1/31/23 Report - Gemstones Lost in Roman Bath Found. Time to Consign For Treasure Auction. Expanding Awareness.

 

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

Accidentally re-discovered in the 1800s, the steps and lead lining
of the Roman Great Bath are over 2000 years old.
Source: See Art News link below.

A treasure trove was discovered by archeologists in Carlisle, England, at the bottom of the drain system of an ancient Roman bathhouse near Hadrian’s Wall, according to a report by the Guardian.

Around 30 intricately carved semiprecious stones were found. Known as intaglios, the stones had slipped down the drains of the pools and saunas two millennia ago.Ni hao (nee haow).

The vegetable glue that secured the stones in ring settings likely deteriorated in the steamy air, leaving the gems to their watery fate, Frank Giecco, an expert on Roman Britain who is leading the bathhouse excavation, told the Guardian.

The tradition of carving intaglios began in Mesopotamia around 5,000 years ago. Often, they were used to “sign” documents by pressing the engraving into soft clay. Across the millennia, intaglios spread throughout the ancient world, eventually becoming fashion pieces for the wealthy. The Roman statesman and author Cicero wrote that some Romans wore portraits of their favorite philosophers on their rings....

Here is the link for more about that.

2,000-Year-Old Gems That Fell Down Drain Found in Roman Bath – ARTnews.comar

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Sedwick auction # 33 will be live May 3 -4, but the deadline to consign is February 10.  That deadline is quickly approaching. 

Here are the details from Sedwick.

The continued strength of the numismatic market makes one thing clear: numismatic rarities and top collections belong in a Sedwick Treasure Auction. In 2022, our two Treasure Auctions plus our first exclusive paper money auction realized over $8.4 million - well above presale estimate totals - and we want you to be a part of our next sale!

For our upcoming Treasure Auction 33, we are seeking consignments of:

- Shipwreck Gold and Silver Coins and Ingots (Atocha, 1715 Fleet, etc.)
- Rare Latin American and World Gold and Silver Coins
- US Coins and Bank Notes
- World Bank Notes
- Certified Shipwreck Artifacts

Perhaps you haven't added to your collection in some time and are looking for the right way to bring it to market. Or you're adjusting your collecting goals and want to sell coins in order to buy different assets.

That's where we come in.

We offer decades of numismatic experience, personalized service, printed auction catalogs, and top bidders through our convenient bidding platform. For significant collections, we will travel to you. We are also attending the Long Beach Coin Expo held on February 2-4 and will accept consignments there (contact us to set up an appointment).

The consignment deadline for our next auction is February 10th. Contact us today by emailing us at office@sedwickcoins.com or giving us a call at (407)-975-3325.

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Yesterday I posted some buttons found in 2019 that are similar to those found on the beach ery recently by DJ.  He offered the following comments.

Two of those do look very similar to the one I found. And the hollow backs makes me think they were two piece like I suspected mine is.

I guess I never paid much attention to button finds on the blog as I never found any and did not think they could be found on the beach. Live and learn!

One of the things the Treasure Beaches Report has always stressed is the need to be aware of the variety of types of treasure that can be found.  And almost anything can be found on a beach, so it is best to be aware and ready to recognize various types of treasure.  You might recall back around the beginning of the new year, I posted a alphabetized list of things I've found on beaches.  I was only missing U,V, X nd Y.  ( Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 12/17/22 Report - See Tons of Finds Made by Treasure Coast Detectorist. Alphabetized list of beach finds.)   I think I called it an alphabet of finds.  The purpose was to make you aware that the wide variety of things that have been found and can be found on the beach.  Be prepared to recognize items when you see them.  I've made too many mistakes simply by not recognizing items when found.  It can be a costly mistake.  I've talked about that before so won't go into it any more now.

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Chinese New Year is now being celebrated.  Here is a fun article.  

Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin and Cantonese—20 Messages and Wishes (newsweek.com)

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Source: MagicSeaWeed,com.

\

So it looks like we might get a little higher surf before long.  We'll see.

