Understanding
Treasure Signs and Symbols
Charles Garrett
Understanding
Treasure Signs and Symbols
Charles Garrett
Front cover photo: These boulders mark the location of a treasure hidden by an Indian tribe in the Western United States.This tribe hid its tribal wealth in a cave prior to a conflict with the federal government in the 1880s. They planned to recover the treasure after the war. This is one of several treasure markers examined in later years in this area. Remember, when searching for hidden treasure signs always search diligently for “out-of-place� markers. See other such marker photos in this book. Rear cover photo: Explorers often discover ancient signs and symbols such as these petroglyphs on this boulder. No one should ever deface such precious historical works of art.
Understanding
Treasure Signs and Symbols
Understanding TREASURE SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
Š Charles L. Garrett 2009 Manufactured in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address all inquiries to Editor, Ram Publishing Company. First printing: March 2009
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CONTENTS About the Author....................................................7 Introduction.............................................................9 Early Treasure Signs.............................................11 Some Personal Experiences..................................15 Interpreting Your Discovery................................25 Common Treasure Symbols.................................29 Sun Symbols.....................................................30 Distance and Measurement Symbols................31 Arrows and Directional Symbols......................34 Compass Degree Symbols.................................37 Treasure Direction Symbols..............................38 Treasure Location Symbols...............................42 Miscellaneous Symbols.....................................50 Turtle Signs and Symbols.................................51 Snake Signs and Symbols.................................53 Sample Tree Markings......................................55 Moon Symbols..................................................56 Time Markings and Symbols............................57 Danger Symbols................................................58 Crosses and Religious Symbols........................60 Spanish Treasure Terms....................................62 Special Advice........................................................66 Other RAM Books................................................71 Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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Author Charles Garrett, seen on one of his expeditions through Arizona, regards treasure signs and symbols in the field as roadmaps to old treasure.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR For more than 45 years, Charles Garrett has pioneered the development of the modern metal detector, demonstrated its capabilities in searches throughout the world and devoted himself to teaching others to use detectors. He has recovered treasures of all types while searching all over the world. Garrett has encountered various treasure signs and symbols in the field, some the ancient pictoglyphs of Native Americans and others such as age-old symbology of Spanish people. The author’s lifetime interest in treasure hunting prepared him to excel in that field. After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, Charles Garrett worked at Texas Instruments and Teledyne Geotech developing systems and equipment required by America’s fledgling space effort. While devoting himself to his hobby, he designed and built his own metal detectors. This avocation became a career when he and his wife, Eleanor, founded Garrett Electronics in 1964 to manufacture and market his inventions. Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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Garrett quality is praised today throughout the world. From the beginning, Garrett vowed “to practice what I preach” by field-testing his equipment—to insure that each detector works for customers regardless of ground conditions and environment. He has become recognized as an unofficial spokesman for the hobby of treasure hunting and the metal detecting industry through a long list of honors, personal appearances and books. This book on early treasure signs and symbols marks the latest installment in Charles Garrett’s pocket-sized treasure hunting field guides. He is devoted to disseminating such knowledge in a format that is both convenient and effective for helping individuals recover more treasure with their metal detectors.
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INTRODUCTION I am excited to release this fifth volume in the Garrett treasure-hunting field guide series because treasure signs and symbols have always been a great fascination of mine. I have encountered these marks during my many years in the field and can say with experience that understanding them can truly help you uncover great riches, just as it has helped me. Many of these early guides to treasure in the West originated from Native Americans of North America and Spaniards exploring their new land. The use of such field markings actually dates back to the beginning of mankind. Cavemen painted on cave walls with charcoal sticks. Early Europeans designed special crests or family symbols. Ancient civilizations around the globe created their own symbols for communication, identification and education. As people hid things of value, they created treasure symbols to help guide them back to their treasure trove later or to enable them Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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to describe the location to others. Pirates and outlaws used signs and symbols to mark their buried booty. The outlaw Jesse James carved a particular “J” into trees to pinpoint his caches. One such Jesse James symbol—on a section of tree that was removed and sent to me—is currently on display in Garrett’s treasure museum in Garland. There are far too many symbols and combinations of them to fully cover in this book. I will, however, present basic symbols, key signs and words that you may encounter in your quest for treasure. You should learn to properly interpret these symbols after you find them in order to be successful. Your final step in recovering an old cache is to use a high-quality metal detector that can help you pinpoint the coveted treasure. I trust that this book will become another valuable tool in your treasure-hunting arsenal. I’ll see you in the field… 10
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Garland, Texas
EARLY TREASURE SIGNS Man has always concealed his treasures and other valuable possessions. People hid riches, food, weapons or even sacred burial sites. In many cases, such possessions were stored in remote caves, on mountainsides, under rock outcroppings or near some geographic landmark that could later be recognized. In order to relocate their caches or describe their location to others, individuals marked the landscape to guide them back to their stash. In some cases, this was accomplished by stacking rocks in a particular manner. Native Americans often bent young trees and tied them off so that they would continue to point in a particular direction as they matured. Such early monuments and trail markers were meant to appear natural to the casual passer-by. But those who knew what they were looking for found trail markings as good as a modern road map. Early tribesmen, Mayans, Incas and Aztecs used pictographs and petroglyphs to help them remember where they concealed their precious Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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goods. Hernan Cortes and the early Spanish explorers were wise to learn the Indian symbols and soon adapted some of them with Spanish variations. Some of the Indian tribes were reported by the Spanish to display vast amounts of gold, silver, pearls and jewelry—some of which was doubtlessly cached away and never recovered. Such riches were hidden after the Indians learned that Spaniards were willing to kill them for their precious possessions. Numerous other cultures—including Spaniards, Mexicans, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians—also left cryptic signs and symbols as guides to their concealed items. These pictorial guides were carved into trees, etched or painted onto rocks or printed on animal skins or maps. Pirates, bandits and prospectors adopted many of the same emblems. Symbols have even been used to help people survive. In the era of the Great Depression in the United States, hobos left special symbols to mark places that provided their greatest treasure—life-sustaining food. Special marks denoted where a generous person lived or the 12
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location of a business that might offer a handout. Hobos even made symbols to warn their companions of a mean dog or other menaces. Those hiding treasure caches certainly did not want to make them easy to find, so one symbol might lead the searcher to a spot where a second symbol or map could be found. In some cases, the person hiding the goods expected not to return for years or perhaps even not at all. Yet, they wanted to leave some path that could lead others to what they had stashed. The person hiding the treasure even needed to give himself a reminder of where to dig for his hidden loot. Some of the symbols that were left behind could therefore indicate a number of things: the treasure itself, directions, distances, time, personal identification, landmarks or even warnings related to the treasure trove’s location. Florida Indians were known to carve symbols into conch shells or onto hammered-out Spanish pieces of eight. Pirates often incorporated astrological, zodiac, Masonry and even witchcraft symbols into their “treasure maps.” Trees were often carved with multiple symbols Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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and sometimes other trees or rock formations in the same area provided additional clues. The navigational marks on one old tree might very well lead to another marked tree and so on. Many symbols used in different cultures have similar shapes and meanings. In some cases, not all symbols can be understood—particularly those where a person created a personal emblem for recognition purposes. Only an individual who knew a great deal about that other person might be able to spot and interpret such a personalized symbol. This field guide simply does not have the space to cover all known treasure signs and symbols. I will, however, present some of the more common signs that today’s treasure hunter might have the good fortune of encountering. The key to finding an old treasure cache is good research and learning how to find and interpret the clues that were left behind.
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SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES Before we discuss the various symbols themselves, I’ll relate a few of my own encounters with treasure-hunting signs and symbols. Some have led to great treasures, while others have caused me to conduct research to decipher just what the map symbols were saying.
Javiere Castellanos, one of the author’s companions on a treasure expedition into Mexico, points to a circle on a mountain slope. Such circles served as clues, or markers, that helped lead Garrett’s team to silver caches.
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In the early 1970s, a group of men joined me for a treasure-hunting expedition into Mexico’s Sierra Madre. We journeyed to the primitive village of Batopilas, a centuries-old gold and silver producing area. On several Batopilas area mountains are caves perched high upon the slopes. Caves such as these were often used by travelers and outlaws alike to hide themselves or things they didn’t want others to find.
The Garrett search team followed painted white symbols in the mountains to recover these nuggets of silver ore.
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We were searching for a famed silver ore cache that was reportedly hidden in this mountain range. Clues were evident along the slopes of this region. Circular painted symbols had been applied to the rocks as location markers leading to the treasure. We followed these painted symbols and, with the aid of our metal detectors, were able to discover sacks of silver ore nuggets that had been hidden in this area decades before. Indians often marked trees to pinpoint their trails or to indicate directions to a treasure trove or some sacred location. The young trees which they bent, twisted or tied into a particular direction often grew into malformed adult trees. In areas were trees were not available or practical for carving, Indians marked their trails or caches in other ways. Roy Lagal—my treasure hunting buddy— and I have encountered several piles of stones that had been used by Indians as markers. We have found large rocks stacked in peculiar ways or moved into positions that could not have occurred naturally. Roy and I quickly learned to Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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Indians often tied off young trees to point out a trail or the path to a treasure. Even in its old age, this deformed oak still clearly points toward some old trail.
fire up our metal detectors when something just seemed out of place. During one expedition into old Indian country, Roy and I were eagerly searching an area that offered us great hope based on our research. We scoured the rugged terrain for half an hour before we found a lucky marker. “Do you see it?” Roy yelled excitedly. It took me a couple of minutes staring in the direction Roy was pointing—but then I saw it. 18
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These heavy boulders, located in a fairly remote area, were obviously propped against each other to serve as a guide. The treasure hunters who noticed this unnatural marker found an Indian cave cache site nearby.
