7/25/25 Report - 250-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered in Dunes. How To Access Old Posts. Roman Pendant. Sea Biscuit.

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

A schoolboy’s chance discovery of the ribs of a wooden ship poking through the dunes of a remote Scottish beach sparked an extensive hunt by archaeologists, scientists, and local historians. Their mission: to uncover the vessel’s long-lost story.

Now, through a blend of high-tech science and dedicated community research, an answer has finally emerged.

Researchers announced on Wednesday that the wreck is very likely the Earl of Chatham, an 18th-century warship that saw action in the American War of Independence, before a second life hunting whales in the Arctic, and ultimately met a stormy demise...

Here are two links for more about that.

Archaeologists solve mystery of 250-year-old shipwreck found on Scottish island | The Independent

Shipwreck of historic 18th-century warship uncovered on remote Scottish island | Watch

There are places on South Hutchinson Island where shipwreck remains were at one time found up on the beach.  

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One thing I dislike about the internet is that a lot of the articles are not dated.  It isn't easy to see how long ago they were published.  You see something and think it is good news, but later find out that it has been out there for many years.  That is one thing I feel like I've done right most of the time.  The first thing you see is the date of each post.

You might or might not know this, but you can find older Treasure Beaches blog posts by going to the Blog Archive.  Both of my Treasure Beaches blog sites,  the tbr2020blogspot.com site as well as my older treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com site, have a blog archive where you can find all the old posts.  

The Blog Archives for both blog sites are found below other things so you probably will not see the archive unless you scroll down the main page.

On tbr2020.blogspot.com (this site) the archive is below the reference link list, which on the right side of the site to the right of the posts.

On the treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com the archive is on the left side below the Surf, Wind Waves and the Reference links, and Followers.  So you need to scroll down to find the Blog Archive below those things.

When you get to the blog archive, it lists all the years of posts.  When you select a year, then the posts for each month of that year will be displayed by title and you can select the one you want to see.

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A team of Spanish researchers has made an extraordinary discovery at the Roman site of A Cibda de Armea, near Ourense (Galicia, Spain): a trilobite fossil, a marine animal extinct for millions of years, that was modified and likely used as an amulet or piece of jewelry between the 1st and 3rd centuries AC.  It is the first trilobite ever found in a Roman archaeological context, and only the eleventh discovered at archaeological sites worldwide associated with ancient cultures.

Trilobites are creatures that inhabited the oceans between 520 and 250 million years ago, long before the existence of dinosaurs...

Here is the link for more about that.

A Trilobite Fossil Used as an Amulet in Roman Hispania: The First of Its Kind in the Classical World

Very much like what we do today.  I've posted turtle scute fossil and probably other fossil pendants made from Treasure Coast fossils.

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Sea Biscuit (Echinoid) Beach Find.

This is a Treasure Coast echinoid called a Sea Biscuit. 

Sand dollars are also echinoids.  I've seen a lot more sand dollars on our beaches than Sea Biscuits.

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Have you noticed GPS errors?  If so they could be due to equatorial plasma bubbles.

Think your GPS is reliable? Not when the sky turns to Swiss cheese. A new study reveals how equatorial plasma bubbles—giant holes in Earth's ionosphere—disrupted GPS signals across the Americas during a recent geomagnetic storm. 

The March 23-24, 2023, event was remarkable because the bubbles were so widespread. They are normally confined within +/- 20  degrees of the magnetic equator, but during this storm, they spread at least twice as far, affecting population centers at middle latitudes. Peak position errors were wider than urban roadways.

Here is the link for more about that.  Spaceweather.com.

Enthusiasts find fossils at this island near Myrtle Beach | Myrtle Beach Sun News

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There are a lot of studies of when people are most productive in different kinds of endeavors.  Most peak accomplishments come around middle age.  It depends to some extent upon the kind of activity you are talking about.  

Here is a link to an interesting article on how to become expert at anything.  You might want to read it.

http://www.businessinsider.com/anders-ericsson-how-to-become-an-expert-at-anything-2016-6 

If you read the article, two things are emphasized that I preach for metal detecting.  The author uses the term deliberate practice, which is more than simply hours of practice.  Here is an excerpt.

...To become an expert, you may need to be willing to sacrifice short-term pleasure for potential satisfaction of success down the road. A key tenet of deliberate practice is that it's generally not enjoyable.

Instead, it's about doing things that don't come naturally or easily, which can be tough. "Practice really involves failing a lot until you eventually reach your goal," ...

He cited research on figure skaters that found elite skaters spent more time than average ones practicing jumps and spins in routines they hadn't yet mastered. By contrast, average skaters spent more time going over routines they were already good at.

Most people like to work on those things they do well instead of their weaknesses.  Arnold Swartzeneggar always said,  "Work your weak areas."  That isn't natural.  Most people just like to do the things that come easy.