Ni hao.   

That is a Mandarin Chinese greeting to which you can respond Hung How (my pronounciation, which is probably not very good.).  Anyhow it means hello, or how are you, and the answer, Hung How, or Hung Hao, meaning something like, I'm good.

Just a fun thing if you visit a Chinese restaurant.

I don't know how to say good hunting, but good hunting.

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/30/23 Report - Shipwreck and Treasure Coin Beaches of South Florida: Ruminations. Bigger Surf Coming (Maybe).

 

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

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, ideas for a post came loudly rapping on my wooden noggin door.

You might recognize the italicized part of that as being from Poe's The Raven, but during a recent late-night reverie, a number of shipwreck and treasure coin beaches from my metal detecting days in South Florida passed through my mind.

Although back then I mostly hunted modern jewelry, there were a number of areas that produced older coins and artifacts.  Since I lived in the Hollywood, I detected Fort Lauderdale and Miami a lot, but occasionally I went as far south as the Keys and occasionally up to Jupiter and the Treasure Coast.  I liked to visit Jupiter, but for some reason I didn't visit the area between Hillsboro and Jupiter much, I did hunt the Boca area a little.

Of course, you have a lot of nearshore shipwrecks down in the Keys, but I didn't go down there very often, but did on occasion.  I did often detected Key Biscayne, which was closer and really offered a lot of different types if treasure.  There was the old well where ships as early as the 1500s replenished water supplies, and the nearby lighthouse and the Seminole battle that took place there.  Key Biscayne was one of those places where real treasure chests were found.  Nearby Coconut Grove, another old watering area, was another.  Beside the old well and lighthouse and the resort and park beaches on Key Biscayne, there was the old coconut plantation, and buried shipwreck remains under the beach by one resort, as well as a long treasure coin beach farther south.  There were also spots that produced good numbers of older U.S. coins and artifacts when the erosion was just right, and Key Biscayne is where I collected my first old bottles right after Hurrican Andrew.  Virginia Key, just across Bear Cut, often produced silver U.S. coins, gold jewelry as well as occasionally some much older items.  That was before Virginia Key was renovated.

Of course, all the Miami Beach resort beaches provided good metal detecting, but just a little farther north, there was the shipwreck off, what was it, Golden Sands or Golden Shores, just north of the old Marco Polo hotel.  And just across the intercoastal, not far from there, could be found old wooden ship remains of what was thought to have been a pirate ship.  And just a little north of that, was the old arch bridge, a very historical site that offered a lot, including Native American artifacts.

The stretch from the Dania pier to the Fort Lauderdale inlet was good metal detecting after a good storm.  Not only was it a place where I found 15 silver and gold rings in a four-hour hunt, but old shipwreck artifacts cold also be found there when conditions were right.  I also enjoyed the Whiskey Creek area there, which was suggestively and aptly named.  That is now mostly in a park, (John Lloyd, I think) where, last I heard, metal detecting is not permitted.  

And just north of the old Fort Lauderdale inlet, when the beach got ripped you could find artifacts from the old fort. 

Then there was the old shipwreck off Galt Ocean Mile.  I'm not so sure of the place names anymore.  And Pompano Beach and around the Hillsboro inlet produced old reales. I talked about that before.  

And the Boca inlet area also produced treasure coins once in a while.

I'm sure I didn't think of them all, but those are the places I thought of as I remembered my metal detecting days down south just before my eyes closed for the night.

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In an old post I noticed some old buttons that looked something like the one found by DJ last weekend.

See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/4/19 Report - Manual For Cataloging Old Buttons. Shipwreck Finds. Searching Paper Money for Valuable Serial Numbers.

Those were found not that long ago - 2019.

You can find something interesting any time.  Sometimes the probabilities are much better, so it just takes a little more persistence and effort at other times.

DJ would be happy to receive and thoughts on his recent button find.

