What are the greatest hidden treasures found across the world?

1. Lost Adams Diggings
To find a canyon wall that cries tears of gold you will need to map yourself a route to the Lost Adams Diggings in western New Mexico. It was in the early 1860s when Adams made his trek to the area. Guided along the White River and into the White Mountains, Adams and his crew of miners found gold nuggets that hidden “in a corn-grinding basin.” Although Adams left the mine on the second night, the miners stayed when they were brutally attacked and killed by Apache Indians. Tales say that Adams was never able to find his gold canyon again.

2. Apache Indian Treasures
There is an abundance of real lost treasures, some of which belonged to the Apache Indians. Rumor has it that after attacking a wagon train the Apache Indians hid their stolen fortune of silver coins and gold dust in a Dutch oven. This oven, which contains the lost treasure, is hidden behind rocks at a point on Winchester Mountain in Arizona. Those in search of the treasure claim the point is cursed but that has not stopped treasure hunters from trying their luck.

3. Lost treasures of Antilla
Those seeking the lost treasures of Antilla, the German fighter wreckage, will need to dive along the North Point of Aruba. There’s a tale that claims the Antilla was anchored along the North Shore when authorities rowed out to sea and asked for its surrender. While the skipper contemplated his options on shore, he left the ship’s seacock open, this sank the ship. Instead of surrendering and losing his treasure, the ship exploded and sank. This ghost ship, as the locals call it, remains a tribute to the German soldiers from WWII.

4. SS Islander’s Evasive Gold
In a bit of irony the SS Islander that sank in 1901 was recovered in 2012-without any gold. Why is it on the list? Well the Mars Company, the expedition, crew thinks the gold may be on the sea bed as a result of moving the ship. They did find gold dust and pieces of gold on the recovered ship but that’s about it. Mars Company estimates the treasure will be valued at over $250 million therefore they are planning another expedition. You can see part of the ship on the banks of Admiral Island while the rest is in Seattle.

5. Santissima Concepcion
Hurricane season in Florida has led to many shipwrecks throughout history. One notable shipwreck that fell prey to the tumultuous southern hurricane season was the shipwreck of Santissima Concepcion or “El Grande.” The record listed 500 people on board, but various reports have identified anywhere between 4 to 190 people who survived to describe their ordeal. Beyond the crew the record also lists 1,800,000 pesos in treasures, “77 chests of pearls and 49 chests of emeralds.” There have been numerous attempts to locate the treasure yet most have proved fruitless. It is believed the Sir William Phipp found about 25% of the treasure during his 1687 expedition.

6. Genghis Khan Issyk-Kul’s Treasure
There are a variety of legends surrounding Lake Issyk-Kul. From the idea that Templar Knights and Christians buried treasures of the Templar there to lost jewels forming a golden path, many legends persist about the area. One of the most notable legends is of Commander Genghis who is supposedly buried with his treasures. Some legends have his treasure in the lake and others admit the location is unknown. Reports indicate that his soldiers killed everyone that knew the tomb’s location and when they returned from the burial site, they were killed as well.
Commander Genghis amassed his fortune by “capturing most of central Asia and China,” in the 13-century, of which “the booty yielded by his conquests was incalculable.” Digs in the ’20s failed due to the instability of the political environment. Since then there have been more attempts including expeditions by the Japanese and a recent attempt by American researchers who believe they have located Genghis Khan’s tomb, but there is no treasure to date.

7. White City, La Ciudad Blanca
A rumored city of gold has been the fascination of many for some time. Herman Cortes stumbled upon it in 1526, then Cristobol de Pedraza in 1544. Archeologist William Strong noted ‘archeological mounds’ near Rio Patuca and Rio Conquirre in 1933, providing more fuel for a growing legend where “nobles there ate from plates of gold.” As recently as February this year, archeologists and other researchers from the National Science Foundation and the University of Houston have used advanced technology such as mapping light detection and Light detection and Ranging (LIDaR) to map the ancient ruins. The verdict is still out if this area holds treasures of gold.

8. Lue Treasure Map
The only legendary treasure to have a map that directs you to 14 tons of gold is the Lue. As mystifying as the code is, it has long been assumed the only tools needed to decode the Lue is a one dollar bill, a key and a sound understanding of Masonic symbolism. Published by Karl Von Mueller, some speculate the “map” consists of various mathematical formulas.
Believed to be in the United States, the legend of the Lue claims the treasure is 14 tons of gold. The gold was brought to the US by the Nazis in a plan to sabotage the US economy and prevent Americans from entering World War II. After hearing the plan, the Gold Act was instituted to circumvent the Nazis’ plan. Failing to prevent the US from entering the war wasn't the only failure in Nazis’ grand scheme. They also failed to decipher the Lue and the Nazi loyalist that created had died. Ultimately they were unable to retrieve the treasure and returned to Germany.

9. Treasure Chest of the Church of Pisco
Four soldiers of the Peruvian Army in the mid-1800s devised a plan to outwit priests after learning about their treasures. Luke Barrett, Arthur Brown, Jack Killorain and Diego Alvarez, gained the confidence of the Pisco Church in Peru and managed to sail away with over 14 tons of gold and other treasures after killing the priests. Unfamiliar with the area, the four drew a map, ditched the loot and headed to Australia; with the hope of eventually returning and recovering their booty. Unfortunately, prior to returning for their treasure, two were killed and the other two were arrested. Only Killorain survived the jail stint. Before he died he told Charles Howe about the Pisco Church heist and where the treasure was stashed. When Howe found the treasure, he was not equipped to move the treasure. He left the treasure hoping to return and collect. Out of money, Howe failed to return to collect the treasure but he had disclosed the location to George Hamilton who eventually went looking for the treasure but never found it because he couldn't understand the map.

10. Yamashita’s Treasure at Bacuit Bay
In Palawan, Philippines, Bacuit Bay is an island that on its own should be considered a treasure. Bacuit Bay is small, yet boasts a legendary story about Tomoyuki Yamashita’s lost treasures. A decorated general for the Japanese Army, it is speculated that Yamashita hid treasure in the caves of Bacuit Bay in the 1940s. Yamashita obtained his treasures by looting many bordering countries during the 30s until World War II. Yamashita’s treasures includes loot from Malaysia, India, Thailand and Burma, which were all shipped to the Philippines prior to their final destination—Japan. Unfortunately for Yamashita, Japan surrendered while he was still in the Philippines. Prior to being captured and hung, Yamashita hid his treasure in 172 different places on the island. He and his crew assumed they would eventually come back for the treasure. Some sources estimate that Yamashita’s treasures could be worth billions today. In the 70s, Rogelio Roxas found part of the treasure. Unfortunately President Ferdinand Marcos confiscated his findings and the remaining treasure located in that particular tunnel. Roxas sued and was awarded $22 billion dollars. Although the Marcos and Roxas family continue to battle in court, based on the story, there are more caves filled with Yamashita’s other treasures.

9 Spectacular Hidden Treasures Found in Recent Decades

1

Billion Dollar Hindu Treasure

In June 2011, a most spectacular treasure consisting of billions in gold and jewels was found in six underground chambers of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, located in Kerala province in southern India.

