Trying to Get Historians Serious About Treasure Maps

[gjb]

Surprisingly, it’s the devil’s own job to get many people in the treasure hunting community, let alone historians, to consider that treasure maps did, in fact, exist in the past. I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for some forty years!

Consider the following five sets of published instructions (from 1935 and 1972) that are widely declared to be fake, but that can actually be demonstrated to be formulated according to a common set of rules. Many might recognise them.

1. 18 NE and by 71 W on Rock; 26 ENE 18 SW Tree; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. 50 feet N and by 8 feet W on Rock; 20 feet NE Tree; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. 18 W and by 7 E on Rock; 30 SW, 14 N Tree; 7 By 8 By 4.
4. 515 SE and by 50 N; 36 NE, 36 NE Rocks; 3 feet by 3 feet by Four.
5. 360 yards V.R. North 3 stumps: 55 feet from centre of triangle betwixt Rocks; 20 feet E.

The key that unlocks them all lies in the text of the last instruction set, that is. “From centre of triangle between Rocks.” The first four instruction sets suggest that there are, in fact, two Rocks. However, a triangle requires three points, so there should be another reference point. In the first three instruction sets this would appear to be the Tree.

However, it seems that the instructions lead to the Tree and Rocks rather than starting from them. It’s almost as if the instructions have been reversed. So, the first three may have originally have been:

1. Rock 71 W and by 18 NE; Tree 18 SW 26 NE; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. Rock 8 feet W and by 50 feet N; Tree 20 feet NE; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. Rock 7 E and by 18 W; Tree 14 N, 30 SW; 7 By 8 By 4.

In all cases, this would provide three points with the possibility of thereafter forming a triangle and locating its centre. It might follow, then, that the last instruction is an offset from the centre of the triangle, as seems to be the case with the fifth instruction set (20 feet east). Ultimately, it turns out that the three other instruction sets having a unit of measure in the final offset take the form a + b + ac. Thus, we would have: 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) = 70 feet, 5 + 4 + (5 x 5) = 34 feet and 3 + 3 + (4 x 3) = 18 feet.

So, the intent would be to take an offset from the two rocks and an offset from the Tree, form a triangle and take an offset from the centre. However, it may now be obvious to many where this is likely to be since this argues that there’s a location that may have a buried treasure having two prominent Rocks and a prominent Tree. We probably have to be talking about Oak Island.

However, this would argue that if there’s a treasure on Oak Island then it’s not in the Money Pit!! I’ve actually left the Oak Island forum (and also Reddit) three times after attempting to point this out and explaining how the instruction sets work both individually and together. I’m hoping that people with a general interest in treasure hunting (that is, here) may be more open minded about treasure maps and treasure hunting.

I’m now trying to interest academics (historians) in the topic and have uploaded a paper onto the academia.edu web site. If anyone’s interested, it’s 32 pages of A4 with the title ‘The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery’ and can be accessed at:

The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery

This paper presents a reassessment of a controversial and questionably disparaged historical enigma. The work is heavily influenced by the writings of historians Robin G. Collingwood and Carlo Ginzburg with respect to the ‘evidentiary paradigm’ or

www.academia.edu

I’m not expecting many academics to read the paper as I imagine that, like so many others, they’ve already decided that there’s never been such a thing as an actual treasure map in history, these being totally a thing of fiction. The article simply avoids them having to buy my book!

If anyone can think of something I’ve omitted, anything that might influence historians to take treasure maps as a serious historical source with actual historical consequences, I’d be grateful to hear.

 

[Pete E]

Surprisingly, it’s the devil’s own job to get many people in the treasure hunting community, let alone historians, to consider that treasure maps did, in fact, exist in the past. I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for some forty years!

Consider the following five sets of published instructions (from 1935 and 1972) that are widely declared to be fake, but that can actually be demonstrated to be formulated according to a common set of rules. Many might recognise them.

