A person who has just become interested in instrumental search makes various mistakes. And that's okay. However, you can learn not only from your mistakes, and avoid them by following the advice of more experienced comrades. Therefore, read about the five most important mistakes of a novice treasure hunter - and do not make them.
Mistake #1. Buying a device that is too complicated for a beginner
There are many different types of metal detectors, designed for different levels - from beginner to advanced. A common mistake made by beginner searchers who immediately want to become “professionals” is purchasing a detector that is too complex for their skill level.
Such an incident often leads to the fact that beginners struggle with a new device, set the wrong settings, and as a result become disappointed in the device search. And the metal detector remains gathering dust in the closet. Or goes up for sale.
The best option for a beginner is to buy a simple universal metal detector “for beginners.” If you really hate buying such a device, choose at least the middle level, with intuitive controls.
Remember the moment when you were just starting to learn to drive a car. Would you like to take part in Formula 1 races in a super-cool racing car at that moment? I think not. The main thing is not to mix up the pedals! Same with metal detectors. First you need simpler options to get the hang of it. And there the rally is just around the corner. You can update your equipment at any time if you wish.
You can choose a simple and effective high-quality metal detector for beginners by contacting the nearest MDRegion store in your city.
Mistake #2. Wrong cop.
Experienced diggers always note that beginners should first practice in their own garden or field, trying to dig up at least a beer bottle cap. In fact, digging a neat hole is quite difficult and requires some skill.
How to dig a hole correctly? One method is to first cut away the soil in a circular motion, as if slicing a watermelon. And then work with a small spatula. However, you should not grab large number land. This way you might miss the find. After digging, the hole must be buried and covered with cut turf.
Mistake #3. Using the wrong shovel or shovel.
If you think that you need to dig with an ordinary shovel, then throw such thoughts out of your head. You are not digging potatoes, and you need a special tool to find them.
Each digging tool has its own purpose. You can use a shovel to dig in a field, in a forest, and so on. And when the search is deep, that is, more than 30 cm. Fiskars shovels are excellent for searching - compact, ergonomic and reliable. You can evaluate their assortment in a special section in the online store MDRegion.ru.
Usually they take so-called scoop knives to the cops. To the park or anywhere public place You'll also have to go with a scoop. Well, on a beach search, take care in advance of purchasing a sand sifter.
Mistake #4. Failure to comply with digger ethics.
Despite the fact that finds in historically important places are much more interesting, it is still better to avoid meetings with archaeologists. Otherwise, you will then have to meet with law enforcement representatives and pay a fine. In addition, it is worth knowing that searching for “wild” gold is, of course, possible, but selling it in our country is prohibited. True, everything is moving towards the abolition of this law in individual areas, but this has not happened yet. Another rule is that you should not dig on private land without permission. No one will be happy to see a person digging in their garden.
Advice: read the texts of Art. 243.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, 164 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, with the Law of the Russian Federation of February 21, 1992 N 2395-1 “On Subsoil”.
Mistake #5. Reluctance to master search methods.
Amazing discoveries made by beginners are often accidental. Experienced search engines intentionally increase the number of finds - thanks to their ability to work with ancient documents and maps. There are tons of articles, videos, and other materials online that can help a newbie get comfortable with both maps and GPS.
And the local archive can turn into an invaluable source of information. As a last resort, use library resources. Among ancient books and newspapers you can also find mentions of treasures, rich extinct villages, estates, and cities.
Remember that success is also 90% of work. You'll have to do some work before you just go out and start searching.
Conclusion: Stay focused and make the right decision. By avoiding these common mistakes, you will realize that instrument searching is a great hobby that is both enjoyable and cost-effective.
Ekaterina Rudykh
Of course, there are many variations of games
"Treasure Hunt"
At the beginning of the game, the children receive a letter from Robinson Crusoe, in which he invites the children to find his treasure.
Answer the questions in the letter and get your first clue.
1. Questions:
What can't you bake bread without? (without crust);
What kind of water can you bring in a sieve? (frozen);
What tree does a crow sit on after rain? (for wet);
What disease does no one get on land? (nautical);
What can you watch with your eyes closed? (dream);
The squirrel was drying mushrooms,
There were 25 whites,
Yes, and 5 oils,
7 milk mushrooms and 2 chanterelles.
Who has the answer ready?
How many mushrooms were there in total? (39 mushrooms)
Well done, you completed the task, get a hint: He doesn’t hit, doesn’t scold, but he makes everyone cry? (onion).
Where does it grow?
(Everyone runs to the beds and finds the next envelope in the onion bed).
2 . The assignment is written on the envelope.
Come up with rhymes for the names of various vegetables.
Cucumber (brave, well done, Sagittarius);
Potatoes (okroshka, basket);
Radish (iris, narcissus);
Tomato (marinade, automatic);
Bow (friend, chipmunk);
Parsley (toy, pillow);
Salad (robe, marmalade).
We open the envelope and take out the next clue.
We have long considered you friends,
Children of our gardens and fields.
We will look after you
So that you bloom faster in the flowerbed. (flowers)
(We are looking for the next envelope in the flower beds)
3 . Quests:
- It is necessary to weed the flower beds;
- Name the plants (children are shown plants from a previously prepared herbarium);
Next clue:
In haymaking it is bitter, and in frost it is sweet,
What kind of berry? (rowan)
(We are looking for an envelope on a rowan tree)
4. Exercise:
Who loves music and songs,
That makes life more interesting.
Come on, children, stand in a circle.
