Legendary Treasures

1. Legendary Treasures

2. Treasure of the Pharaohs • Vast treasure found in the tomb of a relatively insignificant pharaoh, King Tutankhamen • There should be so much more in the tombs of the great pharaohs! • Relocation of the tombs by Herihor • His tomb has yet to be found http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8660304

3. Copper Scroll Treasure • The copper scroll is one of the Dead Sea scrolls, known for its unique writing style. • A list of 63 locations containing gold and silver treasure • Value is estimated at $1.2 billion • It may be the treasure of the Jewish temple, hidden from the Romans, or it may have belonged to a particular Jewish community. • The copper scroll describes another scroll, the key scroll, which contains the complete details on the locations of the treasure. But this scroll has yet to be found…

4. The Ark of the Covenant • Referenced in Hebrew scripture • Disappeared after the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem • Several churches from different traditions claim to have the ark in their possession. • Others believe that it was hidden or destroyed. • Possible locations: • Middle East • Eastern Africa • Europe • United States

5. The Lost City of Atlantis • The legend comes from the writings of Plato. • Atlantis supposedly sank into the sea in “a single day and night of misfortune.” • Many view the story as nothing more than a fable or myth. • Some modern scientists believe that Atlantis is real. • The most prominent theories place Atlantis somewhere in the Mediterranean, or in Europe and the Atlantic Ocean.

7. Treasure of Alaric • Alaric was king of the Visigoths during the 4th century. He is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which contributed to the fall of the Roman empire. • After his death, he was buried under a riverbed in southern Italy, along with his vast wealth of treasure. • No one knows, to this day, exactly where he is buried.

9. Kusanagi • A legendary sword of Japanese mythology • May have been removed from the imperial palace, stolen, or lost at sea • Last seen in 1993 • Said to be housed at the Atsuta Shrine, but its existence cannot be confirmed

10. Genghis Khan’s Treasure • Modern archeologists have found what they believe to be Khara Khorum - the Palace of the Great Khan, capitol of the Mongol empire - buried in the Mongolian desert.

11. Holy Grail • A religious relic • Several literary references • Supposed to be the cup used by Jesus during the Last Supper, though others interpret it to have a metaphorical meaning • King Arthur’s quest • Various churches claim to be in possession of the Holy Grail.

12. Knights Templar Treasure • A Christian military organization, sponsored by the Catholic Church from 1119-1312 • Supposed to have hidden a great treasure, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands • Various organizations have tried to claim links to the original Knights Templar. • Often associated with religious relics, including the Holy Grail • Possible locations: • The Holy Land • Somewhere in Europe • Northeastern United States • Nova Scotia

13. King John’s Crown Jewels • Missing when the king was buried in 1216 • Various theories as to what happened: • Legend has it that the baggage train carrying King John’s treasures was lost in the Wash, while the king himself barely escaped. • If that is the case, the jewels may have already been discovered. • King John may have sold the crown jewels to pay off his debts. • Or they may have been stolen…

14. El Dorado • The legendary lost city of gold • Attracted Spanish conquistadores and other explorers during the 16th century • Modern explorers exhibit renewed interest • Somewhere in Central or South America • May be worth $10 billion!

15. El Dorado Shipwreck • In 1502, a fleet of 32 Spanish ships were caught in a storm in the Mona Passage. • Twenty-seven ships were lost, among them the flagship El Dorado, which is believed to contain a great treasure of gold and pearls. • Since that time, much has been recovered from these shipwrecks, but there was no sign of El Dorado’s treasure. If these accounts are true, then two to three million dollars worth of gold and pearls still lies buried in the depths of the Mona Passage.