If you don't have a metal detecting goal that drives you, you probably won't accomplish as much in the field.  I've always said that the biggest factor in metal detecting success is the amount of time you spend on it.  Another thing I've often said is going a little beyond what most people are doing.  It might involve walking to a distant site that isn't easy to get to, or metal detecting difficult ground, or going when conditions are tough.  Following the crowd won't get you the best results.

If metal detecting is something you don't take real seriously, you probably won't do quite as well.  That is ok if you just want to go out and get a little exercise and enjoy yourself.  There is nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to do better, your chances will be improved by putting a little more into it. 

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No storms brewing.  Just that low pressure area over in the Gulf.

We will have another week of small surf, but the low tides aren't bad.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/24/25 Report - Ten Years Ago Tomorrow: Tons of Lead Shot and Other Treasure Finds. How Beach Sand and Items Move: Partial Summary.

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

Lead Balls Found Made by the Capitana Crew in 2015 as Submitted by Captain Jonah.

Occasionally I like to look back.  Here is a find of lead shot.  Hundreds of pistol and musket shot.  When I saw it I felt they were getting close.

This group of old shot was found ten years ago and posted on 7/25 ten years ago.  There were other finds that day as well.

I felt that something more shiny was going to be found next and struggled for days after wanting to say it in a post but didn't.  I thought it was analysis back then - putting two and two together.  I had found lead finds leading to gold so often in my own experience.   I mentioned the association between lead and gold in several old posts.  

One incident that imprinted the association in my mind was a time I found a big heavy class ring (a full oz.) in a hole after removing some sinkers of the same weight.  They were all concentrated in an area of about a foot, and maybe a little more, square.  It was just that one little hole in a shallow water area with not much of anything else around.  So it made a big impression that was reinforced in my experience many times later.  

There is more to it, but the association between lead and gold is in part due to the density, but the density of pure silver is closer to that of lead than lead and gold.  Gold was for a long time my primary marker of a successful hunt so I paid a lot more attention to that than silver, as you may have noticed from my old find photos.

I previously posted some charts that give the density of a variety of metals.  This one is better than some of those.

Notice particularly those metals at the bottom of the chart, which are the types of things often targeted and which also have the highest densities.  Copper and silver both have a lower density than lead and gold is considerably higher.

Of course, there is more to the relationship of lead and gold in the field.  As I've said many times, a beach is a dynamic system.  Many factors influence where things end up.  For example, where they are originally lost and the amount of time that has elapsed since being lost are obviously important factors. There is also the matter of the shape of the items as well as other factors, but first I want to get into something else that is very important.

Detectorists often talk about heavy items sinking more on a beach.  First it isn't so much about weight as density, and secondly, it isn't so much about sinking as it is about being covered or settling.  I won't go into the details of the distinctions, but, as I've said before, a ton of Styrofoam won't sink whereas a cruise ship weighting many tons will float.  It isn't about weight.

If you've been reading this blog very long, you know the importance the force of water, suspension points and drop points. That is a fairly complex topic, but one I've addressed multiple times in the past.

Generally speaking, it takes relatively little force to move sand, and more force to move other things with a higher density.  We've had very small surf lately, and during those conditions the beaches accumulate of build as the water pushes sand up onto the beach.  But the amount of water force is way too small to push things like rocks or coins up onto the beach.  

I once posted a little demonstration that shows how objects of the same density, but various shapes were moved by moving water. (The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 8/5/13 Report - What Actually Determines How Obects Move On a Beach Or In the Water.)

... of the four objects that were previously in a line.  The egg-shaped object moved the farthest, followed the  fish-shaped sinker, then the lighter disk, and then the larger disk, which was moved the least by the water.

So. for objects having the same density, shape matters.  Some objects present more surface area for the water to push against, such as the egg-shaped sinker, while other lower profile objects, such as the coin-like sinkers were moved less.

The egg-shaped sinker also rolled.   It moved more easily and farther.

How many times have you seen a ring or coin roll down the slope of a beach.  I've seen it a lot of times.

I won't make much of the demonstration because, it wasn't a very good experiment, but the results were in line with my personal beach observations and reasoning, which predicted very similar results.

The main point I'm making here is that it is not just density that determines how much a given water force will move an item.  Coins are low profile.  You might say they are more hydrodynamic as they lay flat on a beach and the water passes easily around them.  They can move other ways in particular situations though.  Sometimes, for example, they will flip or step down a slope.

Let's say it is a day with very small surf.  It might still be enough to push a little sand, but not an item like a coin.  The coin remains stationary while sand washed up over it. If, however, there is a stronger wave, it can move the coin as well as the sand.  It becomes a matter of the relative movement.  A lot of sand can be moved away while the coin lags behind.

Of course, that kind of thing happens over and over at the base of the beach and in the water. Every wave can have a cumulative effect.

There is too much to explain it all in a single post, but hopefully you get the idea.

