✅ SOLVED I Found a Treasure Map but is this Gypsy Graves Handwriting?

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hello everyone. I was at my storage warehouse when I noticed a pile of books sticking out the top of the dumpster. It appears they cleaned out someones storage warehouse that didn't pay. This happens all the time. Being a person that likes to read and sell junk on eBay, I took a pile of books home. They were all about Archaeology. Inside one of the books entitled "the People Who Discovered Colombus, The Prehistory of the Bahamas" I discovered a hand written treasure map describing a cave "70 feet deep and has more stuff of value than we have any idea of!"

My first clue to the origin of these Archaeology books comes from an inscription written inside a book "Donated to the Graves Museum of Archaeology and Natural History."



The Graves Museum closed its doors in 2004. A bankruptcy judge later approved the museum's plan to donate its collections to Broward College and Florida State University and dissolve its governing board. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-graves-museum-brow100-20150607-story.html

Inside the Bahamas book was a 4 page hand written letter describing the search of a cave with some hand written maps! I still havent read it all but it describes in detail a trip from Miami to San Salvador, Bahamas in search of something old and valuable. My question to the group. Inside the book is the name of the famous archaeologist Gypsy C. Graves. Is this her signature or her handwriting? Does this mean she owned this book? Could she be the person that wrote the treasure maps? That would certainly add credibility. I hope this works because Im on a very weak WIFI hotspot and Im out of data..

 

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[DCMatt]

Very cool!

I tried to search for info on Gypsy Graves. Most of what I found about the 'graves of Gypsies'... I did come up with a few references from back in the 80's and 90's. All printed material - so there were no handwriting samples to compare.

I didn't find much personal info, but no obituary either. Does that mean she's still alive?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

She was 56 in 1986 and she did work in Egypt which would explain all the Egyption books I left behind. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1986-04-20-8601230919-story.html

 

[Reanm8er]

This is cool stuff! Traveling and researching this kind of thing can be really expensive! As Samuel Jackson might say "What's in your wallet?" If you can get a little more info on the archy like what she dug and who her sponsors were sell the novel and map for big bucks and live well!

Best wishes!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

According to this letter, contents of the cave in San Salvador are worth millions and they had to get a permit from the Bahamian prime minister to dig. She would be about 89. I should head back to the dumpster today. Somebody didnt pay the storage rent. It was full of family albums that i ignored.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

There are a lot of smart people on this forum. Why would someone write the name Gypsy C. Graves inside the first page of a book? https://prabook.com/web/mobile/#!profile/387934

 

[DCMatt]

This may help the research.

Her given name is/was [FONT=&quot]Ottillie Rose Cosden.

[/FONT]Her nickname is a reference to Baby's Breath (the flower), the genus name of which is Gypsophila.

I got a hit on her living in Murphy, NC, but not much more.

 

[DCMatt]

T Why would someone write the name Gypsy C. Graves in side the first page of a book?

I think it is safe to assume that she owned that book at some point. Why else would her name be in it?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

A book owned by an archie with a treasure map inside should increase the value but I pulled books out of that dumpster hoping to get something out of print when its the one of a kind hand written items that may hold the most value, and i should have known this.. I will post more of the letter later. I havent even read it all yet.

 

[Blak bart]

