Free Republic

German and Dutch pots, jugs and mugs, coins including an American cent, spindles, a sheep skull and horse teeth have been found by archaeologists digging in the Scottish Borders, where doors integrated into walls have revealed a “lost” Medieval village of families, farmyards and hearths. Between Edinburgh and the Northumberland National Park, the outskirts of Selkirk have previously been associated with the Battle of Philiphaugh, a 1645 victory for the Scottish Covenanter Army against their under-strength Royalist enemies... A pipeline-laying project by Scottish Water, though, has found stone brick structures including two pivot stones, used as hinges for doors between...

The legendary literary story of Robinson Crusoe, cast away on a desert island, has captivated readers for centuries. Now archaeologists have unearthed fresh evidence about the real-life Crusoe - Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk - who was marooned in 1704 on a small tropical island in the Pacific Ocean for more than four years. During a dig on the island of Aguas Buenas , a nautical instrument was discovered, along with proof of a campsite dwelling, thought to be used by Selkirk. The research, presented in the journal Post-Medieval Archaeology, supports contemporary record of the Scotman's existence on the island, since...

SANTIAGO (AFP) - The claimed discovery of a 10 billion dollar 18th century treasure trove on Chile's Robinson Crusoe island has touched off an epidemic of gold fever among treasure hunters, residents and officials. The modern-day gold rush began Monday when Chilean security firm Wagner announced that its ground-scanning robot had located a legendary pirate hideaway containing a lost bounty of jewels and gold coins. Robinson Crusoe lies 600 kilometers (372 miles) west of Chile's central ADVERTISEMENT coast in the Pacific, and was a refuge for corsairs crossing the ocean as well as the home of Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk,...

True-life 'Robinson Crusoe' lived atop a hill on isle off Chile 09/17/2005 The Asahi Shimbun A team led by explorer Daisuke Takahashi says it has found where the true-life 18th century model for "Robinson Crusoe" spent more than four years in the Pacific Ocean waiting to be rescued. Traces of a structure that Scottish navigator Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721) likely built after he was marooned in 1704 were found atop a hill on what is now called Robinson Crusoe Island, off the coast of Chile, Takahashi said in Tokyo on Thursday. "I have finally reached him," Takahashi said. "In times when...