Over time, items with similar densities will tend to be distributed according to the forces acting upon them and over time they will tend to be distributed in patterns and gather in certain areas.  The longer they are out there.  The tendency for denser items in general, is to settle over time in low areas where they will remain until and unless some larger force can move them.

So what I am saying with all this is that I've observed in the field the frequent association of lead and gold and was getting the feeling after this find that gold was likely nearby. I say "feeling" because it was a feeling rather simply reasoning or analysis.  

I took a long detour to explain my feelings on that day, but actually what I mainly wanted to do highlight what was going on ten years ago today.

Lead wasn't all that Captain Jonah and the crew of the Capitana found that day.  Here is a photo of some more of their finds.

More Capitana Finds From Ten Years Ago Today.
Photo Submitted by Captain Jonah Martinez.

As you can see some really great finds were being made in addition to the numerous lead balls shown above.  You might consider these finds much more interesting as finds, but what struck me that day was the lead balls and the feeling of more to come.

Here is the link for the original post.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 7/25/15 Report - New Treasure Finds Made By The Capitana! Possibility of Tropical Activity Developing Near Florida Next Week. New Poll.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

So nothing much going on with the tropics.  That low pressure area is over the Gulf but probably won't amount to much.

Expect another week of little surf on the Treasure Coast.

We are having some nice low tides.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/23/25 Report - 16th Century Shipwreck Found and Analyzed: Good Read. Shipwreck Wood, Toredo Worms. Copper and Lead Sheathing.

 

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

Shipwreck Wood Riddled by Teredo Worms Found on Treasure Coast Beach

... when a small group of American adventurers was walking on remote desert terrain along a seldom-visited part of Baja California’s coastline. In a place where there should only have been seashells and driftwood, they came across broken bits of porcelain and stoneware that couldn’t have floated to the coast and weren’t supposed to be there.

It didn’t take them long to realize that they had stumbled upon a shipwreck, but they knew nothing about her age or origins. It was exciting enough for them to begin making occasional visits to that godforsaken corner of the peninsula, far from any signs of civilization. For years this hearty little band of adventuring treasure-seekers camped on the strand at nights, and early next morning combed over the sands searching for anything they could find that would pique their interests. Although they had sworn each other to secrecy about the location, word got out...

But there was something intriguing about this particular wreck on Mexico’s coastline, because she didn’t fit the typical shipwreck pattern that went down at sea. Why was it on land? Over time, Von der Porten’s small group of dedicated diggers and sifters began coaxing her to give up her centuries-old secrets. They realized that her contents were not in a single small area, but scattered along miles of the beach. The artifacts were clearly broken in one cataclysmic event, but what was that event? And how did the ship come so far, only to rest onto this lonely beach?...

With her masts still at full sail, the shore waves occasionally rocked her in the sands and took her sliding southward along the beach at full sail.

Then a storm hit the Teredo-riddled hull, smashed into her side, and drove the wreckage over the low beach front until it hit a dune line. Damaged hull fragments gave way and spread out for half a mile or more. The storm then backed around and drove the light porcelains and stoneware down the strand for miles. When the storm subsided, the receding waters left the wreckage strewn along the beach, where the Pacific winds soon covered it in the dunes...

Here is the link for the rest of the article, which is one of the better ones that I've read even though I'm skeptical of some of the reasoning. Still, it is a very good read.

Solving the mystery of a lost Spanish galleon on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula - MexConnect

Glass, porcelain or other shards are often the first or among the first clues to be seen.

The photo at the top of this post shows a piece of shipwreck wood that was found on a Treasure Coast beach.  It has enough remaining iron on it, that it could have been detected by a metal detector if it wasn't laying in clear view on a Treasure Coast beach.

Occasionally shipwreck wood will wash up onto a Treasure Coast beach after especially big seas and tides.  

This piece shows a lot of Teredo worm damage.

Sometimes known as the “termites of the sea," shipworms create entrance punctures that are hard to notice from the outside. They then essentially rot wood from the inside out, capable of ravaging the bottom planks of boats so thoroughly that they could crumble from mild impact

On his fourth and final voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus got a firsthand taste of the chaos shipworms could wreak. After reaching present-day Panama in 1503, he tried to sail back to Spain, only to find that his vessels had been honeycombed by shipworms...

Here is the link for more about that.

How the Lowly Shipworm Changed History

We occasionally find iron or copper sheathing on Treasure Coast beaches, which in some cases have been associated with specific wrecks.

Below are examples of iron and copper finds.

Iron sheathing occasionally shows the imprint of cloth over which the sheathing was nailed.

Folded and Crumpled Piece of Iron Sheet.

Various countries, including Great Britain, Spain and France used lead sheathing in the 18th century.

Lead sheathing was a common but an imperfect solution in the early 18th century. It was gradually replaced by copper sheathing, which became widespread by the late 18th century (especially in Britain after 1761, with the HMS Alarm being a notable early example of copper use).