And start dancing together!
(Dance the Lavata dance)
Clue:
There are pillars in your yard, look for the next envelope on them.
5. Exercise:
Divide into teams and get assigned tasks.
It is necessary to make proverbs from words.
What is born in the summer will be useful in the winter.
What goes around comes around!
The earth feeds, but it also asks for food.
See the tree in its fruits, the man in his deeds.
Clue:
There are a lot of colored wheels there,
I'll wait for you with them.
(The envelope is hidden inside one of the wheels)- The children were looking for this envelope for a very long time.
6. Exercise:
Run over the wheels from right to left
Show everyone how bravely you jump.
(Children jump from wheel to wheel)
Clue:
Along the old boiler room,
Past the garages
Run quickly to the path to the forest.
You will find red signs on it,
They will lead you to the clearing of inventions.
We left our site and ran into the forest belt. Small red identification ribbons were tied to tree branches, which the guys used to guide them.
7. Exercise:
From the last ribbon, a long rope is woven between the trees. We go the distance, holding on to it. At the end of the distance we climb through hoops. On the last hoop clue:
It flows, it flows, it won’t leak.
He runs, he runs, but he won’t run out. (river)
She flows, he lies next to her. (stone)
(Children run to a small river and look for the next envelope under a stone lying on its bank).
8 . Exercise:
It's time for adults and children to know
That nature is good.
Create beauty
Clean up!
(Children collect garbage on the river bank).
Clue:
Go back to where you started
And again, be able to find the clue.
An identification mark is immediately drawn behind which to look for the next envelope.
We return to our site, where the game began, and look for this sign.
9. Exercise:
What geometric shapes does the drawing consist of? Count them.
Clue:
Children are given a key consisting of letters. You need to make up a word. (sand)
Let's run to the sandbox and dig up the treasure!
- Hooray! - we found him!
There is a vertical well,
The old treasure in it is hidden from everyone:
Damask sword, mirror shield,
Armor with pure gold.
There are a lot of treasures there.
It doesn't matter that they are buried.
That's when we open them,
Everyone will say: “Yes!”
(c) Vladislav Krapivin
"Treasure on Smolenskaya Street"
Hello, dear readers. In this article we will tell you how to become a treasure hunter, even if you have no experience, and at the same time remain within the law. When someone drops a word " treasure hunter", the imagination conjures up the image of a muscular man dressed in a shabby traveling suit. His face is certainly baked by the Sun and weathered by storms and hurricanes. The worn-out shoes have walked an innumerable number of miles. And from the shoulder bag one can hear the mysterious clink of treasures. If the head of the prospector is decorated with a hat, and in hand in the whip, we will see the great and inimitable Indiana Jones, perhaps one of the most famous treasure hunters. All that remains is to find the answer to the question “How to become a treasure hunter?” and go for wealth.
What is a treasure?
A treasure is not only coins, but also any item hidden by the owners. During times of unrest, people tried to save any thing useful in the household. This is how household treasures appeared. They are still incredibly popular to this day. With the end of the gardening season, many gardeners do not take dishes and small tools home, but hide them in the garden. Epochs of battles and wars gave birth to relic treasures. This, for example, is the hidden banner of a military unit that finds itself surrounded. According to the regulations, a military unit that has lost its battle flag is subject to disbandment. Situational treasures are similar to them. If we take wartime treasure as an example, let us remember the hidden archives with documents. Such treasures also include caches with awards and personal belongings of soldiers going on reconnaissance missions. By the way, pirate and robber treasures are also often just situational, if the treasures were hidden temporarily, later hoping to find a more reliable place.
The most numerous and heterogeneous class of treasures are treasures. Nowadays, many of them have lost the value they once represented. Until now, old houses hide stacks of banknotes that have gone out of circulation. The value of other things shifts from a monetary component to a historical one (for example, a treasure of colored beads made on the island of Murano at a time when only the craftsmen of this island had the recipe for giving color to glass). But salt carefully hidden in clay pots, hidden during the era of salt riots, is now unlikely to be considered a treasure. A subtype of valuable treasure that is interesting to collectors is savings. This is a pot of gold coins or jewelry. Its owner opened a demand deposit in a secluded place, but sometimes did not have time to claim it. It is worth adding cult treasures here. Famous Zarni-An- The Golden Woman is the most famous example of such a treasure, which has not yet been found.
Where are the treasures hidden?
“Where are we going to dig?” asked Huck.
- Oh, we'll try everywhere.
- Is it buried everywhere?
- Well, no. Buried in special places, Huck - sometimes on islands, sometimes in rotten chests under the tip of the limb of an old withered tree, just where the shadow falls at midnight, and most often in haunted houses."
(c) Mark Twain "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Without experience, going for treasure is just a waste of time. Work on treasure hunt begins long before the start of its prey. You need to patiently study the map of the area, looking for abandoned villages or disappeared ancient settlements. A real treasure hunter will give an impressive list of locations where, according to signs he knows, treasures may be hidden. They are considered a blessed place old houses who have survived times of disaster or war. The older they are and the greater their former greatness, the higher the chance that something is hidden there. something valuable. And we didn’t even touch on such a group of treasures as treasures of sunken ships.
Treasure hunter's tools
For many centuries, the main tool for extracting treasures has been a shovel. We approach its selection carefully. Experts advise: “The shovel handle must be strong enough, made of birch, 40 millimeters thick at the knee, 35 millimeters thick at the handle, and have a special handle that makes handling the shovel easier. Great value has the length of the handle. With a short handle you have to expend significantly more effort than with a long handle. In addition, with a short handle, the body bends much lower than with a long one.".
