Posted on 09/25/2005 7:30:39 PM PDT by Candor7
The archipelago is named after Robinson Crusoe, but perhaps it should have been called Treasure Island. A long quest for booty from the Spanish colonial era appears to be culminating in Chile with the announcement by a group of adventurers that they have found an estimated 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels on the remote Pacific island.
"The biggest treasure in history has been located," said Fernando Uribe-Etxeverria, a lawyer for Wagner, the Chilean company leading the search. Mr Uribe-Etxeverria estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn (£5.6bn).
The announcement set off ownership claims. The treasure hunters claimed half the loot was theirs and said they would donate it to non-profit-making organisations. The government said that they had no share to donate. It also prompted speculation about the contents of what is considered to be one of the great lost treasures from the Spanish looting of South America. Chilean newspapers were filled with reports that the stash includes 10 papal rings and original gold statues from the Incan empire.
The hoard is supposedly buried 15 metres (50ft) deep on Robinson Crusoe island, also known as the Juan Fernández island, home to Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, the adventurer immortalised by Daniel Defoe as Robinson Crusoe. Selkirk was dumped on the island and lived alone for four years before being rescued. His exploits brought worldwide attention to the islands.
For centuries treasure hunters have scoured the island in search of booty which was reportedly buried there in 1715 by Spanish sailor Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverria. Using everything from old Spanish ship manifests to teams of islanders with shovels and picks, foreigners have made so many claims of discovering the lost treasure that islanders are usually sceptical of the proclamations.
This most recent announcement, however, deserves greater credence because of the equipment used by the treasure hunters: a mini robot that can scan 50 metres deep into the earth. The robot, dubbed "Arturito", was invented by Chileans and over the past year has grabbed headlines by breaking some of the country's biggest criminal mysteries.
First, the robot detected the buried arsenal of a rightwing sect known as Colonia Dignidad. The guns and rocket launchers were buried at some 10 metres and while the authorities had searched for years, the robot found the buried weapons almost instantly. Then, in the case of missing businessman Jose Yuraszeck, Arturito was able to analyse the soil and identify the molecular composition of human bones, allowing investigators to dig straight to the body of the murder victim.
BTTT
awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian
estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn
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That's a lot of Booty!
Ten billion dollars. That's a lot of dinero, if true.
Ditto.
Or at Fort Marcy Park.
Incan Booty Ping!
"10 papal rings"
10 popes visited there????
The Jennifer Lopez of buried treasure.
1. Find treasure
2. Remove treasure from site to a known disinterested country
3. Announce treasure. Consider lying about source.
Alternate Procedure:
1. Make legally binding deal with all cognizant governments.
2. Find treasure
3. Make sure the agreements will be upheld. Consider showing small pieces, but not hinting at total hoarde.
4. If deal broken, see other procedures.
Now where did I leave that map?
Yours: "awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian.
Ditto."
Yeah, I know the tabloid scale of the Guardian is "very high" but I resemble that remark!
Note that Aussie ABC news has also picked up the story.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1467856.htm
Perhaps there is something to it after all.
Imagine, 600 barrels of Incan Treasure! Indiana Jones, move over! I bet that Zacharia Sitchen would like to inspect those artifacts! Perhaps we will learn some of the secrets of where the Toltecs came from, or maybe there is a gold model of a spaceship in them thar barrels! We likely will never know if the Chilean Government confiscates it all.
It's no wonder it couldn't be found without advanced equipment. Fifty feet is a damn deep hole in the ground.
$10 billion? That's not as much booty as Clinton gets!
Good list! In your procedure you forgot step 2, choose one or two really cool pieces for self and store in undisclosed location.
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