In the 18th century, Great Britain was the primary country to use copper sheathing on its ships. The British Royal Navy began experimenting with copper sheathing in the 1760s to protect wooden hulls from marine growth and shipworms, which caused significant damage. The practice became more widespread after successful trials, notably on HMS Alarm in 1761. By the late 18th century, copper sheathing was standard on many British naval vessels due to its effectiveness in improving speed and durability.

In the past I've shown several pieces of both iron and copper sheathing found on Treasure Coast beaches by readers of the blog.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

Deja vu all over again. Looks like something could develop in the north Gulf.

Fort Pierce Inlet Area Surf Forecast from Surfguru.com.

More small surf.

Nice mid-day low tide.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/22/25 Report - 1715 Fleet Escudo Gallery. NGC Site: Coin Varieties and Much More. New and Old Bottle Finds.

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

The First of Many Coins in the NGC 1715 Fleet Gallery.

The NGC site provides a lot to look at.  It has sections on grading, conservation, news, resources and more.  If you open the recourses menu, you find some things you'll probably like to see.

There are many galleries to choose from.  They include galleries on various shipwreck and a wide variety of others.  One of the ones you might like to browse is the 1715 Fleet gallery, which includes quality photos of two or three hundred gold coins from the 1715 Fleet.  My impression was that it offered more than Alan Craig's book.  The illustration above shows just the first a two or three hundred gold coins in the 1715 Fleet gallery.

Here's the first example in the S.S. Republic gallery, for another exmaple.

There are galleries on ancient coins, silver dollars, and many other types of coins.

Here is the link for you to use.

NGC Galleries | View Famous Coin Collections | NGC

And here is the link to the section on U.S. coin varieties, which shows for one cent, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars and gold dollars the many varieties for each coin.

United States Categories | VarietyPlus® | NGC

You'll find double die and many other varieties, which is a valuable resource.

You might want to look at the section on their shipwreck designations.  Here is that link.

Shipwreck Coin Effect Designation Guide | NGC

Take a look at the NGC site.  I'm pretty sure you'll find something you like.

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I've been looking for marks on some old finds that I never tested for some reason but just put aside for a while. They aren't the most interesting or consequential finds, but not totally worthless either.  In fact, a few grams at a time really adds up when you're talking about gold these days.

I recently posted a number of very small gold chains that were marked with very tiny marks, and now I found this 14K earring.

14K Earring Mark.

I think this is the first time I found a karat mark on the end like that.  It was one of those things I suspected was gold but finally found the mark.

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I went on a bottle hunt but didn't expect to find anything, but did find a couple interesting items, but not anything valuable.

I found what appeared to be a an aqua beer bottle,  When I saw it I guessed it was probably an Adolphus Busch bottle.  When I got it cleaned enough to see the bottom, I could see A. B. G. M. Co.  

Aqua Bottle Find.

After some cleaning I saw A. B. G. M. Co. on the bottom.  That maker's mark is for the Adophus Busch Glass Manufacturing Company, so I was right about that.    Looks like it would probably date to between 1900 and the 1920s.  I'll have to compare it to my other Adolphus Busch bottles.

I already had a very similar bottle.  See TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Aqua Blown Adolphus Busch Manufacturing Co. Beer Bottle. A. B. G. M. Co.

I didn't really expect to find anything on that hunt, so that was not bad.  I also found a couple of "almosts," including this bottle bottom.

The first was this BOYD & Co., DISTILLERS, BELFAST bottle. undoubtedly an Innisbawn Whiskey bottle like the one I posted in TGBottlebarn.  See TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Embossed Old Innisbawn Whiskey Bottle, Boyd and Co., Belfast Imperial Pint.

This one is marked L. & Co. on the bottom, but it is probably J. L. & Co., meaning the John Lumb & Co. of London, and dating to early 1900s.  In 1915 Walker's Whiskey (Johnnie Walker) took it over.

I've learned in recent years to check the bottom for maker's marks and other information.

I also picked up this item bearing a lens, which in the sand and mud, I thought could have been a bottle.

I removed the heavy glass lens, which I would have liked if it wasn't so broken.

Glass Lens Removed from Frame.

Just goes to show that despite many previous bottle hunts, there is still old stuff to be found.

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Before I wind up today, I've posted the following bottle before but would like to know if anyone knows of a Florida dairy or can provide information on a dairy named Biltmore.

Biltmore Dairy Bottle.

The phone number, consisting of a single digit followed by four more numbers indicates a date between 1920 and 1950.

It seems much more likely, and AI agrees, that the bottle is from some lesser known Miami area dairy named Biltmore rather than coming from the much better known but distant Biltmore dairy of Asheville.

Any information on a Florida Biltmore dairy would be greatly appreciated.

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There is now no tropical activity for us on the National Hurricane Center map and the Treasure Coast surf remains very small.

There will be a decent low tide around noon.