1. 18 NE and by 71 W on Rock; 26 ENE 18 SW Tree; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. 50 feet N and by 8 feet W on Rock; 20 feet NE Tree; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. 18 W and by 7 E on Rock; 30 SW, 14 N Tree; 7 By 8 By 4.
4. 515 SE and by 50 N; 36 NE, 36 NE Rocks; 3 feet by 3 feet by Four.
5. 360 yards V.R. North 3 stumps: 55 feet from centre of triangle betwixt Rocks; 20 feet E.

The key that unlocks them all lies in the text of the last instruction set, that is. “From centre of triangle between Rocks.” The first four instruction sets suggest that there are, in fact, two Rocks. However, a triangle requires three points, so there should be another reference point. In the first three instruction sets this would appear to be the Tree.

However, it seems that the instructions lead to the Tree and Rocks rather than starting from them. It’s almost as if the instructions have been reversed. So, the first three may have originally have been:

1. Rock 71 W and by 18 NE; Tree 18 SW 26 NE; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. Rock 8 feet W and by 50 feet N; Tree 20 feet NE; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. Rock 7 E and by 18 W; Tree 14 N, 30 SW; 7 By 8 By 4.

In all cases, this would provide three points with the possibility of thereafter forming a triangle and locating its centre. It might follow, then, that the last instruction is an offset from the centre of the triangle, as seems to be the case with the fifth instruction set (20 feet east). Ultimately, it turns out that the three other instruction sets having a unit of measure in the final offset take the form a + b + ac. Thus, we would have: 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) = 70 feet, 5 + 4 + (5 x 5) = 34 feet and 3 + 3 + (4 x 3) = 18 feet.

So, the intent would be to take an offset from the two rocks and an offset from the Tree, form a triangle and take an offset from the centre. However, it may now be obvious to many where this is likely to be since this argues that there’s a location that may have a buried treasure having two prominent Rocks and a prominent Tree. We probably have to be talking about Oak Island.

However, this would argue that if there’s a treasure on Oak Island then it’s not in the Money Pit!! I’ve actually left the Oak Island forum (and also Reddit) three times after attempting to point this out and explaining how the instruction sets work both individually and together. I’m hoping that people with a general interest in treasure hunting (that is, here) may be more open minded about treasure maps and treasure hunting.

I’m now trying to interest academics (historians) in the topic and have uploaded a paper onto the academia.edu web site. If anyone’s interested, it’s 32 pages of A4 with the title ‘The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery’ and can be accessed at:

The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery

This paper presents a reassessment of a controversial and questionably disparaged historical enigma. The work is heavily influenced by the writings of historians Robin G. Collingwood and Carlo Ginzburg with respect to the ‘evidentiary paradigm’ or

www.academia.edu

I’m not expecting many academics to read the paper as I imagine that, like so many others, they’ve already decided that there’s never been such a thing as an actual treasure map in history, these being totally a thing of fiction. The article simply avoids them having to buy my book!

If anyone can think of something I’ve omitted, anything that might influence historians to take treasure maps as a serious historical source with actual historical consequences, I’d be grateful to hear.

Can you cite any instances where following a treasure map has resulted in a treasure actually being found?

Not rumours, or empty vaults in the ground, but actual verifiable instances where Fred ( the lucky treasure hunter) is shown holding a map in one hand, while sitting on a pile of treasure he found by following the map??

 

[Crow]

Hello Pete

Its the same tired old argument perpetrated by the academic elite. While treasure maps are rare they do exist. There is one example below.

Treasure hunter uses his father's hand-drawn map to find buried silver - 80 years after his Polish family buried it in remote forest while fleeing WW2 invasion

treasure found by treasure map

I have posted many others.

Another I have shares in mine in Egypt that was found by ancient papyrus map showing land marks where ancient Egypt gold was coming from they had not been worked in nearly 2000 years. Since 2009 I have shares in the company in the company Centamin plc based in Jersey was bought out Ashanti gold which I average about 2400 per month in my royalty arrangement. Over years since I have about half a million from my tiny investment in Centamin years ago. I knew the principle Geologist that was Egyptian and worked in Kalgoorlie Australia as geologist. He went back to Egypt and with two archeologist consulted a papyrus map showing ancient gold workings . I think was from memory in Milan. It assisted in the discovery of large gold deposit once mined by the pharaohs of Egypt.