The life of a treasure hunter has become much easier with the advent of metal detectors. Therefore, when searching coins, medals and other metal products, this tool is indispensable. It is better if the metal detector is light and inconspicuous. Because if, in full view of the people, you go into the forest not with a basket, but with a metal detector, then the success of this expedition will have to be shared among the entire district. In places where the soil is rocky, excavation work will be greatly facilitated by a pickaxe. A metal probe will also come in handy. To sift the earth, when the treasure appears in the form of a scattering of precious metals, a sieve or sieve will help us. A compass won't hurt either, since navigators don't work everywhere.
Treasure and law - how not to end up on opposite sides of the barricade
According to Russian legislation, a treasure is "money or valuables buried in the ground or otherwise concealed". This includes jewelry products made of precious metals, precious stones and other things representing material value. Objects of historical value (documents, manuscripts, the same regimental banner) are not treasure under the law. Additional condition: only things that can be considered treasure “the owner of which cannot be identified or, by force of law, has lost the right to them”. A ring or a single coin found on the beach is not a treasure, since the “hidden” condition is not met, that is, things deliberately hidden. You should check to see if you are conducting excavations on the territory of archaeological sites. Fortunately, they are all listed in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects.
Black diggers (black archaeologists) are treasure hunters who search in violation of established legislation. Very often for the sake of one valuable artifact they irrevocably destroy many other objects that do not provide material benefit, but are priceless from the point of view of archaeology. Examples of such diggers are provided by the extensive history of plunder. Egyptian pyramids. Very often, historians who carefully opened the burial places of the pharaohs discovered only traces of the former treasure.
For example, in Ukraine, criminal liability is provided for the appropriation of someone else’s property found or accidentally found in the possession of a guilty person. Article 140 of the Civil Code of Ukraine defines: “The appropriation by a person of someone else’s property found or accidentally found in his possession, which has important historical, scientific, artistic or cultural value, as well as treasure, is punishable by a fine of up to fifty tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, or correctional labor for up to two years, or arrest for up to six months". They treat unscrupulous treasure hunters much more kindly foggy Albion. Treasures Act 1996, which replaced common law about treasures in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says: "There is a criminal offense, punishable by up to three months' imprisonment, or a fine not exceeding level five (currently £5,000), or both, for failing to report a find to the investigating officer. The court will take into account the finder's evidence of the compelling reasons on which he or she decides that the find is not a treasure, as well as valid reasons why he did not report the find".
Where and how are found treasures handed over?
“Dima wanted to be even more indignant, but at that time a local police officer approached them.
“They say here that a treasure was found on your territory yesterday,” said the district police officer. - Do you know the law? If you find it, you have to hand it over. And, of course, you will receive a bonus - also according to the law.
- What treasure? What bonus? - Dad boiled. - This grandfather came up with some kind of treasure so that these boys would find it more interesting to dig holes. We dug holes for bushes!
“My job is to remind you,” said the district police officer. “We need to hand over the treasure,” and he went to the gate.”
(c) V. Medvedev "How Captain Lying Head Almost Found a Treasure, or the Gold Rush"
Already in a children's book we are imperceptibly introduced to Article 233 civil code Russian Federation, which describes the actions associated with the discovery of a treasure: " 1. Treasure, that is, money or valuable objects buried in the ground or otherwise hidden, the owner of which cannot be identified or has lost the right to them by force of law, becomes the property of the person who owns the property (land plot, building, etc. .), where the treasure was hidden, and the person who discovered the treasure, in equal shares, unless otherwise established by agreement between them. If a treasure is discovered by a person excavating or searching for valuables without the consent of the owner land plot or other property where the treasure was hidden, the treasure is subject to transfer to the owner of the land plot or other property where the treasure was discovered".
Before handing over the treasure to the police, you should photograph it. During the registration process, items are handed over according to the inventory, and the finder is given a certificate of discovery of the treasure. Three witnesses are also required to confirm that it was you who found the treasure. Receiving the required compensation may take up to three years, as it is required expert assessment. If they recognize the treasure as having historical value, then a value verdict on compensation will be issued. If the treasure is not of historical value, then it will be returned to you. But lawyers say that an assessment is required here too, since you will have to pay personal income tax.
Note that a legal treasure hunter always distinguishes the concept of “Treasure” from the concepts of “Ownerless property” and “Find”.
"Article 227. Finding
1. The person who finds a lost thing is obliged to immediately notify the person who lost it, or the owner of the thing or any other person known to him who has the right to receive it, and return the found thing to this person.
2. If the person who has the right to demand the return of the found thing or his whereabouts are unknown, the finder of the thing is obliged to report the find to the police or local government body.
Article 228. Acquisition of ownership of a find
1. If, within six months from the date of reporting the find to the police or local government body, the person authorized to receive the found thing is not identified or does not declare his right to the thing to the person who found it or to the police or local government body, the one who finds the thing acquires the right of ownership to it.”
“In other words,” writes a user of the seekers forum, “you found, for example, the helmet of Dmitry Donskoy, which he lost on the Kulikovo field (what if?!) You reported this to the police, as expected. Six months have passed, and if Dmitry Donskoy it won’t be a helmet - the helmet is yours. According to the law, the civil code does not say when the thing was lost, yesterday or six hundred years ago.”