Good hunting,

Treausreguide@comcast.net

7/21/25 Report - Survivorship Bias or Sampling Error and Impacts. Bank Vaults and Fort Pierce History. Snow Bird Sharks.

 

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

The above a diagram is frequently used to illustrate a principle involved with a failed attempt at problem solving.  The diagram shows where planes returning from raids during World War II were hit by bullets or shrapnel.  It was thought by some that the areas that were frequently hit and damaged should be armored more heavily.

Can you see the problem with that?

The principle involved is called survivorship bias.  It is a common error that has be demonstrated in many disciplines.

The problem is that they studied planes that returned.  Those planes survived. The ones that didn't return were hit in other more critical areas, including, but not limited to, the engines and nose of the plane.  Those are the areas that actually needed strengthening.  The planes that safely made it back were not hit in those critical areas.  I'd call it a type of sampling error.  That is only one of many possible examples of how survivorship bias leads to incorrect conclusions.

If someone wants to know what kind of stuff that has been metal detected at a particular beach or site, they might search the internet and see pictures of many very good finds.  They won't see all the junk that was detected or the many times a beach was detected with absolutely no good finds.  Good finds receive most of the attention.  That is what most people like to see.  They want to see what great treasures have been and what they might be able to find.  It provides motivation.

Your metal detector settings might be set to discriminate out iron, for example.  People who detect like that might miss a lot of shipwreck spikes.   Similarly, if you pass up a lot of strong signals that would indicate large objects, that will also cause you to miss things larger items, such as spikes.

I've told before how way back in my early days of metal detecting, I typically used an amount of discrimination that eliminated nickels and things that fell below that on the discrimination scale.  At the time.  As a result, I incorrectly concluded that men lost a lot more rings than women.  Men's rings are generally larger, and it was the larger rings that I was finding.  I eventually discovered that I was missing smaller rings because of my level of discrimination.  Now I find a lot of smaller rings and realize that women lose just as many rings as men.  They are often the more valuable rings with diamonds and gems too.  

We never know what we miss.  But you do miss some things, and that to some extent will affect your assessment of what is out there.  And that is one of the reasons I don't like to discriminate unless I have a definite reason, and it is part of my strategy for that particular hunt.  Most of the time I won't use any discrimination.  I prefer to hear what is in the ground.  But even with no discrimination, you are missing a lot.  There are deep things and tiny things and things that are masked or made of a material that you will miss with any metal detector.  

You can find more information on survivor bias in Wikipedia.

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Here is the beginning of an article by Jeff Garrett, President of the NGC and senior editor of the U.S. Coin Redbook.

A few weeks ago, Chase Bank sent the letter below stating that they would be closing our safe deposit box and that we needed to remove the contents. To my surprise, we later found out that this was not just a local issue, but a nationwide decision by Chase. I have seen advertisements online from coin companies offering to purchase rare coins and bullion from customers who have lost their safe deposit boxes...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Jeff Garrett: Is Your Collection Safe? | NGC

I've been telling you for decades not to keep your valuables at home and to keep them in some place very safe, such as a bank deposit box, but it appears that there is a trend for banks to quit maintaining safe deposit boxes, partly due the fact that fewer people are visiting their branch banks, but are doing their banking online.  

The historic bank building at 111 Orange Ave is still there but has not been used as a bank for some time.  They downsized and moved across the street and then eliminated that branch altogether when it changed from SunTrust to Truist.

The bank vault in that building was large and at different times contained a lot of 1715 Fleet treasure.  

It was originally built in 1922 for the St. Lucie County Bank.  Really a nice big bank building.

I don't know of any local banks that have stopped offering deposit boxes yet, but it might happen.  

The photo above shows a bank vault standing after a bank burned down in the Palisades fires.  I don't know if people have been able to retrieve their items, but I doubt it.  Also it is possible that the high temperatures could have damage items in the vault.

Once again, take security seriously.  I'd still keep items in a bank deposit box as long as that is an option, but it might not be an option in the future.

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Some snowbirds are sharks.

OCEARCH tagged great white sharks visit Florida's Treasure Coast over the years.

Here is the link for more about that.

OCEARCH tagged great white sharks visit Florida's Treasure Coast over the years

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

T

he surf forecast for the Treasure Coast still doesn't show much surf.  In fact it looks like something around two feet for the next week or so.

Keep watching the area shown on the National Hurricane Center map.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/19/25 Report - Tons of Gold from Malagana Treasure. Mel Fisher Days in Sebastian Events. Tropical Development.

 

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

Malagana Remarkable Sophisticated Goldwork: Legacy Of Colombian Pre-Hispanic Culture


It is not known how long Malagana culture lasted or what language these people shared.

From the archaeological site of Malagana disappeared about 4 tons (!) of pre-Columbian artifacts, illegally removed from the burial mounds.