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A large, flat piece of shale (similar to that shown in the photo on the preceeding page) suddenly became an obvious treasure marker to me. This particular rock—roughly six inches thick, three feet wide and about eight feet tall—was wedged down between two adjacent boulders. The rock was left sticking up about two feet higher than the boulders it was wedged between. It was clearly something unusual and out of its natural place. This particular area was off the beaten path for most people. We knew it was an old Indian sign that likely indicated a a hidden cache. The marker led us to a small cavern tucked away in the rocky bluffs below. The main area of the cave was void of stashed goods or treasure. We realized that other people had been in this particular cave in recent years. (They left clues of their presence which were not hard to decipher.) Momentarily disappointed, Roy and I completed a thorough sweep of this cave with our metal detectors. Our reward was finding a tomahawk and cache of weapons up on a small ledge that the Indians had stashed during the 19th century. 20
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Treasure hunter George Mroczkowski studies pre-Columbian pictoglyphs in the Laguna Mountains of Southern California.
Another odd rock formation led me to a great silver cache on a treasure expedition in the 1980s in Canada. By chance, I spotted the top of a large rock that seemed oddly unnatural protruding from the ground. I scanned around this rock and picked up two strong metallic signals, one on either side of the rock. After digging enough soil around this rock, I removed it and realized that it had been wedged down Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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Mroczkowski felt that this “bursting sun� pictoglyph was an indication of a nearby buried treasure.
into a hole to conceal what was under it. Sure enough, on either side of the base of this fivegallon-can-sized rock, my detector picked up nice silver readings. I soon recovered two caches of high-graded silver ore that a miner had hidden here many decades before. The moral to both of these examples is to be aware of your surroundings at all times and to look for things that seem out of place. Even today, people use signs and symbols to mark treasure caches. I recovered a decades-old coin 22
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The author holds pieces of high-graded silver ore from two caches he discovered in Canada by observing a treasure sign in the field.
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cache by spotting a spike that had been driven long ago into an oak tree. It had been driven under the bottom side of a limb and was not easy to see. I ran my detector below where the spike was directing me and—bingo! My advice is to keep a sharp eye out for the unnatural in your surroundings. You should also have a good understanding of the symbols outlined in this book. I’ve long treasured such knowledge. An old hunting friend of mine named Bill Mahan put out a great pamphlet in 1963 called Early Spanish Treasure Signs & Symbols. I literally wore the cover off that little booklet in my many years of consulting Bill’s guide. I hope this guide will serve you as well. Today’s treasure hunter can also find a wealth of information about Spanish and Indian treasure symbols on the Internet.
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INTERPRETING YOUR DISCOVERY The symbols in this book are important to understand in order to help find your treasure. When you discover that first symbol, then the real fun begins: the quest to solve an ages-old challenge! Some symbols simply will not be understood. Some will be the unique mark of the
This serpent symbol, outlined in white to highlight its details, was presented to the author and is on display in Garrett’s treasurehunting museum in Garland, Texas.
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maker, a primitive personal logo if you will. That person’s “crest” might just be the proof that this position is indeed the correct location. Take care to document the symbols you find. Take a photo, if possible. Photos, however, often will not show the finite details of a symbol carved into a tree. It is therefore a great idea to sketch out the symbol you see. If the symbol is carved into a rough stone surface you might even be able to carefully transfer it to a sheet of paper by tracing the outline or lightly rubbing a pencil against the paper. You can also use white poster paint or chalk to highlight or outline the symbols before you photograph them. Do not use permanent paint! Your highlights should be easily rinsed off with water or by nature’s next rain. Symbols should by treasured for the rare guideposts they are; don’t destroy them by carving or defacing them in any way. This is especially true if you encounter ancient Indian pictoglyphs on stones. Report or record your discovery but never destroy such a rare piece of history. Remember the treasure 26
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This old tree section contains a specific “J” symbol that was reportedly used by the outlaw Jesse James to mark an area where he had hidden a cache. This symbol, again highlighted in white to show the detail, is also on display in Garrett’s museum.
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hunter’s code of ethics which we should all follow as responsible searchers. Simply put, I’ve always preached that you should leave a place in better condition than you found it. Check out the area around the location of any treasure symbol. Draw a map of the area, marking any symbols you find along with precise distances and directions between them and nearby landmarks. Take note of these significant landmarks—rivers, creeks, old trees, rock formations, etc. Try to research this area to find who might have left these signs. Use your metal detector to search the area where the treasure clues seem to be steering you. If you can’t find anything, study your map and its symbols again.
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COMMON TREASURE SYMBOLS Many signs and symbols can have multiple meanings—an important fact to consider as you attempt to interpret an old drawing or map. Some early Indian pictographs—which can be found in all parts of the United States—simply cannot be interpreted. Many, however, are quite clear and point toward the location of an item or where an event once happened. Spaniards later used some of the same early Indian signs and symbols with only slight variations. While space limits the volume of such symbols that can be discussed, I will begin by covering some of the more commonly encountered treasure glyphs. Sun Symbols A circular sun may often be found with various accompanying signal clues. For example, a setting sun would indicate that you should look toward the west.
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MINE, TREASURE BELOW BELOW, VAULT DESCENDING EARLY EXAMPLE THE SETTING SUN, SUN OF SUN, WINDLASS, LOOK WEST EARLY EXAMPLE MINE, TREASURE OF SUN, WINDLASS, BELOW, VAULT MINE, TREASURE THE SUN ASCENDING BELOW, VAULT ASCENDING ASCENDING SUN SUN SUN EARLY EXAMPLE DESCENDING D OF SUN, WINDLASS, SUN MINE, TREASURE ASCENDING BELOW, VAULT EARLY EXAMPLE THE THE SUN SUN THE SUN ASCENDING OF SUN, WINDLASS, DESCENDING SUN MINE, TREASURE SUN D BELOW, VAULT TS, SUN GOD THE SUN ASCENDING THE SUN SUN SUN DESCENDING SUN SUN LARGE QUANTITY SUN, MINERALS ING SUN SIGNOF = MINERALS, SUN SIGN = CLOSE BY SUN SIGN = BRIGHT PROSPECTS, BRIGHT PROSPECTS, SUN GODGOLD SIGN DESCENDING BRIGHT PROSPECTS, THE SUN OPENING OPENING GOLD, TREASURE OPENINGSUN SUN, TIME, LIGHT, NEARBY OPENING, AIR SUN SIGN = THE SUN BRIGHT PROSPECTS, SUN GOD SUN SIGN = OPENING BRIGHT PROSPECTS, OPENING GOLD GOLD, TREASURE LARGE QUANTITY GOLD, TREASURE SUN, TIME, LIGHT, NEARBY OF MINERALS, NEARBY THE RISING SUN, THE SETTING SUN, ECLIPSE, GOLD, LARGE QUANTITY SUN SIGN = OPENING, AIR GOLD SIGN ECLIPSE, GOLD, LOOK EAST, ECLIPSE, GOLD, LOOK WEST INGOD THE SHADOW OF MINERALS, GHT PROSPECTS, SUN IN THE SHADOW COUNT NO. IN GOLD THE SHADOW OF THE SUN SIGN OPENING OF THE SUN OF RAYS = DAYS OF THE SUN GOLD, TREASURE N= SUN, TIME, LIGHT, NEARBY GOLD, TREASURE SPECTS, SUN GOD OPENING, AIR ECLIPSE, GOLD, NEARBY NG IN THE SHADOW ECLIPSE, GOLD, OF THE SUN IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN GOLD, TREASURE EARLY EXAMPLE SUN, MINERALS THE SETTING SUN, NEARBY SUN, TIME, LIGHT, OF SUN, CLOSE BYWINDLASS, LOOK WEST OPENING, AIR CLIPSE, GOLD, MINE, TREASURE THE SETTING SUN, THE SHADOW GOLD, TREASURE BELOW, LOOK WESTVAULT OF THE SUN SUN, TIME, LIGHT, NEARBY 30 www.garrett.com OPENING, AIR GOLD, ADOW SUN
T NO. S = DAYS
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BELOW, VAULT
Sun Symbols
Distance and Measurement Symbols The Spanish word “vara” was an early measurement of distance used by land surveyors. A vara measured 33 inches or about the normal stride of a Spanish soldier. Another common Spanish land measurement was the league. The land measurement of a league varied from 2.12 to 2.18 miles. Estado was a term used to indicate the minimum depth that items of importance were to be buried, set at 5 feet 7 inches. Pirates and sailors also used the term braza to indicate a depth of 5’7” for treasure. On their maps, the pirate replaced the term braza with paces or varas. A tall man’s pace could be significantly different from that of a short man; but the pirate knew to use the braza distance of 5’7” for each vara or pace distance indicated on a map.
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UTES, 100 VARAS VARAS6 ETC.