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“I came to the conclusion that we should aspire to increase the scope and scale of human consciousness in order to better understand what questions to ask. Really, the only thing that makes sense is to strive for greater collective enlightenment.” ― Elon Musk

Unfortunately the elite seems to be pushing franticly in the opposite direction.  The DAVOS "select group," in Kerry's words, pollute the planet with carbon and ignorance, flying to the conference in private jets and making windy speeches without saying anything that hasn't been said millions of times before, they exploit the same capitalism they bash.  Kerry got his wealth from marrying into the Heinz family. They certainly don't practice what they preach.  I guess that is because they are the "select and above all the restrictions they would place on everybody else while they go on polluting at a rate most of us could not do if we tried.  Haven't they heard of teleconferencing?

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Looks like tere is a little hope for a rougher surf in the near future.

I struck out on a bottle hunt yesterday.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/29/23 Report - Storm Damage To Archaeological Sites. Washed Out Areas Remian On The Treasure Coast. Artifacts in a Lake.

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

Two Views of Two-Piece Button Found by DJ.

DJ found this button.  Here is what he said about it.

Was encrusted but not too heavy, rang up on the NOX as non-ferrous. Far as I can tell, there is no markings. There are what looks like file marks on the side of the loop on the back. Looks like it is two-piece.

It looks so much like a center fire cartridge end that I wonder if it was made for hunting jackets to intentionally look like a cartridge end.

Also found a piece of a bottle end and an encrusted iron/wood piece.

There were no alum can pieces and only a couple pull tabs which could be rings so I don’t mind digging those.

In all, most targets were lighter.  No coins or other relics found.

Shank of Two-Piece Button Found by DJ.

The button is 1.5 cm. in diameter. Looks like it could be an 18th century button.

Any thoughts or opinions?

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Remaining Damage To Archaeological Site
From Last Year's Storms.
Source: PSU.edu link below.

...The area that received the brunt of high winds and flooding was once the cultural hub of the Calusa people, who lived in South Florida for more than 1,000 years. The Calusa were one of the most politically complex non-agrarian societies in North America and were remarkable for their resilience in the face of European co

The botton is 1.g cm in diameter. and looks like it could be 18th century.lonialism, LeFebvre said.

Many of the region’s topographic features were built or altered by the Calusa, including large mounds, canals and fish corrals called water courts. The researchers expect that Hurricane Ian damaged or destroyed parts of these structures, particularly among archaeological sites located on barrier and smaller islands.

Many of the sites are located on Pine Island, including the Pineland Archaeological District. The island hosts 67 acres of preserved Calusa shell mounds, middens and the remnants of a canal system. The Calusa Heritage Trail, which takes visitors on an interpretative one-mile tour of the island’s most prominent archaeological structures, received significant damage during the storm...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Archaeologists awarded NSF grant to survey hurricane-damaged heritage sites | Penn State University (psu.edu)

I mentioned this before, but there are still some areas opened up by Ian and Nicole that are still worth investigating.  In many cases those areas have partially refilled, but washed out cliffs can continue to erode.

Below are some examples of some interesting washed out areas.

There is a lot of old material that got washed out there.  There is a lot of limestone, coral and conch shell.  I can only guess whatever else might be in there. 

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Archeologists have uncovered a remarkable mystery under the depths of a 600,000-year-old lake in Turkey. Long-forgotten artifacts from a past civilization are now resurfacing and providing an insightful view into a world that was once thriving. Ancient pieces of pottery, jewelry, and tools have been found, hinting at the way of life and values of these forgotten people...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Secrets of the Ancient Kingdom Discovered in a Turkish Lake (msn.com)

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/28/23 Report - Some Erosion To Front of Treasure Coast Beaches. A Class of Treasure You Might Enjoy.

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

Turtle Trail Friday Afternoon.

Maybe you noticed yesterday when the wind picked up yesterday.  It was pretty brisk for a while and was coming from the North/Northeast.  In short order, it started taking sand from some of the beach fronts.  And, of course, the small surf kept the erosion to the front of the beach.

DJ took these photos.

Turtle Trail Friday Afternoon.

