The Trouble With A Buried Treasure

[Legend Buster]

You would think that researching and locating the burial site would be the hardest part of recovering a buried treasure, but in my case you'd be wrong. I've had the location for over 30 years. The real problems are land ownership and Massachusetts Laws. The location is within 200 feet of a river, making it considered wetlands which can restrict digging, and there is a law that forbids removal of anything over 100 years old.

I am attempting to make a documentary of the researching of legends and recovery of a lost treasure buried over 100 years ago. It seems funny to me that the law supposedly protecting historical artifacts, in fact prevents historical artifacts from ever being discovered in the first place. A historical treasure can't be found and presented to the world in the form of a documentary, because some genius decided to make a law consigning real historical treasures, to be lost forever, only to be remembered in countless flawed legends.

There must be some way to get an exemption for the sake of history.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

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[crashbandicoot]

You would think that researching and locating the burial site would be the hardest part of recovering a buried treasure, but in my case you'd be wrong. I've had the location for over 30 years. The real problems are land ownership and Massachusetts Laws. The location is within 200 feet of a river, making it considered wetlands which can restrict digging, and there is a law that forbids removal of anything over 100 years old.

I am attempting to make a documentary of the researching of legends and recovery of a lost treasure buried over 100 years ago. It seems funny to me that the law supposedly protecting historical artifacts, in fact prevents historical artifacts from ever being discovered in the first place. A historical treasure can't be found and presented to the world in the form of a documentary, because some genius decided to make a law consigning real historical treasures, to be lost forever, only to be remembered in countless flawed legends.

There must be some way to get an exemption for the sake of history.

Anyone have any ideas?

Go to UMASS and attain an archaeology degree.Get hired on to the staff of either a State Assn. or University Archaeology Dept. Then you can dig all you want with little regard for the laws passed at the behest of Archaeologists to keep the average citizen from digging any thing other than the bulbs in his flower bed.You get a license to grave rob too,so what are you waiting for?Serious reply to your question,not meant to be obsequious.Edited to add,this way you get to use taxpayer dollars or government grants,which are the same thing and save your own Geetus.Good luck.

 

[releventchair]

Your choice, You make a documentary or don't.

What other idea is there?
Market it right it can be worth more than any alleged treasure.
Been done time and again. No proof required.

 

[Legend Buster]

Your choice, You make a documentary or don't.

What other idea is there?
Market it right it can be worth more than any alleged treasure.
Been done time and again. No proof required.

I love this post! The way I see it is a documentary is the only possible way of obtaining permission.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... and locating the burial site would be the hardest part of recovering a buried treasure, but in my case you'd be wrong. I've had the location for over 30 years. ...

legend-buster, in other threads, you went-on-to acknowledge that you do NOT necessarily know if you've located (past tense) a treasure. Ie.: your stance was changed to "think I know".

And even if nothing's there, then , on your view, that doesn't mean there wasn't a fabulous treasure. It merely means someone else beat you to it. Right ?

But at NO POINT did you not "locate this fabulous treasure". Right ?

 

[dougachim]

You would think that researching and locating the burial site would be the hardest part of recovering a buried treasure, but in my case you'd be wrong. I've had the location for over 30 years. The real problems are land ownership and Massachusetts Laws. The location is within 200 feet of a river, making it considered wetlands which can restrict digging, and there is a law that forbids removal of anything over 100 years old.

I am attempting to make a documentary of the researching of legends and recovery of a lost treasure buried over 100 years ago. It seems funny to me that the law supposedly protecting historical artifacts, in fact prevents historical artifacts from ever being discovered in the first place. A historical treasure can't be found and presented to the world in the form of a documentary, because some genius decided to make a law consigning real historical treasures, to be lost forever, only to be remembered in countless flawed legends.

There must be some way to get an exemption for the sake of history.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[BennyV]

I think I figured out which legend it is.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I think I figured out which legend it is.