But here the concept of “Archaeological value” comes into play, and our hypothetical find will not go to the lucky one, but straight to the Historical Museum. We read about this further: "2. If a treasure containing things related to historical or cultural monuments is discovered, they are subject to transfer to state ownership. In this case, the owner of the land plot or other property where the treasure was hidden, and the person who discovered the treasure, have the right to receive together remuneration in the amount of fifty percent of the value of the treasure. The remuneration is distributed among these persons in equal shares, unless otherwise established by agreement between them. If such a treasure is discovered by a person who carried out excavations or searches for valuables without the consent of the owner of the property where the treasure was hidden, no remuneration is given to this person. is paid and goes entirely to the owner.
3. The rules of this article do not apply to persons whose work or official duties included conducting excavations and searches aimed at discovering treasure.”
As we see, in Russia it is more profitable to find a treasure, so the state takes only half for itself. Whereas in Ukraine there are norms left over from the times of the Soviet Union, providing for the receipt of three quarters of the cost into the state treasury found treasure. Clever people teach how to act in order to legally increase the share that goes into ownership: “And if you bury the found treasure in your dacha, and then find it in front of your neighbors. As a result, you, both the owner of the land and the finder, share the treasure with yourself 50/50.” In other countries, for example in France, what is found is divided in half - between the owner of the land and the seeker. In the UK, any treasure found must be taken to the police station within two weeks. Experts will determine whether the find is a treasure or not. The treasure is then evaluated and offered at this price to museums and collections. If the acquisition does not take place, the find goes to the treasure hunter. But in Germany, the right to treasure belongs exclusively to the owner of the land. Only some federal states believe that their property should be given to the local administration. A three-mile zone of US territorial waters where sunken ships may be located has been declared a national park, and the ships themselves have been declared a national treasure. Do you want to look for treasures? First obtain permission from the authorities. But international law interprets it differently search for sunken treasures. The country that owns the sunken ship has the right to half the value of the treasure. The distribution of the remaining wealth is negotiated by the owners of the waters in which it sank and the search companies.
Changes in Russian legislation
And everything was fine at the excavations of our Motherland, until in 2013 it arose Article 243.2"Illegal search and (or) seizure of archaeological objects from their locations." Immediately, menacing measures loomed on the horizon: "1. Search and (or) removal of archaeological objects from places of occurrence on the surface of the earth, in the ground or under water, carried out without permission (open sheet), resulting in damage or destruction of the cultural layer - is punishable by a fine of up to five hundred thousand rubles or size wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to eighteen months, or correctional labor for a term of up to one year, or imprisonment for a term of up to two years.". The situation is more serious if all this happened on the territory of a cultural heritage site. In this case, the offender is punished "a fine in the amount of up to seven hundred thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to two years, or imprisonment for a term of up to four years". There are other aggravating factors:
a.) use of special technical search tools and (or) earth-moving machines;
b.) use of one’s official position;
c.) preliminary conspiracy or organized group.
"Use of special technical search tools"
Here the fine already increases to "up to one million rubles or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to five years, or deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to five years, or forced labor for a term of up to five years, or imprisonment for a term up to six years". A metal detector falls into the category of “special technical search tools.”
It is useful for persons who have “removed archaeological objects” to familiarize themselves with Article 7.15.1“Illegal trafficking in archaeological objects,” which threatens a fine and confiscation of archaeological objects. Treasure hunters, who immediately found themselves outside the law, began to argue that restrictions on the use of metal detectors were applicable only in the case of archaeological research. However, an unclear definition has led to the fact that accused persons have already appeared who have nothing to do with archeology, but were detained with a metal detector during the search.
Is it easy for a treasure hunter to get rich?
Unlike films and books, the happy ending of which predicts a comfortable existence for the successful characters, real life not so beautiful. In most cases, items found treasure difficult to classify as a treasure. And even if completed successfully, searching for treasures still remains akin to buying lottery tickets. It's nice to win, but recording your winnings as a permanent income item is extremely unwise. Therefore, when buying equipment, always keep in mind that the costs can be significantly exceed income. But the main thing here is the passion for the search process. After all, a fisherman sets off at an ungodly hour to a treasured body of water not at all in order to pay for expensive equipment and fishing tackle.
The diving boat Dare is at the pier in Key West waiting for resupply. The structures sticking out above the deck are the same “mailboxes”. They were invented back in the 1960s by Mel Fisher, one of the patriarchs among treasure hunters. If these boxes are lowered into the water, they stand exactly in front of the ship's propellers and deflect the water stream from the propellers directly to the bottom. In this way, sandy deposits that usually cover the remains of shipwrecks can be eroded.
The exploration boat pulls a meter-long metal “fish” equipped with a side-scan sonar, which can be used to feel for piles of stones that were once ship ballast, and cesium magnetometers, capable of detecting iron parts left over from decayed ships. Once a shipwreck is located, the job becomes simpler - divers with metal detectors scour the seabed and manually retrieve their findings.
The map, which was compiled by Mel Fisher, shows all the found wreckage of the Atoja in an area that is especially rich in finds (scuba divers call this place the Spanish Bank). This bank is located five miles northwest of where the main part of the galleon's hull was found. Dots mark search locations
Here is the real loot recovered from the wreckage of the Margarita and Atokha: a four-kilogram gold disk, a three-meter gold chain and a gold bar. The disc is decorated with a 25 carat emerald
Sean Redding, captain of the Huntress reconnaissance boat, lowers a fish with a magnetometer overboard in preparation for mapping the seabed. Aboard the diving boat Blue Water Rose anchored near Key West, Florida
Mike Dodd (right) cleans up the artifacts found by the author (left) during her dive to the wreck of the Margarita.