Seagrape Trail Friday Afternoon.

Seagrape Trail Friday Afternoon

Wabasso Friday.

Dj revisited the beaches Saturday AM.

Wabasso Around 7 AM Saturday.

The change in sun direction makes it hard to compare, but it look like there is perhaps some, little difference from last night.  

Turtle Trail Saturday Morning.  

Compare this one with the first one from Turtle Trail taken yesterday.  

Great job DJ. That should help a lot of people who are wondering about the beaches this morning.  

It appears that yesterday morning when we had that gusty wind around midday most of the erosion occurred but it was during a small surf, which kept the erosion to the beach front and it was fairly short-lived.  Enter that information into the equation when figuring our where you want to go this morning.

Of course, smaller erosion events will vary from spot to spot, but still this information adds to your knowledge.  If you had a good spot, there is a chance that it is slightly improved this morning or will begin producing once again if it had been producing in the recent past.  There will be no huge changes, but sometimes it only takes a few inches and even a small movement of sand can do that.

Thanks DJ.  Great help.  Hopefully others will add to the beach coverage.

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A couple of days ago I picked up a handmade swirl marble that was badly damaged.  Although it was badly damaged, it made me curious, so I did some research.

Recently Foudn Common Cats Eye
And Old Blown Marble.

After doing the research, I wish I didn't throw away that blown marble even though it was badly damaged.  I seldom regret keeping something, but occasionally find myself regretting throwing something away.  

A treasure isn't a treasure until you recognize it as such.  Knowledge transforms finds.  It cana take a clump of metal and turn it into a valuable historic artifact.  Knowledge is treasure.

I realized my damaged marble was probably older and possibly more interesting than most of the marbles I've found, but I didn't know much about it at all.  It motivated me to do some research even if it was damaged.  I learned that some marbles can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The one shown above, according to the little I've now learned about such things, seems to be old and rare, although sadly in very poor condition.  

Here is a link that lists fifteen very valuable marbles.  The Top 15 Most Valuable Marbles Worth a Fortune (txantiquemall.com).  When reading such lists, try to identify what it is that makes them valuable.

This marble caused me to do some research and as a result I now better appreciate a whole class of treasure that I didn't take very seriously in the past.  This one isn't valuable, but at least I learned more about old marbles.  I also learned that some marbles that I thought were nothing special were worth more than I thought.  I'm glad I kept them.

Here is a great marble web site.  You'll want to be able to recognize a good one when you see it.

An online reference guide for marble collectors (marblecollecting.com)

Also Antique Marbles Identification and Value Guide (txantiquemall.com)

 It is interesting how finds gain value as you add knowledge to them.  A find has no value until someone values it. 

By the way, the cats eye marble shown above was a tough find.  It is mostly clear with just a little greenish color and being submerged in water was very difficult to see.  I recognized it as a difficult find, even if not a valuable find.  I'm always glad to make the difficult finds, because then I know I'm not missing them.

---

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

The surf is getting a little bigger, but the north wind we had yesterday has switched some.  It is goind to be coming more from the south.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/27/23 Report - Recent Treasuren Coast Finds: Gold Ring and Coins. Bottles.

 

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

Two Views of 14K Ring Found by Michael T.

Michael T. sent these metal detecting find photos and the following description of his hunt.  He provides some good advice.

Good morning Mike T here. Beach conditions as we all know have been less than fantastic the last few weeks. I have not even been to the beach in almost 3 weeks due to the cold weather and other activities also, knowing the conditions were sandy.

    My good friend just took delivery of an Equinox  900 and we’ve been doing a little park hunting which we both enjoy when the beach is not good. We’ve been watching a little hole open up on one of the Martin County beaches, so Tuesday I reached out and asked him if he wanted to give it a shot with the new machine.