And you also figured out that he solved it, and knows where a fabulous treasure is (or was). Right ?

(this is tongue-in-cheek, I hope is clear)

 

[EDavis]

You would think that researching and locating the burial site would be the hardest part of recovering a buried treasure, but in my case you'd be wrong. I've had the location for over 30 years. The real problems are land ownership and Massachusetts Laws. The location is within 200 feet of a river, making it considered wetlands which can restrict digging, and there is a law that forbids removal of anything over 100 years old.

I am attempting to make a documentary of the researching of legends and recovery of a lost treasure buried over 100 years ago. It seems funny to me that the law supposedly protecting historical artifacts, in fact prevents historical artifacts from ever being discovered in the first place. A historical treasure can't be found and presented to the world in the form of a documentary, because some genius decided to make a law consigning real historical treasures, to be lost forever, only to be remembered in countless flawed legends.

There must be some way to get an exemption for the sake of history.

Anyone have any ideas?

I think the law stinks but I kinda understand it. History is lost until it’s found, but it’s never found until it’s recorded and documented. People find artifacts and either keep them to themselves or sale them and the historical location of those things are never recorded nor displayed to the world just tucked away in someone’s private collection. I think your idea of a documentary is awesome and hope you succeed. I don’t think it possible to remove or dig anything if someone known a specific location without aid of certified archeological team and state being involved. I think if you know the location of something significant, you could use that as a bargaining ship to the land owners and whoever needed involved to make sure you are documented as the finder and to be a part of the removal such as your documentary and maybe even rewarded. I hope you succeed because I love seeing those unearthed treasures.

 

[BennyV]

I think the law stinks but I kinda understand it. History is lost until it’s found, but it’s never found until it’s recorded and documented. People find artifacts and either keep them to themselves or sale them and the historical location of those things are never recorded nor displayed to the world just tucked away in someone’s private collection. I think your idea of a documentary is awesome and hope you succeed. I don’t think it possible to remove or dig anything if someone known a specific location without aid of certified archeological team and state being involved. I think if you know the location of something significant, you could use that as a bargaining ship to the land owners and whoever needed involved to make sure you are documented as the finder and to be a part of the removal such as your documentary and maybe even rewarded. I hope you succeed because I love seeing those unearthed treasures.

You make a great point but unfortunately the laws in the US put the finder at a disadvantage. If we had treasure trove laws similar to those in the UK maybe people would be more forthcoming and actually would want to do things the right way. Instead finders here are almost guilty until proven innocent, that is why I think most wouldn’t say much if they did stumble upon something of historic value (this is just my opinion I haven’t found anything of value ever and probably never will LOL). It’s really not worth the hassle.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

....., but it’s never found until it’s recorded and documented. ....

Huh ? What are you talking about ?

It's "found" (past tense) if someone narrows it down to a certain swamp. A certain valley. A certain cave, etc....

It's "found" when they insist they've unraveled the mysterious clues to a cryptogram and ciphers.

It's "found" if their "wand" points in a certain direction.

It's "found" if they find a tip-of-the-iceberg (a rusty nail, a key, a bone, etc....)

Don't you know this by now ? At no point is it not "found" (past tense). It is always/only/ever that durned govt. red-tape that keeps us from showing the world. Tsk tsk

 

[TheGreenBoy]

If you want to do it legally, you can. You will have to obtain permissions from proper authorities as well as land owners. You will have to hire a professional arheologist to supervise your work. The moment you will stumble on something of great historical walue, the professional archeological team will take over.
So go for it if you think it is worth the hassle.
The laws are not always designed to protect what they claim to protect. Somethimes, the real reasone remains hidden from the plain sight, serving the true purposes of the (deep) state, which are not always legal.....