The Turin Papyrus Map is a significant ancient Egyptian document that serves as a treasure map of sorts, guiding explorers to gold mines and stone quarries in the Wadi Hammamat region. While not specifically for locating buried treasure, it does reveal locations of gold deposits and ancient mining activities, offering a glimpse into how the Egyptians sourced gold

That conformed by drilling by normal exploration company. There was earlier drilling done in 70's by Russian or the then soviets.

Anglo Gold Ashanti acquired Centamin and its interest in Sukari in November 2024. The site has 4.1 million ounces of gold.

That said treasure map are very rare. There more fake ones than real ones. each need to be assessed case by case basis. yet academics blindly regurgitate the same old crap. It is really cringe worthy and embarrassing.Some of the most ludicrous claims and still being claimed by so called academics below.

One there was no treasure maps before Robert Louie Stevenson invented them? wrong.
There has been never a treasure map that has lead to treasure"? wrong!

Here is another treasure map. Sir William Phillips mapped the site of Spanish shipwrecks.On May 2, 1683, the captain of the frigate HMS Falcon was sailing from England to the West Indies and beckoned the other officers to be present as he broke open his secret instructions. He learned that his mission was to aid in the hunt for a large treasure near Hispaniola. A sloop in convoy, HMS Bonetta (sometimes Bonito), was designated to do most of the searching, but Falcon would act as aid and protection. These instructions were from Sir John Narborough, a rear admiral and commissioner of the Royal Navy, who also had the ear of King Charles II

Roger Casement drew a treasure map showing where he had hidden £50 in gold and silver coins, along with binoculars and a lamp, before his arrest in 1916. The map, drawn while he was in British custody at Scotland Yard, led authorities to the buried treasure near Banna Strand in County Kerry. The Kerry Museum acquired the map at auction and it is now part of an exhibition.

Crow

 

[Ryano]

Crow , well done sir on that amazing investment in Egypt. That's just fascinating!!

 

[Crow]

Crow , well done sir on that amazing investment in Egypt. That's just fascinating!!

Centamin was originally formed is Australia but the then small company was get crucified by tax. A first I though I had blown all my spare money on worthless mining ventures. I had shares of company below. I jhad been made redundant and not employable anymore. i was working every crap job just to pay the bills.

My first big break from a every wage earner was Lihir Gold was a gold mining company whose main asset was the Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea. It was merged with Newcrest Mining in 2010. The Lihir mine is one of the world's largest gold deposits and is located on Lihir Island in New Ireland Province, PNG. I worked for A drilling company was struggling financially that was paid part in shares in instead of wages.. So I had a crap load of shares Newcrest first announced merger talks with Lihir Gold in April 2010.The $9.5 billion takeover offer involved Newcrest shares and cash, valuing Lihir at $3.75 per share. Lihir shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the deal, with 99.86% approving the takeover. Well I was part of the .14% who disagreed in the end to get our shares they paid us out to share for since they an even bigger mining com share equal value of newcrest shares at the time.

In 2010, Newcrest Mining acquired Lihir Gold in a deal valued at approximately $9.5 billion. The acquisition involved Newcrest shares and cash, with Lihir shareholders receiving a combination of Newcrest shares and cash for their Lihir shares. The implementation date for the scheme of arrangement was September 13, 2010, with the closing price of Newcrest (NCM) shares at $38.49. We the .14 % hold outs got 35 time more than other share holders. they settled for 3.78 per share we sold for 38. 49 share. netting me millions of dollars. My working life ended.

