MetaFilter posts tagged with treasure

GOLD!

puckish — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:32:23 -0800

A 55-year-old metal detectorist has unearthed the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. Mr Herbert, who has been metal detecting for 18 years, came across the buried hoard in July 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." Experts said the collection of more than 1,500 pieces - which will be officially classified by a coroner as treasure - is unparalleled in size and may have belonged to Saxon royalty. The hoard, believed to date back to the Seventh Century, contains around 5kg of Gold and 2.5kg of silver, far bigger than previous finds - including the Sutton Hoo burial site. The National Council for Metal Detecting describes a treasure as "any object that would previously have been treasure trove....Only objects that are less than 300 years old, that are made substantially of gold or silver, that have been deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery and whose owners or heirs are unknown will come into this category." A quick overview of previous hoards, as well as a quick reference guide to Anglo Saxon coinage)

Dispatch and Tit-Bits treasure hunts

tellurian — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:59:07 -0800

Secret London has the story of a circulation promotion gimmick that runs awry.

No hammer shall ring out its joyful song today.

1f2frfbf — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:20:09 -0800

Renowned blacksmith, Phillip Simmons, of Charleston, SC has died at age 98. Mr. Simmons was a link to a past that is rapidly vanishing along the South Carolina coast. A man who came up in the apprentice system and worked in the era when blacksmiths were the handymen of their communities, repairing and creating from raw metal the objects of everyday life, through to the present day where his work is now seen as fine art and displayed in galleries and museums. More information about him and images of his work can be seen at his website including an interactive map of where his works can be found. A gallery of him and his works can be found at Charleston Magazine along with an interview with one few the founders of the foundation attempting to preserve his work. An article on his workshop can be found at the National Trust, which is attempting to preserve it.

'Songs From the Life of Leonard Cohen' 1988 BBC doc

Item — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:59:23 -0800

"Songs From the Life of Leonard Cohen. More a biographical documentary than a concert, the 70-minute program combines live performances--some complete, many abridged--mainly from Cohen's 1988 show at Carnegie Hall, in support of his then-current album, I'm Your Man, with interviews with Cohen himself, his original musical patron Judy Collins and protege Jennifer Warnes." Parts: one two three four five six seven eight nine torrent
Full songs from the soundtrack follow this (leonard) colon: First We Take Manhattan Suzanne Chelsea Hotel #(1) 2 Take This Waltz Hallelujah Who By Fire Bird on a Wire Red River Valley So Long Marianne Famous Blue Raincoat The Partisan Joan of Arc live at Burning Man it ain't, Austin City limits it is Ain’t No Cure for Love Tower of Song ...in which our hero reads Tower of Song's lyrics at his Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Dance Me to the End of Love

found: keys to davy jones' locker

infini — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:39:36 -0800

Is salvaging sunken treasure a form of piracy or the preservation of history? Does commercial for-profit exploration of historical shipwrecks taint the historical legacy of these naval graveyards? Who owns the treasures lost for so many centuries? Marine archeology is testing its legal limits with one man's work. [previous]

Are we really happy here with this lonely game we play?

Joe Beese — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:09:57 -0800

On August 7, 1979, under cover of darkness, artist Kit Williams took a jeweled, 18-karat gold pendant in the shape of hare and buried it near the monument to Catherine of Aragon in Ampthill Park near Bedford, England. Clues to its location were hidden the text and artwork of his book Masquerade. The armchair treasure hunt sparked a worldwide craze. The end was disappointing. But 30 years later, the quest is being commemorated with a new hunt in the Cotswolds. (previously) The burial of the pendant was witnessed by Bamber Gascoigne, the host of University Challenge - which will be familiar to fans of The Young Ones. [And yes, that's Emma Thompson in the clip.] Also, the book became the basis of a flop musical starring a young Sarah Brightman.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott on the YouTube and Online