DISTANCE
DISTANCE
6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 3 KILOMETERS
Distance and Measurement Symbols
CONTINUATION OF, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 DEGREES, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 DEGREES, DISTANCE ON CORRECT 4 VARAS 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 4 MINUTES, 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.4 MINUTES, LINE, 3 VARAS INCHES OR SECONDS S, CONTINUATION OF, 4 ETC., CAVE 4 ETC., CAVE S, OR CAVES, ON CORRECT OR CAVES, 4 VARAS VE FINGER MINERALS LINE, 3 VARAS MINERALS 4 DEGREES, INCHES OR SECONDS S, MEANS ONE 4 MINUTES, 4 VARAS 4 VARAS S 4 ETC., CAVE INCHES OR SECONDS OR SECONDS OR CAVES, TRIPLE DISTANCE MINERALS
CONTIN ON C LINE
4 DEGREES, CONTINUATION OF, 4 VARAS, 4 VARAS, 2 VARAS, TRIPLE 6 FEET, 4 MINUTES, ONTO CORRECT 6TO FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 ETC. TO RIGHT 4 ETC. RIGHT6 VARAS, 2 ETC.DISTANCE LEFT 2E 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 4 ETC., CAVE LINE, 3 VARAS AS, 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 2 VARAS, OR CAVES, O RIGHT 2 ETC. TO LEFT 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, MINERALS 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 VARAS, 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 4 ETC. TO RIGHT 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
3 KILOMETERS 3 KILOMETERS 4 VARAS, 2 VARAS, 4 DEGREES, CONTINUATION OF, DISTANCE2 ETC. TO LEFT ETERS4 ETC. TO RIGHT 4 MINUTES, ON CORRECT 4 ETC., IN CAVE LINE, 3 VARAS 5 VARAS 5 VA 4 DEGREES, CONTINUATION OF, 3 KILOMETERS OR CAVES, 4 VARAS DIRECTION 4 MINUTES, ON CORRECT DIRE DS OFMINERALS POINT 5 VARAS IN 4 ETC., CAVE DEGREES, OF, OF GREES,ON4 BOTTOM CONTINUATIONCONTINUATION OF, LINE, 3 VARAS DIRECTION ON B OR CAVES, 4 MINUTES, NUTES, ON CORRECT ON CORRECT OF POINT FINGER FINGER MINERALS CAVE ., CAVE 4 ETC., LINE, 3 VARAS LINE, 3 VARAS ON BOTTOM MEANS ONE DISTANCE TRIPLE OR CAVES, DISTANCE MEASUREMENT = MEANS ONE CAVES,3 KILOMETERS MINERALS 50 VARAS ERALS E 4 VARAS, (33.3 INCHES), TRIPLE 2 VARAS, FINGER 4DISTANCE ETC. TO RIGHT SOMETIMES = 2 ETC. TO LEFT TRIPLE MEANS ONE 100 VARAS 5 VARAS DISTANCE IN 4 VARAS, 2 VARAS, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, RAS, DIRECTION 4 ETC. TO RIGHT 2 ETC. TO LEFT 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 ETC. OF POINT 4 VARAS, 4 VARAS, TRIPLE 2 VARAS, 2 VARAS, DISTANCE ON BOTTOM 4 ETC. TO RIGHT C. TO RIGHT 2 ETC. TO LEFT2 ETC. TO LEFT FINGER MEANS ONE 32 www.garrett.com
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3 KILOMETERS
3 KILOMETERS
MINUTE OR FEET
DISTANCE 2 VARAS
INCHES OR SECONDS
Distance and Measurement Symbols INCHES OR 2 VARAS SECONDS
4 TIMES DISTANCE, 5 VARAS TO LEFT, FOLLOW POINT, 5 SECONDS OR 4 VARAS 5 INCHES TO LEFT.
5 VARAS TO SONRY SIGH = 5 SECONDS RAS, FOLLOW 5 INCHES INCHES OR5 VARAS TO LEFT, MINUTE OR INCHES OR TO OF TRIANGLES MASONRY SIGH = 5 SECONDS OR SECONDS SECONDS M WITH 4 MARKSFEET 4 VARAS, MASONRY SIGH = 5 INCHES TO LEFT. FOLLOW POINT OF TRIANGLES 4 VARAS, FOLLOW H= OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS POINT OF TRIANGLES 5 VARAS TO LE OW OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS 5 SECONDS O LES 5 INCHES TO L ARKS UP 4 FEET OR ONE FINGE 4 VARAS MASONRY SIGH = ONE VAR 4 VARAS, FOLLOW FOLLOW DIRE 4 TIMES DISTANCE, 5 VARAS TO LEFT, POINT OF TRIANGLES UP 4 FEET OR FOLLOW POINT, 5 SECONDS OR VARAS OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS 4 VARAS 4 VARAS 5 INCHES TO LEFT.
4 TIMES DISTANC 2 VARAS FOLLOW POINT, 5 VARAS TO LEFT, 5 VARAS TO TIMES DISTANCE, 4 VARAS 54 SECONDS OR 5 SECOND FOLLOW POINT, 5 INCHES TO LEFT. 5 INCHES T 4 VARAS STI MASONRY SIGH = 4 VARAS, FOLLOW 4 TIMES DISTANCE, POINT OF TRIANGLESHAND WITH FOLLOW POINT, STILL FARTHER 2 VARAS 3 FINGERS = OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS 4 VARAS 3 VARAS, 3 ETC., ONE FINGER AND HAND = DIRECTION POINTER HAND WITH ONE VARA, ONE ETC., 3 FINGERS 4 TIMES = DISTANCE, FOLLOW DIRECTION OF FINGE 3 VARAS, 3 ETC., FOLLOW POINT, FEET OR ONE FIN 4 VARAS ARAS DIRECTION POINTER ONE VA ONE FINGER AND HAND = FOLLOW DI UP 4 FEET OR ONE VARA, ONE ETC., 4 VARAS UP 4 FEET OR 4 TIMES DISTANCE, 4 TIMES DISTANC FOLLOW DIRECTION OF FINGER 4 VARAS FOLLOW POINT, FOLLOW POINT 2 VARAS 4 VARAS 4 VARAS Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 33ONE FINGE ONE VAR FOLLOW DIRE UP 4 FEET OR STILL FARTHER 4 VARAS 2 VARAS
ARROWS ENEMY, DIRECTION, OR TO OTHER SIGNS
3E TO TREASUR
5 ENEMIES Arrows and Directional Symbols ARROWS FOLLOWTO TOTREASURE, TO WATER TO WATERENEMY, DIRECTION, MARK The arrow was NEXT a very common symbol that OR TO OTHER SIGNS indicates the direction or distance necessary to TO TREASURE, travel toward something. TO WATER
ES
, DIRECTION, OTHER SIGNS
3 ENEMIES 5 ENEMIES
TO TREAS TO WAT
3 ENEMIES DOWNWARD TO ARROWS ENEMY, DIRECTION, DOWNWARD 5 ENEMIES DOWNHILL TO TREASURE BELOW,TO TREASURE, OR TO OTHER SIGNS FOLLOW TO DOWNHILL LOOK BELOW TO TREASURE 3 ENE NEXT MARK DOWNWARD TO TREASURE, DOWNHILL TO TREASURE
TO TREASURE, TO WATER
O K
TO TREASURE, DOWNWARD TO WATER DOWNHILL
EMIES FOLLOW TO NEXT MARK 5 ENEMIES
FROM TREASURE, 3AWAY ENEMIES AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN
TREASURE BELOW, LOOK BELOW
BELOW, LOW
DOWNWARD TO TREASURE, DOWNHILL TO TREASURE
DIVIDED FOLLOW TO TREASURE NEXT MARK
TO TREASU TO WATER DIVIDE TREASU
DIVIDED TREASURE
TO TREASURE, TREASURE TO ONE SIDE DOWNWARD TO TREASURE, TO WATER DOWNHILL TO TREASURE DIVI W TO TREASURE BELOW, TREA MARK LOOK BELOW AWAY FROM TREASURE, DOWNWARD TO WRON SURE, WRONG DIRECTION DOWNHILL TO AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN FOLLOW TO SIGN NEXT MARK TREASURE BELOW, 34 www.garrett.com LOOK BELOW OM TREASURE, WRONG DIRECTION OM NEXT SIGN DIVIDED
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IS E, P
WRONG DIRECTION TOWARD THE SUN, TOWARDS THE MOON
Arrows and Directional Symbols TREASURE BELOW,
STRAIGHT ACRO ARROWS HERE, THIS IS A LANDMARK LOOK BELOW THE PLACE, OR RIVER, TOWARD THE SUN, TOWARDOR THE SUN, FRIENDSHIP DEFEAT, DEATH ROAD TOWARDS THE MOON ARROWSTOWARDS THE MOON TO THE RIGHT OF THE TRAIL OR LANDMARK TREASURE IN THE WOODS STRAIGHT ACROSS A LANDMARK, HERE, THIS IS OR RIVER, THE PLACE, OR ROAD CIRCLE AROUND, AWAY FROM TREASURE, FRIENDSHIP LOOK AROUND YOU AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN STRAIGHT ACROSS HERE, THIS IS A LANDMARK, TOWARD THE SUN, DEFEAT, DEATH THE PLACE, OR RIVER, THE MOON TOWARDS CIRCLE AROUND, CIRCLE AROUN FRIENDSHIP OR ROAD STRAIGHT ACROSS LOOK AROUND YOU LOOK AROUND A LANDMARK, TO THE RIGHT PROCEED, OR RIVER, OF THE TRAIL THEN TURN RIGHT OR ROAD OR LANDMARK TOWARD THE SUN, TOWARDS THE MOON
TREASURE TO ONE SIDE DEFEAT, DEATH
CIRCLE AROUND TOWARD THE SUN, LOOK AROUND Y TOWARDS THE MOON TO THE RIGHT OF THE TRAIL TOWARD THE SUN, ORPROCEED, LANDMARK THE MOON BENEATH THE WATERS BOX BELOW THEN TURN RIGHT TOWARDS BOX BELOW
BOX BELOW DEFEAT, DEATH
CIRCLE AROUND, LOOK AROUND YOU
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TO THE RIGHT OF THE TRAIL WARRIORS, CIRCLE AROUND, OR LANDMARK DEATH LOOK AROUND YOU TO THE RIGHT PROCEED, OF THE TRAIL THEN TURN RIGHT BELOW CIRCLE AROUND, Signs and Symbols BOX 35WARRIOR OR LANDMARKUnderstanding Treasure WARRIORS, S BENEATH THE WATERS LOOK AROUND YOU DEATH DEATH
“ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS” TOWARD THE CENTER “PROTECTS”, DIRECTION CHANGETOWARD THE CENTER