 

[TheGreenBoy]

You make a great point but unfortunately the laws in the US put the finder at a disadvantage. If we had treasure trove laws similar to those in the UK maybe people would be more forthcoming and actually would want to do things the right way. Instead finders here are almost guilty until proven innocent, that is why I think most wouldn’t say much if they did stumble upon something of historic value (this is just my opinion I haven’t found anything of value ever and probably never will LOL). It’s really not worth the hassle.

Well Benny, in my 30+ yeares old MD "carrear" i never had a problem reporting an item of "great historical value". It's items of "great financial value" that cause troubles every time, without a failure.
Reporting a crime site, like mass murder site commited by ex-government with a lot of same people and their sons and doughters still in power, is something you would probably want to skip. Same applies for some Mafia hide-out places.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... The moment you will stumble on something of great historical walue,....

Wait, do you mean when you stumble on something in the PAST TENSE ? Or did you mean THINK you stumbled on something (future tense, not-yet-found) ?

The way your grammar and context reads, it is in the past tense.

Why is this ? Why does everyone keep assuming something was "Found" (past tense) ? Even when no one ever saw a red cent, yet this oddity persists. Why ?

And sure enough, it's *most certainly there*. If only it wasn't for the "big bad government" that keep me from retrieving it, eh ? Or "It's most certainly there", yet was stolen the night before.

Am I the only one seeing this curious oddity in thinking here ? WTF ?

 

[Mackaydon]

Make a partnership with an archeologist. His contribution will be to get a permit that allows for search, recovery and cash (not artifact) distribution to you based on a percentage of the appraised value of the finds.
Realize the cost of the venture will likely be on you alone.
Don....

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... that allows for search, ....

Don, Haven't you been reading ? There's no need to "search" for anything. It's already been "found" (past tense). Right ?

 

[crashbandicoot]

Wait, do you mean when you stumble on something in the PAST TENSE ? Or did you mean THINK you stumbled on something (future tense, not-yet-found) ?

The way your grammar and context reads, it is in the past tense.

Why is this ? Why does everyone keep assuming something was "Found" (past tense) ? Even when no one ever saw a red cent, yet this oddity persists. Why ?

And sure enough, it's *most certainly there*. If only it wasn't for the "big bad government" that keep me from retrieving it, eh ? Or "It's most certainly there", yet was stolen the night before.

Am I the only one seeing this curious oddity in thinking here ? WTF ?

No,I got it a long time ago,common to every one of these things.

 

[crashbandicoot]

I think I figured out which legend it is.

Please tell us,I for one would love to know,It,s unrecoverable so telling isn,t going to hurt any thing.PPUUHHLLEEEASE!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

....It,s unrecoverable so telling isn,t going to hurt any thing....

Yup. Even though they "know exactly where it is" (d/t they "found" it already) it doesn't harm or hurt anything to simply say where it is. Because, after all :

1) It's off limits and left to rot d/t mean evil government bureaucratic red tape (but rest assured, it's there)

2) It's too deep and too filled with booby traps anyhow (but rest assured, it's there)

3) It must've already been recovered by prior Treasure hunters (but rest assured, it was there)

4) It was stolen last night by the FBI (but rest assured, it was there).

Hence you're right : Since no one will ever get it anyhow, then there's no harm in giving us the exact GPS. Eh ?

 

[crashbandicoot]

Yup. Even though they "know exactly where it is" (d/t they "found" it already) it doesn't harm or hurt anything to simply say where it is. Because, after all :

1) It's off limits and left to rot d/t mean evil government bureaucratic red tape (but rest assured, it's there)

2) It's too deep and too filled with booby traps anyhow (but rest assured, it's there)

3) It must've already been recovered by prior Treasure hunters (but rest assured, it was there)

4) It was stolen last night by the FBI (but rest assured, it was there).

Hence you're right : Since no one will ever get it anyhow, then there's no harm in giving us the exact GPS. Eh ?

You laid it out exactly. I just want to know what it is,not like I,m gonna jump up and run out there a 1000 miles or so.Too old for that kind of bull.This has sure been a long journey to learn essentially nothing.