  We have both been hunting equinox 800s for the last two years with great success so I was anxious to see how the new 900 would perform. On Tuesday we worked this spot and we both had a number of coin finds. The pic with the watch band is from Tuesday. We found a moderate number of coins and some other random items in this big horse shoe in the beach. I will say that the 900 seems as though it has a much faster processor, which really helps when you’re working in an area with a lot of junk and there was a lot of iron nails in this area. Anyway, no great finds the first day just coins and random stuff but I knew that since there was so much iron and I had dug a few deep coins I wanted to bring my PI machine back. Knowing the number of nails here I was expecting to dig a lot as you do with a pulse induction machine but I also know that on that layer where the iron settles can be other very good valuable targets, and it was the only spot on the beach producing the nails as the horseshoe level was lower than the rest of the surrounding beach.  Sure enough in between all those nails and very deep was this beautiful 14 karat gold ring that we had both passed over the day before with our high-tech Minelab machines with 15 inch coils. I have always been a pulse induction fan. Many people are afraid of them or don’t understand or just don’t wanna dig all the iron and some days I am the same way, which is why I usually start with my equinox 800 to preview the areas but once I find a sweet spot that has potential I will go in and dig everything and the value of that is what is shown in the picture. Sometimes you have to dig a lot of holes just to find one good target but it’s always worth it! Perseverance pays! :) Happy Hunting!

Other Finds by Michael T.

Michael's Ring Find Along With Other Items Dug.

A Beautiful Day For a Hunt.
By Michael T.

Thanks for sharing Michael.  Congratulations on the Find.

Like Michael, I will also switch detectors at times - maybe going from the Equinox to the ATX, for example.

'---

I finally got to go out and look for bottles Thursday morning and brought back a few.

YELL.OWSTONE - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCY
Bottle Find

One bottle I picked up was this embossed Yellowstone bottle.  I already had one like that.

Another was the following brown cork-top bottle, which was in very good shape but otherwise unremarkable.

Brown Cork-Top Bottle Find.

Below is the bottle that is by far my favorite find of that hung.  It is the biggest blown blop top bottle I ever found, and the blob top is in great shape even though the bottle shows case wear and other wear.  It has some nice bubbles. 

Large Blown Blob Top Bottle
Beside Coca Colar for Size Comparison.

Here is a closer view of the top.

Neck and Top of Large Blown Bottle.

I haven't cleaned any of those yet.

The bottom is embossed A B Co.  I presume that to be the American Bottling Company, but don't know anything more about that bottle yet.

The bottle stands fourteen inches tall.

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1/26/23 Report - Museum Loses Thousands of Pounds of Historical Artifacts. Lost Diver Found Alive. Ancient Silver Hoard.

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

Source: See DailyMail link below.

Police are investigating the suspected theft of thousands of pounds of historical artefacts left with a museum for safekeeping which dismayed metal detectorists who found them as well as archaeologists.

The important archaeological finds, that include a hoard of Roman treasure, were passed over to museum officials by the finders as required by law.

The objects were meant to have been kept in a locked and secure unit inside the council-run building, before being sent to the British Museum for assessment and valuation.

But an email sent to the unlucky finders has confirmed their disappearance in circumstances that warrant a police investigation...

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11516671/Thieves-steal-hoard-Roman-treasure-worth-thousands-museum.html

Thanks to DJ for that link.

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Maybe you heard this on the TV news.

A diver who found himself swept out to sea off the coast of Florida with no help in sight thought all hope was lost before his family mounted a miraculouss rescue mission.

Dylan Gartenmayer, 21, was free-diving near a reef in Key West when a sudden current took hold of him on the ocean floor.

By the time he surfaced, Dylan had been dragged a mile out to sea, and completely lost sight of his friends and the boat.

Here is that link for more of that story.
Diver Swept Out to Sea Reveals He Lost Hope Before Family Rescued Him | Inside Edition

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Source: See LiveScience link below.

Ancient silver hoards from Israel and Gaza, which contain not coins but irregularly cut pieces of the precious metal, may be the earliest known silver currency in the region and likely came from the faraway regions of what is now Turkey and Europe, a new study suggests.