The site was accidentally discovered in 1992 in a sugar-cane field at Hacienda Malagana, which is situated on the flatlands of the fertile Cauca river valley, near the city of Palmira in western Colombia...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Malagana Remarkable Sophisticated Goldwork: Legacy Of Colombian Pre-Hispanic Culture - Ancient Pages

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Mel Fisher Day events continue today in Sebastian.  Below is the schedule of remaining events.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov

There is some tropical development way out there.  There is some chance it will develop, but even if it does, it will be days before it affects us.

Surf Forecast for Fort Pierce Inlet Area from SurfGuru.com.

They are showing an increase in surf towards the end of next week.  We'll see how that develops.

In about a week, I'll have another big treasure event to post.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/18/25 Report - Very Valuable Geek Treasures. Remote Viewing Procedure and Successes. Treasure Weekend in Sebastian.

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

The largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth was sold for just over $5 million at an auction of rare geological and archaeological objects in New York on Wednesday. But a rare young dinosaur skeleton stole the show when it fetched more than $30 million in a bidding frenzy.

The 54-pound (25-kilogram) rock named NWA 16788 was discovered in the Sahara Desert in Niger by a meteorite hunter in November 2023...

Largest piece of Mars on Earth fetches $5.3 million at auction, but young dinosaur steals the show

I know some of this blog's readers from other areas hunt meteorites and visit the Treasure Coast.

Meteorites and dinosaurs are two things I've never found.

We also occasionally see some space debris on the beaches.

Space related items are hot too.

Space auction: Sally Ride memorabilia collection sells for $145,000 | Space

I've posted before about space debris being found by metal detectors and how to test it.  Here is a post that gives some methods for testing finds that could possibly be space debris.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 4/28/19 Report - Melted Beer Can or Space Debris? Some Answers and Tests You Can Perform.

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Remote viewing is a hot topic in treasure hunting circles.  And why not.  If you can visualize treasure site or locate a treasure from a remote location, why not?  

Some people are interested, but many are skeptical - as they should be.  First of all, not everybody can do it.  That is the way it has always been with forms of ESP.  And it doesn't work in an environment of doubt.  And you can be skeptical of the studies.  Personally, I'm open.  I've never used it, but there are the studies and reports that seem to support its value.  Here is a list of some of the big successes.

• Joe McMoneagle, a retired Special Project Intelligence Officer for SSPD, SSD, and 902d MI Group, claims to have left Stargate in 1984 with a Legion of Merit Award for providing information on 150 targets that were unavailable from other sources.
• In 1974 one remote viewer appeared to have correctly described an airfield with a large gantry and crane at one end of the field. The airfield at the given map coordinates was the Soviet nuclear testing area at Semipalatinsk -- a possible underground nuclear testing site [PNUTS]. In general, however, most of the receiver's data were incorrect or could not be evaluated.
• A "remote viewer" was tasked to locate a Soviet Tu-95 bomber which had crashed somewhere in Africa, which he allegedly did within several miles of the actual wreckage.
• In September 1979 the National Security Council staff asked about a Soviet submarine under construction. The remote viewer reported that a very large, new submarine with 18-20 missile launch tubes and a "large flat area" at the aft end would be launched in 100 days. Two subs, one with 24 launch tubes and the other with 20 launch tubes and a large flat aft deck, were reportedly sighted in 120 days.
• One assignment included locating kidnapped BG James L. Dozier, who had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades in Italy in 1981. He was freed by Italian police after 42 days, apparently without help from the psychics. [according to news reports, Italian police were assisted by "US State and Defense Department specialists" using electronic surveillance equipment, an apparent reference to the Special Collection Service]
• Another assignment included trying to hunt down Gadhafi before the 1986 bombing of Libya, but Gadhafi was not injured in the bombing.
• In February 1988 DIA asked where Marine Corps COL William Higgins was being held in Lebanon. A remote viwer stated that Higgins was in a specific building in a specific South Lebanon village, and a released hostage later said to have claimed that Higgins had probably been in that building at that time.
• In January 1989 DOD was said to have asked about Libyan chemical weapons work. A remote viewer reported that ship named either Patua or Potua would sail from Tripoli to transport chemicals to an eastern Libyan port. Reportedly, a ship named Batato loaded an undetermined cargo in Tripoli and brought to an eastern Libyan port.
• Reportedly a remote-viewer "saw" that a KGB colonel caught spying in South Africa had been smuggling information using a pocket calculator containing a communications device. It is said that questioniong along these lines by South African intelligence led the spy to cooperate.
• During the Gulf War remote-viewers were reported to have suggested the whereabouts of Iraq's Saddam Hussein, though there was never an independent verification of this finding.
• The unit was tasked to find plutonium in North Korea in 1994, apparently without notable success.
• Remote viewers were also said to have helped find SCUD missiles and secret biological and chemical warfare projects, and to have located and identified the purposes of tunnels and extensive underground facilities.

Here is that source, which provides some additional good links.