The swell monotonously throws up the ladder hung overboard for the scuba divers to descend. We stubbornly resist the current and are almost deaf from the roar of the ship's diesel engines. They are spun to the limit - frenzied jets from both propellers of the boat go directly under the water into curved metal boxes - for some reason they are usually called “mailboxes” here. Below, on the ocean floor, the same jets are eroding a road a good 12 meters wide in sandy sediments.
When the thunderous diesels finally subside, First Officer Tony Gil calls from the deck, “Are you ready?” I nod and pull up my mask as two other scuba divers are already rushing down into the murky water - towards the treasures that are hidden on the ocean floor.
We are located 55 km west of Key West, Florida, among the Mel Fisher Treasures divers. This company is named after the most famous of all American treasure hunters. For 35 years, Mel Fisher and his team have recovered gold, silver and precious stones from some of the richest treasures hidden on the ocean floor of the Western Hemisphere. Fisher died in 1998, but his descendants continue the family business. In a time when marine treasure hunting mostly involves remote-controlled mini-subs slowly probing the remains of shipwrecks at great depths, the guys on Fisher's team are mining treasures right in the shallow waters and using techniques that Mel invented decades ago.
And what’s absolutely funny is that these shallows rich in jewelry end up right in American territorial waters. “We make our bread and butter easily here near Key West,” says Mel Fisher's grandson Shawn.
The ship we are currently excavating is the Santa Margarita. In the fall of 1622, she left Havana and headed for Spain. This was a convoy of 28 ships, since the Margarita, a galleon with a displacement of 630 tons, and another ship, the Nuestra Señora de Atoja, carried a cargo of emeralds, gold and silver utensils, coins and bullion, exported from the Central and South America. In Spain, the court was eagerly awaiting these ships. The country was already entangled in the vicissitudes of the Thirty Years' War and was close to bankruptcy. Meanwhile, a hurricane hit the convoy, the flotilla was scattered across the ocean, eight ships sank, and two galleons washed up on reefs near the Florida capes of the Marquis Keys. For almost four centuries, storms rolled the lost treasures of Spain along the bottom and washed them away with sand.
Today there is every chance of finding something valuable here. At the beginning of summer, at the site of the wreck of the Santa Margarita galleon, Fisher's divers discovered bars of gold, gold chains, silver coins and a chest containing from 6,000 to 10,000 pearls with a total value of approximately $20 million. Judging by historical documents, there were still some left at the bottom 155 silver bars and 80,000 silver coins worth up to $50 million.
Two scuba divers are already combing the bottom with metal detectors. I follow them and peer closely into the unevenness of the bottom, hoping to make out black pebbles that might turn out to be oxidized silver, or orange cobblestones that could turn out to be various iron objects. From time to time one of the scuba divers swims up to the basket for collecting finds and throws something into it.
On the surface, the lumpy cobblestones take on meaningful shapes. Thus, a fist-shaped stone with an orange tint hides an iron nail inside. The rounded stone appears to be an antique ball lock. This is where you realize that a treasure hunt is, essentially, a hunt for stones. Over four centuries, most of the objects become overgrown with mineral layers and turn into weighty stones.
However, this does not apply to gold. It is a noble, inert metal, and centuries spent in water cannot change it in any way. Gold, as Mel Fisher used to say, always glitters.
In the 1960s, Melvin A. Fisher was one of the pioneers of the then rare scuba divers. He had many children and even more debt. The surf periodically threw up gold coins on Vero Beach on the Atlantic coast of Florida - Fisher moved from California to Florida to explore this inexhaustible source of gold. In 1970, he founded Treasure Salvors and found investors who, like himself, were obsessed with the dream of finding lost Spanish gold. A few years later, this obsession bore its first fruits - treasures from the Atoha were discovered, although most of the ship's cargo remained undiscovered. The joy of the first successes was poisoned by legal squabbles started around the finds raised from the ocean, and then tragedy struck - in 1975, his son Derk and his wife Angel went missing at sea, and with them another crew member, Rick Gage. All of them were divers and participated in the search for treasures.
Another five years passed, and Fisher discovered the remains of the Santa Margarita. To date, a lot of silver bars, gold bars and other goods have been recovered from the bottom at this place - a total of about $40 million. In 1985, after sixteen years of searching, he finally came across the central part of the Atohi hull. The wreckage contained treasure worth a fantastic $450 million. “There are three more ships from this flotilla lying somewhere nearby,” says Sean Fisher. “And at the bottom there remains the stern of ‘Atokha’ with a superstructure where the cabins of the nobility and clergy were located. That’s where you need to look for the main values.”
Mel Fisher wasn't just looking for sunken treasure. “My grandfather dreamed of finding Atlantis all his life,” says Sean. - No joke. We have some ideas on where to look for it. But this must be a serious diving operation, requiring a lot of money and other resources.”
Meanwhile, the patriarch managed to map so many promising points very close to the coast that his descendants will have enough work for many years. Three diving boats, stationed five miles apart, are exploring the sites where two galleons sank. The diving team remains on board for a week. They then take their finds to Key West, replenish their supplies, and return again.
In addition to their regular monthly salary, divers receive a percentage of the total production every year, plus cash bonuses for such large finds as, for example, a gold bar. It takes a lot of time to carefully comb every hundred square meters of the seabed, but “if you have persistence, hard work and even a little bit of luck, then you can make good money from it,” says Sean Fisher. “And besides, damn it, this will be more interesting than selling insurance to neighbors.”