Arrows and Directional Symbols
HER OVER AND
GO AROUND, REVERSE, TO THE LEFT
A
DIRECTION DIRECTION CHANGE CHANGE DIRECTION, WATER NEARBY, HERE, LOOK UP, ALERTNESS TO WATER, TO CRE GO AROUND, OVER AND UNDER DIRECTION RIVER, STREAM, OC POINTS TO, REVERSE, DIRECTION HERE, CHANGE FROM, LIGHTING TOCHANGE THE LEFT OVER AND UNDER
WATER NEARBY, TO WATER, TO CREEK, “ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS” DIRECTION, RIVER, STREAM, OCEAN POINTS TO, “PROTECTS”, FROM, LIGHTING LOOK UP, ALERTNESS TOWARD THE CENTER DIRECTION, “ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS” LOOK UP, ALERTNESS DIRECTION “PROTECTS”, CHANGE TOWARD THE CENTER DIRECTION CHANGE
DIRECTION CHANGE
ARROWS
POINTS TO, FROM, LIGHTING
GO AROUND, REVERSE, TO THE LEFT GO AROUND, DIRECTION REVERSE, POINTS TO,CHANGE TO THE LEFT FROM, LIGHTING
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DIRECTION, LOOK UP, ALERTNESS DIRECTION CHANGE
WA TO W RIVER DIRECTION CHANGE HERE, OVER AND UNDER WATER NEARBY, HERE, TO DIRECTION WATER, TO CREEK, OVER AND UNDER CHANGE RIVER, STREAM, OCEAN “ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS” “PROTECTS”, TOWARD THE CENTER
Compass Degree Symbols Some old maps will contain symbols of to SEXTILE help steer you120 toward your 90˚ 45˚compass degrees = 60˚ ˚ = 60 90˚ 45˚ SEXTILE ˚ 120˚ treasure. 90˚SEXTILE = 60 45˚ 90 SEXTILE120 = 60˚ 45˚ 90˚ 45˚ 90 ˚˚ ˚˚= 60˚ 120˚120˚ ˚˚SEXTILE 45˚ 120 SEXTILE = 60 90˚ 45˚ 120˚ SEXTILE = 60˚ ˚ ˚˚˚
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 90 45 SEXTILE 45 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 45 90 = 60 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 90 45 = 20 120 45 SEXTILE = 60 EMI-SEXTILE
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120 SEXTILE = 60 SEX 90
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180 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20SEMI-SEXTILE SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 = 20 150 180 180 150 ONE AND A HALF 180 180 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 150 A HALF 120 180 EXTILE = 60 180 QUADRATES = 135 ONE AND 150 150 180 150 180 AND A HALF = 135 QUADRATES ONE AND AONE HALF 180 ONE AND A HALF ONE ANDQUADRATES A HALF =150 135 180 QUADRATES = 135 = 135 ONEQUADRATES AND A HALF =QUADRATES 135 QUADRATES = 135
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∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ˚
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150 150 150 180 180 180 PERPENDICULAR INITY ONE AND A HALF ONE AND A HALF ONE AND A HALF INFINITY 150 PERPENDICULAR SQUARE, 90 QUADRATES = 135QUADRATES = QUADRATES 135 180 = 135 PERPENDICULAR INFINITY SQUARE AND A HALF PERPENDICULAR IN LONGTITUDE INITY ONE ONE AND A HALF PERPENDICULAR APART INFINITY PERPENDICULAR FINITY APART 90 IN LON SQUARE, 90SQUARE, OR RIGHT ASCENSION QUADRATES = 135 SQUARE, 90 QUADRATES = 135 90INOR PERPENDICULAR Y APART LONGTITUD RIGHT AS APARTSQUARE, IN LONGTITUDE APART IN LONGTIT SQUARE, 90 APART IN LONGTITUDE OR RIGHT ASCENSIO OR RIGHT ASCENSION OR RIGHT ASCEN APART INRIGHT LONGTITUDE OR ASCENSION 180 OR RIGHT ASCENSION
FINITY
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PERPENDICULAR INFINITY PERPENDICULAR INFINITYPERPENDICULAR SQUARE, 90 0 PERPENDICULAR APART IN LONGTITUDE APA PERPENDIC INFINITY 0 CONJUNCTION SQUARE, 90 OR RIGHT ASCENSION OR 0 CONJUNCTION 0 SAME LONGITUDE, APART IN LONGTITUDE 0 0 CONJUNCTION SAME LONGITUDE, CONJUNCTION RIGHT ASCENSION OR RIGHT ASCENSION CONJUNCTION 0 CONJUNCTION SAME LONGITUDE, RIGHT ASCENSION SAME LONGITUDE, SAME LONGITUDE, CONJUNCTION SAME ASCENSION LONGITUDE, RIGHT ASCENSION Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 37 RIGHT RIGHT ASCENSION SAMERIGHT LONGITUDE, ASCENSION RIGHT ASCENSION 0 0 0 SQUARE, 90 CONJUNCTION CONJUNCTIONCONJUNCTION APART IN LONGTITUDE
INFINITY 180
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MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, TUNNEL,TUNNEL, LOOK UP, LOOK UP, OVER DEPOSIT OVER DEPOSIT
ARM, SWORD ARM, SWORD
Treasure Direction Symbols You may also encounterTREASURE a wideBELOW variety of Treasure Dire symbols which offer information to MARKS SPOT, on ON howTreasure D URE IN LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST Directions Treasure proceed to the next sign or to the cache. OR CAVE, ARM, SWORD
OOK UP, EPOSIT
GOING IN RIGHTIN RIGHT GOING DIRECTION DIRECTION
TREASURE BELOW TREASURE BELOW ASURE BELOW
Treasure Directions
CAVE ORCAVE SHAFT, OR SHA FILLED, STEPS FILLED, STE TREASURE ABOVE TREASURE BENEATH, TREASURE BENEATH, CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOW CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOW TREASURE BENEATH, CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOW
TREASURE BENEATH, CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOWMEASURE OFF MEASURE NG IN RIGHT CURVE CURVE KNIFE TO POINTS TO IRECTION KNIFE POINTS CAVE OR SHAFT, TREASURE OR TO NEXT SIGN TREASURE OR TO NEXT SIGN FILLED, STEPS
URE BELOW
TREASURE ABOVE TREASURE ABOVE ASURE ABOVE
URE ABOVE
IFE POINTS TO TO NEXT SIGN REPOINTING OR TO NEXT SIGNTO POINTING NEXT SIGN
TREASURE IN TREASURE IN MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, EASURE IN TUNNEL, LOOK UP, TUNNEL, LOOK UP, TAIN OR CAVE, OVER DEPOSIT O NEXT SIGN EL, LOOK SURE IN UP,OVER DEPOSIT ER DEPOSIT N OR CAVE,
LOOK UP,38 DEPOSIT
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PIPE = PIPE TO = STEM POINTS STEM OR POINTS PIPE TREASURE = NEXTTO TREASURE OR NEX STEM POINTS TO TREASURE IN SIGN, FOLLOW STEM, SIGN, FOLLOW TREASURE MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, TO ONE SIDE STE PIPE = OR NEXT MEASURE OFF TO ONE SIDE SIGN, FOLLOW STEM, TUNNEL, UP,TO STEMLOOK POINTS CURVE TO ONE SIDE OVER DEPOSIT TREASURE ORSHOE NEXT POINTING, SHOE POINTING SIGN, FOLLOW STEM, IN ROUTE IN ROUTE TO ONE SIDE
MARKS SPOT, ON MARKS LONGEST SPOT, ON LINE, FOLLOW LINE, FOLLOW MARKS SPOT, ON ARM, SWORDLONGEST ARM, SWORD LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST GOING IN RIGHT SHOE POINTING, ARM, SWORD MARKS SPOT, ON DIRECTION IN ROUTE LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST ARM, SWORD
OF LONGEST ARM
CHURCH TREASURE, FOLLOW LARGE KNOB, CHURCH OBJECTS HERE CHURCH TREASURE, FOLLOW LARGE KNOB, CHURCH OBJECTS HERE
Treasure Direction Symbols
PATHS CROSS, PATHS CROSS, THIS PLACE, HEREANCHOR, THIS PLACE, HERE FOLLOW, PATHS CROSS, ARROW MARK SPOT, THIS PLACE, HERE FOLLOW POINT MARK SPOT, REASURE, AROUND HILL, STONE, OF LONGEST ARM RGE KNOB, ETC., THEN TOFOLLOW RIGHT POINT CHURCH TREASURE, OF LONGEST ARM JECTS HERE FOLLOW LARGE KNOB, AROUND HILL, STONE, OF CHURCH OBJECTS HERE TRIANGLE TRIANGLE OF ETC., THEN TO RIGHT TREES OR ROCKS, TREES OR ROCKS, TREASURE TO ONE SIDE TREASURE TO ONE SIDE TRIANGLE OF ENCLOSE ROCKS TREES OR ROCKS, TREASURE TREASURE TOINONE SIDE TRIANGLE
MARK SPOT, HILL, STONE, FOLLOW POINT LONGEST ARMSTONE, N TO RIGHT OFAROUND HILL, ETC., THEN TO RIGHT
AROUND BEND, PATHS CROSS, AWAY FROM TRIANGLE THIS PLACE, HERE PATHS CROSS, AROUND BEND, THIS PLACE, HERE AWAY FROM TRIANGLE
FOLLOW DIRECTION VARIATION, VARIATION, FOLLOW POINT FOLLOW POINT TO TREASURE TRIANGLE OF TO TREASURE TREES OR ROCKS, VARIATION, TRI TREASURE TO ONE SIDE FOLLOW POINT TREES TO TREASURE TREASUR END, ANCHOR, PATHS CROSS, RIANGLE AROUND BEND, FOLLOW, THIS HERE AWAYPLACE, FROM TRIANGLE ARROW ANCHOR, FOLLOW, ARROW
R, W,
GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE TRIANGLE OF TREES OR ROCKS, Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 39 VARIATION, TREASURE TO ONE SIDE ROCKS ENCLOSE GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE FOLLOW POINT VARIATION, TO TREASURE TREASURE FOLLOW POINT IN TRIANGLE TO TREASURE ROCKS ENCLOSE ANCHOR,
KNIFE POINTS TO EASURE OR TO NEXT SIGN CAVE OR SHAFT, FILLED, STEPS
MEASURE OFF CURVE
Treasure Direction Symbols
TREASURE IN MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, TUNNEL, LOOK UP, OVER DEPOSIT
MEASURE OFF CURVE NG TO NEXT SIGN
GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION
MARKS SPOT, ON LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST ARM, SWORD
SHOE POINTING, IN ROUTE
CAVE OR SHAF FILLED, STEPS
SHOE POINTING, TRAIL FORKS IN ROUTE TAKE LEFT HAND GUN SIGHT AIMS TOWARD NEXT MARK DEER TRACKS OR OTHER ANIMAL KNIFE=POINTS TRACKS PLENTYTO GAME, TREASURE OR TO NEXT SIGN FOLLOW TRACKS
TURKEY TRACKS, POINTING TO NEXT SIGN TRAIL FORKS CROW TRACKS, TAKE RIGHT HAND DIRECTION FOLLOW
ORSE POINTING 40 www.garrett.com WN = TREASURE NEXT SIGN BELOW HORSE SHOE POINTING IN
TRAIL FORKS TAKE RIGHT HAND MEASURE OF GUN SIGHT AIMS CURVE TOWARD NEXT MARK
SHOE POINTING, IN ROUTE TRAIL FORKS TAKE LEFT HAND PAN, HANDLE POINTS IN TREASURE DIRECTION HORSE POINTING DOWN = TREASURE
R ANIMAL GAME, KS
URE, NOB, HERE
TONE, RIGHT
DIRECTION TO CONTINUE
GUN SIGHT AIMS Treasure Direction Symbols TOWARD NEXT MARK
CHURCH TREASURE, SIGHT TRAIL AIMS FO DEER TRACKS OR OTHER ANIMAL FOLLOW LARGEGUN KNOB, TOWARD NEXT MARK TRACKS = PLENTY GAME, TAKE RIGHT HERE GUN SIGHT AIMS DEER TRACKS OR OTHER ANIMAL CHURCH OBJECTS FOLLOW TRACKS TOWARD NEXT MARK TRACKS = PLENTY GAME, MARK SPOT, FOLLOW TRACKSFOLLOW POINT OF LONGEST ARM TURKEY TRACKS, CROW TRACKS, PAN, HANDLE FOLLOW DIRECTION POINTS IN HORSE SHOE TREASURE WITH DOT = DIRECTION CHECK FOR SOMETHING BELOW AROUND HILL, STONE, ETC., THEN TO RIGHT
PATHS CROSS, THIS PLACE, HERE HORSE POINTING DOWN = TREASURE RUNNING WATER OR NEXT SIGN BELOW EARTHLY WATERS HORSE SHOE POINTING IN HORSE SHOE DIRECTION TO POINTING IN CONTINUETO DIRECTION CONTINUE
RIVER WITHPAN, HA A FORK IN IT POINT TREAS HORSE POINTING DIREC DOWN = TREASURE HORSE POINTING AROUND BEND, OR NEXT= SIGN BELOW DOWN TREASURE AWAY FROM TRIANGLE TRIANGLE OR NEXTOF SIGN BELOW TREES OR ROCKS, TREASURE TO ONE SIDE
LE
RUNNING EARTHLY RIVER WITH ISLANDS OR STONES VARIATION ANCHOR, HORSE SHOE IN TRAIL = POINT FOLLOW, WITH FOLLOW DOT = HORSE SHOE VARIATION IN TRAIL = ARROW CHECK FOR WITH DOT = VARIATION, FOLLOWINPOINT SOMETHING BELOWFOLLOW POINT VARIATION TRAIL = CHECK FOR POINT SOMETHING BELOW TO TREASURE Understanding Treasure Signs andFOLLOW Symbols 41
CENTRAL POINT LEG CENTER
PRIMARY FORCES, ROCK, LOOK BELOW GO POINT OPPOSITE CENTRAL
SAME, LOOK ABOVE AND BELOW, 2 LOCATIONS
FLAME TREES - IN THE WOODS TREASURE BETWEEN 3 TREES D
Treasure Location Symbols
CIRCLE OF ROCKS ON INDIAN MOUND ON LINE OR HILL = TREASURE CENTRAL POINTHERE OF TREASURE CIRCLE OF ROCKS AROUND CENTRAL TREASURE CLOSE TREE TREASURE = TREASURE HERE FOLLOW HERE POINTS, TO MEANING OR OF ROCKS AROUND BY, LOOK FOR CIRCLE KEY OR THEPOINTING FOUR GREAT TO TREASURE TREE = TREASURE HERE BELL TREASURE BELOW TREES - FORCES, IN THE WOODS, LAST SIGN CIRCLE TO TREASURE OF ROCKS AROUND TRE PRIMARY IN HOLE, BETWEEN 3 TREES (ANY OFGO 3 DIRECTIONS) TREE = TREASURE HEREFAVOR OPPOSITE CAVE OR TUNNEL SY
NEW MOON POINTING DOW DIG HERE, SILVER, CAVE NEARBY, OVER C GOLD TREES - IN THE WOOD TREASURE IN BETWEEN 3 TREES CAVE ORGOLD CAVES TREASURE DIRECTIONS
GOLD
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SAME, LOOK OR KEY TO MEANING TREASURE CLOSE TREASURE ABOVE BELOW, TOAND TREASURE BY, LOOK FOR BELOW 2 LOCATIONS BELL = NEAR LAST SIGN TREASURE, CIRCLE OF ROCKS AROUND TREE = TREASURE HERE FAVORITE PIRATE TREASURE BELOW SYMBOL ON LINE, BELOW TREASURE LAND MARK, OR TREASURE BELOW TO BREAK, OR TO DIVIDE, OR 10 FOLLOW POINTS, KEY TO MEANING OR TREASURE THE FOUR GREAT TO TREASURE TREASURE IN TUNNEL BELOW PRIMARY FORCES, OR ENTRANCES GO OPPOSITE CIRCLE OF ROCKS
= NEAR PRECIOUS BELL STONES TREASURE, NEARBY, OR 4, OR FAVORITE VARIANT OF CROSSPIRATE SYMBOL
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ON INDIAN MOUND GOLD OR HILL = TREASURE HERE
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CLEAR DEPOSIT IN PRECIOUS TRIANGLESTONES OF TREES NEARBY, OR 4, OR OR STONES ROCKS PRECIOUS VARIANT OF CROSS NEARBY, OR 4, OR VARIANT OF CROSS
TREASURE BELOW TREASURE CLOSE HOLDS IN BY, LOOK FOR NEW MOON OR CONTAININGS TURTLE OR ANIMAL SYMBOLS OF GOLD
FENCE
BELL = NEAR
L
TREASURE IN TRIANGLE
Treasure Location Symbols
GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE LEG POINTS VERGING EPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW ONE LEG POINTS OLOOK CAVE,BELOW TO DEPOSIT,FLAME IF ON FOLLOW ROCK, LOOK BELOW TER LEG
OINTS IF ON BELOW
CANDLE = FOLLOW FLAME FOLLOW DIRECTION
CANDLE = FOLLOW LOOK BELOW OR FLAME FOLLOW LEGS
RGING ONE LEG POINTS AVE, TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW LLOW ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME CENTRAL POINT R LEG ON LINE CENTRAL POINT CENTRAL POINT F TREASURE CENTRAL POINT
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ONVERGING ONE LEG POINTS ONE LEG POINTS NTO CAVE, CENTRAL POINT TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CENTRAL POINT CANDLE = FOLLOW WC., FOLLOW ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME ENTER LEG ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME N LINE CENTRAL POINT REASURE CENTRAL POINT
TREES - IN THE WOODS, CONVERGING BETWEEN 3 TREES TREES - IN THE WOODS, ONE LEG POINTS INTO CAVE, ON LINE BETWEEN 3 TREES TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLO E SAME, LOOK ETC., FOLLOW CENTRAL POINT OF TREASURE ROCK,POINT LOOK BELOW CONVERGING FLAME CENTRAL SURE OVE AND BELOW, CENTER LEG CENTRAL POINT O INTO CAVE, CENTRAL POINT 2 LOCATIONS TO TREES - IN THE WOODS, ETC., FOLLOW RO BETWEEN 3 TREES CENTER LEG
ME, LOOK KEY TO MEANING OR AND BELOW, FOLLOW POINTS,ON LINE TO TREASURE OCATIONS OF TREASURE THE FOUR GREAT
TREES - IN THE WOODS, BETWEEN 3 TREES KEY TO MEANING OR CENTRAL POINT TO TREASURE
CENTRA RIMARY FORCES, ON LINE GO OPPOSITE Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 43 OF TREASURE - IN THE WOODS, KEY TO MEANING OR TREES - IN TREES THE WOODS, TO TREASURE BETWEEN 3BETWEEN TREES 3 TREES SAME, LOOK OOK BOVE AND BELOW, BELOW,
BELOW TREASURE BELOW
(ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS) TREASURE IN CAVE OR CAVES
Treasure Location Symbols OR
OR
TREASURE IN TREASURE BELOW OR CAVE OR TREASURE IN CAVES TUNNEL TREASURE TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR ENTRANCES TREASURE HERE BELOW TREASURE OR ENTRANCES POINTING TURTLE OR TREASURE OR IN TUNNEL ANIMAL BELOW TO TREASURESYMBOL = TREASURE OR ENTRANCES TREASURE (ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS) BELOW N TUNNEL BELOW ANCES OR
TREASUR CAVE
TREASURE BELOW
TR CAV
TREASURE TREAS TREASURE BELOW CAVE O BELOW HOLDS IN TREASURE OR CONTAININGS BELOW TREASURE BELOW OR IN HOLE, CAVE OR TUNNEL TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR ENTRANCES
TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR FENC OR ENTRANCES TREASURE FENCE FLAT STONE OR STONES TREASURE D FENCE COVERINGBELOW LOCATION HOLDS IN FENCE TREASURE IN TUNNEL ORENTRANCES CONTAININGS TURTLE OR ANIMAL HOLDS INOR TREASURE IN NTLE OR ANIMAL OR CONTAININGS SYMBOL = TREASURE CAVE OR CAVES NINGS HOLDS IN FENCE BOL = TREASURE TREASURE BELOW OR CONTAININGS LEBELOW OR ANIMAL BELOW OL = TREASUREHOLDS IN BELOW OR CONTAININGS