17. Montezuma’s Gold • Treasure of ancient Aztec civilization • Emperor Montezuma captured by the infamous conquistador Hernan Cortes • Aztec people revolt, driving the Spaniards out • The Spanish re-take the city, but the treasure is nowhere to be found. • Possible locations: • Lake Tezcuco near Tenochtitlán (present-day Mexico City) • Casa Grande ruins or elsewhere in Arizona • The Grand Canyon near what is now Hoover Dam • White Mountain in Kanab, Utah • The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine • Guatemala

18. Flor De La Mar • A large Portuguese frigate • Carrying 60 tons of gold and 200 chests filled with precious gems • Sunk off the coast of Sumatra in 1511 • The ship has yet to be found. • An American treasure hunter, Robert Marx, says “It's the richest vessel ever lost at sea.” He is said to have spent $20 million attempting to recover the treasure.

19. Treasure of Sir Francis Drake • An English privateer famous for circumnavigating the globe • He also raided Spanish ships in the Caribbean. • In 1573, Drake and his crew attacked a richly laden mule train and captured more treasure than they could carry. • They may have buried the bulk of the treasure near the town of Nombre de Dios in Panama. • Today, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

20. SantissimaConception • AKA “El Grande” • Sailing from Central America to Spain, bearing gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, and other goods • Shipwrecked off the Florida coast in 1683 • Its treasure has yet to be found.

21. The Ship in the Desert • Legend tells of an ancient ship buried in the California desert • Possibly a Spanish galleon, containing a fortune in pearls • The disappearance of Charley Clusker • Challenges: • The whole region is covered in sand. • Most of the area is currently submerged under highly polluted water. • Much of the adjacent land is under military control and is used as a bombing range.

22. Colorado River Salton Sea Salton Sea Gulf of California

23. French Gold in Minerva, Ohio • In the 1760’s, French officials buried a ton of gold outside of Pittsburgh to prevent it from being taken by the British forces. • The value of the treasure would be worth over $38 million today. • Over the years, many have tried to locate the treasure, but it has yet to be found.

24. Captain Kidd’s Treasure • The only pirate known to have actually buried treasure • Treasure hunts take place among the islands off New York, Connecticut, and Nova Scotia. • Quedagh Merchant found in 2007 in shallow waters off the Dominican Republic

25. Blackbeard’s Treasure NOT!

26. Oak Island Money Pit • A small island in Nova Scotia • Over 200 years of treasure hunting history • First discovered in 1795, by 18-year-old Daniel McGinnis • Now owned by Oak Island Tours Inc. • There has been wide-ranging speculation among enthusiasts as to who originally dug the pit and what it might contain. Some of the prominent theories are: • Captain Kidd’s treasure • Naval treasure • Knights Templar treasure • It could be a natural sinkhole that holds no treasure at all.

28. San Miguel • Part of a Spanish treasure fleet that sank after leaving Cuba in 1715 • The San Miguel was a small, fast ship. • It may have been carrying a large portion of the treasure. • It is thought to have separated from the other ships before the storm hit. • The ship and its treasure have yet to be found.

29. Orval Abbey • Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette may have had one of their faithful servants hide their treasures at Orval Abbey in Belgium during the French Revolution. • Orval Abbey is also linked to legends of the Knights Templar treasure. • The Belgian government has denied permission for an archaeological excavation of the site.

31. The Beale Ciphers • Three cipher texts, one of which describes the location of a buried treasure of gold, silver and jewels • Now estimated to be worth over $63 million • The treasure was buried by Thomas Jefferson Beale in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1820. • Beale entrusted the cipher texts to a local innkeeper named Robert Morriss. • Moriss gave the cipher texts to a friend before he died. • The three cipher texts were published in a pamphlet in 1885. • Since then, a number of attempts have been made to decode • the two remaining cipher texts and to locate the treasure, but • none have succeeded.

32. The San Saba Treasure • Located at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas • The site of one of the most famous battles in American history, during the Texas Revolution of 1836 • Millions of dollars worth of gold and silver treasure were brought to finance the war effort. • Thought to be buried under the historic well at the Alamo site • Historical researcher and fortune hunter Frank Buschbacher is currently excavating the area. Several artifacts have been found, but so far there is no sign of any gold or silver treasure.