After a whole day of fruitless searching, I no longer share his enthusiasm. My knees itch from getting too close to the fossilized corals, my hands are calloused and bruised, sand is pouring out of my hair and rustling under my shirt. And yet it is already difficult to stop. Today someone found a lump of stuck together silver coins, last week divers found a gold bar...
And here is the last dive, we are hanging on the ladder together with Dan Porter, a scuba diver from Blue Water Ventures - Fisher has an agreement with this company. Porter says he has been hooked on treasure hunting since he was 18 years old. Judging by his falling onto his shoulders gray hair, this was several decades ago. Among the many curiosities, he was lucky to find a luxurious sword belt, decorated with filigree and precious stones, at the site of the Atohi wreck. “There are times when I get stuck trying to find a solid job, but I keep coming back here,” he says. “It always turns out that the real money is here.”
This time, when the diesel engines stall, I no longer wait for the sand to settle and the water to become clear. Porter dives into the murky clouds, and I'm right behind him. This time I'm determined to find something. The ocean floor is approaching me - whitish and pitted with craters, just like the lunar surface. Porter is armed with a metal detector, so he can easily judge which stones contain artifacts. My tactic is to stay a little ahead and try to judge by eye the attractiveness of a particular stone. I look around, and there it is, a first-class conical-shaped cobblestone with obvious traces of rusty iron caught on the rim of the coral. I point it out to Porter and he approves of my find with a thumbs up. Looking into the hole, I see another strangely shaped stone. I turn it over and there is a significant rust stain underneath. Another hole, and in it is another orange cobblestone. I pour my finds into a basket with general loot and follow the cable to the surface.
On deck, Mike Dodd, who found the box of pearls, lays out his finds on the table. I wonder what my conical cobblestone once was - a cup? Carpenter's tool? Mike shakes his head, "Whatever it was, it's practically gone." After a summer spent cataloging treasures, Dodd knows there's no point in sending my find to the lab—it's most likely a fragment of a ceramic jug that held olive oil. And the metal is, apparently, a nail. The unusual shape is simply an accident and requires significant cleaning to remove centuries of tarnish.
As I pack for the return to Key West, Tony Gil joins Dan Porter on the ramp. When the diesel engines die down, the divers pull up their masks. I look away and turn back to wave goodbye to them. But they are already under water, drawn by the passion to search for treasures.
Municipal institution of additional education
"Center for Continuing Education "Constellation"
Tutaevsky municipal district
Methodological development training session
quest game “In search of treasures!”
Compiled by: Yulia Dmitrievna Ryazanova,
deputy director of scientific and scientific research, additional teacher
education MU DO "Central Educational Education Center "Constellation"
city of Tutaev, Yaroslavl region
Tutaev 2016
Everyone has heard about the secret of the pirate treasure.
But how to find it...
Only a select few know about this
Explanatory note
The most effective in terms of activation cognitive activity are interactive learning technologies. An especially effective type of modern interactive technology is the interactive game, which creates best conditions development. Educational quests are becoming increasingly popular. The actual concept of “quest” (translit. English quest - searches) and denotes a game that requires the player to solve mental problems to advance the story.
This lesson is aimed at students of the 2nd year of study in the “Young Ecologists” association and the “Young Researchers” association.
Age of students: 12-13 years
Time: 1 hour
Purpose of the quest game: organization of leisure time for students as part of the autumn research gathering
Tasks:
Educational:
Contribute to broadening the horizons of students;
Teach students to actively interact with each other, quickly make the right decision;
Developmental:
- consolidate the ability to compete in collective gaming activities;
To develop students’ skills in working in groups;
Develop mental creativity, erudition;
Educational:
- foster a sense of collectivism, teamwork skills
WITH give to children good mood, friendly atmosphere in the group.
Security:
1. Prizes for all teams (sweet prize for each student).
2. Pen or pencil, sheets of paper for assignments and calculations.
3. Balloons – 5 pieces.
4. A bag of tea or coffee for aging sheets of paper with assignments.
5. Candle or lighter to shape the edges of the paper.
7. Casket (container)
8. Bottle.
9. Basin or other container.
10. 4 mini containers from Kinder Surprise.
11. Artificial tree – birch.
12. Turtle (toy, you can use a live one).
13. Lemons (imitation of the growth of lemongrass on a windowsill with plants).
15. Briefcase.
16. Watchman/wardrobe as assistant.
Game conditions
The quest is designed for 8-12 people (1 team). Before starting the quest game, you need to prepare tips, place tasks and tips.
First, we print the text of the assignments on paper. To age it with bugs, we crumple it, this will have an additional effect due to the formation of folds that will imitate the effect of hand-made parchment (Appendix 1). Brew 3-5 tea bags of tea. The more bags you take, the darker the paper will be colored. Wait 5-20 minutes before removing the bags and starting coloring. Take a tray and pour tea directly onto the paper. Let dry. To create the appearance of darkened paper that has suffered from time and circumstances over its long existence, take a candle. Hold a piece of paper 1-2 centimeters above the candle flame and move it back and forth. Warning: Do not hold one place over the candle for a long time. If you need small holes in the paper or jagged edges, place the sheet 2 centimeters above the candle flame and just hold it there. When a small light appears on the paper, blow on it.
For task #2, take a balloon and place the next task in it. Tie a thread to the balloon that connects to the box, which must be hidden well (the next task is in it).