These newly analyzed hoards date to about 1550 B.C., hundreds of years earlier than other discoveries of silver currency in what is now Israel and Gaza, the researchers said. However, not everyone agrees that this is a new finding, with some experts noting that other research has already found that silver currency was being used during the Middle Bronze Age in this region...

And here is that link.

3,600-year-old hoards may contain the earliest silver currency in Israel and Gaza | Live Science

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

So it looks like the Treasure Coast surf will be decreasing.  A cold front will be coming through.

The tides are still big today.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/25/23 Report - Treasure Map Made Public. Archaeological Experiments on Ploughed Fields. Alternative Technique.

 

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

An old map believed to mark the spot where German soldiers hid treasure worth millions of dollars during World War II sparked the imagination of amateur treasure hunters in the Netherlands this week.

Armed with metal detectors and shovels, groups wandered through the fields surrounding rural Ommeren in the east of the country after the map was made public by the Dutch National Archive on Tuesday.

The archive said the map was believed to indicate where Nazi soldiers had hidden four large boxes filled with diamonds, rubies, gold, silver and all sorts of jewelry which they had looted after an explosion at a bank in August 1944...

The research file which held the map was released this week as the maximum period of 75 years during which it could be held confidential had lapsed...

Here is the link for more about the treasure which has attracted a lot of detectorists to the hunt.

Old Nazi map sparks treasure hunt in the Netherlands (nbcnews.com)

Thanks to Norbert B. for that link.

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Yesterday I listed a number of techniques that can be used in addition to metal detecting, Today I'll talk about one that I started using just last year.

A lot of finds are made in ploughed fields.  Many paid hunts take place in ploughed fields.  There is good reason for that.  Ploughing can expose old things or bring them closer to the surface.

Experiments were conducted by archaeologists to determine how ploughing displaces objects.  That is the kind of experimentation I like to do myself, but I was somewhat surprised that archaeologists would do it because ploughed fields are disturbed and much of the contextual information has been destroyed.  Anyhow here is an excerpt from a summary of a report telling what they learned.

These tests sought to answer questions such as; if a site is located in a plough zone, how far will the artifacts be displaced from their original location. What percentage of artifacts can be expected to be found while field walking? What direction will the artifacts be scattered during the ploughing process, and does ploughing completely destroy a sites integrity?...

One experiment involved systematically placing small painted lithic artifacts 10 - 15 centimeters below the surface and then having the field ploughed several times.  After ploughing and rain, they searched the ploughed field.  Less than 10% of the artifacts were recovered in the plough zone.  So less than 10% of the planted lithic artifacts were brought to the surface where they were seen.  A metal detector would undoubtedly locate a much larger percent of metallic targets in a ploughed field.

Another brief excerpt of the report follows.

Cowen and Odell’s experiment showed that while the rate of recovery in a plough zone can fluctuate by 5-6 %, there are factors that influence the recovery rate of artifacts (Cowen and Odell 1987: 461). For example, artifact recovery rate is controlled by the mean length and width of an artifact. Furthermore, the size or weight of an artifact tends to be affected by repeated ploughing. The length and width of an artifact seems to be more of a factor in appearing on the surface of a plough zone rather than weight and thickness (Cowen and Odell 1987: 461). This result has been supported by Frink’s study of plough zones in 1984 (Frink 1984: 359).

So the surface area of the artifact influenced the recovery rate.  No surprise that a larger surface area made the artifacts easier to see.

Objects become smaller as they were chipped or broken by ploughing.  Again, no surprise, but worth noting.  The surface area of the artifacts had more to do with items appearing on the surface than the artifact's weight or thickness.  The surface area made objects easier to see, but did it also help them remain on the surface rather than sinking into the soil after rain?

Where have you heard anything like that before?  It seems that the factors that determine how deep items remain in ploughed soil are similar to those that determine how deep items will be found in disturbed sand.  Of course, this is all very general and crude, but it seems to be consistent with what I've said before.

