Perhaps the best tool available to a treasure hunter is their research. Locations very rarely look the same today as they did 100 years ago and it can be  difficult to visualize it’s past state. I don’t think I can emphasize enough the importantance of good research, so here are some tips and tools for your own treasure hunting explorations.

1) Libraries – Your local public library is literally the best source of history for your area. Local libraries contain anthologies compiled by local historians that are most likely not available in any other place in the world. Many institutions also have local historical newspapers available on microfilm for some good in-depth research documenting all the important events in your area to include bank robberies of which the robber may have hid the loot, carnivals and fairs which may now be just a long lost forgotten field full of dropped coins, and many other interesting tidbits.

2) Maps – Old and new maps are both of equal importance and can be used to create overlays. An overlay is best done with software such as Adobe Photoshop where you take a modern map on one layer, and place an old map over it with enough transparency that you can see both maps. This will show things such as towns that used to exist on old maps, but no longer exist on the new map.  The following is a compiled list of map resources online:

* Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
* Hargrett Library Map Collection
* Library of Congress Map Collections
* David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
* University of Connecticut Historical Map Collection
* Historical Topographic Maps
* Florida Historical Map Collection
* Washington State University Historical Map Collection
* Historic Pittsburgh Maps Collection
* Texas State Library Map Collection
* Historic USGS Maps of New England & New York
* University of Delaware Historic Map Collection
* Alabama Historical Map Archive
* Wyoming State Archives Online Map Collection
* New York State Historical Maps
* California Historic Topographic Map Collection
* Gilmer Civil War Maps Collection
* University of Louisville Digital Map Collection
* University of North Carolina Historic Maps
* Rutgers Historical Maps of New Jersey
* Hotchkiss Confederate Army Map Collection
* West Point Civil War Maps Collection

That is just a small listing of the enormous amount of maps available on the internet. A special crafted Google search will help you return more specific results. For example, let’s say I am looking for historical maps from Oregon, I could use the following Google search string to get good quality results: oregon historical map inurl:”.edu”

Another useful map tool is the popular Google Earth or other satellite photography sources such as Bing, TerraServer, and one of the coolest ones I have ever seen, FlashEarth. These provide a top-down view of the area which is useful for figuring out if it is a location you may be able to treasure hunt at. See Battle of Belmont: Fields of Treasure to see an example of how I used Google Map’s Satellite View to look at a potential site as it exists now.

3) Documents – Historical documents such as letters, diaries, newspapers, and other sources can provide great treasure tips. I enjoy using the American Memory Collections in the Library of Congress to read manuscripts from the Civil War era. An interesting fact is that during the Civil War, Generals were required to frequently report their current locations, troop movements, etc and all of these documents have been compiled by the University of Ohio in their eHistory collection. To see the Official Records of the Civil War, go to http://ehistory.osu.edu.

4) People – Asking the older locals who have been around for quite some time may give you helpful tips about how life used to be in your town, locations of interesting buildings that don’t exist anymore, or maybe even where barn dances used to be held years ago. Don’t be afraid to have a chat with these people and learn from them!

Using all these sources, you will quickly discover hundreds of potential leads. I would recommend you keep a binder with all your research on various areas in case you later wish to go back and follow up on one. Oh and remember, not everybody is your friend. If you find a  lead that could be a potential goldmine, keep it on the down-low. People will talk and you may show up in your new spot to find holes where the last treasure hunter came along using your research and is now admiring his new collection of coins and relics.

That being said, good luck with your research and feel free to comment any other good resources!

According to various web sources, a ship used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean was stolen when it made a visit to Greenock, Scotland. I have searched around and the most credible seeming news article, listed on news.scotsman.com, leaves much information to be desired. This incident apparently occured September 14, 2009 and they are looking for two teenagers who were seen near it prior to the theft. Other sources I have found seem to be re-prints of this article with no major newspapers having stories about it. Additionally, no information is available as to whether it was ever recovered.

So here is the question – in this day and age, how do you steal a large sailing ship without anybody noticing? This seems to be an elaborate publicity hoax or maybe the cursed pirates have returned to get the Black Pearl back! Heh.

