Want the opportunity to be a professional explorer? Please read.

[somehiker]

Considering your current fields of study and personal interests, a career with one of the agencies tasked with the prevention of looting and smuggling of antiquities might be right for you. Buy or borrow a copy of Stealing History by Roger Atwood if you are interested.

Regards:SH.

 

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[pmuggs]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll definitely look into that; it does seem like something I'd be interested in. I'll have to pick up a copy of that book on amazon or something...

 

[cactusjumper]

Considering your current fields of study and personal interests, a career with one of the agencies tasked with the prevention of looting and smuggling of antiquities might be right for you. Buy or borrow a copy of Stealing History by Roger Atwood if you are interested.

Regards:SH.

Wayne,

An excellent recommendation. Heather Pringle sums the book up rather nicely on the back cover.

"Stealing History is an immensely compelling and disturbing tale of greed, destruction and woe. With an unflinching eye for detail, Atwood explores the subterranean world of the antiquities trade, from the cadaver-littered pits of professional grave robbers in Sipan to the glittering collections of wealthy buyers in the world's capitals. Graphically charting the seamy traffic that is devouring the world's most important archaeological sites, Stealing History is the first book I've read that really does this subject justice. It's a must-read."

If anyone is interested, It's a great book.

Take care,

Joe

 

[somehiker]

It's one I have in my collection Joe, and I agree with Heather's review.
Precisely why I suggested it.
The frontispiece photo of the Sipan backflap and the history of the artifact is particularly compelling.
This photo gives a better perspective although it doesn't show both parts ......




The other part (waist plate similar to that shown in the depiction below) has eight gold "pearls/bells", bringing the total to eighteen.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Don't pick a degree and then wonder what to do with it. Find a job you want to do and then find out what degree(s) will be most beneficial in in finding work in that field. So if you are interested in working a LEO job with antiquities smuggling, start by finding out who really does the work of that. Then don't be shy, call and talk to that agency! Find out what they look for in applicants. It could be that want people with art and psychology, or maybe accounting and business. But the key is to find what they want.

 

[somehiker]

He can also apply for an internship at one of the agencies involved.
He can join this website if he wants to learn more.....Museum Security Network
Apply here....https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/museum_security_network

 

[pmuggs]

Don't pick a degree and then wonder what to do with it. Find a job you want to do and then find out what degree(s) will be most beneficial in in finding work in that field. So if you are interested in working a LEO job with antiquities smuggling, start by finding out who really does the work of that. Then don't be shy, call and talk to that agency! Find out what they look for in applicants. It could be that want people with art and psychology, or maybe accounting and business. But the key is to find what they want.

Thanks for the input. I made my decision to jump head first into university after assessing the time commitment involved, and the fact that I didn't want to wait an extra year attempting to make up my mind. I decided to major in history due to the fact that I've always been very interested in the field, and I can't see that changing. I'd love to be an archaeologist, for example. But I made the choice to double major in criminology when I saw how much more versatile I'd be, having two majors, and it also cost me no extra (I'm a pretty thrifty individual). My goal, per say, is not necessarily to acquire a career in the traditional sense; the thought of working "9-5" really doesn't sit well with me. I'd rather find a way to make due while doing what I love, which is travelling and discovering history. That aim is what led me to start posting on this forum originally, a few years back now. Being a 'professional explorer' would have fit the bill. That's why I pursued the fields that I did in university, I figured they would benefit me the most seeing as I'm aiming to 'work' in an area that isn't really defined as having any educational pre-requisite. At least that I know of.

 

[tintin_treasure]

So things are still going well here in Ecuador. A few friends and I are working out plans for a website. The website is going to contain dozens of longer videos of our exploration trips. The following will be the subject of our website:

1. Gold prospecting trips with actual sampling done. Location will be kept secret for obvious reason, mainly security. If we find an area where the gold is there, but too subpar for what we are looking for, then we will reveal the basic location after we are long gone from the area.

2. Searching for specific target as in ruins, or the site of a lost city. One of our goals is to search for a known, but lost emerald deposit. There are two known of, but the location has been lost since the Inca times. The general location is known, but obviously not the exact location. They are both known to be in very rugged and dangerous locations.

3. Rafting down some major rivers, and doing some gold sampling along the way. This trip will last about 6 days and involves camping along the way.

4. Climbing the major peaks including filming the almost constantly active volcano Sangay. It erupts every few hours. It can be climbed, but I don't see us doing that anytime soon. This is no joke...shields and hardhats are required. Talking about technical? This volcano also has numerous treasure legends.