34. Treasure of Lima • Stolen by Captain William Thompson, after he was entrusted to transport it from Peru to Mexico in 1820 • Treasure includes 113 gold statues (including a life-size Virgin Mary), 1,000 diamonds, 200 chests of jewels, swords with jeweled hilts, solid gold crowns, chalices, and hundreds of gold and silver bars • Valued at around $260 million today • He is said to have stashed his plunder on Cocos Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Costa Rica. • This story may have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

36. Benito Bonito’s Treasure • Benito “Bloody Sword” Bonito was a legendary pirate. • According to legend, he may have buried treasure on Cocos Island or hidden it in a cave near Queensland in Victoria, Australia. • The treasure is valued at over $300 million today.

37. The Treasure of Gasparilla • Gasparilla was a legendary pirate. • He set up his headquarters on Gasparilla Island, on the west coast of Florida, where he amassed a great treasure worth $30 million. • The legend started with Juan Gómez, who claimed to be a member of Gasparilla’s crew. • A local hotel and railroad line used the story in its advertising brochure in 1900, making the island a popular tourist destination. • Gasparilla’s treasure has never been found. • Tall tale or true story?

38. Singer’s Treasure • John Singer and his family settled on Padre Island after being shipwrecked there in 1847. There, they found a wooden chest, containing a fortune in gold coins and jewelry from lost Spanish galleons. They buried the $60,000-80,000 worth of treasure in a place they called “money hill.” • During the Civil War, Singer sided with the Union and, fearing the Confederates, he and his family left the island for the mainland, where they felt it would be safer. After the War, Singer came back for his treasure but storms had changed the Island so much that he was never able to find it. • To this day, treasure hunters still comb Padre Island, looking for Singer’s buried treasure.

39. Padre Island Treasure • May be the treasure of famous pirate Jean Lafitte • Over $500,000 worth of treasure • “Enough to ransom a nation”

41. Confederate Gold • Hidden cache of gold lost after the American Civil War • Probably worth about $500,000 • Still unaccounted for… • The money may have been spent or distributed among Confederate officers. • It may have been stolen, or it could still be hidden somewhere in the South.

42. Tokugawa Treasure • Shoguns of the Tokugawa family ruled Japan for 264 years, from 1603 until 1867. • When the balance of power shifted and the imperialist armies marched against him, the Shogun decided to hide his family’s wealth in Mt. Akagi. • Descendants of the Tokugawa family search for the treasure today. • The wealth – on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars – belongs to the people of Japan.

44. Tuamoto Treasure • Originally from the church in Pisco, Peru • Treasure consists of 14 tons of gold, gems, and other valuable items, estimated at $1.8 million • Stolen by a group of four Australian mercenaries in 1859 • Buried it in the Tuamotu Atolls in the South Pacific • 1913 Charles Howe’s expedition • 1932 George Hamilton takes over • Supposedly, the gold can be found in a pear-shaped pool somewhere in the Tuamotu Atolls, presumably right where Howe left it.

46. Pitt Lake Gold • The story begins in 1858. • Evolution of the legend • Natives found the gold first. • Later, white settlers discovered it. • Each person who found the gold became ill and died shortly thereafter, but not before passing on information about the treasure’s location. • Interviewer Jack Mahony contributed to the growth of the legend. • Many people died, searching for the treasure. • The area is unlikely to hold great wealth in placer deposits, as the legend claims. Nevertheless, people continue to search for the lost gold mine of Pitt Lake.

48. TheLost Adams Diggings • The legend dates back to the 1860’s • A canyon rich in gold, somewhere in western New Mexico or in eastern Arizona

50. The Lost Dutchman Mine • The legend dates back to 1870. • Evolution of the story • Dr. Thorne & the Apache gold • The real Jacob Waltz • The soldiers’ lost mine • Thought to be in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, or elsewhere in the Southwest