Be more in the visual realm than verbal.
Those are pretty much the steps involved with remote viewing, just adapted to target identification. I view it as basically a type of limited brainstorming. Be open to ideas and feelings and perhaps something will strike a chord. It is supposed to help thinking outside the box.
Give it a try if you are so inclined.
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Here it goes again. I'm preparing another obituary for a newly deceased 98-year-old relative.
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Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