Of course, there are a lot of variables that weren't addressed in the experiments.  Ploughing can be done in different ways, depths, and angles and besides ploughing, there could be harrowing, and the wheels of the tractors compact the ground, etc. 

Another excerpt of the report follows.

In addition to the reduction in size of a sub-surface archaeological site in a plough zone, damage occurs to the sub-surface artifacts when ploughing occurs (Spandl et al 2009:5). Other factors that influence the magnitude of destruction to a sub-surface plough zone are the applied force of ploughing, the load of the plough, the depth of the buried artifacts, the strength of the soil and the amount of moisture that is trapped beneath the surface (Spandl et al 2009:5)...

Nonetheless, in my opinion the experiments produced some useful information and is the type of experimentation that I enjoy.

Here is the link if you want to read more about the experiments.

ISSUES WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS WITHIN PLOUGH ZONES: UNDERSTANDING SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACE MATERIAL CULTURE – Jasmyne PenDragon's archaeological blog (wordpress.com)

Just last summer I discovered an effective new technique for finding bottles, and it is a little bit like ploughing.  While I mostly find surface bottles by sight, there were times when very few or no bottles were visible.  I found that I could find bottles buried under the sand by dragging a rake as I walked.

People often use metal probes to locate buried bottles.  One danger of using a probe is the possibility of breaking any bottle the probe hits.  And you have to hit the bottle to know it is there.  Probing takes a lot of time and covers little area.  It takes a lot of time and effort.

If you drag a rake through the sand, you will hear when the rake grazes a piece of glass.  It will make a sound that is distinctly different than the sound made by wood or a rock or something else being scraped. Occasionally a hard smooth object might fool you, but usually you can tell when a tine scrapes a piece of buried glass.  

It isn't exactly ploughing, but it is similar.  The purpose isn't to turn soil and expose artifacts.  The bottles are exposed by sound rather than being made visible.  Use all of your senses when you hunt.

Raking has proven effective when there are bottles buried just under the surface.  Of course, if there are no bottles or the bottles are deeply buried, it won't work. Just drag the rake as you walk. There can be a little fine tuning to the process.  You want the rake to penetrate the sand just an inch or two.  You can add a little weight to the rake, but if drags too deep, it will be harder to pull, and results probably won't be improved much by the little extra depth.   You can cover a lot more area by raking than probing.  

I'm not just telling you about a specific method. I'm also suggesting that you can come up with new methods or techniques that will add to your finds.  I believe there is always another, and better, way.  Don't get stuck in the rut of always doing the same thing and never trying anything new.

 ---

The surf remains small on the Treasure Coast.  We are having some big tides, but the east winds are diminishing the effects of the low tides.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/24/23 Report - Recovering Treasure Before Metal Detectors and Techniques for Supplementing Metal Detecting.

 

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

There were treasure hunters long before there were metal detectors. 

By the 1540s Indians along the coast of Florida, where many of the Spanish treasure ships wrecked, were diving on the wrecks and recovering significant amounts of gold and silver. By that time the Spanish had been using first Indians (the Lucayans from the Bahamas were particularly prized for the task) and then Africans to dive for pearls around the islands near present-day Venezuela. The Spanish began using these divers to recover treasure from shipwrecks. The Spanish kept salvage ships with crews of African divers on-call in major ports around the Caribbean, ready to sail as soon as word of a wreck was received. In the course of the 16th through the 18th centuries the Spanish recovered more than 100,000,000 pesos worth of treasure by such means. Spanish salvage efforts had varying success. Although the Spanish carried out salvage operations on the wrecks of the 1715 Treasure Fleet for four years, they recovered less than half of the treasure recorded as sent on the fleet. On the other hand, the Spanish recovered more treasure from the 1733 treasure fleet than had been officially registered on it.