It was then I learned when the big boys come out to play they really come out to play. Since then an even bigger mining company
In 2023, Newmont Corporation acquired Newcrest Mining, including the Lihir operation. Ironic the existence of deposit was from German Missionary on Lihir was burying his horse and discovered gold he drew a map and reported it colonial German authorities in 1914. Nothing could be done and WW1 came around and the territory was succeeded to Australia. The letter and map ended up in Australian consular records and expeditions started out but ww2 intervened. And American geologist who fought with the Australians against Japaneses Found out about the deposit.

by the time I came along in the 90s we was just hired hands drill pressure relief holes as the site is on top of still active volcano. A west German engineer designed a way to channel sea water to cool the host rock. The company I worked for had a drilling contract. We drill vertical holes then drilled horizontal hole. then sea water would flood the vertical hole convert to stream then generate thermal energy for mine operation. The affect would cool the host rock to mine. We was paid in part money and part shares. But mining exploration at the time was in big slump. So beggars cannot be choosers we took on the job. Today it has changed out of all proportions to when I was there. it was basically just jungle. Now as you can see just a big hole in the ground. still mining. You can see the drill bast holes ready for blasting in the picture below.

It came at good time as I was approaching my used by date in the mining industry. You get to certain age you are considered a liability and thrown to the wolves. Regardless of how loyal you are multinational mining companies are ABSOLUTELY ruthless. And the day you think you are not expendable is the day you have lost the plot.

Yet academic in ivory towers do not know what Hard work is. They some times lose touch with self importance and thus you have many just copying off another and never searching for earliest source. the churn out humanity papers and get degree but no one ever really vets their work. many do not check the sources sighted. and check where there sources come from. So that is why you get this belief that there is no such thing as treasure maps or no one has found treasure by using a map. the very confirmation bias they mock is what they are guilty of.

That said there is hell of lot of people who waste thier lives and time over fake treasure maps to.

Crow

 

[sdcfia]

Great stories Crow, as usual. I agree that treasure maps, and/or critical information about unseen riches do indeed exist, but their degrees of separation from the target are the critical factors in their value. One degree is the real deal. After that, all bets come with much longer odds of success - zero usually, due to human nature (deception, secrecy, miscommunication errors). IMO, the genuine articles will not be available in the public domain, and if they are, by then will only lead to empty holes.

 

[Crow]

Map are only as good as the map maker. Some are so ambitious you can make many interpretations out of it. So you forever trying to make sense of it. Like the following map to the lost city of Paititi below.

In 2001, Italian archaeologist Mario Polia discovered the report of a missionary named Andres Lopez in the Vatican archives. In the document, which dates from 1600, Lopez describes in great detail, a large city rich in gold, silver and jewels, located in the middle of the tropical jungle called Paititi by the natives. Lopez informed the Pope about his discovery and the Vatican has kept Paititi’s location secret for decades.

A Finnish/Bolivian team investigated the harsh jungle for two years beginning in 2001. They found some intriguing ruins near Riberalta in Bolivia that contained shards of Incan pottery, but no gold or silver or gemstones. In 2008, Peru's state news agency reported that "an archaeological fortress" had been discovered in the district of Kimbiri and that the district's mayor suggested it was the lost city.

Mayor Guillermo Torres described the ruins as a 430,000-square-foot (40,000-square-meter) fortification near an area known as Lobo Tahuantinsuyo. The discovery was intriguing without a doubt, but experts did not think the place was a legendary city. In 1984, legendary explorer Greg Deyermenjian started to explore the area north and northeast of Cusco. In 1994, Deyermenjian and his team joined Peru’s foremost living explorer, Dr. Carlos Neuenschwander, who had been conducting his own investigation into Paititi and the significance of the Pantiacolla plateau since the 1950s.

Greg Deyermenjian posted here on treasurenet for time.

Crow

 

[Ramiro valdez]

Surprisingly, it’s the devil’s own job to get many people in the treasure hunting community, let alone historians, to consider that treasure maps did, in fact, exist in the past. I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for some forty years!

Consider the following five sets of published instructions (from 1935 and 1972) that are widely declared to be fake, but that can actually be demonstrated to be formulated according to a common set of rules. Many might recognise them.

