Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Tresaure Beaches Report.
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| Turtle Trail Closed Tuesday. Submitted by Mike A. |
Check the Indian River County Facebook page for updates on project updates and beach park closures. Indian River County Coastal Division Programs | Vero Beach FL | Facebook
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Matteo Azzaro, an inspector of underwater cultural heritage, found the medieval object during a scientific dive with researchers from the University of Naples, the Soprintendenza del Mare said.
The find was identified as a “cabasset,” in Spanish, or “capacete,” in Portuguese, meaning helmet, and dated to the late 15th century to the 17th century, according to the soprintendenza...
Oddly shaped ‘stone’ on sea floor off Sicily was actually ancient battle gear. See it (yahoo.com)
And here is another link, this one submitted by Mark G.
Strange rock uncovered during sea search turns out to be ancient battle gear | Fox News
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So I watched TV last night to see what the analysis would be. I've received a couple expert opinions on the identity of the 90% silver object found on Oak Island and wanted to see how they would handle the find.
First, I must say that the archaeology crew is burning it up. The ladies in the stone structure are making what I think most detectorists would consider to be the most interesting finds.
The archaeologist's finds are not being made by the magic of a metal detector. It is another reminder of the limits of the technology and the value of alternative techniques. The archaeologists are finding things that for whatever reason, mostly depth, the detectorist failed to find over the last several years of searching.
Concerning how much is missed by a metal detector and how much can be found after using a metal detector on a lot repeatedly, here are a couple links to older posts.
And here is another link to a post about how much can remain after metal detecting a site once or twice.
The point pf those tests is that there can be a lot more in the ground than you think, and it can take multiple passes and good technique to get more of what remains at the site. Other methods can help you get what you missed by detecting. Remember your detector only detects near surface items. That is one reason we rely so much on erosion at the beach to get the older and deeper things.
But back to the silver object. In past posts I reported two expert opinions on what the item is. As of the last episode I saw (season 11, episode 21, if I correctly recall) they did say that the XRF said the object is actually silver, which was cause for the expected dramatic facial shots and verbal expressions of awe.
You guys that detect the Treasure Coast beaches or almost anyplace else around the country can feel good knowing that you have found much more silver and gold than they have found on Oak Island after years and years of searching.
But the thing I was very interested to see last night was how they were going to interpret the silver find. I don't think they've shown any conclusions about what that object is yet. Forgive me if I missed it, but I don't watch the show carefully and could have easily missed it by getting back to the program late after watching the three stooges or something during commercial breaks.
They seemed a little more cautious than usual about making statements about what the object could be. As a result, I did miss the much expected opportunity for a good laugh. But then they jumped into the same old storyline about the Knights Templar and William Phipps and the Conception. Seems they have tunnel vision and all roads, and evidence, leads to that story. One comment was made by one of the main characters which showed how very disappointed they would if there was no "Old World" connection to what happened on Oak Island. At one point it seemed like someone was about to acknowledge the possibility of evidence of the indigenous peoples, but then they seemed to carefully avoid it.
Have you noticed the steadily increasing number of archaeologists on the program?
So much for that, but there are some lessons to be learned from the program.
In real life, perhaps unlike TV where they might want to start with dramatic storyline, it is good to avoid forcing the evidence to fit premature conclusion. Instead, let the evidence lead where it will. In real life, tunnel vision can be a big problem for detectorists or anyone.
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Wednesday the tides are supposed to be moderate; the surf small, the swells from the east and the wind from the south.
Check for beach closures before going.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net