The treasure, worth an estimated 500 billion rupees (around £7bn), established the temple as one of India's richest. Among the objects found were gold necklaces weighing 5.5 pounds, a golden bow, a golden rope, bangles, antique silvers, one ton of gold in the shape of rice trinkets, sacks full of diamonds, thousands of pieces of antique jewelry studded with diamonds and emeralds, 37 pounds of gold coins from the East India Company, 18 Napoleonic coins, precious stones wrapped in silk bundles, and sovereigns bearing a seal from 1772.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy was built in the 16th century by the kings of the Kingdom of Travancore to serve as a royal chapel for the rulers of Travancore. In June 2011, the Supreme Court directed the authorities from the archaeology department and fire services to open the secret chambers of the temple for inspection of the items kept inside.

Prior to the discovery, the richest temple in India was thought to be the Thirupathy temple in the southern Andhra Pradesh state, which contains valuables worth 320 billion rupees.
2

Hanumandhoka Palace Treasure

On June 28, 2011, a huge stash of gold and silver ornaments was found by laborers who were renovating a centuries-old structure in the Hanumandhoka Palace in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The treasures hidden in the store room of the old palace complex date back to the Malla Kings, who ruled the country prior to the unification of Nepal by King Prithvi Narayan Shah two and a half centuries ago.

The treasure consists of three boxes full of precious items, including three kg of gold and 80 kg of silver ornaments and valuable artifacts, which were discovered in a store house which had remained locked for centuries.
3

Hoxne Hoard

On November 16, 1992, a hoard of late Roman silver and gold was discovered by a metal detectorist in the village of Hoxne in Suffolk, England.

The hoard was discovered in a farmer's field, about 2.4 kilometres southwest of the village. Peter Whatling, the tenant farmer, had lost a hammer and asked his friend Eric Lawes, a retired gardener and amateur metal detectorist, to help him look for it. While searching the field with his metal detector, Lawes discovered silver spoons, gold jewelry, and numerous gold and silver coins. After retrieving a few items, he and Whatling notified the landowners and the police, without attempting to dig out any more objects.

The next day, a team of archaeologists from the Suffolk Archaeological Unit carried out an emergency excavation of the site. The entire hoard was excavated in a single day, with the exception of numerous large blocks of unbroken material left for laboratory excavation.

The treasure was buried in a small chest filled with items made of precious metals, sorted mostly by type, with some in smaller wooden boxes and others in bags or wrapped in fabric. The coins of the hoard date it after AD 407, which coincides with the end of Britain as a Roman province. The owners and their reasons for burying the treasure are unknown, but it was carefully packed and the contents appear consistent with what one very wealthy family might have owned.

The hoard consists of 14,865 Roman gold, silver, and bronze coins from the late fourth and early fifth centuries, and approximately 200 items of silver tableware and gold jewelry.

The objects are now in the British Museum in London, where the most significant pieces and a selection of the rest are on permanent display. In 1993, the Treasure Valuation Committee valued the hoard at £1.75 million (today £3.02 million).
4

2,000-Year-Old Archeological Treasure

In 1970, after the Six Day War, the Siebenbergs married and decided to buy a house in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, Israel.

Once settled in their new home, Theo Siebenberg was convinced that their house was built over significant archaeological remains. At that time, archaeological discoveries by Hebrew University archaeologists in the Jewish Quarter, including the area around the Siebenberg's home, were making headlines. However, archaeologists were skeptical of Siebenberg's premonitions, so Theo decided to conduct and finance the excavations himself.

The excavations carried out underneath the Siebenberg home in the course of 18 years have revealed remains of ancient dwellings, rooms cut from rock, Mikvah's (ritual baths), aqueducts, a huge cistern, and burial vaults reaching back 3,000 years to the days of King Solomon and the first temple period, as well as the Second Temple and Byzantine periods. They have also found rare artifacts, including pottery, glass, mosaics, coins, jars, and weapons.

Presently, "Siebenberg House" is a museum below the house on 5 Beit HaShoeva Alley in the Old City of Jerusalem.
5

Staffordshire Hoard

On July 5, 2009, Terry Herbert came across a hoard with his 14-year-old metal detector as he searched a field near his home in Staffordshire, England.

The treasure, believed to date back to the Seventh Century, contains around 5 kg of Gold and 2.5 kg of silver, far bigger than previous finds. Many of the items in the hoard are warfare paraphernalia, including sword pommel caps and hilt plates, often inlaid with precious stones. Experts said that the collection of more than 1,500 pieces, tentatively dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, may have belonged to Saxon royalty of Mercia.

Mr. Herbert, who has been metal detecting for 18 years, came across the buried hoard after asking a farmer friend if he could search on his land. He said, ''I have this phrase that I say sometimes, 'spirits of yesteryear take me where the coins appear,' but on that day I changed coins to gold... I don't know why I said it that day, but I think somebody was listening and directed me to it... Maybe it was meant to be, maybe the gold had my name on it all along, I don't know."

The treasure was valued at £3.285 million and has now been purchased by the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.
6

Viking Hoard

On January 6, 2007, David Whelan, a semi-retired businessman from Leeds, and his son Andrew discovered the Harrogate hoard using metal detectors near the town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England.

The Viking treasure consists of 617 silver coins and 65 other items, including ornaments, ingots, and precious metal, which were hidden in a gilt silver vessel lined with gold that was made in France or Germany around 900.

The coins date from the 10th Century and come from all over Anglo-Saxon England, as well as parts of Asia. Reports indicate that the coins bear Islamic, Christian, and pre-Christian Norse pagan symbols.

The necklaces, one of which is made of solid gold, show evidence that the hoard belonged to a Viking noble.

A rare gold arm ring (possibly from Ireland) was also found, along with a hacksilver (fragments of cut metal sometimes used as currency).

The first theory as to a likely tenth-century occasion for such a careful burial was that it had belonged to a wealthy Viking leader during the unrest that followed the conquest of the Viking kingdom of Northumbria in the year 927.

The independent Treasure Valuation Committee valued the hoard at £1,082,000. The hoard was purchased jointly by the York Museums Trust and the British Museum, with funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, The Art Fund, and The British Museum Friends.
7

Ophel Treasure

On September 9, 2013, a treasure was found during a Hebrew University excavation at the foot of Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It consisted of two bundles containing 36 gold coins from the Byzantine era, gold and silver jewelry, a gold medallion with a menorah, and a 10-centimeter medallion with a ram's horn and a Torah scroll etched into it.

The hoard was buried in a small depression in the floor, along with a smaller gold medallion, a gold coil with a silver clasp, and two pendants, all of which are believed to be Torah scroll ornamentations.

The discovery was unearthed just five days into the latest phase of the Ophel excavation, and can be dated to the late Byzantine period (early seventh century CE). The gold treasure was discovered in a ruined Byzantine public structure a mere 50 meters from the Temple Mount's southern wall.

Given the date of the items and the manner in which they were found, archaeologists estimate that they were abandoned during the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 CE. The 36 gold coins can be dated to the reigns of different Byzantine emperors, ranging from the middle of the fourth century CE to the early seventh century CE.
8

Frome Hoard

In April 2010, metal detectorist Dave Crisp found a hoard of 52,503 Roman coins near Frome in Somerset, England.

According to Mr. Crisp, his detector gave a "funny signal," prompting him to dig through the soil. So, he put his hand in, pulled out a bit of clay, and there was a little Radial, a small bronze Roman coin.

Initially, Mr. Crisp unearthed 21 coins in the field. However, when he came across the top of a pot, he began to realize the significance of his find and notified the authorities.

Archaeologists set about the delicate task of excavating the 2-foot-tall pot and its contents. The hoard was taken to the British Museum so that the coins could be cleaned and recorded.