UNNEL CES
OR TURTLE OR ANIMAL SYMBOL = TREASURE TREASURE FLAT STONEHERE OR STONES WELL OR FENCE HOLDS IN BELOW CHECK SOMETHIN STONE ORCOVERING STONES OR POINTING LOCATION SHAFT OR CONTAININGS FILLED, TURTLE OR ANIMAL TREASURE BELOW CHECK SOMETHING BELOW ERING LOCATION TO TREASUREOR POSSIBLE CONTAINGS SYMBOL = TREASURE CHECK HOLDSSOMETHING IN IN HOLE, BELOW TONE OR STONES (ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS) TREASURE BELOW BELOW OR CONTAININGS CHECK SOMETHING HOLDS IN CAVE OR TUNNEL RING LOCATION TREASURE BELOW OR CONTAININGS TURTLE OR ANIMAL TREASURE IN TUNNEL BELOW ES SYMBOL = TREASURE OR ENTRANCES CHECK SOMETHING N BELOW BELOW FLAT STONE OR STONES COVERING LOCATION
TRIANGLE OF TR FLAT STONE OR STONES TRIANGLE OF TREES, ROCK, LANDMA TRIANGLE OF TREES,COVERING LOCATIONROCK, LANDMARKS, WELL OR TREASURE IN CE WELL OR SHAFT ROCK, FILLED, LANDMARKS, TREASURE TRIANGLE IN OF TREES, CHECK SOMETHING TREASURE IN CENTER SHAFT FILLED, TREASURE IN CENTER FLAT STONE OR STONES CAVE OR LANDMARKS, CAVES ROCK, POSSIBLE CONTAINGS BELOW WELLCONTAINGS OR TREASURE SIBLE COVERING LOCATION TREASURE IN CENTER TREASURE TRIANGLE OF TREES, HAFT FILLED, TREASUREBELOW FENCE BLE CONTAINGS 44 www.garrett.com ROCK, LANDMARKS, TREASURE IN CENTER TREASURE HOLDS IN WELL OR S OR CONTAININGS TURTLE OR ANIMAL 22&23 SHAFT FILLED, SYMBOL = TREASURE
TREASURE BELOW CIRCLE OF ROCKS STEPS TO TREASURE OR PRECIOUS STONES ON INDIAN MOUND TREASURE BELOW NEARBY, OR 4, OR IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC. OR HILL = TREASURE ON LINE, LINE, VARIANT OF ON CROSS HERE CIRCLE OF ROCKS LAND MARK, OR PRECIOUS STONES LANDAROUND MARK, OR CLEAR DEPOSIT HERE IN TREE = TREASURE BREAK, NEARBY, ORTO 4, OR TO BREAK, TRIANGLE OF TREES TOCROSS DIVIDE, OR 10 VARIANT OF TO DIVIDE, OR 10 OR ROCKS SHAFT TO TREASURE IN 3 TREES CIRCLE TUNNEL ATOF ROCKS ON INDIAN MOUND FOOT OF HILL OR HILL = TREASURE PRECIOUS STONES SYMB SYMBOLS HERE MINERA NEW MOON PRECIOUS STONES NEARBY, OR 4, OR OF GOLD CLEAR DEPOSIT IN LOOK IN TUNNEL CLEAR DEPOSIT VARIANT OF CROSS IN MI POINTING DOWN, NEARBY, OR 4, OR SYMBOLS TRIANGLE OF TREES OF GOLD SYMBOLS OF GOLD OF TRE TRIANGLE FO DIG HERE, SYMBOLS VARIANT OF CROSS OR MINE SHAFT OR ROCKS OR ROCKS P GOLD CAVE OF GOLDSILVER, NEARBY, OVER CAVE TRAINGLE OF LANDMAR BUT STAY TO THE RIGH RISING SUN = STEPS TO TREASURENEW OR MOON TREASURE BELOW IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC. DOWN, SYMBOLS OF GOLD S, POINTING SYMBOLS S, RISING SYMBOLS SUN = LD SYMBOLS OF GOLD DIG OFHERE, GOLDOF GOLD BOX ORSYMBOLS OF GOLD SYMBOLS CHEST, ER TREASURE BELOW SILVER, CAVE TREASURE BELOW OF GOLD BURIED HERE, NEARBY, CAVE MINEOVER OR TUNNEL COP OR SQUARE FOOT ON LINE, CLOSED, ROCK ROOM, T AND MARK, OR LIVING QUARTERS TRE TO BREAK,
O DIVIDE, OR 10
Treasure Location Symbols
22&23
RISING SUN = TREASURE BELOW MINERALS OR TREASURE RISING SUN = BOX ORINCHEST, BOX ORSIDE, CHEST, LOOK TUNNEL IN TO MOUNTAIN TREASURE BELOW SHAFT BURIED HERE, BURIED HERE, OR MINE SHAFT LONG TUNNELFOLLOW ATOR SQUARE ON LINE, OR SQUARE FOOT POINT, DELTA FOOT PRECIOUS STONES FOOT OF HILL LAND MARK, OR NEARBY, OR 4, OR CLEAR DEPOSIT IN TO BREAK, VARIANT OF CROSS TO DIVIDE, OR 10 RIANGLE OF TREES OR ROCKS LADDER = CLIMB SHAFT TO TREA 22&23 TO TREASURE TUNNEL AT FOOT OF HILL
MINE ORDEPOSIT TUNNEL IN CLEAR CLOSED, ROCK TRIANGLE OFROOM, TREES MBOLS OF GOLD LIVING QUARTERS OR ROCKS
COPPER, MINES WITH STEPS TO TREASURE OR VEIWS SYMBOLS TUNNELS, SYMBOLS IN CAVE, 3 CHESTOF ORMINERALS 3 ETC. OF GOLD
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols DAGGER = TREASURE STEPS TO TREASURE OR BELOW IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC.
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TRAING BUT S
MINE OR TUNNEL CLOSED, ROCK ROOM, LIVING QUARTERS TREASURE WINDLASS = MINE HORSESHOES = BELOW BELOW OR TREASURE BELOW TREASURE D OR ORE NEARBY LADDER = CLIMB TO TREASURE
Treasure Location Symbols
COPPER, MINES WITH TUNNELS, VEIWS WINDLASS = MINE OF MINERALS TREASURE OR ABOVE TREASURE BELOW
GOLD OR ORE
TREASU
SPIKE = GOLD OR ORE NEAR TREASURE BELOW
TUNNELS TREASURE INSIDE ANCHOR = TREASURE BRACKETS = LADDER = CLIMB BELOW, FAVORITE TREASURE NEARBY OPENING, MINE OR TREASURE = POT = PIRATE SYMBOL, STOPPOT HERE CAVE TO CONCEALED DAGGER = HERE TREASURE HERE TREASURE GOLD OR ORE NEARBY TREASURE SPIKE = STRAIGHT BELOW TREASURE AHEAD TO LEFT BELOW L TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR SPRING, LOOK IN HOLE
TREASURE BELOW
DAGGER = TREASURE TREASURE BELOW ABOVE
TUNNELS - TREASU TREASURE INTREASURE TUNNEL INSIDE OR SPRING, TREASURE LOOK IN HOLE ABOVE
STRAIGHT WINDLASS = MINE AHEAD TO LEFT TREASURE IN OR TUNNEL HORSESHOES = TREASURE BELOW OR SPRING, TREASURE BELOW LOOK IN HOLE GOLD OR ORE NEARBY ANCHOR == TREASURE BRACKETS = ANCHOR = TREASURE HORSESHOES BELOW, FAVORITE TREASURE NEARBYBELOW, FAVORITE TREASURE BELOW PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HEREPIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HERE
HORSESHOES = TREASURE BELOW
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POT = TREASURE HERE
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TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR SPRING,
TUNNELS TREASURE OPENING, MINE OR INSIDE WINDLASS = MINE CAVE CONCEALED OR TREASURE BELOW
OPENING, MINE ORSTRAIGHT AHEAD TO CONCEALED LEFT CAVE
TO LEFT
STRAIGHT OPENING, MINE OR AHEAD CAVE CONCEALED CHANGE DIRECTIONS
POT = RIGHT LOWER RIGHT LOWER GO DOWN HER HALF TREASURE TREA HALF
Treasure Location Symbols
GO DOWN
TUNNELS TREASURE INSIDE
CHANGE CHANGE PERPENDICUL DIRECTIONS TREASURE TREASURE DIRECTIONS DIRECTIONS RIGHT LOWER STRAIGHTTREASURE T WINDLASS = MINE BELOW ABOVE GO UP HALF AHEAD TO LEFT TREASURE DIRECTIONS OR TREASURE TREASURE IN TUNNELBELOW OR SPRING, LOOK IN HOLE PERPENDICULAR
FO JE LEFT UPPE GOGO UPUP ANCHOR = TREASURE HALF O LEFT UPPER BELOW, FAVORITE HE HALF PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HER
RIGHT LOWER CHANGE BRACKETS = RIGHT LOWER HALF DIRECTIONS TREASURE NEARBY RIGHT LOWER FOLLOW 90º HALF HALF OR FOLLOW FOLLOW POINT, POINT POT = SYMBOL WINDLASS = MINE HORSESHOES = JESUIT TREASURE FOR HERE GOLD OR TREASURE BELOW TREASURE BELOW OR TREASURE HERE OR NEARBY CHANGE DIRECTIONS
CHANGE DIRECTIONS NORTH OR FOLLOW OPPOSITE COURSE TO SOUTH TREASURE ON COURSE, FOLLOW OPENING, MINE OR ABOVEDIRECTION IN EITHER CAVE CONCEALED
GOON DOWN COU FOLLOW 90º IN EITHE FOLLOW CHANGE GO UP GO90º DOWN OR FOLLOW POINT DIRECTIONSOR FOLLOW POINT
POT = TREASURE HERE
PERPENDICULA GO UP
NORTH PERPENDICULAR NORTH OROR GO UP FOLLOW 90º FOLLOW OPPOSITE FOLLOW TO EAST GO UP FOLLOW OPPOSITE OR FOLLOW POINT COURSE TO SOUTH (CAN BE A “W”, “S” OR “N”) POINTING LIM COURSE TO SOUTH FOLLOW LIM ANCHOR = TREASURE OFTEN USED Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 47 BELOW, FAVORITE SPANIARDS, PIR FO PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HERE TREASURE TREASURE JE POINTING LIMB = BELOW ABOVE FOLLOW POIN JESUIT SYMB FOLLOW LIMB, OR
ON COURSE, FOLLOW PERPENDICULAR TREES, ROCKS, ETC. INTREASURE EITHER DIRECTION ON OPEN SIDETRIANGLE OF TREASURE TREES, ROCKS,DIRECTIONS ETC. TREASURE ON OPEN SIDE NORTH OR FOLLOW OPPOSITE COURSE TO SOUTH
WATCHING URE HERE OR GLE OF TREES, CKS, ETC.
