Treasure Hunting Today
To me, treasure hunting conjures up an image of a pirate looking for buried treasure that is marked by an "X" on an old, tattered map. While that is the image that television and movies typically portray, that is not the only form of treasure hunting. There are many ways that adults and kids can enjoy their own form of treasure hunting, even if you aren't going to find a treasure chest full of gold pieces of eight.
This post will introduce you to some of the modern ways to hunt for treasure. From the professional companies, to looking in your own backyard, to searching for geocaches that have been placed so that others can find them. Check out some of the linked articles, you might just find a new hobby!
Professional Treasure Hunters
I'm going to start the list off with some professional treasure hunters. The crew of the Odyssey Marine search the ocean floors for shipwrecks. Not only are they looking for buried treasure, but they are searching for pieces of history.
Marine Exploration- The Odyssey Explorer:
The Odyssey Explorer reached fame for not only finding the 500 million dollar Black Swan treasure in 2007, but they were also the focus of the 2009 Discovery Chanel television show titled Treasure Quest. Odyssey Marine uses hi-tech equipment to locate and explore shipwrecks.
Do you believe that there are still treasures out there? In 2007, Odyssey Marine found over 500 million dollars worth of silver and gold coins. The ownership of the booty is highly debated though, check out the article above to read more about it.
The Wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atoche
In 1985, Mel Fisher located the Nuestra Senora de Atoche. Lost off of the Florida Keys in 1622, the Atoche was rumored to carry gold, silver and gems. Mel Fisher searched for years to finally find it. Read more about the search and the discovery through the link above.
Backyard Treasures
Do you think that treasure hunting is just for corporations with multi-million dollar budgets and fleets of ships? Here are some examples of how the average person can find their own treasure:
Treasure Hunting In Your Own Backyard
There have been times, such as the Great Depression, where people have decided that they did not trust banks. They decided to hide their valuables either in or near their house so that they could make sure that it was safe and secure. Sometimes these items are either lost, or the person that hides it passes away without telling anyone else where it is is hidden. This article has some tips about where to look around your own house.
Closely related to the previous topic, a cache is something of value or importance that is hidden so that other people can not find it. It could be money buried in a coffee can or something else that the owner felt was valuable. Check out some tips on finding a cache on your property.
Do you need some help finding a cache, or maybe some lost jewelry or change? A metal detector can help locate items that are buried, or just hidden out of sight in grass, sand or even water. Check out these tips on using a metal detector.
Geocaching
It's isn't always easy to find some of the treasures I mentioned above. There are many people that try to make it rich, but never actually find anything of value. If you want a guaranteed find, give geocaching a try. There are thousands of people all over the world that hide geocaches for others to find. All you need is a GPS or smartphone with GPS. Some geocaches are easy, some are hard. It's up to you how hard you want to try to find them. Check out some of the following links for more information:
Are you not sure what geocaching really is? It is a high tech treasure hunt that can take you across the street, or around the world. Check out this article to find out what geocaching is and how you can get started in it.
Most smartphones today are equipped with GPS capabilities. That means that you can use them to navigate, or find geocaches. While the built in GPS in a smartphone is not quite as accurate as a quality GPS device, it is still typically enough to help you find a geocache.
After you find a few geocaches, you may be interested in hiding one of your own. The hiding places that you've seen will help give you ideas of your own. You can also check out this article for some additional ideas and tips.
Did you know that people will travel across the country, or even the world to find geocaches? If you are interested in seeing just how many people visit a geocache and where they're from, check out travel bugs. They get tracked online and can travel all over the world. But they only work when people take the time to log their movements online, so make sure you know how they work!
Scratching The Surface
The articles I've linked above are not the only ways that you can get involved in treasure hunting. Do you have any treasure hunting ideas that I missed? Have you made any great finds? Let me know in the comment section below.