STAR GATE [Controlled Remote Viewing]

Remote viewing is a mental faculty that allows a perceiver (a “viewer”) to receive impressions from a target that is otherwise not accessible to normal senses. The target being perceived might be hidden by distance, time, or shielding. For example, a viewer might be asked to describe a location on the other side of the world, which he or she has never visited; or describe an event that happened long ago; or describe an object sealed in a container or locked in a room; or perhaps even describe a person or an activity; all without being told anything about the target — not even its name or category...

To simplify all this, we can resort to an easy-to understand formula. Remote viewing consists of five absolutely necessary ingredients: (1) subject, (2) active ESP abilities, (3) distant target, (4) subject’s recorded responses, (5) confirmatory positive feedback – all of which equals (6) the remote-viewing model. [Fate, September 1993, p. 75-79]..

Protocol “Steps”

What are the “steps,” or protocol that govern a remote viewing experiment? In the quote cited above, Ingo has specified some of them. Here is a list of some of the main requirements that have since been included in the process:

• Blinding—the viewer and all associated with her or him in advance of or during the system must be kept unaware of what the intended target is.
• Feedback—in a scientific research environment, there must be feedback as to what the target is and appropriate information about it for presentation to the viewer only after the session is completed.
• Target pools—in experimental circumstances having a non-randomized target pool may sometimes lead to viewers gaining non-psychically derived information about the target. So randomizing the target pool is important.
• Judging—Those who are judging results in a remote viewing science experiment may bring their own biases to the table that can confuse or distort the resulting conclusions about how the viewer actually did, so they must also be blind to which sessions point to which targets.

Here is that link.

Protocol…or Method? Another remote viewing controversy | RVIS

A week of so ago I introduced a little quasi-remote viewing experiment in this blog.  The site to be viewed is a site where a target was secreted several years ago.

If you are inclined to test your abilities, see if you get any feelings or images regarding the site or the target.

I know that remote viewing, as described above, involves a more structured and detailed process than this little experiment, but give it a try if you want.

You can use the above link, if you simply want to learn more about the subject.

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Don't forget the events at the Fisher Museum in Sebastian today and this weekend.

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No tropical activity on the NHC map now, and no changes in the surf forecast.  

Let me know if you are doing the remote viewing test -especially any images.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/17/25 Report - Big Weekend of Treasure Events Coming For the Treasure Coast. Treasure Coast Fossils.

 

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

Iron Key and Pot Shards Recently Found on Atocha Site
Source: Email from MelFisher organizaiton.

This Weekend is Mel Fisher days in Sebastian.  The kickoff party is tomorrow, Friday the 18th, 4 - 7 PM.

Below are the events scheduled for tomorrow, Friday the 17th..

Here is the information for more details.

Mel Fisher Days - Annual Charity Event

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Here is an absolutely great article on Florida's fossil history.  As I've posted in the past, you can find fossils such as some of those mentioned in the article on Treasure Coast beaches while metal detecting.

Here is the link.

• Times Florida's Fossils Revealed a Different Ancient Past - discoverwildscience

Here are a couple examples.

Shark Teeth From Treasure Coast Beaches.
Great White (left), Megalodon (right).

If you get into collecting Fossils in Florida, you will need a permit unless you go out with a permitted guide.  I've talked about that before, and I've gone with a fossil guide, which is a great way to learn about Florida fossils.  It is worth the price, and if you are interested will save you tons of time getting up to speed.

For information about the Florida permit, here is the link.

Florida Fossil Collecting Permit Application – Florida Fossil Permit

Florida Sloth Tooth.

If you like old stuff, some of Florida's fossils can be millions of years old.

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Concerning the low pressure area in the Nortern Gulf...

1. Northern Gulf Coast (AL93):
Satellite, surface, and radar data indicate that the broad low 
pressure area over northern Gulf is located just south of the coast 
of Mississippi. The associated shower and thunderstorm activity 
remains disorganized and located mainly to the west and southwest 
of the center. Some development could occur before the system moves 
westward into Louisiana later today or tonight, although the 
chances of the system developing into a tropical depression are low.

Regardless of development, heavy rainfall could produce localized 
flash flooding over portions of the north-central Gulf Coast through 
Friday. For additional information, please refer to products issued 
by the Weather Prediction Center and your local National Weather 
Service office.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...low...30 percent.

Expect another week of smooth surf along the Treasure Coast.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/16/25 Report - Thin Gold Chains. Finding Marks. Practice: Right Time and Place. Dating a Site by Charting.

  

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

Some Very Thin Gold Chains.

I mentioned yesterday how much I appreciate my digital microscope.  It helps to find small marks and other small features on finds.

The photo above shows a few very small chains.  Not only are the difficult to test, but they are so small that it is difficult to find any markings.

Since I had my microscope set up and ready to go, I decided to check out some small chains that I hadn't checked before.  I was mostly looking for gold markings.  I was pleased to find that a good number of them were gold.

Below are some photos of the small marks I found. I photographed them on a quarter so you could see how small the chain and markings are.