The coins that were contained in the ceramic pot date from AD 253 to 305. Most of the coins are made from debased silver or bronze. The hoard was the equivalent of four years of pay for a Roman legionary, and could now fetch at least £250,000. Weighing 350 pounds, the coins may have been buried as an offering for a good harvest or auspicious weather.

The Museum of Somerset in Taunton, using a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, has acquired the hoard, which was officially valued at £320,250.
9

Ringlemere Gold Cup

In 2001, Mr. Cliff Bradshaw, an amateur archaeologist and metal detectorist, found a hoard in the Ringlemere barrow near Kent, England.

Mr. Bradshaw's main area of interest is the early Anglo-Saxons of 400AD - 600AD, which led to him studying and scouring the local countryside of southeast Kent for Anglo-Saxon remains. In the course of his explorations as a detectorist he found a number of items, including a beautiful silver Anglo-Saxon strap end, three sceattas, and many brooch fragments which were fairly close together. The number and proximity of these items led him to believe that they were not simply accidental losses but that this was an inhabited Saxon settlement, and that he would find a burial mound nearby.

Over the months when he had access to the field, he carefully scanned all aspects of the land. After a while, he found an Anglo-Saxon gilded brooch at a depth of eight to ten inches. Pleased with the previous finding, he continued his search on the northern perimeter of his suspected Saxon burial site, where he found a 14cm tall cup with corrugated sides, which was badly crushed by a plough.

The cup resembled a late Neolithic (approximately 2300 BC) ceramic beaker with Corded Ware decoration, but dates to a much later period, which is the reason why Bradshaw notified the authorities.

The hoard was bought by the British Museum for the amount of £270,000 (roughly US$520,000). The money was split between Mr. Bradshaw and the Smith family, who own Ringlemere Farm.

The money to secure the cup for the nation was raised through contributions by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Art Collections Fund, and The British Museum Friends. This also enabled the site to be properly excavated, revealing a funerary complex from the Early Bronze Age.

5 Real Buried Treasures That Can Make You Rich (Or Kill You)

How many of you used to love stories about buried treasure when you were kids? Well, those stories got started for a reason: There is lost treasure all over the place. Entire fortunes lost, the only people who knew their locations long dead.
Seriously, you could go out and find some of this stuff today, and be rolling in gold coins by the end of the week. The problem is finding it...

#5. The Gold at the Bottom of Lake Guatavita

Lake Guatavita was a holy site for the native people of Colombia a few centuries ago. Every year, the chief of the ruling tribe would cover himself in gold dust, get on a boat, and throw gold and gems into the lake as a sacrifice to his god, presumably because no one else could find anything better to do with their national budget.

Evidently disheartened by the low annual percentage yield earned by storing their money in a body of water, the natives had ended this practice long before the Spanish invaders arrived. But when the disease-carrying Europeans heard about the legend of the golden man (El Dorado in Spanish), they busted a 16th century nut all over Central America. After years of searching for the source of the legend, the conquistadors finally arrived at Lake Guatavita and learned its history.

The problem was, all the gold that had been thrown overboard over the years was now sitting beneath a shitload of water, and submarines were still a good 300 years from being perfected. So the Spanish graciously admitted defeat and moved forward with their conquering, a phrase which here means "they decided to drain the fucking lake." The first attempt occurred in 1545 when Hernan Perez de Quesada put a chain of slave laborers to work for three months, emptying out the water a bucket at a time.

They managed to lower the water level by 10-feet and recover 40-pounds of gold. Forty years later, a rich Spanish merchant decided to pull out the big guns and cut a fucking hole in the high cliff surrounding the lake, draining it 66-feet and drowning hundreds of people living in a nearby village in the process.

Finally, in 1911, an American company managed to drain the entire lake, because if there's one thing America is good at, it is the total destruction of a natural resource. Sadly, the mud on the bottom of the lake proceeded to immediately harden, trapping any gold that might be left under its thick, impenetrable crust.

"Awesome! So how do I get it?"
It's full of water again these days, the gold presumably still glittering away in the mud. But before you go heading off to Colombia with your rowboat, some rope and a bucket, know that no one has ever been able to find the bulk of treasure and the Colombian government has disallowed any more draining attempts.
Question: Would, say, dumping several million pounds of Jell-O powder into the lake, thus solidifying it and allowing us to eat our way down to the gold constitute "draining"? If you're an attorney, let us know in the comments.

#4. Captain Kidd's Treasure

Depending on what version you read, Captain Kidd was either a law abiding privateer or a stabtastically murderous pirate. Either way, he was arrested, tried for murder and piracy, and sentenced to hang.

But not before meeting Abbot and Costello.

In an attempt to delay his execution, Kidd claimed to have a huge stash of buried treasure, some of which was immediately found per his directions (Ted Bundy would later try a similar tactic to avoid execution, only replacing "stash of buried treasure" with "stash of buried women"). This essentially proved he was telling the truth, but the authorities hung him anyway, dipped his body in tar and dangled his corpse above the Thames River. It's still there today!

OK, not really. It was only up there for... two years. Anyway, today, people are still searching for the rest of Kidd's fabled loot.
"Awesome! So how do I get it?"
Well, first it would help to have a treasure map--the booty could be scattered pretty much any damned where. For instance, in 2007, a 300-year-old merchant ship that had apparently been commandeered by the Kidd back in the day was discovered right off the coast of the Dominican Republic. It was hidden under a mere 10-feet of crystal clear water, still loaded down with gold and silver and other valuables.

But you also should learn from the mistakes of previous attempts. For instance, back in the early 1980s, an out of work actor named Richard Knight, claiming to have a map of Kidd's verified by the British Museum, set off with an unemployed photographer named Cork Graham on a daring adventure.

Clearly ancient parchment and not a Chick-Fil-A napkin.

And by that we meant they went to Thailand and rented a speedboat. After bumbling around for a week in what we expect was a hilarious buddy-comedy type way, they accidentally landed in Vietnam. Authorities arrested the men for being in the country illegally and tried to ransom them off for $10,000 each. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted to pony up 10-Gs for a couple of jobless retards, so they wound up spending 44 weeks in Vietnamese jail. We blame the map.

Still, you should totally get your boat and head out there. Vietnamese jails aren't that bad, right? They've surely fixed them up since Rambo.

#3. Montezuma's Gold

When the Spanish conquistadors led by Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, they were greeted as returning gods because they were pale and had beards. If only it was that easy to impress people these days.

Despite their impeccable references, the Spanish turned out to not actually be gods at all. They installed themselves in the palace, forced their religion on the natives, led a brutal slaughter of 700 noblemen in the streets of Tenochtitlan and melted down all their golden statues to be transported back to Spain. Then they killed Montezuma, the king of the Aztec Empire, at which point the Aztec people decided they'd had entirely enough of these strange new douchebags, beards be damned.

The Spanish realized pretty quickly they needed to fight their way out of the city, so they could only pause to grab whatever they absolutely needed to survive, which roughly translated to "all the fucking gold we can possibly carry."

"My only regret is that there are so few pockets on our armor."

Gold weighs a shitload, and these soldiers who were already weighed down by armor took as much as 50-pounds of it each as they tried to flee. Did we mention Tenochtitlan was an island in the middle of a swamp? And that all bridges to get out had been removed?
In one night over half of Cortes's men were killed, mostly due to drowning in the swamp under the weight of all the bullshit they were carrying. It is a night known in Spanish as "Noche Triste," which in English means "just leave the fucking gold behind, you dick brained asstards."

"Awesome! So how do I get it?"

