Treasure hunting

Physical search for treasure

Treasure hunting is the physical search for treasure. For example, treasure hunters try to find sunken shipwrecks and retrieve artifacts with market value. This industry is generally fueled by the market for antiquities. The practice of treasure hunting can be controversial, as locations such as sunken wrecks or cultural sites may be protected by national or international law concerned with property ownership, marine salvage, sovereign or state vessels, commercial diving regulations, protection of cultural heritage and trade controls. Treasure hunting can also refer to geocaching a sport in which participants use GPS units to find hidden caches of toys or trinkets, or various other treasure hunting games.

In 1643, Massachusetts treasure hunter Sir William Phips salvaged a sunken Spanish treasure ship which had been wrecked on the Ambrosia Bank in 1599. The total worth of the treasures salvaged came in at £205,536. In 1972, Spence and Throckmorton, along with three other men, were awarded the degree of Doctor of Marine Histories by the College of Marine Arts on July 16, 1972, becoming first people in the world to be awarded a doctorate for work in marine archaeology. More recently, most serious treasure hunters have started working underwater, where modern technology allows access to wrecks containing valuables, which were previously inaccessible. Starting with the diving suit, and moving on through Scuba and later to ROVs, each new generation of technology has made more wrecks accessible. Many of these wrecks have resulted in the treasure salvage of many fascinating artifacts from Spanish treasure fleets as well as many others.

Rubberised suits, weighted belts and shoes, and helmets are used for deep sea diving. In 2013 the National Geographic Channel set off a firestorm of controversy with its reality show Diggers. Spike TV's similar program, American Diggers, also created an outcry. Professional archaeologists from the Society for Historical Archaeology, the largest scholarly group concerned with the archaeology of the modern world (A. D. 1400–present), roundly criticised the network for promoting the theft of cultural materials on public and private land.

Columbus America Discovery Group located and salvaged treasure from 1857 shipwreck of the SS Central America, using research by Dr. E. Lee Spence
Intersal, Inc., while working under permit from the state of North Carolina, discovered the pirate Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, on November 21, 1996. Lords Of Fortune LLC is engaged in the recovery of The Tsar's Treasure from the famous treasure shipwreck RMS Republic. Odyssey Marine Exploration located and salvaged treasure from 1865 shipwreck of the SS Republic, using research by Dr. E. Lee Spence
Shipwrecks, Inc. chartered in 1967 by Dr. E. Lee Spence, received 1st salvage license issued in South Carolina, for work on CSS Georgiana
Treasure Salvors, Inc., founded by Mel Fisher, located the Nuestra Señora de Atocha wreck and its mother lode of silver, gold and emeralds, in July 1985.