For task No. 4, take a bottle and glue the finished label to it (Appendix 2).
For task No. 5, take 4 mini-containers from Kinder Surprise and place the next task in one of them. Place mini containers in balloons, fill them with water and put them in the freezer to form ice balls. It is advisable to remove it before use.
Progress of the quest game
Teacher: Good afternoon I welcome participants to our entertaining quest game “In Search of Treasures”. The theme of our game was not chosen by chance. Adventure films are always popular with children, and probably each of you dreams of finding a huge chest full of treasures. Today we are going for pirate treasures. Are you ready to go on a long journey to meet dangers and adventures? Unlike many treasure hunters of the past, we will definitely be lucky today. Luck will certainly smile on us. It cannot be otherwise, because you are so brave, smart, and friendly. The teacher gives the first task.
Task No. 1. Participants in the game read the task on a piece of paper.
Strike me with thunder! It's been so long since we've seen each other! Of course you didn't recognize me? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. But I found you so that you could help me. The damned Captain Morgan stole my treasure, sank my ship, the Black Pearl, and lured the crew to himself. I've hit a dark streak. But all is not lost! I learned that Morgan, in a fit of suspicion, hid the treasure and disappeared in an unknown direction to hide and bide his time. I hear you know these places well?
Well, Morgan, we'll see who wins! Do you dare?
Here is the first task to test your treasure hunting skills. You must count EXACTLY how many steps there are in the building (Constellation Center, building No. 2, former House of Nature). And this number will be the first part of the code. The second part of the code is the number of fish in the building's lobby. Combine these two numbers and you will get the office number in which you will find the following task (add to one whole number) .
Children: Count the number of steps and fish in the hall. By adding these numbers, they get the number of the office in which the next task awaits them.
Task No. 2.
Teacher: having opened the office, the participants of the game see a balloon, inside of which there is a note, it says what to do next to find treasures.
Friends! You are right on the trail of treasure. One-Eyed Joe! You, of course, don’t remember him, but he was once the boatswain on my Black Pearl. This bookworm always amused people and loved to solve various problems. So he betrayed me and left the ship with Captain Morgan. This scoundrel wants to take the treasure from Captain Morgan himself and set you on the wrong trail!
So now we have to solve the problem so as not to go astray.
Having solved the crossword puzzle, put together a word, inside which you need to look and find a new clue to find the treasure!
Teacher: what crossword puzzle is it about? we're talking about? Where is he? How to find it?
Children: make assumptions, look around, try to find a crossword puzzle.
Teacher: Look carefully, there is a thin thread coming from the balloon, perhaps it will lead us to a crossword puzzle that needs to be solved. A thread leads participants in the quest game to a box containing a crossword puzzle.
Write the corresponding words horizontally and read the keyword in the yellow boxes vertically. From the letters in the red cells, make up a word that will indicate the next clue (Appendix 4).
1. Gemstone blue color.
2. Silence is like a precious stone.
3. Headdress of the monarch.
4. Precious metal with bactericidal properties.
5. An ornament worn on the finger.
6. “... Treasures” - a book by Robert Louis Stevenson.
7. A very beautiful mineral stone that gives its name to the greenish-blue color.
8. According to fairy tales, this is the king “wasting away over gold.”
9.King of gems.
After answering the questions, participants will read the keyword “Treasures”. From letters in red boxes, children assemble the word “Briefcase”.
The teacher offers to find the briefcase, which is located in the same office. Children find a briefcase with the next task hidden inside.
Task No. 3. Children read the assignment they found in the briefcase.
In this task you need to find a message that Morgan sent after his ship crashed. And as you know, all the pirates who find themselves on an uninhabited island send their messages in sealed bottles, find the bottle in the wettest place of this building, and Morgan will tell you his secret on the bottle.
Children examine all possible wet places in which they must find a bottle with a message. They check places near aquariums, an artificial lake, and go to the toilet. If children find it difficult, the teacher can give hints and ask riddles:
I am neither a sea nor a river,I am not a lake, not a pond,
But like morning or evening -
People are all running towards me
A warm wave splashes,
There is whiteness under the wave.
Guess, remember,
What kind of sea is in the room?
After solving the riddles, the participants discover a bottle with a message in the utility room, which has a bathtub.
Task No. 4. Participants read out a message with a new task.
I think that it is unlikely that anyone will find my letter, but if they do, let them know that most likely the last words of Captain Morgan are written here.
It is now August 12, 1675, yesterday my Frigate was wrecked. I found myself on a desert island. Most likely I have little time left because... I only have enough provisions left for a few days. I want to take my chance of salvation and tell you that I am ready to give treasures for my salvation. In our circles this island is called “Island of the Damned”, on this island I leave several signs, connecting them together you will receive the coordinates of the island on which I buried my treasures. Perhaps One-Eyed Joe can help you.
To get the coordinates you need:
1. Solve the example 2+2*(2*2-2)+2/2-2+2=?
2. Solve the example (5+5+5) - (5+5) * 0 =?
3. Solve the example 2,3 + (- 1,3) =?
4. The year of my birth.
Next, write the resulting numbers together without spaces and you will get the coordinates of the island on which I buried treasure, and there are quite a few of them, believe old Captain Morgan. But this is not enough to get to the island. Add up the second and fifth digits of these coordinates and move on, they will lead you to the next riddle. You are getting closer and closer to treasures!!!