These days, trained archeologists do find some of that gold from time to time, but all the real authorities know that the rest of the stolen Aztec treasure wound up in southern Utah. That's where the gold is actually buried, according to Freddy Crystal, a "miner and amateur treasure hunter" who believed that an old map he found proved the Aztec priests removed most of their gold--before Cortes arrived--and took it to Utah for reasons best described as "making the opposite of sense,"

Notice the lack of Utah on this map.

Freddy managed to round up hundreds of volunteers in the 1920s and worked for three years, digging into the side of a mountain in the desert heat. While several artifacts and other relics were recovered, Freddy didn't find one goddamn piece of gold, not even the chocolate kind 70-year-old ladies pass out on Halloween.

THE REAL HISTORY BEHIND THE ADVENTURE OF “NATIONAL TREASURE”

In the cliffhanger thriller NATIONAL TREASURE, Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a new breed of treasure-hunter who discovers that a map to the most priceless bounty known to mankind lies on the back of the Declaration of Independence. To protect the country's most sacred document and uncover the extraordinary treasure to which it leads, Ben must confront a series of provocative puzzles, savvy secret codes and hidden messages from America's past. But where did these tantalizing clues that lie at the heart of the film come from?

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub wanted the clues that drive the adventure of NATIONAL TREASURE to be based on real-life mysteries, treasure hunts and fascinating personalities of American and World History.   Some of the areas where fact meets imaginative fiction in NATIONAL TREASURE are:

THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR TREASURE

Fact: The monastic secret-warrior society known as The Knights Templar excavated for ten years at the Temple of Solomon. Within two centuries, they became one of the most powerful and wealthy groups in Europe, leading many to assume they had amassed an enormous treasure. It was said that before the Knights met their end at the hands of The Pope and King Philip of France in 1307, they loaded their immense bounty onto a fleet headed for Scotland. Some believe the shipment was hidden on Nova Scotia's Oak Island and came to a fledgling America in the 1700s. Indeed, Christopher Columbus also had connections to “The Knights of Christ,” an offshoot of The Knights Templar, so he too could have played a role in the mystery.

Fiction: Nobody knows if the Knights Templar Treasure exists or where it lies today.  In NATIONAL TREASURE, the filmmakers imagine that it fell into the hands of America's Founding Fathers and was cleverly hidden  . . until, generations later, Ben Gates finds the ultimate clue to its location.  The mystery of the Knights Templar continues to entice in popular culture, as evidenced by Dan Brown's bestselling novel “The Da Vinci Code,” published after NATIONAL TREASURE was in the works.  

THE FREEMASONS:

Fact: This secret society evolved from the remnants of the Knights Templar. Started as a loose association of medieval architects, the Freemasons on to become an influential fraternity of the best and the brightest men in Europe. Known for their secrecy, as well as their wealth and power, Freemasons engaged in mysterious rituals and used ancient symbols as codes. The all-seeing eye and unfinished pyramid on the U.S. dollar bill are Freemason symbols. Many of the nation's Founding Fathers were Masons, including George Washington, John Hancock, Ethan Allen, Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin. Some even believe the city of Washington, D.C. is laid out according to the grid concepts of Freemasons - in the mystical shape of the Virgo Constellation.

Fiction: The Freemasons did leave cryptic symbols not only on the dollar bill but throughout their buildings - but were they possible clues to a hidden treasure? In the fictional NATIONAL TREASURE, The Freemasons of the past help to guide Ben Gates - through puzzles and codes they've left behind -- towards the legacy he's been chasing his whole life.  

CODES AND CIPHERS

Fact: Codes and ciphers have been in existence at least since Biblical times and were used extensively throughout the Revolutionary War and by the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson was fascinated by cryptology and invented a device for encoding messages known as the “Jefferson Cylinder.” The Freemasons also had a standard code - the elusive “Pig-Pen Cipher.”  The use of Invisible Ink is also documented during the Revolutionary War -- used to hide secret intelligence letters from enemy eyes. Another decoding method from that era involved documents that could only be read through a special “mask” that would manipulate the content visually. Some codes from the 1700's still cannot be broken today as no one can find their keys.

Fiction: Secret symbols from the past may be all around us but no one has yet found a code created as a message from America's Founding Fathers - which is why no one believe Bens Gates when he insists the Declaration of Independence hides an invisible map. Gates also discovers a special pair of “decoding glasses” designed by Benjamin Franklin. Although Franklin is known to have been fascinated by optics - and to have invented the first bifocals - these strategic specs came from the imagination of NATIONAL TREASURE's screenwriters.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Fact: One of the most cherished symbols of American freedom, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4, 1776. Today, the original parchment document is on display in the Rotunda For the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives. Though badly faded, the document is preserved via high-tech fiber optic lights and protected by one of the most sophisticated security systems ever designed. Intriguingly, the Declaration of Independence has been used in the past to create a secret code to hide treasure.  In the 1820s, the prospector Thomas J. Beale hid a cache of jewels - and then left three ciphers with a local innkeeper that he said would lead the savvy solver to the treasure. Only one of the three ciphers has been solved to date, and that one was based on the Declaration of Independence.

Fiction: In NATIONAL TREASURE, Ben Gates sets out to do the unthinkable: steal the Declaration of Independence in the hopes of saving the document from evildoers. Though the production consulted with criminal experts on how such a heist could be accomplished, fortunately nothing of the kind has ever been attempted. In NATIONAL TREASURE, Nicolas Cage's characters justifies the unprecedented theft by remembering that the men who signed the Declaration knew it was treason and might result in their deaths - but went ahead because of their conviction that they were doing the right thing. This becomes his character's inspiration.

The Secrets of Oak Island

 It has been the focus of “the world's longest and most expensive treasure hunt” and “one of the world's deepest and most costly archaeological digs” (O'Connor 1988, 1, 4), as well as being “Canada's best-known mystery” (Colombo 1988, 33) and indeed one of “the great mysteries of the world.” It may even “represent an ancient artifact created by a past civilization of advanced capability” (Crooker 1978, 7, 190). The subject of these superlatives is a mysterious shaft on Oak Island in Nova Scotia's Mahone Bay. For some two centuries, greed, folly, and even death have attended the supposed “Money Pit” enigma.

