Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
ArchaeologyNow, the Houston chapter of the Archaeology Institute of America, has a good article about mudlarking. As you might know, mudlarking has become popular, partly as a result of the videos on YouTube. The most restrictive definition refers to mudlarking as beimg conducted on the banks of the Thames River in London, but the same type of thing has been done for centuries worldwide.
Mudlarker was the term used to describe the very poor individuals of London, including many orphans who scoured the river mud for bits of coal or anything they could find that could be sold for their very subsistence. Mudlarkng on the Thames goes back to the 1700s.
I've used the term mudlarkng in a broader sense to refer to what I previously called eyeballing when conducted along the banks of waterways other than the Thames. It appears that the term has taken on that broader meaning in recent years.
I personally enjoy eyeballing as much as metal detecting, and some mudlarkers, even on the Thames, now occasionally use metal detectors, even though that is not typical. There are rules about digging, diminishing the value of metal detectors.
The article in ArchaeologyNow talks about the rules and regulation involved with mudlarking on the Thames and what a tourist mudlarker should know. There are permits and licenses and rules and regulations for mularking on the Thames these days, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme applies.
The article says, Two big concerns when it comes to mudlarking are protecting the foreshore’s natural and archaeological resources and keeping mudlarkers safe. I don't know how much of the natural environment remains. It seems to me that the banks of the Thames have been polluted by waste from industries and human habitation for a long time. Of course, there are the safety issues, such as making sure you are not caught without an exit when a high tide arrives.
Here is another quote. You could be cut off from your exit and swept away by the tide. You might slip on the rocks, fall into the water, and be run over by a speedboat or a garbage barge. You might puncture your foot with a nail. The PLA warns that you could catch Weil’s Disease, spread by rats’ urine in the water.
I've stepped on a few nails in my day, only once getting infected. Keeping your tetanus shots up to date is a good idea even though tetanus cases are not real common. Cutting yourself with broken glass or fishing lures or other sharp objects, such as barnacles happens too.
I recommend giving the article in ArchaeologyNow a quick reaqd. Below is the link.
What to Know About Mudlarking — Archaeology Now
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Gold futures traded between $1,966.30 and $1,985.80. They climbed 1.4% on Tuesday and they edged 0.1% higher on Monday.
Silver for May delivery tacked on 29.5 cents, or 1.2%, to end at $26.03 an ounce. Like for gold, the settlement was silver’s best since March 11. Silver futures ranged from $25.53 to $26.07. They surged 3% on Tuesday and they rose 0.7% on Monday.
In PGM futures on Wednesday:
July platinum added $17.20, or 1.8%, to $989.60 an ounce, trading between $966.40 and $991.
- Palladium for June delivery declined $14.80, or 0.6% to $2,339.50 an ounce, ranging from $2,303.50 and $2,419.50.
Here is that link.
Gold and Silver Mark Fifth Gains and 1-Month Highs | CoinNews\
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After encountering a roost of Zebra Longwing butterflies one evening in a densely overgrown area I was trying to detect, I got interested in butterflies and my wife started raising them. The Zebra Longwing is the Florida state butterfly and a personal favorite of mine. They have a short wing stroke that gives their flight a slower and more leisurely, almost spiritual, appearing flight. As caterpillars, they are more gregarious than most other types of butterflies that are common in my area.
It is fascinating to find the microscopic eggs, watch the tiny caterpillars emerge, go through several molts as they grow, create a chrysalis, and eventually emerge again, pump up their wings and gly away.
Monarch butterflies are a threatened species. One day when I arrived at John Brooks, I saw hundreds in the field, evidently migrating. (One Monarch is emerging from a chrysalis on my front porch as I write this morning.)
Metal detecting can introduce you to new beauties of nature while you are searching. Don't miss out on that. I've seen some amazing and beautiful sights while metal detecting.
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| Source: MagicSeaWeed |
Maybe we'll get a little more surf in the near future. We have some small negative tides now.
I found time for a quick little bottle hunt yesterday but struck out.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net