The first (below) is a small but very pretty 14K rope chain.

14K Rope Chain Mark.

Notice the very thin small links.  

Another difficulty in seeing these small marks is, first of all, getting them in position.  It is like moving angels on the head of a pin.  I actually use a long pin.  My fingers are just to big and blunt, and if you don't get the tag in the right place and at the right angle, you still can't see them. You have to get the lighting at the right angle.

Another Marked14K Chain.

Another 14K Mark on a Thin Gold Chain.

Here is a chain on a quarter.  It isn't the smallest or thinnest chain either.

Gold Chain on a Quarter.

The smallest mark was a 14K mark that I found on the back of the horseshoe pendant shown below.

14K Mark on Back of Horseshoe Diamond Pendant.

I found one10K mark on a tag too but evidently didn't get that photo.  

All in all I was very pleased to find a number of gold chains in the group even though they were very small and only added up to a few grams.

Even with my microscope it was difficult.  The chains had to be manipulated under the microscope to get a view and that wasn't easy.  Still, it was easier with the microscope and I am very glad I have it.

Another problem with thin gold chains is keeping them so they don't get knotted up.  If they do, you can spend a very tedious hour trying to get them untangled.

I'm always happy to get a small chain because they aren't the easiest to detect.  Of course, a charm or pendant makes it easier.  But if I can get small chains, I figure I'm not missing a lot.

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Yesterday I was talking about the 10,000-hour rule which acknowledges the important role of practice in developing skill.  I talked about practicing certain metal detecting skills that are easy to practice but are not really practiced much by detectorists, especially not in a very systematic effective way.  The skills I mentioned for my examples were things like sweep speed, coil control and tight coverage.  While those things are good enough examples of things that can be effectively practices, there are many other skills that will really help a detectorist even though they may not be so easy to practice.

A big part of metal detecting is being at the right place at the right time.  There are so many places to metal detect that you could spend your entire life metal detecting and seldom putting your coil over anything good.  Once you can use a metal detector somewhat effectively, it becomes largely a matter of doing it where there are good targets within detectable range.  It becomes a matter of narrowing down the search area to the most promising spots.  So how do you do that?

Some of the answers are fairly obvious, such as research.  What is the history?  You can learn the history in a variety of ways.  Reading is just one, but not all wrecks or other events are documented, and sometimes existing documents are not complete or are incorrect. Word of mouth is another source. And then there is uncovering the history of an area yourself by interpreting what you see and what your explorations have shown.  Those things will help you with the right place, but what about the right time.

I've spent a lot of time talking about weather and beach dynamics, which will help you with the right time.  We watch for those times when the sand will be moved and treasures will be uncovered.  That is why I frequently report the surf forecasts and tropical developments. Beach renourishment projects are another part of that. I've discussed those kinds of things before, but how do you improve your skill in those areas.  The answer is by getting feedback on your performance.

You should be able to make predictions about beaches before you go out.  Take a look at the data you have available and make predictions before you go out.  Form a mental image of what the beach will look like and then when you get there see how you were right or wrong.  Over time you should be able to better predict what the beach will look like before you actually see it.  You can't do that perfectly.  It isn't an easy task, but you can improve your skill with practice.  As long as you continue to study and practice you can continue to improve.

Even if you don't have time to metal detect, when you have a chance, check the beaches just to see what is going on.  Stay in touch with the predictions and forecasts and what you actually see at the beach.  Learn to make those connections.  You will improve at it.  

I wanted to follow up on yesterday's post because yesterday I only mentioned metal detector control skills, which is only a segment of the skills you need.  Those skills are among the easiest to practice and provide clear examples, but I the other metal detecting skills that I discussed today can be practiced as well and should not be neglected.

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I often encourage digging everything, including the junk.  Not only does it help eliminate masking but it can help in other ways as well.  If you are relic hunting, for example, junk items can help you date a site.

Here is a chart I used in an old post that has been receiving a lot of attention recently.

TG Date Charting Method.

By plotting the date range of found items - including those that might be considered junk, you can get some idea of the dates of activity at a site.  

Referring to the chart shown above, there are some overlapping dates and some outliers.  By looking at the overlapping dates of the majority of the found items, you can get an idea of when most of the activity occurred at the site.  It could be a shipwreck or whatever, but the site I was metal detecting at the time seemed to be the site of a train accident and going by the above chart would likely date to sometime in the 1930s.

One of the things to take away from this is the value of junk finds.  Even junk finds can provide valuable information.

Here is the original link for that chart.

Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 6/9/2021 Report - How To Date a Metal Detecting Site. The Value of Junk. Treasure Coast Nature.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

No additional tropical development but a little movement has occurred.  It won't affect the Treasure Coast detecting conditions.

Surf Forecast for Fort Pierce Inlet Area from Surfguru.com.

.

Still only a one- or two-foot surf.  

Still a lot of hurricane season remains.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net