The Saga

Briefly, the story is that in 1795 a young man named Daniel McInnis (or McGinnis) was roaming Oak Island when he came upon a shallow depression in the ground. Above it, hanging from the limb of a large oak was an old tackle block. McInnis returned the next day with two friends who-steeped in the local lore of pirates and treasure troves-set to work to excavate the site. They soon uncovered a layer of flagstones and, ten feet further, a tier of rotten oak logs. They proceeded another fifteen feet into what they were sure was a man-made shaft but, tired from their efforts, they decided to cease work until they could obtain assistance. However, between the skepticism and superstition of the people who lived on the mainland, they were unsuccessful.
The imagined cache continued to lie dormant until early in the next century, when the trio joined with a businessman named Simeon Lynds from the town of Onslow to form a treasure-hunting consortium called the Onslow Company. Beginning work about 1803 or 1804 (one source says 1810), they found oak platforms “at exact intervals of ten feet” (O'Connor 1978, 10), along with layers of clay, charcoal, and a fibrous material identified as coconut husks. Then, at ninety feet (or eighty feet, according to one alleged participant) they supposedly found a flat stone bearing an indecipherable inscription (see figure 1). Soon after, probing with a crowbar, they struck something hard-possibly a wooden chest!-but discontinued for the evening. Alas, the next morning the shaft was found flooded with sixty feet of water. Attempting to bail out the pit with buckets, they found the water level remained the same, and they were forced to discontinue the search. The following year, the men attempted to bypass the water by means of a parallel shaft from which they hoped to tunnel to the supposed treasure. But this shaft suffered the same fate, and the Onslow Company's expedition ended (O'Connor 1978, 9-16; Crooker 1993, 14; Harris 1958, 12-22).
Again the supposed cache lay dormant until in 1849 another group, the Truro Company, reexcavated the original shaft. Encountering water, the workers then set up a platform in the pit and used a hand-operated auger to drill and remove cores of material. They found clay, bits of wood, and three links of gold chain-supposed evidence of buried treasure. The Truro Company sank additional nearby shafts, but these, too, were inundated with water, and work ceased in the fall of 1850. Other operations continued from 1858 to 1862, during which time a workman was scalded to death by a ruptured boiler (O'Connor 1988, 17-31).
The Oak Island Association followed and attempted to intersect the “tunnel” that presumably fed water to the pit. When that 120-foot shaft missed, another was sunk and, reportedly, a three-by-four-foot tunnel was extended about eighteen feet to the “Money Pit” (as it was then known). However, water began coming in again. A massive bailing operation was then set up when suddenly there was a loud crash as the Money Pit collapsed. It was later theorized that the imagined chests had fallen into a deep void and that the pit may have been booby-trapped to protect the treasure (O'Connor 1988, 29). The Association's work was followed in 1866 by the Oak Island Eldorado Company but without significant results (Harris 1958, 203).
Decades elapsed and in 1897 the Oak Island Treasure Company (incorporated four years earlier) apparently located the long-sought “pirate tunnel” that led from Smith's Cove to the Money Pit. They drilled and dynamited to close off the tunnel. Subsequent borings were highlighted by the discovery of a fragment of parchment upon which was penned portions of two letters (possibly “ri"). They also found traces of a chalk-like stone or “cement" (Harris 1958, 91-98). In this same year Oak Island's second tragedy struck when a worker was being hoisted from one of the pits and the rope slipped from its pulley, plunging him to his death.
After that company ran out of funds, most of the moveable assets were sold at a sheriff's sale in 1900. The new century brought continued searches, with the digging of innumerable drill holes, shafts, and tunnels-so many that “The entire Money Pit area has been topographically demolished, changing completely its original appearance and rendering old maps and charts useless” (Crooker 1978, 190). In 1965 there came yet another tragedy when four men died in a shaft after being overcome either by swamp gas or engine fumes (O'Connor 1988, 143-145).
In 1966 a Florida building contractor named Dan Blankenship teamed up with MontrŽal businessman David Tobias to continue the quest. The partners began an extensive drilling operation, sinking some sixty bore-holes the following year alone, and, in 1968, enlisted a number of investors in what they named Triton Alliance. Unfortunately, mechanical problems, land disputes, the Stock Market crash of 1987, and other troubles, including the eventual falling out of the two partners, stopped their projected $10 million “big dig” (Randle 1995). Once open to tourists, the site sank into neglect.
Over the years the fabled treasure has been the target of dowsers, automatic writers, clairvoyants, channelers, tarot-card readers, dream interpreters, psychic archaeologists, and assorted other visionaries and soothsayers, as well as crank inventors of devices like a “Mineral Wave Ray” and an airplane-borne “treasure smelling” machine-not one having been successful (Preston 1988, 62; O'Connor 1988, 121-136; Finnan 1997, 166-170).

An Investigative Approach

The more elusive the treasure has proved, the more speculation it has engendered. Given the “immense amount of labor” presumably required to construct the pit and the accompanying “flooding tunnel” that served as a “booby trap,” presumption of a pirates' hoard has begun to be supplanted by such imagined prizes as the French crown jewels, Shakespeare's manuscripts, the “lost treasure" of the Knights Templar, even the Holy Grail and the imagined secrets of the “lost continent” of Atlantis (Sora 1999, 7-38, 101; Crooker 1978, 153).
But is there a treasure at the bottom of the “Money Pit"? My research into the mystery of Oak Island dates back many years, and I opened a file on the case in 1982. However, except for periodic updates, I put it on hold, largely because the solution seemed to lie in the same direction as those of some other mysteries (Nickell 1980; 1982a; 1982b). However, when asked to address a forensic conference in nearby New Brunswick, I resolved to place Oak Island on my itinerary (Nickell 2000).
In planning my trip I attempted to contact Triton's David Tobias, who did not, however, return my call, but I did reach Jim Harvey at the Oak Island Inn and Marina on the nearby mainland. Harvey, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and licensed private investigator, is in charge of security for Oak Island, and he was adamant that it is no longer open to visitors. Making not-so-veiled references to the legendary temper of Dan Blankenship, the other Triton partner who still lives on the island, Harvey suggested it would not be safe for me to trespass on the island, although he offered for hire his cabin cruiser for a guided circumnavigation.
Harvey may have had in mind an incident of many years ago, involving an altercation between Blankenship and another island resident, Frederick Nolan. According to one source: “One day Blankenship had approached with a rifle in hand and an ugly situation had begun to develop. Eventually the police were called in to calm everybody down and confiscate the gun” (Finnan 1997, 93).
So it was with some trepidation that-on the afternoon of July 1, 1991, after arriving at the village of Western Shore and checking in at the Oak Island Inn-I drove to the causeway leading to Oak Island. This land bridge connecting the island to the mainland was constructed in 1965 so that a great excavating machine could be transported to the “treasure” area. Today it is chained off and marked “Private/No Hunting or Trespassing/Danger.”

Figure 2. Offshore view of Oak Island showing site of Borehole 10X. The “Money Pit” lies just beyond.

A local fisherman responded to my proposal to walk over and talk to Mr. Blankenship, “He won't shoot you, but he will probably turn you back.” In fact, although Blankenship was at first stand-offish, having read a Canadian Press article about the “professional skeptic” who was heading to Oak Island (see Nickell 2000), I soon mollified him, and he graciously invited me to his home. I was there until nearly 11 p.m., being shown artifacts, photos, papers, and a video made by a camera lowered into a borehole-the fruits of almost thirty-five years of treasure hunting that had earned Blankenship the title of “Oak Island's most obsessive searcher" (O'Connor 1988, 145). The video reveals the interior of a “tunnel," graced with an apparent upright timber and what some imagine to be “chests,” a “scoop,” and other supposed artifacts. Blankenship (1999) told me he had located the site of the borehole by dowsing. The next day Jim Harvey took me on our prearranged boat trip, permitting me to view the remainder of the island (see figure 2).
The more I investigated the Oak Island enigma, the more skeptical I became. Others had preceded me in supplying what I came to regard as the two main pieces of the puzzle, although apparently no one had successfully fitted the pieces together. One concerned the nature of the “money pit” itself, the other the source of certain elements in the treasure saga, such as the reputed cryptogram-bearing stone.

Man-made or Natural?

