X marks the spot

Mankind has always been fascinated by legends, myths, tales and secrets, may it be the „monsters“ like Nessie, Sasquatch or the Yeti or may it be the supernatural like spirits and ghosts. One of the most popular fascinations is the hunt for buried treasures. Some people who are not only interested in the treasure, but also the history behind them, become archaeologists, others plunge into debt being obsessed by the thought of digging up a treasure.

Probably all of us have vivid images in mind when thinking about hidden or buried treasures. Gold and silver necklaces, chalices, sparkling jewels, crowns, coins, bars … fantasy knows no limits.

Reality was a little different, though.

Pirate's loot for example rarely was gold, but spices, silk or tobacco, whatever merchant-ships carried in these days. These things had to be sold to be of any value, it wouldn't have made any sense to bury them.

Nevertheless the stories are still out there and fire the imagination.

Oak Island is a small island on the south shore of Novia Scotia. It's known as the location of the so-called Money Pit. While critics say the pit is merely a natural phenomenon, likely a sinkhole, believers say the pit contains

• a treasure buried by the pirates William Kidd or Blackbeard or by sailors during revolution or war

• Marie Antoinette's jewels who have been smuggled out of France by one of her maids

• documents that prove Francis Bacon to be the author of William Shakespeare's plays

• the Holy Grail

The island is privately owned and there are still excavations going on.

Cocos Island is an unhabited island located near Costa Rica. The legend goes that the Treasure of Lima, a huge treasure gathered by the Catholic Church in the centuries Spain controlled Lima after defeating the Inca in the 16^th century, is hidden here. Still now the legend attracts treasure hunters every year.

There are also treasures found, though. Only they haven't been searched for following a romantic legend.

One of the largest in the last time was an Anglo-Saxon treasure from the 7^th century – found by a hobby treasure hunter in September 2009 in a Staffordshire field. It consisted of 1500 pieces! In this picture taken by David Rowan of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery a few of them are shown.

Small, but nonetheless beautiful treasures can be found in the shops of SATeam members.

The photos shown are from the shops of A J Design Jewelry, bebdesigns and Hawkwolf.

Featuring artisan handmade creations by the Etsy Starving Artists Jewelry Team. SATeam members create handcrafted jewelry and beads. More information about our team and its current Etsy shop owner members can be found at SATEAM.etsy.com.