... Later in the 17th century the center for English "wracking" in the Caribbean shifted to Port Royal in Jamaica, William Phips went there to recruit the divers he used to salvage treasure from a Spanish wreck on the north shore of Hispaniola where he recovered the largest amount of treasure from a single wreck before the 20th century. (Wrecking (shipwreck) - Wikipedia)

For me, the best treasure story that I ever read was written in the 1840s - again, long before metal detectors were invented. I'm talking about Edgar Allen Poe's The Gold Bug, which I' highly recommend as a good read, especially for detectorists and treasure hunters.  Not only does it involve seeking and finding treasure, but it also teaches the basics of solving simple substitution codes.  During the 1840s there was a lot of interest in secret writing and codes.  Poe capitalized on that.

But what kinds of tools were being used in the days before metal detectors?  

They might be more elaborate than you would think.  In 1716 Edmond Halley of the Royal Society published notes and experiments on methods of furnishing air for people working underwater.

Here is a picture of a very early diving bell.

You might find Halley's thoughts interesting.

Here is a link if you want to read it.  

VII. The art of living under water: or, a discourse concerning the means of furnishing air at the bottom of the sea, in any ordinary depths. By Edm. Halley, LL. D. Secretary to the Royal Society (royalsocietypublishing.org)

I did an old post showing some of the salvage techniques used in earlier centuries.  Here is that link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 5/29/15 Report - Shipwreck Salvage in the Colonial Period. Bells, Barrels and Bullion.

As interesting as the history is, that isn't where I was going with all of this.  I want you to think about alternative methods and tools that you can use today to find things that you might not find with a metal detector alone.    I think I'll just list some ideas today and follow up with more details some other time.

Of course you might visually survey large areas.  You can do that more quickly than metal detect the same amount of area.  Look for clues to previous activity and evaluate how the area has been changing.  Where has it been eroding or developing in the recent past, over the years and over the centuries.  Look for clues such as broken glass or bricks or other items that will remain close ot the surface.  Develop your eye-balling skills.

You might dig test holes, or trench an area.  That shouldn't be done randomly.  Systematic sampling can be used very effectively in some cases.

Sifting is a great technique when you don't want to miss anything.  If you didn't read it or don't remember it, check out this old post.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/26/18 Report - First Investigation Ever To Really Answer Two Big Questions: How Much Is Actually In The Ground As Compared To How Much Will Be Found Using A Metal Detector.

There are a variety of types of sifters.  Sifters are used a lot on the Peace River.  here are beach sifters, such as the Merkitch sifter, and others.

We know about dredging, mailboxes, airlifting and other water hunting techniques.  With the new battery powered tools, some of those techniques can be made smaller, modified, and made more portable, as well as more quiet.  I'll talk more about that sometime.  

The basic idea of grappling hooks can also be used on a smaller scale.  Towards the end of last year I developed a technique for finding bottles submerged in shallow sand.  It worked well sometimes when conditions didn't look promising at all.   I was able to find bottles that I would definitely miss by just doing a visual hunt.  I'll probably talk more about that in the near future.  I've been working to refine that technique.

Of course, you know about magnet fishing.  Magnets can be used in a variety of ways.  A yard magnet can help.  I've written about using those for site preparation on some types of sites.

You might want to find items other than metallic items.  Some of my all-time favorite finds are not made of metal, such as the wax seal imprint found on one of the 1715 Fleet beaches.  It would have been very easy to miss.  Think of gems, (I recently mentioned using an ultraviolet light to help find some gems.) bottles, fossils, wood, paper money, etc. etc.  There are techniques that will help with all of those things.

As you probably know, emeralds are dredged and sifted on the Atocha site.

Source: 2.2-Carat Emerald Found in Wreck of Ship Sunk in Hurricane off Florida Coast | The Weather Channel

My main point today is that you can find a lot of good finds in addition to your metal detector finds.  Many of those other techniques can be used while you are metal detecting, and some can be used alone.

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So antifa is surfacing again.  Before the last presidential election, they had too disappear because of the backlash.  They also had to disappear, or disguise themselves, so the "violent" perception and label could be pinned on the conservative protest.  Now that is over, so they are starting to reappear again. 

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  The surf is not big today, but the tides are pretty big today.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net