Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Source: See Reuters link below. |
MEXICO CITY, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A wooden canoe used by the ancient Maya and believed to be over 1,000 years old has turned up in southern Mexico, officials said on Friday, part of archeological work accompanying the construction of a major new tourist train.
The extremely rare canoe was found almost completely intact, submerged in a fresh-water pool known as a cenote, thousands of which dot Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, near the ruins of Chichen Itza, once a major Maya city featuring elaborately carved temples and towering pyramids...
Here is the link for more about that.
Rare, ancient Maya canoe found in Mexico's Yucatan | Reuters
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Archaeological and Biological Examination of “The Mystery Wreck” (8MO143) off Vaca Key, Monroe County, Florida is an interesting report on what appears to be an 18th century Florida wreck.
Below is a brief excerpt.
During the summer of 2004, the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research Underwater Archaeology team undertook a project to relocate, assess, and record thirteen of the shipwrecks of the 1733 Spanish Plate Fleet in the Florida Keys. One source of background information that they used was a commercially available videotape entitled “Galleon Hunter,” produced by Don Ferguson. Aside from the 1733 wrecksites, the video features another site, locally known as “the Mystery Galleon,” that was shown to Ferguson by local diver Stefan Sykora. Using location numbers supplied in Ferguson’s video, Roger Smith, Della Scott-Ireton, and Dave McCampbell relocated the site in Hawk Channel, off the city of Marathon. Later, the site further was examined by Smith, Jennifer McKinnon, and Jason Raupp, who made initial sketches, still photos, and video recordings.
“The Mystery Wreck” is situated on top of one of three small patch reefs, or coral mounts, that rise from the 28-foot deep sandy floor of Hawk Channel to within 8 feet of the water’s surface, approximately 1.8 nautical miles seaward of Vaca Key. Nourished by tidal currents, the area is home to a variety of vibrant corals and fish that thrive on the reef and remains of a sailing ship that struck it several centuries ago. Remnants of the vessel’s lower hull and its ballast stones have become incorporated into this marine environment, camouflaged by time and nature...
As of 24 September 1973, the artifact inventory for S-10 listed 235 encrusted iron objects; 208 musket balls; 127 grape shot; 34 lead shot; 75 pot sherds; 15 pottery sherds; 97 fire bricks; a piece of encrusted wood; 3 olive jar necks; 1 nail; a piece of bone; 8 fragments of wood; 3 cannon balls; a block of wood; a rudder gudgeon; a piece of melted copper; a piece of lead sheet; a broken piece of mano (corn grinder); an anchor; and an anchor ring. The records show that these items were turned over to the State Division of Archives, History, and Records Management on 27 April 1974. At some point in time, the site was designated 8MO143 in the Florida Master Site File...
Here is the link for more about that.
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Maybe, like me, you dug a piece of jewelry on a shipwreck beach and thought it was old when it was not or thought it was modern when it was actually much older. If that is the case, learning more about the history of jewelry might help prevent such mistakes.
I remember digging a gold enameled ring that I thought looked modern when it was not. I also remember digging a modern piece that I thought might be older. Concerning the first, it was in very nice condition and I didn't know that enameling was a process that was popular in past centuries.
I once believed that real jewelry from a Spanish galleon would look like the kind of treasure you see in Indiana Jones movie or something like that. But shipwreck jewelry, even from galleons, can be for the common man instead of royalty and might even be hand made from inexpensive materials.
Another common tendency is to judge the age of an item by the amount of patina or corrosion. That might tell you that an item is not brand new, but beyond that it can be a poor indicator of age. It doesn't take centuries for silver or other materials to begin to look very old. The environment can have a lot to do with that. Some environments cause more corrosion than others.
If you've ever dug a piece of jewelry on a shipwreck beach and wondered if it was old or not, you might find this article on the history of 18th century jewelry useful.
Here is the link.
Guide to 18th Century Jewelry History [Updated] - Working the Flame
That article might help, but that is a topic that takes requires additional study.
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| Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday. Photo by JamminJack. |
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| Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday Photo by JamminJack. |
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| Source: MagicSeaWeed.com. |
Looks like some bigger surf in a few days.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net