I’ve been collecting a list of movies related to treasure hunting and am now presenting the top 30 treasure hunting movies of all time. This list isn’t necessarily my opinion, it is sorted by the user ratings from IMDB (Internet Movie Database). If you have other favorites, drop a comment and let us know. Without further ado, the Top 30 Treasure Movies:

1) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Plot Summary: “The year is 1936. A professor who studies archeology named Indiana Jones is venturing in the jungles in South America searching for a golden statue. Unfortunately, he sets off a deadly trap doing so, miraculously, he escapes. Then, Jones hears from a museum curator named Marcus Brody about a biblical artifact called The Ark of the Covenant, which can hold the key to humanly existence. Jones has to venture to vast places such as Nepal and Egypt to find this artifact. However, he will have to fight his enemy Renee Belloq and a band of Nazis in order to reach it.” -John Wiggins

2) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Plot Summary: “Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin, both down on their luck in Tampico, Mexico in 1925, meet up with a grizzled prospector named Howard and decide to join with him in search of gold in the wilds of central Mexico. Through enormous difficulties, they eventually succeed in finding gold, but bandits, the elements, and most especially greed threaten to turn their success into disaster.” -Jim Beaver

3) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Plot Summary: “Indiana Jones, famed adventurer and archaeologist acquires a diary that holds clues and a map with no names to find the mysterious Holy Grail- which was sent from his father, Dr. Henry Jones, in Italy. Upon hearing from a private collector, Walter Donavan, that the mission for the Holy Grail went astray with the disappearance of his father, Indiana Jones and museum curator Marcus Brody venture to Italy in search of Indy’s father. However, upon retrieving Dr. Henry Jones in Nazi territory, the rescue mission turns into a race to find the Holy Grail before the Nazis do- who plan to use it for complete world domination for their super-race. With the diary as a vital key and the map with no names as a guide, Indiana Jones once again finds himself in another death defying adventure of pure excitement.” -commanderblue

4) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Plot Summary: “Pirates of the Caribbean is a sweeping action-adventure story set in an era when villainous pirates scavenged the Caribbean seas. This roller coaster tale teams a young man, Will Turner, with an unlikely ally in rogue pirate Jack Sparrow. Together, they must battle a band of the world’s most treacherous pirates, led by the cursed Captain Barbossa, in order to save Elizabeth, the love of Will’s life, as well as recover the lost treasure that Jack seeks. Against improbable odds, they race towards a climactic confrontation on the mysterious Isla de Muerta. Clashing their swords in fierce mortal combat, Will and Jack attempt to recapture The Black Pearl ship, save the British navy, and relinquish a fortune in forbidden treasure thereby lifting the curse of the Pirates of the Caribbean.” -Anonymous

5) The Goonies (1985)

Plot Summary: “The Goonies are a group of friends living in a village, the groups leader Mikey Walsh, his older brother Brand and gang members Andy, Data, Stef, Mouth, and Chunk are being evicted from their homes which are to be demolished. Setting out to find a way of saving their homes, The Goonies find a treasure map and they set off in search for the treasure of the legendary pirate One-Eyed Willy which is located beneath a abandoned restaurant. Joined by a deformed gentle giant named Sloth, The Goonies embark on a great adventure through a underground maze filled with traps and skeletons, where they are pursued by Sloth’s mother, thief Momma Fratelli and his brothers Jake and Francis who are also after One-Eyed Willy’s treasure and they willing to get the treasure first.” -Daniel Williamson

6) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

7) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

8) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

9) National Treasure (2004)

10) Romancing The Stone (1984)

11) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

12) National Treasure 2 – Book of Secrets (2007)

13) The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)

14) MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

15) The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold (2006)

16) The Nugget (2002)

17) Sahara (2005)

18) The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)

19) Trespass (1992)

20) The Deep (1977)

21) The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (2006)

22) Into the Blue (2005)

23) Without a Paddle (2004)

24) Fools Gold (2008)

25) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

26) Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life (2003)

27) City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994)

28) King Solomon’s Mines (1985)

29) Firewalker (1986)

30) Lost Treasure (2003)

That concludes the top 30. There are of course many other great treasure movies and I’d love to hear about your favorites. Here a a few more just for good measure: Treasure Blind, Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit, King of California, Mexican Gold, Whisper Island, Treasure Raiders, The Search for Nazi Gold, Treasure Planet, Revelation, Three Kings, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, Time Bandits, The Treasure Seekers, The Treasure of Jamaica Reef, Shark’s Treasure, Treasure of Tayopa, Paint Your Wagon, Garden of Evil, Captain Kidd, Desert Gold, Vibes….the list could go on forever. Enjoy :)