I travel there every year to fish I know the story well and have seen a few items supposedly from the cave, including a jeweled dagger of mid east design. 400 pounds of gold supposedly removed from the cave in the past. This gold was brought to Nassau and used to start a large jewlrey store. Some of the islanders who are very old now claim to have played marbles with large red gemstones in the entrance of the cave. I have been to the site and seen the digs done by islanders. I know one family that has dug with excavators very deep. In the late 90s a group called "watling treasure Corp"came to the site with GPR. The results confirmed a natural cavity that had been modified by man with 5 separate chambers. They tried to make a deal with the Bahamas to dig but negotiations collapsed when they offered 10 percent to the bahamians. I went to a meeting of islanders, government officals, and the watling group. It got downright hostile and the watling group was told to leave and never come back.....I was present for that and every single car on the island was parked at the riding rock inn where the meeting took place. There is talk of a billion dollar windfall for the Bahamas if the treasure can be dug. Negotiation continues and the sight is restricted now by the bahamian govt. At one point there was a single armed guard at the sight. I think it is fenced now. There are at least 3 -4 bahamian families claiming owner ship of the land. The site is divided right down a property line and the dispute between islanders, govt, and property owners is bitter. Recently they have floated the idea of paying every resident islander a sum when the treasure is dug, and improving the schools through out the Bahamas with some of the proceeds. The treasure has been attributed to many but I believe it can be attributed to the Buccaneer raids on Panama and south America one of the more successful Buccaneers "George watling" had a plantation here and would have brought his share home with him. He was later killed in a buccaneer raid in Peru I believe. I have been to the ruins of his plantation home and it is a formidable fighting fortress besides a home. It was equipped with firing slots in the stone walls. I have dug many great finds here and my partner one year dug a 1500s coin near one of the Columbus landing sites. It's an island rich in history and covered in ruins that date to the times just after Columbus. There are some articles in the bahamian press that can be searched out that will give small details here and there. I might be over in the summer for a bit. If so I will take some pics of the site. If there ever was a legitimate treasure of immense value buried by pirates in an island cave well this is the one to dig. I'll go to Google and snap a pic of the halted digs. Theres a lot to the story and I'll add some more info if people are interested.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I travel there every year to fish I know the story well and have seen a few items supposedly from the cave, including a jeweled dagger of mid east design. 400 pounds of gold supposedly removed from the cave in the past. This gold was brought to Nassau and used to start a large jewlrey store. Some of the islanders who are very old now claim to have played marbles with large red gemstones in the entrance of the cave. I have been to the site and seen the digs done by islanders. I know one family that has dug with excavators very deep. In the late 90s a group called "watling treasure Corp"came to the site with GPR. The results confirmed a natural cavity that had been modified by man with 5 separate chambers. They tried to make a deal with the Bahamas to dig but negotiations collapsed when they offered 10 percent to the bahamians. I went to a meeting of islanders, government officals, and the watling group. It got downright hostile and the watling group was told to leave and never come back.....I was present for that and every single car on the island was parked at the riding rock inn where the meeting took place. There is talk of a billion dollar windfall for the Bahamas if the treasure can be dug. Negotiation continues and the sight is restricted now by the bahamian govt. At one point there was a single armed guard at the sight. I think it is fenced now. There are at least 3 -4 bahamian families claiming owner ship of the land. The site is divided right down a property line and the dispute between islanders, govt, and property owners is bitter. Recently they have floated the idea of paying every resident islander a sum when the treasure is dug, and improving the schools through out the Bahamas with some of the proceeds. The treasure has been attributed to many but I believe it can be attributed to the Buccaneer raids on Panama and south America one of the more successful Buccaneers "George watling" had a plantation here and would have brought his share home with him. He was later killed in a buccaneer raid in Peru I believe. I have been to the ruins of his plantation home and it is a formidable fighting fortress besides a home. It was equipped with firing slots in the stone walls. I have dug many great finds here and my partner one year dug a 1500s coin near one of the Columbus landing sites. It's an island rich in history and covered in ruins that date to the times just after Columbus. There are some articles in the bahamian press that can be searched out that will give small details here and there. I might be over in the summer for a bit. If so I will take some pics of the site. If there ever was a legitimate treasure of immense value buried by pirates in an island cave well this is the one to dig. I'll go to Google and snap a pic of the halted digs. Theres a lot to the story and I'll add some more info if people are interested.

Thank you for the insight. I knew someone here would know something. Yes it appears to be a known site. The letter mentions some of the many issues. The letter has names of people involved, investors, a property owner living in Miami, the maps show where they dug with heavy equipment, sour orange trees, cave openings and fencelines. Yes its interesting and i would like to hear more but i have an appointment with a dumpster. Is there a treasurenet page on this particular treasure?

 

[Blak bart]

the digs. The white scrapes are where my friend Jason dug with his excavator in 98. The disturbance is still visible from space. No digging since then. I sat and drank beer while they dug. No treasure then but there were broken onion bottle parts at the site, and other great bottles are found deep in the Bush here. Foundations, ruins, and stacked rock walls criss cross the island. Loyalist sheep plantations made stacked rock walls to keep there flocks and separate plantations.

 

[Blak bart]

Thank you for the insight. I knew someone here would know something. Yes it appears to be a known site. The letter mentions some of the many issues. The letter has names of people involved, a property owner living in Miami, the maps show where they dug with heavy equipment, sour orange trees and fencelines. Yes its interesting and i would like to hear more but i have an appointment with a dumpster. Is there a treasurenet page on this particular treasure?

I dont think so.....definatly the first time I spoke of it here.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

My letter mentions a Mrs. Black. Actually they picked her up here in Miami. This could be it. https://thenassauguardian.com/2010/12/24/judge-orders-halt-to-treasure-hunting-at-san-salvador-site/

 

[Blak bart]

Your person may be the same woman who claimed as a child to have seen and played with the gemstones. I'll call my friends and ask for her name, I dont remember it. I think she has passed and I regret not talking with her about that experience.

 

[Blak bart]

That's it

 

[Blak bart]

Yes the black family......she was one of several old timers to have seen some of the treasure.

 

[Blak bart]

These are the families squabbling.......I remember they tried to dig then and had the attitude that they didn't care and it was there property and no one could stop them....it didn't last long, and many would love to dig it in the night and just get it. I'm sure some try too.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

According to the letter, they used heavy equipment and the investors spent "millions".. I notice one of the maps has a notation "cleaned to bedrock"

 

[Blak bart]

heres waitling castle. Actually ruins of a fortified plantation home. Theres slave quarters and other foundations of out buildings here. The story of the buccaneer waitling is in credible and I urge you to search it.....then you'll have an idea of what could be here.