y2karl — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:37:54 -0800

In more or less chonological appearance, here are examples of one of our very own still extant national musical treasures:
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Talking Merchant Marine
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - San Francisco Bay Blues
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Salt Pork West Virginia
And here, from SXSW 2006, is Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Billy Bragg - The Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd
Also from SXSW 2006, Jack Elliott & Marty Stuart - Engine 143
From last year, here is Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Old Shep
and Ramblin' Jack Elliott - South Coast
And from last week's Bill Graham's Birthday Bash, here is
Phil Lesh, Jackie Greene & Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Friend of The Devil From his official, albeit maintained in a rather desultory manner, web site, here is a Ramblin' Jack biography, with a note about his legendary semi-talking blues 912 Greens, which is the very best of the two or three songs written by Ramblin' Jack. And here is another take on the same song. I first heard him sing it at the Sky River Rock Festival in 1968--And there was this three legged gray cat named Gray that useta to lope along and *snap* fall down because Gray, he had stroke and he couldn't run on those three legs so good no how... and loved him and the song ever since. (As does at least one other member here, or so I suspect.) I only wish there were a free mp3 of it available at this moment. Oh, well, it's on his Young Brigham album. so get thee to a record store forthwith. Young Brigham was his horse at the time the album was recorded. I only just this moment reversed the name Young Brigham, by the way. D'oh! In addition, his daughter Aiyana had made a film entitled The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack There's a version of Ramblin' Jack's version of Don't Think Twice, It's Alright in this episode of A Prairie Home Companion. Supposedly the story goes--and I have heard this from Elliott himself in person--that a young and drunken Bob Dylan, upon hearing Elliott's take on the song, bequeathed the song to him for eternity. Somehow, I rather doubt that included royalties... It's a funny story in person with Elliott's Dylan impersonation. Not to mention the delicious irony involved in hearing Vanguard's Ramblin' Jack impersonating Columbia's Ramblin' Jack. It adds a whole other dimension of absurd. But, for a fact, he does own the song, singing alone.... And then there is....

To ask Ramblin’ Jack Elliott a question is to tug at a snag in a sweater, only to see the yarn unfurl of its own volition, dropping in aimless loops, curling and snaking itself into a variegated fable. Every answer is a folk tale. Conversation is an exercise in free association, switchbacks, good-humored evasion, meanders, and box canyons. Jack Elliott does his talking without aid of a compass.

On the Road Oh, man, tell it brother... I once interviewed Ramblin' Jack for Seattle's own Rocket magazine. I had done my research, knew about him singing harmony on Bob Dylan's first studio recording of Mr. Tambourine Man in 1964 and had been to 912 Toulouse Street, to boot. And I had pictures to prove it--Wow, man, I've had people tell me they'd been to 912 Toulouse before but you're the first person to show me picturesand I got Ramblin' Jack ramblin' for near onto ninety minutes. And here's tip for future interviewers: don't eventhink of cutting him off. Go with the flow--for he brooks no interruption. And never a word of it has as yet been printed, don't you know ? Not in the Rocket, that's for sure. Mr. Elliott didn't have any 'product' out at the time. GrrCharlesCrossGrr...

Hunting Rebel Gold

stupidsexyFlanders — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:35:22 -0800

A man seeking Confederate gold and his own family's hidden history uncovers a cryptic trail that may stretch back to a secret society and Jesse James.

chuckdarwin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:07:22 -0800

In 1840, the Cuerdale Hoard - the greatest Viking silver treasure trove ever found outside Russia - is found in Lancashire. 2007: a father and son find an amazing Viking hoard while metal detecting in in Harrogate. The most important find of its type in Britain for over 150 years, it reveals a remarkable diversity of cultural contacts in the medieval world, with objects coming from as far apart as Afghanistan in the East and Ireland in the West, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe.

Treasure Hunt

gnomesb — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:40:26 -0800

Treasure Hunt Puzzle I've been nutting my way through some of these puzzles with some difficulty but with a great deal of fun. Thought I would share...

In Defense Of Our Country

gfrobe — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:56:42 -0800

Randy Newman has "A Few Words To Say In Defense Of Our Country" Lyrics here

River Art

tellurian — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:15:08 -0800

Ahmad Nadalian's work can be found all over the world. He is an artist that carves symbols on rocks and then leaves them at the site where they were created (sometimes burying them).

Dishonor, Blood and Treasure - By The Numbers

y2karl — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:11:55 -0800

Two years after the Abu Ghraib scandal, new research shows that abuse of detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at Guantánamo Bay has been widespread, and that the United States has taken only limited steps to investigate and punish implicated personnel. A briefing paper issued today, 'By the Numbers,' presents findings of the Detainee Abuse and Accountability Project... the first comprehensive accounting of credible allegations of torture and abuse in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo. The project has collected hundreds of allegations of detainee abuse and torture occurring since late 2001 – allegations implicating more than 600 U.S. military and civilian personnel and involving more than 460 detainees.