Doubts begin with the reported discovery in 1795 of the treasure shaft itself. While some accounts say that the trio of youths spied an old ship's pulley hanging from a branch over a depression in the ground (Harris 1958, 6-8), that is “likely an apocryphal detail added to the story later” and based on the assumption that some sort of lowering device would have been necessary in depositing the treasure (O'Connor 1988, 4). Nevertheless some authors are remarkably specific about the features, one noting that the “old tackle block” was attached to “a large forked branch” of an oak “by means of a treenail connecting the fork in a small triangle" (Crooker 1978, 17). Another account (cited in Finnan 1997, 28) further claims there were “strange markings” carved on the tree. On the other hand, perhaps realizing that pirates or other treasure hoarders would have been unlikely to betray their secret work by leaving such an obvious indicator in place, some versions of the tale agree that the limb “had been sawed off” but that “the stump showed evidence of ropes and tackle” (Randle 1995, 75).
Similarly, the notion that there was a log platform at each ten-foot interval of the pit for a total of nine or eleven platforms, is only supported by later accounts, and those appear to have been derived by picking and choosing from earlier ones so as to create a composite version of the layers. For example the account in the Colonist (1864) mentions that the original treasure hunters found only flagstones at two feet ("evidently not formed there by nature") and “a tier of oak logs” located “ten feet lower down” (i.e., at twelve feet). They continued some “fifteen feet farther down,” whereupon-with no mention of anything further of note-they decided to stop until they could obtain assistance. James McNutt, who was a member of a group of treasure hunters working on Oak Island in 1863, described a different arrangement of layers (Crooker 1978, 24).
In 1911 an engineer, Captain Henry L. Bowdoin, who had done extensive borings on the island, concluded that the treasure was imaginary. He questioned the authenticity of various alleged findings (such as the cipher stone and piece of gold chain), and attributed the rest to natural phenomena (Bowdoin 1911). Subsequent skeptics have proposed that the legendary Money Pit was nothing more than a sinkhole caused by the ground settling over a void in the underlying rock (Atlantic 1965). The strata beneath Oak Island are basically limestone and anhydrite (Crooker 1978, 85; Blankenship 1999), which are associated with the formation of solution caverns and salt domes (Cavern 1960; Salt Dome 1960). The surface above caverns, as well as over faults and fissures, may be characterized by sinkholes.
Indeed, a sinkhole actually appeared on Oak Island in 1878. A woman named Sophia Sellers was plowing when the earth suddenly sank beneath her oxen. Ever afterward known as the “Cave-in Pit,” it was located just over a hundred yards east of the Money Pit and directly above the “flood tunnel” (O'Connor 1988, 51).
Geologist E. Rudolph Faribault found “numerous” sinkholes on the mainland opposite Oak Island, and in a geological report of 1911 concluded there was “strong evidence” to indicate that the purported artificial structures on the island were “really but natural sink holes and cavities.” Further evidence of caverns in the area came in 1975 when a sewage-disposal system was being established on the mainland. Approximately 3,000 feet north of the island, workmen excavating with heavy machinery broke through a rock layer and discovered a 52-foot-deep cavern below (Crooker 1993, 144). Fred Nolan insists that, earlier, in 1969, while drilling on Oak Island, Triton broke into a cavern near the fabled treasure shaft at a depth of 165 feet. “Blankenship and Tobias figured that the cavern was man-made,” said Nolan, “but it isn't, as far as I'm concerned” (Crooker 1993, 165). And Mark Finnan (1997, 111), writing of “the unique geological nature of Oak Island,” states as a fact that “naturally formed underground caverns are present in the island's bedrock.” These would account for the flood “booby-traps” that were supposedly placed to guard the “treasure” (Preston 1988, 63).
Today, of course, after two centuries of excavation, the island's east end is “honey combed with shafts, tunnels and drill holes running in every imaginable direction” (Crooker 1978, 190), complicating the subterranean picture and making it difficult to determine the nature of the original pit. In suggesting that it was a sinkhole, caused by the slumping of debris in a fault, one writer noted that “this filling would be softer than the surrounding ground, and give the impression that it had been dug up before" (Atlantic 1965). Fallen trees could have sunk into the pit with its collapse, or “blowdowns” could periodically have washed into the depression (Preston 1988, 63), later giving the appearance of “platforms” of rotten logs.
Just such a pit was in fact discovered in 1949 on the shore of Mahone Bay, about five miles to the south of Oak Island, when workmen were digging a well. The particular site was chosen because the earth was rather soft there. Reports O'Connor (1988, 172-173): “At about two feet down a layer of fieldstone was struck. Then logs of spruce and oak were unearthed at irregular intervals, and some of the wood was charred. The immediate suspicion was that another Money Pit had been found.”
The treasure seekers and mystery mongers are quick, however, to dismiss any thoughts that the “shaft” and “tunnels” could be nothing more than a sinkhole and natural channels. Why, the early accounts would then have to be “either gross exaggerations or outright lies,” says one writer (O'Connor 1988, 173). For example, what about the reported “pick marks found in the walls of the pit" (O'Connor 1988, 173)? We have already seen-with the oak-limb-and-pulley detail-just how undependable are such story elements. Then what about the artifacts (such as the fragment of parchment) or the coconut fiber (often carried on ships as dunnage, used to protect cargo) found at various depths? Again, the sinkhole theory would explain how such items “worked their way into deep caverns under the island” (Preston 1988, 63).

