Tunisia // Searching for the Lost Treasures of a God 1900.

[jeff of pa]

The San Francisco call. (San Francisco [Calif.]), 21 Oct. 1900.











https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...&proxValue=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=665

 

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[mdog]

Jeff, that was a real good story. Thank you very much. I have an interest in the Phoenicians but, as far as I know, very little of their wealth has been recovered. A find, like your story describes, would be fabulous.

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Jeff Thanks for the interesting story.

All treasure stories are awesome in my book. And newspapers are fantastic source but

However the above story is classic example on how reporters in that era due to communication difficulties was unable to fact check some times mixed up the facts or added fictional details. The names have been changed and names of locations has been mixed up. With one location mentioned actually a place in Morocco not in Tunis. The story is centered around Carthage in Tunis.

The newspaper mixed up the name with "sidi bu hassan" which is Morroco. Sidi bou said is next to Carthage Tunisia. The newspaper story was dated in 1900 several years after the real events too place. "Sidi bou said" was popular 19th century hangout for rich Europeans who often stayed there was visited the ruins of Carthage. You can see the place below. You will notice the old Punic Port below re-purposed as yacht marina today.



There was discovery of treasure in Carthage in about 1897? How much was allegedly secretly looted and sadly melted down is anyone's guess.

Baron Anselme de kinsaye as far as it can be ascertained is false name to hide the real name of person involved in the project.

However the essence of that story is correct. A genuine attempt by the reporter to pass on the story of treasure. However he morphed the Roman treasure legend, Punic treasure added Gold into the mix.What the reporter did not realize Carthage had a longer history than he imagined?

Treasure was found would you like to see it?

mdog you are correct Punic treasure is very rare.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

The treasure hoard was unearthed in the nineteenth century at the Hill of St Louis in Carthage, which at the time of its deposition was the largest city of Africa.

The treasure recovered was of 31 exquisite silver pieces Dating to the second half of the fourth century AD, the Carthage Treasure comprises 31 different objects, primarily luxury silver tableware and jewellery that must have belonged to a wealthy Roman family who for some reason decided to bury it for safe-keeping.

Most likely that the treasure was hidden from the Vandals. The Vandals, led by Gaiseric, invaded Africa Proconsulare from Spain in 429 and in 439 the city became capital of the Vandal Kingdom.

Inscribed in the centre of one of the dishes around the tondo is D D ICRESCONI CLARENT, which is associated with the Cresconii, a powerful Roman North African family in Carthage who are well known from deeds and records of office-holders at this time.

The buried treasure was found in tunnel of the Hill of St Louis in Carthage in old Punic ruins seen below.



The hill of saint louis once housed the relics of French King. A new cathedral was built in in 1897 built over the top of a Punic temple that had later Roman occupation but over it at one time. You can see the church below in 1899. Today the church is museum.



Most of the treasure was purchased by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, a senior curator at the British Museum, who bequeathed it to the museum upon his death in 1897. However, a small part of the treasure can be found in the Louvre, including one of the silver covered bowls.

You can see the treasure today in the British Museum.











Is there more treasure hidden in Carthage. The mind boggles. After all you have city built on city built on a city built over the top by a modern city. Who knows what hidden treasures still linger there?

There may be well some Punic treasure still hidden not recovered in the looting of the centuries.

Kanacki.

 

[mdog]

That was a great post and the silver is beautiful.