U.S.: More Than 600 Implicated in Detainee Abuse

See also Projected Iraq War Costs Soar, See also The Trillion Dolllar War.

Welcome our big-bootied robot overloards

numlok — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:14:47 -0800

On the Chilean island of Robinson Crusoe, a small GPR-enabled robot named Arturito (google translated page) has apparently just found "The biggest treasure in history..." (estimated at $10 Billion).

Treasure Hunting

notmtwain — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 12:22:51 -0800

Scientific Sleuth Cracks Code to $54,000 Treasure The treasure was the 12th and last set out in Treasure's Trove , a children's book published last fall. People shared information on many forums. The solution to the Beetle puzzle is in this forum. Missed out? All is not lost. Apparently, a new 14th puzzle has been announced. Maybe we can solve it together.

"Sometimes wanting to be famous is really the downfall of people."

twsf — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 09:16:20 -0800

"Sometimes wanting to be famous is really the downfall of people." Funny how initial news reports often don't tell the full story. It seems the gents who claimed to have found buried treasure in their back yard actually found it while doing paid repair work on someone else's house. If they'd only kept their yaps shut...

Arr, for the umpteenth time.

mwhybark — Sun, 19 Sep 2004 22:18:10 -0800

A True Relation, of the Lives and Deaths of the two moft Famous Englifh Pyrats, Purfer, and Clinton who lived in the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth. From Isle of Tortuga, a freecache-linked geocities site. It has a wealth of primary sources and is refreshingly retro to boot! [mi]

This is the last year we throw trash.

drezdn — Sat, 14 Aug 2004 10:16:10 -0800

Mongo is the treasures people discover in garbage, and Ted Botha has written an excellent book about it and talked about it. If your curiousity is peaked, you might want to try it yourself.

Martin on the Money

Vidiot — Mon, 19 Jan 2004 17:56:18 -0800

Put MLK on the $20 Bill. Conservatives have clamored to put Ronald Reagan on the dime or the $10 bill. One outfit wants to name something after Reagan in each of the US's counties. Why not put one of "the greatest moral leaders of the 20th century" on one of our most commonly used pieces of currency instead? (Better to have King on the $20 than Andrew Jackson, whose unconstitutional Indian Removal policy created the "Trail of Tears.")

Oak Island Mystery

Benway — Thu, 15 Jan 2004 13:59:48 -0800

Oak Island is one of the greatest treasure hunting mysteries of the last 400 years. The Money Pit as it is called, has stirred up a bevy of questions including how this simple pit has alluded treasure hunters and scientists to this day. Some believe that it might be the location of the Holy Grail, stashed by the Templar Knights. Other's believe that it might be the resting place of Sir Francis Bacon's original plays acreditted to William Shakespear. The most common belief is that The pirate Captain Kidd hid his huge stash of gold deep within the pit which accounts for all of the unusual traps. Regardless of the wild speculation there has been evidence to suggest that there is deffinately something in the pit. But not all agree....

Davey Jones' Locker

Irontom — Thu, 29 May 2003 08:35:21 -0800

The treasures of the sea. A fascinating look at underwater archeological sites in France. The Cosquer Cave is particularly enthralling due to the art and the difficulty in getting to it. (warning - annoying frames and popup info boxes that don't work so well in Mozilla) [More inside...]

Happydaz — Tue, 15 Oct 2002 11:23:49 -0800

Beer + Bums = Free Housing. Being a bum isn't easy. You have to panhandle lots of money, go Dumpster diving for treasure and hit up the friendly neighborhood liquor store a few times a day. Luckily, Seattle is finally recognizing how tough it is to bum for booze. Fat Tire with that free apartment, anyone? (Via The Raven)

lagado — Tue, 24 Sep 2002 23:06:51 -0800

In 1900 a sponge diver called Elias Stadiatos discovered the wreck of an ancient merchant ship off the tiny island of Antikythera near Crete. The corbita, dating from the first century B.C., was heavily laden with treasure of all kinds, original bronze life-size statues, marble reproductions of older works, jewelry, wine, fine furniture and one immensely complicated scientific instrument. The Antikythera mechanism was originally housed in a wooden box about the size of a shoebox with dials on the outside and a complex clockwork assembly of gears inscribed and configured to produce solar and lunar positions in synchronization with the calendar year. By rotating a handle on its side, its owner could read on its front and back dials the progressions of the lunar and synodic months over four-year cycles. The device has been estimated to be accurate to 1 part in 40,000. (more inside...)