TREA
Treasure Location Symbols
GOLD NEABY FOLLOW POINT, JESUIT SYMBOL EYE WATCHING FOR GOLD TREASURE HERE OR OR TREASUREIN TRIANGLE OF TREES, TRIANGLE O ETC.WATCHING HERE OR NEARBY ROCKS,EYE EYE WATCHING TREES, ROCKS OPENING, CAVE TREASURE HERE OR TREASURE HERE OR TREASURE ON OP FOLLOW TO EAST CONCEALMENT POINTING LIMB = OPENING, CAVE IN (CAN TRIANGLE OF TREES, IN TRIANGLE OF TREES, BE A “W”, “S” OR “N”) FOLLOW LIMB, ROCKS, ETC. CONCEALMENT ROCKS, ETC. OFTEN USED BY SPANIARDS, PIRATES TREASURE ABOVE ON COURSE, FOLLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION OP GOLD NEABY CO TREASURE IN OPENING FOLLOW OPENING, CAVE TREASURE IN TREASURE DIRECTIONS LONGEST POINT GOLD NEABY GOLD NEABY CONCEALMENT HOLE IN TREE = FOR 4 VARAS, ETC OPENING SIGHT THRU HOLE TO LOCATION TREASURE HERE
20 & 21
TREASURE POINTING LIMB = ABOVE TRIANGLE OF FOLLOW LIMB, CHEST OR BOX, TREASURE EYE WATCHING TREES, ROCKS, ETC. IN OFTEN USED BY 180º TO TREASURE TREASURE EASURE HERE OR TREASURE TREASURE ONOPENING OPEN SIDE CHEST OR BOX, SPANIARDS, PIRATES ABOVE RIANGLE OF TREES, ABOVE 180º TO TREASURE E ROCKS, ETC.
ABY
RE
FOLLOW LONGEST POINT FOR 4 VARAS, ETC
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TREASURE SPADE = DIG HERE HERE POINTS TO SOMETHING CHEST OR BOX, OPENING, CAVE REMOVED 180º TO TREASURE TREASURE TREASURE CONCEALMENT SOMETHING FROM HERE www.garrett.com HERE HERE REMOVED FROM HERE
20 & 21
TRE O
18
TREES, ROCKS, ETC. TREASURE ON OPEN SIDE
NING SPADE = DIG HERE POINTS TO
LEFT UPPER HALF
Treasure Location Symbols
REMOVED EYE WATCH FROM HERE TREASURE HER IN TRIANGLE OF ROCKS, ET
EST OR BOX, SPADE = DIG HERE TREASURE IN MOUND TO TREASURE OPENING, CAVEGO DOWN POINTS TO GOLD NEABY CONCEALMENT TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR CAVE, TWO ENTRANCES
INT, BOL D RE ARBY
PERPENDICULAR TREASURE IN SOMETHING OPENING TREASURE IN REMOVED TUNNEL OR CAVE, FROM HERE TWO ENTRANCES
& 21
SURE IN MOUND
CHEST OR BOX, 180ยบ TO TREASURE
T TREASURE ABOVE
FOLLOW POINT, JESUIT SYMBOL FOR GOLD OR TREASURE HERE OR NEARBY TREASURE HERE
LOW ION ON COURSE, FOLLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION
SOMETHING
REMOVED UnderstandingFROM Treasure HERE Signs and Symbols
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SPADE = DIG HERE POINTS TO
TO THE LEFT “COMING FROM”
TO THE RIGHT TO THE TO THE RIGHT TO THE L TO THE RIGHT “GOING TO “COMING “GOINGTO TO LADDER, VARIATIONS OF LEADING “COMING F “GOING TO SOMEWHERE” TO THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT SOMEWHERE” LADDER, VARIATIONS OF LEADIN SOMEWHERE” “COMING FROM” “GOING TO LADDER, VARIATIONS OF LEADING TO TO THE LEFTSOMEWHERE” DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, THE LEFTFURTHER UP, TO TH TO THE RIGHT “COMING FROM” TREE, LOOK UP, MING FROM” TREE “COMIN “GOING TO LOOK DOWN SOMEWHERE” LADDER, VARIATIONS FURTHER UP, OF LEADING TO TREE
Miscellaneous Symbols
FURT DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, FURTHE DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, T TO THE LEFT DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, TREE, LOOK UP, UP, TRE FURTHER LOOK UP, FROM” UP TOTREE, THE “COMING TOUP, THE RIGHT HERE, TREE, LOOK LOOK DOWN TO THETHE LEFT DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, TREE TO THE RIGHT LOOK DOWN RIGHT, DIVIDED E” “C “GOING TO BEGINNING, “COMING FROM” TREE, LOOK UP,LOOK DOWN “GOING FURTHER UP, TO SOMEWHERE” URTHER SOMEWHERE” UP, FUR MULTIPLIED TREE LOOK DOWN UP TO THE TREE DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, RIGHT, DIVIDED AR TREE, LOOK UP, TO TO THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT LOOK DOWN OR “COMING FROM” “GOING TO E SOMEWHERE” LESS N. UP TO TH HERE, THE THAN HERE, THE AROUND 180 HERE, THE BEGINNING, RIGHT, DIVI GREATER BEGINNING, TO TREASURE FURTHER UP, LESS MULTIPLIED UP TO THE BEGINNING, HERE, THAN MULTIPLIED UP TOSIGN. THE CE UP, OR NEXT THAN RIGHT, DIVIDEDMULTIPLIED TREE BEGINNING, FURTHER UP, RIGHT, DIVIDED P, AROUND 180 DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, MULTIPLIED AROUNDTREE 180 DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, HERE, THE N TO TREASURE TREE, LOOK UP, TREASURE TREE, LOOK UP, AROUND 180 TOOR BEGINNING, NEXT SIGN. LOOK DOWN LOOK DOWN HERE, TO TREASUREOR NEXT SIGN. MULTIPLIED LESS OR NEXT SIGN. FURTHER UP, CONTAINS HERE, EARTH, TO LEFTTHAN AROUND 180 GREATER DOUBLE DISTANCE TREE LESSUP,WITHIN OR RIGHT, VARAS GREATER TO TREASURE GREATER THAN LESS UP, HERE, TREE, LOOK THAN OR 100), THAN UP TO (USUALLY THE OR NEXT50 SIGN. THAN THAN CONTAINS LOOKGREATER DOWN MINUS, NEGATIVE RIGHT, DIVIDED WITHIN UP TO THE THAN FT RIGHT, DIVIDED HERE, THE GREATER HERE, THE THAN BEGINNING, HERE, ), BEGINNING, MULTIPLIED HERE, TIMES EARTH, TO CONTAINS LEFT THREE AROUND 180 HERE, EARTH, MULTIPLIED TO LEFT UP TO THE HERE, EARTH, TO LEFT RIGHT, VARAS WITHIN THE OR DISTANCE, TOHERE, TREASURE AROUND OR RIGHT, VARAS RIGHT, 180 DIVIDED HERE, AROUND 180 LESS (USUALLY OR RIGHT, VARAS 50 OR 100), HERE, EARTH, TO LEFT CONTAINS OR NEXT SIGN. TO TREASURE (USUALLY 50 OR 100),THAN FARTHER, HERE, THE HERE (USUALLY UP, DOWN, CONTAINS TO TREASURE 50 OR 100), MINUS, NEGATIVE A MEASUREMENT, OR RIGHT, VARAS WITHIN OR NEXTLESS SIGN. MINUS,NEXT NEGATIVE BEGINNING, GOD POWER WITHIN SIGN. NEGATIVE CAVES (USUALLY 50 ORMINUS, 100),OR THAN MULTIPLIED HERE, EARTH, TO LEFT MINUS, NEGATIVE UP, DOWN, HERE OR RIGHT, VARAS AROUND 180 50 www.garrett.com GREATER GOD POWER (USUALLY 50 OR 100), GREATER TO TREASURE LESS THAN THREE TIMES MINUS, NEGATIVE THAN THREE TIMES OR NEXT SIGN. THAN THREE TIMES THE DISTANCE, UP, DO THE DISTANCE, HERE, UP, DOW THE DISTANCE, FARTHER, THREE TIMES GOD FARTHER,
HT
°
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°
°°
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°
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°
Turtle Signs and Symbols The turtle is an important treasure symbol used to point to a trail or to give direction to a hiding place. If you see a turtle with markings on his shell, each mark represents 1 vara in distance. The number of marks is often followed by a vara arrow pointing in a particular direction. Three marks followed by a down-pointing arrow would indicate to proceed 3 varas south. A turtle with its head removed indicates that the treasure has been removed. If the head seems to have been recently removed from the original carving or sketch, it is possible that another hunter is hoping to frustrate you from FOLLOW TURTLE, searching any further. MyVARIATION, advice is…don’t give TREASURE, TO NOTE FEET NEXT SIGN up!