Secrets Revealed

Assuming the “shaft” is a natural phenomenon, there still remains the other major piece of the Oak Island puzzle: How do we explain the presence of such cryptic elements as the cipher stone allegedly discovered in the pit in 1803, a large equilateral triangle (made of beach stones and measuring ten feet on each side) found in 1897, or a megalithic cross which Fred Nolan discovered on the south shore in 1981? (See figure 1; Finnan 1997, 36, 68-69, 79-82.)
By the early 1980s I had become aware of parallels between Oak Island's Money Pit and the arcana of the Freemasons. Theirs is not, they insist, a “secret society” but a “society with secrets." Carried to North America in the eighteenth century, Masonry has been defined as “a peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols” (Masonic Bible 1964, 26). One of the essential elements of any true Masonic group is “a legend or allegory relating to the building of King Solomon's Temple" ("Freemasonry” 1978). And an allegory of the Secret Vault, based on Solomon's fabled depository of certain great secrets, is elaborated in the seventh or Royal Arch degree. Among the ruins of the temple, three sojourners discover the subterranean chamber wherein are found three trying-squares and a chest, identified as the Ark of the Covenant (Masonic 1964, 12, 37, 63; Lester 1977, 150; Duncan 1972).
No doubt many readers have encountered Secret Vault symbolism-which pertains to lost secrets, buried treasure, and the grave (Macoy 1908, 445; Revised 1975, 64 n.22)-without recognizing it as such. For example, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Freemason, not only employed Masonic allusions in several of his Sherlock Holmes stories (Bunson 1994, 84) but penned three that evoke Masonry's hidden vault itself. For instance, Holmes uncovers dark secrets in “The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place.” Beneath an old chapel on the Shoscombe property, accessed by stumbling through “loose masonry” (an obvious pun) and proceeding down a steep stairway, Holmes finds himself in a crypt with an “arched . . . roof" (evoking the Royal Arch degree of Masonry). Accompanied by his client-a “Mr. Mason"!-Holmes finds the key to a series of strange mysteries. Similarly allusive Holmes stories are “The Red-Headed League” (featuring a client who sports a Masonic breastpin), and the suggestively titled “The Musgrave Ritual.”
In addition to the Sherlockian Secret Vault allegories there are several examples of the genre that many people have taken at face value, believing them true accounts. One, for example, is the tale of Swift's Lost Silver Mine of eastern Kentucky. In his alleged journal, one “Jonathan Swift” explored the region prior to Daniel Boone, marking a tree with “the symbols of a compasses, trowel and square"-Masonic emblems-and discovering and mining silver (which geologists doubt exists in the region). Leaving to seek backers, Swift says he stored the treasure in a cave and “walled it up with masonry form.” Later he became blind and unable to find his fabled treasure (although still capable of writing in his journal!). This evokes Masonic ritual wherein a candidate must enter the lodge in complete blindness (i.e. blindfolded) to begin his quest for enlightenment (Nickell 1980).
Another such lost-treasure story is found in the purported Beale Papers which tell a tale of adventure, unsolved ciphers, and fabulous treasure. This was “deposited” in a stone-lined “vault" (using language from the Select Masters' degree) in Virginia. The papers were published by a Freemason (Nickell 1982b).
Then there is the “restless coffins” enigma of the Chase Vault of Barbados. According to proliferating but historically dubious accounts, each time the vault was opened, between 1812 and 1820, the coffins were discovered in a state of confusion. After they were reordered the vault was closed by “masons.” Yet the coffins would again be found in disarray. At least two of the men involved were high-ranking Freemasons. In 1943 another restless-coffins case occurred on the island, this time specifically involving a party of Freemasons and the vault being that of the founder of Freemasonry in Barbados! (Nickell 1982a)
It now appears that another such tale is the legend of Oak Island, where again we find unmistakable evidence of Masonic involvement. There are, of course, the parallels between the Money Pit story and the Masonic Secret Vault allegory. The “strange markings” reportedly carved on the oak adjacent to the Pit suggest Masons' Marks, inscribed signs by which Masons are distinguished (Waite 1970, xx; Hunter 1996, 58). The three alleged discoverers of the Pit would seem to represent the Three Worthy Sojourners (with Daniel McInnis representing the Principal Sojourner), who discover the Secret Vault in the Royal Arch degree (Duncan 1972, 261). In that ritual the candidate is lowered on a rope through a succession of trap doors, not unlike the workmen who were on occasion hauled up and down the (allegedly platform-intersected) Oak Island shaft. The tools used by the latter-notably spades, pickaxes, and crowbar (O'Connor 1988, 2; Harris 1958, 15)-represent the three Working Tools of the Royal Arch Mason (Duncan 1972, 241). Indeed, when in 1803 workers probed the bottom of the Pit with a crowbar and struck what they thought was a treasure chest, their actions recall the Royal Arch degree in which the Secret Vault is located by a sounding blow from a crowbar (Duncan 1972, 263). The parallels go on and on. For example, the soft stone, charcoal, and clay found in the Pit (Crooker 1978, 24, 49) are consistent with the Chalk, Charcoal and Clay cited in the Masonic degree of Entered Apprentice as symbolizing the virtues of “freedom, fervency and zeal” (Lester 1977, 60; Hunter 1996, 37).
Then there are the artifacts. Of course many of these-like the old branding iron found in the swamp (Crooker 1993, 175, 176)-are probably nothing more than relics of the early settlers. Some are actually suspicious, like the links of gold chain found in the Pit in 1849. One account holds that they were planted by workers to inspire continued operations (O'Connor 1988, 177-178).
Other artifacts are more suggestive, like the cipher stone (again see figure 1) which disappeared about 1919. Its text has allegedly been preserved, albeit in various forms and decipherments (Rosenbaum 1973, 83). For instance zoologist-turned-epigrapher Barry Fell thought the inscription was ancient Coptic, its message urging people to remember God lest they perish (Finnan 1997, 148-149). In fact, the text as we have it has been correctly deciphered (and redeciphered by several investigators, me included). Written in what is known as a simple-substitution cipher, it reads, “Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried" (Crooker 1993, 23). Most Oak Island researchers consider the text a hoax (O'Connor 1988, 14), but as Crooker (1993, 24) observes, an inscribed stone did exist, “having been mentioned in all the early accounts of the Onslow company's expedition.” Significantly, a cipher message (with key), found in the Secret Vault, is a central aspect of Freemasonry's Royal Arch degree (Duncan 1972, 248-249).
Other artifacts (Finnan 1997, 67, 80, 83) that appear to have ritualistic significance are the stone triangle and great “Christian Cross” as well as “a handworked heart-shaped stone"-Masonic symbols all. Crooker (1993, 179) notes that “a large amount of time and labor” were spent in laying out the cross, but to what end? Could it have been part of a Masonic ritual?
An “old metal set-square” found at Smith's Cove may simply be an innocent artifact, but we recall that three small squares were among the items found in the Secret Vault (Duncan 1972, 243). Indeed, the square is one of the major symbols of Freemasonry which, united with a pair of compasses, comprises the universal Masonic emblem.
Explicitly Masonic, I believe, are certain inscribed stones on the island. These include one discovered at Joudrey's Cove by Gilbert Hedden in 1936. It features a cross flanked by the letter H, said to be a modification of the Hebraic letter for Jehovah, and a prime Masonic symbol known as a Point Within a Circle, representing mankind within the compass of God's creation (Morris n.d., 47; Finnan 1997, 66, 151). Another clearly Masonic stone is a granite boulder found near the Cave-in Pit in 1967. Overturned by a bulldozer it bore on its underside the letter “G” in a rectangle (what Masons term an oblong square). G denotes the Grand Geometer of the Universe-God, the central focus of Masonic teachings-and is “the most public and familiar of all symbols in Freemasonry," observes Mark Finnan (1997, 152). He continues: “The presence of this symbol on Oak Island and its location in the east, seen as the source of light in Masonic teachings, is further indication that individuals with a fundamental knowledge of Freemasonry were likely involved.”
Indeed, the search for the Oak Island treasure “vault” has been carried out largely by prominent Nova Scotia Freemasons. I had an intimation of this years ago, but it fell to others, especially Finnan who gained access to Masonic records, to provide the evidence. Freemasonry had come to Nova Scotia in 1738 and, concludes Finnan (1997, 145), “it is almost a certainty that organizers of the first coordinated dig . . . were Masonicly associated.” Moreover, he states: “Successive treasure hunts throughout the past two hundred years often involved men who were prominent members of Masonic lodges. Some had passed through the higher levels of initiation, and a few even held the highest office possible within the Fraternity.”
They include A. O. Creighton, the Oak Island Association treasurer who helped remove the cipher-inscribed stone from the island about 1865, and Frederick Blair, whose family was involved in the quest as far back as 1863. Blair, who formed the Oak Island Treasure Company in 1893, was a “prominent member” of the lodge in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Treasure hunter William Chappell was another active Mason, and his son Mel served as Provincial Grand Master for Nova Scotia from 1944 to 1946 (Finnan 1997, 145-146). Furthermore, discovered Finnan (1997, 146):

The independently wealthy Gilbert Hedden of Chatham, New Jersey, who carried out the treasure search from 1934 to 1938, and Professor Edwin Hamilton, who succeeded him and operated on the island for the next six years, were also Freemasons. Hamilton had at one time held the office of Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Hedden even made it his business to inform Mason King George VI of England about developments on Oak Island in 1939, and Hamilton corresponded with President [Franklin D.] Roosevelt, another famous Freemason directly associated with the mystery.