The teacher reports that the final number corresponds to the number of the office in which the next clue is located. If you have difficulty solving examples, the teacher can help. A big question for children arises with the year of birth of Captain Morgan. They start taking out their phones to look on the Internet, looking for clues on the assignment sheet. When the children understand that they need help, the teacher suggests that they carefully examine the bottle, since there is a label on it that indicates the year of his birth, and it is required to indicate the year, and not the day and month. Having solved this task, participants move to another office, the number of which corresponds to the answer.
Task No. 5.
There is a note on the table and bowl with 4 ice balls (one of them contains a clue).
You have arrived on the Island of the Damned. It turned out that this island is located far in the north - hundreds of thousands of miles. Brrr... it's so cold here. Average temperature is -40 O C. Captain Morgan's plan worked, you are here on the island. No one has ever managed to leave it. It turned out that one-eyed Joe found the treasure long ago and hid it, leaving us with a clue and a chance to get off the island alive. You need to break the balls, one of which contains a hint on where to move next .
Children complete this simple task. The balls can be broken directly in the pelvis by hitting the walls of the pelvis, or against another ball. Someone will break it on the floor, but the teacher controls the process. The children collect all the fragments back into the basin.
Task No. 6.
Children, having broken the balls, take out mini-containers, and in one they find the next task (riddle).
From now on you can't hesitate.
Look where the Russian beauty is
Sitting in a clearing in a green blouse
And a white sundress.
She will show the right path,
All you have to do is take a step.
The teacher asks the children the answer to the riddle.
Children's answer: birch. Now they must find the birch tree that is in this building. Children can easily complete this task when they find it in the hall of the 1st floor (dry tree with artificial birch leaves). On one of the branches there is a hint with a task.
Task No. 7. Children read the task, on the sheet of which there are many unclear dots.
The treasure is very close!
If you circle all the dots by numbers, you can find out which item will give the next clue in the treasure hunt.
The teacher gives out a pencil or pen, the children begin to trace the dots to make a drawing (Appendix 3).
As a result, the children get a snowflake. The teacher asks to find a snowflake in the hall of the 1st floor. Children find a paper snowflake on the wall, remove it and find the next task.
Task No. 8. Children read the text of the assignment.
Captain Morgan has been traveling for a very long time in search of a great and mysterious treasure. Help him find a treasure whose name he will have to guess. Find it and it will indicate the further path of searching for treasures.
What kind of miracle? Here's a miracle:
A dish on top, a dish below.
A miracle is walking along the road,
The head sticks out and the legs stick out.
The teacher asks what this riddle is about. Children give the answer: “turtle.” Now they just have to find the turtle, which will show the way to the treasure.
Children begin to look for a turtle in a living corner and look for stickers with tasks on aquariums. The teacher can give advice if the children are unable to cope, as they actually need to find the toy turtle. Then all the children remember the artificial lake that was built on the second floor. There they find a turtle, which has a new task attached to it, bringing them closer to the treasure.
Task No. 9. Children read the text of the assignment.
Thank you! You helped me find the treasure that I have been looking for since I was 8 years old (since I told myself that I would become a pirate). This is the “Golden Turtle”, it fulfills any desires, helps travelers find their way home. And the “Golden Turtle” will show you the shortest path to treasures. You need to guess the rebus.
Children solve a rebus. Answer: Lemon. The teacher tells the children that now they need to find a lemon and asks the question: “Where in our Center can you see a lemon? Students of the Center know that “the Winter Garden contains a huge number of plants, including lemons. The children enter the Winter Garden and find a note with a new task next to the lemon tree.
Task No. 10. Children read the text of the task, which indicates that they need to use the book that lies next to the lemon tree. In this game we used the book “Beasts” (V.L. Dinets, E.V. Rothschild). The book may change.
At first glance, this is an ordinary book, but all the stories are just a diversion. Use the code and you will be one step away from the treasure.
183.1.
142.4.34.
20.11.23.
20.12.1.
45.13.15.
70.3.2.
216.9.1.
276.2.25.
319.1.1.
247.2.3.
135.12.3.
Solve the code. Enter the result in order, without spaces, and receive a phone number to which you need to send an SMS message with the “Hint” code. Wait for an answer. Solve the riddle and the treasure is YOURS!!
If the children were unable to solve the code, then the teacher suggests that the first value indicates the serial number of the page, the second - the serial number of the line, the third - the serial number of the digit from left to right.
Answer: 89622060129
Participants in the game write an SMS message with the code “Hint” and receive the last task, after solving which they will find the TREASURES OF THE PIRATES.
Task No. 11. Children receive an SMS with a riddle.
Who is on guard in our house,
He neither sows nor plows,
He sits in his house,
He looks at those entering.
He won’t miss only those
Who doesn't love them themselves
Answer: watchman.
Participants in the quest game approach the guard, who gives each player sweet gifts. The teacher thanks the children for completing all tasks. Game over.
Literature
1. Dinets V.L., Rothschild E.V. Animals. Encyclopedia of nature. 2nd edition, expanded and revised. – M.: 1988.
2. Clarin M.V. Interactive learning tool for mastering new experience / M.V. Clarin // Pedagogy. 2000. - No. 7.
3. Soboleva A.V. Riddles-savvy. A practical guide for speech therapists, educators and parents. -- M., 20004.
5. (date of access: November 1, 2016)
Appendix 1
Photo 1. Appearance aged paper
Appendix 2
Photo 2. Label for a bottle with a message
Appendix 3
Photo 3. Snowflake diagram
Appendix 4
Photo 4. Completing task No. 2
Loading...