1. 18 NE and by 71 W on Rock; 26 ENE 18 SW Tree; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. 50 feet N and by 8 feet W on Rock; 20 feet NE Tree; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. 18 W and by 7 E on Rock; 30 SW, 14 N Tree; 7 By 8 By 4.
4. 515 SE and by 50 N; 36 NE, 36 NE Rocks; 3 feet by 3 feet by Four.
5. 360 yards V.R. North 3 stumps: 55 feet from centre of triangle betwixt Rocks; 20 feet E.

The key that unlocks them all lies in the text of the last instruction set, that is. “From centre of triangle between Rocks.” The first four instruction sets suggest that there are, in fact, two Rocks. However, a triangle requires three points, so there should be another reference point. In the first three instruction sets this would appear to be the Tree.

However, it seems that the instructions lead to the Tree and Rocks rather than starting from them. It’s almost as if the instructions have been reversed. So, the first three may have originally have been:

1. Rock 71 W and by 18 NE; Tree 18 SW 26 NE; 7 feet by 7 feet by 8.
2. Rock 8 feet W and by 50 feet N; Tree 20 feet NE; 5 feet by 4 feet by 5.
3. Rock 7 E and by 18 W; Tree 14 N, 30 SW; 7 By 8 By 4.

In all cases, this would provide three points with the possibility of thereafter forming a triangle and locating its centre. It might follow, then, that the last instruction is an offset from the centre of the triangle, as seems to be the case with the fifth instruction set (20 feet east). Ultimately, it turns out that the three other instruction sets having a unit of measure in the final offset take the form a + b + ac. Thus, we would have: 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) = 70 feet, 5 + 4 + (5 x 5) = 34 feet and 3 + 3 + (4 x 3) = 18 feet.

So, the intent would be to take an offset from the two rocks and an offset from the Tree, form a triangle and take an offset from the centre. However, it may now be obvious to many where this is likely to be since this argues that there’s a location that may have a buried treasure having two prominent Rocks and a prominent Tree. We probably have to be talking about Oak Island.

However, this would argue that if there’s a treasure on Oak Island then it’s not in the Money Pit!! I’ve actually left the Oak Island forum (and also Reddit) three times after attempting to point this out and explaining how the instruction sets work both individually and together. I’m hoping that people with a general interest in treasure hunting (that is, here) may be more open minded about treasure maps and treasure hunting.

I’m now trying to interest academics (historians) in the topic and have uploaded a paper onto the academia.edu web site. If anyone’s interested, it’s 32 pages of A4 with the title ‘The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery’ and can be accessed at:

The Researcher as Detective: Historical Reconstruction in Refining and Defining the Oak Island Mystery

This paper presents a reassessment of a controversial and questionably disparaged historical enigma. The work is heavily influenced by the writings of historians Robin G. Collingwood and Carlo Ginzburg with respect to the ‘evidentiary paradigm’ or

www.academia.edu

I’m not expecting many academics to read the paper as I imagine that, like so many others, they’ve already decided that there’s never been such a thing as an actual treasure map in history, these being totally a thing of fiction. The article simply avoids them having to buy my book!

If anyone can think of something I’ve omitted, anything that might influence historians to take treasure maps as a serious historical source with actual historical consequences, I’d be grateful to hear.

That's a lot of work, but you accomplished what you set out to do? Which was to share all of your research. I understand what you're trying to get at, but most historians don't understand the definition of a cipher map or how it is supposed to work based on its creation. If you want to teach the most intelligent individual how to read such a map you're going to have problems because ciphers maps are made to defy the most intelligent person? In order to teach them you have to explain the knowledge behind cipher maps and you have to show them physical aspect of every clue. Cipher maps are based on long unilateral explanations, which means that it was created using symbols, numbers, or anything the map maker decided to use in order to add meaning to everything he is going to use. You have to guess at every clue to get to the last step and if you get it right? You win the prize. Academic resistance will be hard to overcome? Unless you explain it how it's done, but they are also going to require that you take them by the hand and show them the promised treasure to win them over!!!!! Not going to happen! You need more knowledge.