(Roosevelt actually participated in the work on Oak Island during the summer and fall of 1909.) Other Masonic notables involved in Oak Island were polar explorer Richard E. Byrd and actor John Wayne (Sora 1999, 12; Hamill and Gilbert 1998).
Significantly, Reginald Harris, who wrote the first comprehensive book on Oak Island at the behest of Frederick Blair, was an attorney for Blair and Hedden. Himself a thirty-third-degree Mason, Harris was provincial Grand Master from 1932 to 1935. Among his extensive papers were notes on Oak Island, scribbled on the backs of Masonic documents and sheets of Masonic letterhead. The papers show that at least one Oak Island business meeting was held in the Masonic Hall in Halifax, where Harris had an office as secretary of the Grand Lodge (O'Connor 1988, 93; Harris 1958, vii; Finnan 1997, 143; Rosenbaum 1973; 154).
One investigator, Ron Rosenbaum (1973, 154), discovered that among Harris's papers were “fragments of a Masonic pageant” that were apparently “designed to accompany the rite of initiation into the thirty-second degree of the Masonic Craft.” The allegory is set in 1535 at the Abbey of Glastonsbury, where the Prime Minister is attempting to confiscate the order's fabulous treasures. But one item, the chalice used at the Last Supper-the Holy Grail itself-is missing, and secret Masons are suspected of having hidden it for safekeeping. The allegory breaks off with them being led to the Tower for torture.
Given this draft allegory by Harris, it may not be a coincidence that some recent writers attempt to link the Holy Grail to Oak Island. They speculate that the fabled chalice is among the lost treasures of the Knights Templar, precursors of the Freemasons (Sora 1999, 180, 247-251).
In any event, the evidence indicates a strong Masonic connection to the Oak Island enigma. Others have noted this link but unfortunately also believed in an actual treasure of some sort concealed in a man-made shaft or tunnel (Crooker 1993; Finnan 1997; Sora 1999; Rosenbaum 1973). Only by understanding both pieces of the puzzle and fitting them together correctly can the Oak Island mystery finally be solved.

In summary, therefore, I suggest first that the “Money Pit” and “pirate tunnels” are nothing of the sort but are instead natural formations. Secondly, I suggest that much of the Oak Island saga-certain reported actions and alleged discoveries-can best be understood in light of Freemasonry's Secret Vault allegory. Although it is difficult to know at this juncture whether the Masonic elements were opportunistically added to an existing treasure quest or whether the entire affair was a Masonic creation from the outset, I believe the mystery has been solved. The solution is perhaps an unusual one but no more so than the saga of Oak Island itself. 

Awesome Treasure Hunt Finds by Amateurs

Arr, there be gold, Jim lad! Source

Treasure! The vaults of museums around the world are filled with precious antiquities, but who knows how many historical relics are still out there waiting to be discovered? If this list proves anything, it's that anyone can strike it lucky... even you. So grab your shovel, your metal detector and get digging.

Buried in the field out back? Source

The advancement of modern technology has rendered the x-marked-map obsolete; the bulk of significant treasure finds are made by amateurs armed with nothing more than metal detectors, patience and a thermos flask. We've broken down the six largest UK finds of the past fifty years. Read closely and you may learn how to get your hands on your own share of the loot.

6. Treasure: Ringlemere Cup
Location: Sandwich, Kent
Year: 2001

Not exactly in mint condition. Source

One morning in a muddy field near Ringlemere, East Kent, metal detector hobbyist Cliff Bradshaw heard a tell tale beep. After some digging Mr Bradshaw unearthed an exquisite and rare gold chalice, now known as the Ringlemere Cup. It was only the second example of its type to come from Britain.

The first gold cup was discovered in 1837. Source

These gold vessels date from the very early Bronze Age (2300 BC - 4000 years ago). They are similar to examples found around the Mediterranean, suggesting connections between the Cornish and Greek peoples. The cup was purchased from Mr Bradshaw by the British Museum for £270,000. Quite the reward for one muddy mornings work.

Value: £270,000

Source

5. Treasure: Fishpool Hoard
Location: Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire
Year: 1966

One of the beautiful gold and enamel brooches found in the Fishpool Hoard. Source

In 1966, workmen digging on a building site accidently uncovered the largest hoard of medieval coins ever found in Britain. This tremendous trove from the 15th century contained 1,237 gold coins, four rings, four pieces of jewellery, and two lengths of gold chain.

The Fishpool Horde in all its glory. Source

It is thought that the hoard was buried by someone fleeing from one of the early battles of the War of the Roses. The jewellery of the hoard is gold set with gems and enamel. These 15^th century pieces are truly stunning. (High resolution photographs available here, here and here.
The heart-shaped brooch is engraved with the phrase "je suys vostre sans de partier" (I am yours wholly). This romantic hoard was purchased by the British Museum for around £300,000.

Value: £300,000

Source

4. Treasure: Roman Coin Hoard
Location: Frome, Somerset
Year: 2010

Dirty money. Source

Dave Crisp was hoping, at best, to find a roman silver coin when he started searching in a farmer's field near Frome. After a few hours fruitless sweeping he received a 'funny signal'. That signal turned out to be one of the largest coin hordes ever found.

Crisp was overjoyed by his find. Source

During an emergency 3-day excavation over 52,000 Roman coins were found, amounting to an astounding half a million pounds in value. Unfortunately for Dave his entire find was confiscated by the Crown.

Value: £500,000

Source

3. Treasure: Silverdale Hoard
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Year: 2007

The appropriately named Silverdale Horde.Source

David Whelan and his son Andrew were metal detecting in a North Yorkshire field when, after receiving a strong signal, they discovered, hidden amongst scraps of iron, a finely engraved silver bowl. Upon realising its value a full-scale dig commenced which ultimately produced 617 silver coins and 65 other fine silver items.

This gold-lined silver bowl is over 1000 years old Source

Most of the items were made in France or Germany around 900 AD. They include ornaments, ingots and jewellery. The vessel in which they were hidden in is lined with gold and decorated with "vines, leaves and six hunting scenes showing lions, stags, and a horse".

The horde was sold to the Yorkshire Museum, the Whelans and the landowners were left to split a cool 1 million pounds. (The local BBC news report can be found here.)

Value: £1,000,000

Source

2. Treasure: Hoxne Hoard
Location: Hoxne, Suffolk
Year: 1992

The plastic display case was not found with the horde. Source

All the treasure troves so far have been found by metal detectors in search of treasure; this particular hoard was found by men in search of a lost hammer. Peter Whatling summoned his friend Eric Lawes to help him search for an errant tool. While searching in Peter's field they uncovered silver spoons, gold jewellery and numerous coins.

Fashionable even by todays standards. Source

After a full excavation, over 15,000 roman coins and 200 other items were found, including very rare examples roman jewellery. Lawes received a finder's fee of £1.75m which was shared equally between himself and his farmer friend.
This is the largest payment ever granted by the crown to a treasure hunter.

Value: £1,750,000

Source

1. Treasure: King's Ransom
Location: Lichfield, Staffordshire
Year: 2009

Select pieces from the 3,500 piece hoard. Source

The ancient city of Lichfield has many treasures: its cathedral, the home of Samuel Johnson... but few would expect it to hold the greatest treasure ever found on our small island. While exploring a local farmer's field Terry Herbert discovered a veritable king's ransom in Anglo-Saxon gold.

Three of the most valuable pieces of treasure ever found in the UK. Source

The hoard consists of approximately 3,500 pieces, comprising up to 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver. The gold items are some of the finest examples of Anglo-Saxon art ever seen: finely wrought golden animals, betrothal rings and jasper sword hilts, a truly spectacular find. The horde was valued at approximately £3.26 million.
It was confiscated by the Crown and is currently held by the British Museum.

Value: £3,260,000

Source

And if we haven't got you reaching for your metal detectors yet, we would just like to add that the total value of these treasures was a cool £7,000,000. Happy treasure hunting!