5. Hacking our way through various jungle treks.

6. Exploring some of the awesome cave systems here in Ecuador, including the famous Tayos cave system. This specific cave system has numerous treasure legends, number one being the metallic library. We will be filming various parts of the spelunking trips.

7. Exploring the Llanganatis National Park. I have no intention of getting sucked into addiction of the actual Atuahalpas treasure legend, but I do want to witness the beauty of the area. The national park is one of the most dangerous and rugged areas in the world. The flora and fauna are amazing and showing off its beauty is what the trip is all about.

8. Eventually doing some metal detecting along specific beaches near some famous Spanish shipwreck sites. This is a bit low on my priority list though, and it wouldn't happen for awhile. More of a relaxing trip compared to most of the others.

We will also be touring the towns and showing you what Ecuador is all about. I am hoping to have the site up and running by the end of the summer, but I will keep you updated on the progress.

This website will be free to access and to view all of the videos. I am also a very experienced organic gardener and will most likely have a section involving that. Specifically all our projects here in Ecuador. I feel this will assist in bringing in more visitors and will make it easier to promote, and anything permaculture related is very important to me, especially considering the state of the world.

Thoughts?

Does anyone know the current status of the treasure/gold hunting project in Equador a person named 'Alaskan Adventurer' proposed here a couple of years ago? It seems interesting.please update me if you know anything.

tintin treasure

 

[pmuggs]

Alaskan recently posted this:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/inca-treasures/428874-alaskan-adventurers-thread-journals.html

So the optimist in me wants to believe that we could get it off the ground. It looks like there's a lot of people interested; I know I am, anyways. Hopefully we get some more information in the future, as it'd be a great way to start off my 'career' (if that's what we'll call it).

 

[doc-d]

Ecuador is an awesome country for sure, with much history and treasure waiting……
You do not need a group….but you must understand the country, culture and research…….of course it is a spanish speaking country and you need to speak spanish to do well there……
Vaya con Dios

 

[Crow]

I agree with Doc-d A little knowledge of Spanish is a big help. Understanding the culture and research too is very important.

Crow

 

[pmuggs]

Yeah, I'm thinking of learning Spanish over the next four years. I mean, I can try to at least. I'll probably work for a year after getting my degree in order to pay it off completely (living at home has minimized my costs) and attempt to gain life experience in the form of essential skills. I'll probably take up range shooting, automotive repair and basic first aid. Ideally I'd get started as an 'explorer' by 2020, but I just need a plan of action. At this point I see three options. 1) I find a career that takes me where I want to go, and pays me for uncovering artifacts, likely as an archaeologist. 2) I get on with a group not unlike the one that was proposed here two years ago (this is the most attractive option to me). 3) I find a way to finance myself, and make money doing whatever my degree/relatable skills can land me while in South America. The third option is the most risky, and probably not wholly a great idea, in that I wouldn't have anyone to mentor me in the field. I fashion myself a smart guy with a lot of common sense, but even I know that you need to walk before you can run, and no amount of education makes up for actual experience.

 

[somehiker]

Well PM, you're less than an hour down the 401, so I'll have to keep an eye on how you are doing.
Stay with it and keep posting on the website.

 

[pmuggs]

Well PM, you're less than an hour down the 401, so I'll have to keep an eye on how you are doing.
Stay with it and keep posting on the website.

Well if there's one thing we can all count on, it's that.

 

[pmuggs]

Also, if anyone is curious as to the happenings regarding this Ecuador venture, you can check out the Amazon Sustainability and Awareness Project (ASAP) through Facebook or the fledgling website. It's moved it's focus from gold prospecting to a holistic healing, cultural awareness sort of deal, but it really is advocating a good cause. I figured if any of the older posters were interested, they should know that the whole thing didn't just drop off and die; it is still around.

 

[doc-d]

Pretty much however you choose to spend your time in Ecuador, it is well spent…….truly a beautiful country from the mountains to the beaches to the lowlands…….

 

[pmuggs]

Pretty much however you choose to spend your time in Ecuador, it is well spent…….truly a beautiful country from the mountains to the beaches to the lowlands…….

Hopefully one day I will see that for myself. Even if I end up having to venture solo, I still reckon it'd be worth the trip.

 

[doc-d]

You can find relatively affordable flights to Quito or Guayaquil (2 main cities in Ec)……
It would be worth taking a trip to see the country if you have at least a couple weeks………hotels and food is definitely more affordable there……….

 

[Crow]

I agree in fact seeing the country and experiencing the warm hospitality of the people is a treasure in itself.

Crow

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

You might try the Explorers Club for juniors attempting to break in by joining existing units

explorersclub.org