FOLLOW TURTLE, TREASURE, TO NEXT SIGN
VARIA NOTE
TURT
FOLLOW TURTLE FOLLOW TURTLE, TREASURE, TO GO IN DIRECT OF HIS TAIL NEXT SIGN BY FOLLOWING HEAD
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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CLOSE TO BODY
Turtle Signs and Symbols
OLLOW TURTLE, TREASURE, TO NEXT SIGN BY OLLOWING HEAD
FOLLOW TURTL GO IN DIRECT OF HIS TAI
FOLLOW TURTLE, TREASURE, TO NEXT SIGN
VARIATION, NOTE FEET
TURTLES FEET ARE OBVERSE = ON RIGHT SIDE SHELL MARKED TO M 4 VARAS IN DIREC SHELL MARKED TO “GO MEAN OF TURTLE’S HEAD “GO 4 VARAS IN DIRECTION OF TURTLE’S HEAD”
3 DIAMONDS AND VARA SYMBOL INDICATES TO GO ONDS AND VARA TURTLES VARAS INDICATES 3TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION IN THIS DIRECTION FOLLOW TURTLE, TREASURE, TO NOTE: TURTLE NEXTIF SIGN BY HEAD IS CUT–OFF, THIS MIGHT MEAN THAT TREASURE HASMEAN BEEN THAT RECOVERED. OTE: IF TURTLE HEAD IS CUT–OFF, THIS MIGHT FOLLOWING HEAD TREASURE HAS BEEN RECOVERED. FOLLOW TURTLE BUTFEET ARE OBVER LLOW TURTLE, ON RIGHT SID GO IN DIRECTION EASURE, TO OF HIS TAIL NEXT SIGN
FOLLOW TURTLE BUT GO IN DIRECTION OW, NOTE OF HIS TAIL T CLOSE TO
10&11 STOP, DANGER, OBJECTS HIDDEN
BODY
LLOW TURTLE, REASURE, TO EXT SIGN BY LOWING HEAD
SLOW, NOTE FEET CLOSE TO BODY
52FEETwww.garrett.com ARE OBVERSE = ON RIGHT SIDE MONDS AND VARA L INDICATES TO GO S IN THIS DIRECTION
FEET ARE OBVERSE = ON RIGHT SIDE
STOP, DANGER, OBJECTS HIDDE
SHELL MARKED TO MEAN “GO 4 VARAS IN DIRECTION OF TURTLE’S HEAD”
ATION, 3 VARAS
SNA
HEAD TO NEXT SIGN
Snake Signs and Symbols The turtle was also commonly used as a GO IN HEAD warning or to indicate the direction to travel. SNAKES Some were drawn or carved as mere curved HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN H, lines with a trianglur or oval head. NTS HEAD UP =
GO IN DIRECTION O HEAD TO NEXT SIG HEA GO IN DIR HEAD POINTS HEAD TO DOWN =
S COILED SNAKE = TREASURE BENEATH, OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS TO LOCATION, DISTANCE 3 VARAS
GO IN DIRECTION OF HEAD, HEAD UP10X = DISTANCE, TO GROUND, GO IN DIRECTION OF TOSIGN TREASURE, HEAD TO NEXT OR TO SIGN
AKE = TAIL TO NEXT SIGN= COILED SNAKE HTREASURE CAUTION BENEATH, OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS TO LOCATION, COILED SNAKE = DISTANCE 3 VARAS BENEATH, TREASURE OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS TO LOCATION, HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN DISTANCE 3 VARAS
SNAKE = E BENEATH, TAILBLACK POINTSSNAKE = CATION, SAFE TO FOLLOW E 3 VARAS HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN ON
HEAD POINTS DOWN = GO IN DIRECTION OF HEAD, 10X DISTANCE, TO GROUND, TO TREASURE, OR TO SIGN
HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN RATTLESNAKE = PROCEED WITH CAUTION
HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN Understanding
ACK SNAKE = FE TO FOLLOW RATTLESNAKE = ROCEED WITH CAUTION
HEAD POINTS TO TREASURE
Treasure Signs and Symbols
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HEAD DOW GO IN OF H 10X D TO G TO T OR T
DOWN = MEASURE TIP TO GROUND, 10X TO NEXT SIGN OR TREASURE SNAKE SNAKE GOING SNAKE GOING UP, DOWN = MEASURE GOING UP, GO TO NEXT SIGN TIP TO GROUND, GO TO NEXT SIGN SNAKES 10X TO NEXT N SIGN OR TREASURE HEAD = DIRECTION OR ENEMY BLACK SNAKE =
Snake Signs and Symbols
SAFE TO FOLLOW DOWN, BENEATH
SNAKE GOING UP, DOWN, DOWN, GO TO NEXT SIGN BENEATH BENEATH
SNAKE FOLLOW AROUND GOING UP, GO TO NEXT SIGNTO RIGHT, ALSO TREASURE BENEATH FOLLOW AROUND TO LEFT
FOLLOW AROUND DOWN,AROUND FOLLOW TO LEFTOR HEAD DIRECTION BENEATH TO = LEFT STAYPOINTS ONLY TO RIGHT ENEMY HEAD TO TREASURE
HEAD = DIRECTION OR SNAKE ENEMY GOING UP, GO TO NEXT SIGN HEAD = DIRECTION HEAD = DIRECTION HEAD ENEMY = OR SNAKE GOING ENEMY DIRECTION OR DOWN = MEASURE ENEMY TIP TO GROUND, 10X TO NEXT SIGN OR TREASURE
FOLLOW AROU TO RIGHT, ALS TREASURE BENE
HEAD = DIRECTION OR ENEMY
DOWN, BENEATH
ENEMY
HEAD POINTS TO TREASUR DOWN, BENEATH HEAD = DIRECTION OR FOLLOW AROUND ENEMY FOLLOW AROUND TO RIGHT, ALSO TO RIGHT, ALSO BENEA TREASURE TREASURE BENEATH HEAD = DIRECTION OR TO RIGHT STAY ONLY SNAKE ENEMY GOING UP, GO TO NEXT SIGN
FOLLOW AROUNDSTAY ONLY TO RIGHT TO STAY LEFT ONLY TO RIGHT FOLLOW AROUND TO THE LEFT, TO RIGHT, ALSODANGER TREASURE BENEATH
FOLLOW AROUND NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF, TO RIGHT, ALSO DOWN, THIS INDICATES REMOVED. HEAD TREASURE POINTS HEAD POINTS TREASURE BENEATH TO THE LEFT, HEAD POINTS BENEATH TO TREASURE TO TREASURE TO THE LEFT, DANGER TO TREASURE DANGER TO THE LEFT, DANGER 54 www.garrett.com STAY ONLY TO RIGHT AROUND NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF, EFT NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF,THIS INDICATES TREASURE FOLLOW AROUND THIS INDICATES TREASURE REMOVED. THIS INDICATES TREASURE REMOVED. RIGHT, ALSO HEADS TO ARE CUT–OFF,
GOLD, ATTAINMENT, REASURE
GOLD, TTAINMENT, REASURE
WATCHING CATION
ATCHING CATION
Sample Tree Markings
HORN, HARMONY
TRE TO T
EYE WATCHING LOCATION
GOLD, THE ATTAINMENT, TREASURE TREASURE TO THE LEFT
RATTLESNAKE, HEAD POINTS TO LOCATION
MOON WITH DIRECTIONAL EYE WATCHING MARKS TO THE RIGHT LOCATION
GOLD, THEHORN, ATTAINMENT, HARMONY TREASURE
HORN, HARMON
TREASURE TO THE LEFT
MOON WIT MARKS T
TREASURE EYE WATCHING TO THE LEFT LOCATION
TREASUR TO THE LE
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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MOON IN CLOUDS, FARTHER, LOOK HIGHER GO TO RIGHT
T
MO
MOON IN WOODS, LOOK IN FOREST GO TO RIGHT ECLIP MOON OVER MOUNTAINS, GO TO LEFT GO TONEW RIGHT LO MOON, GO TO LEFT TRAVEL TO MOUNTAINS, WESTNEW MOON, GO TO RIGHT, MOON IN CLOUDS, GOTIDES, TO RIGHT, MOON INFARTHER, CLOUDS, LOOK TIDAL WATERS TIDES, TIDAL WATERS FARTHER, LOOK HIGHER HIGHER NEW MOON, NEW MOON, TO RIGHT, GO TO GO RIGHT, IN CLOUDS, MOON MOON IN CLOUDS, TIDAL WATERS TIDES,TIDES, TIDAL WATERS ASCENDING FARTHER, FARTHER, LOOK LOOK DESC MOON HIGHER HIGHER NEW MOON, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, DANGER, GO TO LEFT UNTAINS, GO TO RIGHT,GO TO RIGHT, LOOK HERE MOON IN CLOUDS, MOON IN CLOUDS, TAINS, WEST WATERS TIDAL WATERS FARTHER, LOOK FARTHER, LOOK WANING MOON,TIDES, TIDALTIDES, N, HIGHER HIGHER LOOK BELOW TER WANING MOON, WANING MOON, ALSO SUN, LOOKMOON, BELOW MOON, ALSOOF SUN, LOOK FIRE, FACE WATER GOBELOW TO RIGHT GO TO FIRE, FACE OFLEFT WATER GO TO RIGHT GO TO LEFT G DESCENDING MOON
H,
Moon Symbols
TO RIGHT GO TO GO RIGHT
12&13
TO LEFT GO TO GO LEFT GO TO LEFT GO TO LEFT
MOON, ALSO SUN, GO TO RIGHTGO TO RIGHT FIRE, FACE OF WATER
MOON IN WOODS, SPANISH SPANISH LOOK IN FOREST SYMBOL = SYMBOL = MOON, MONTH, MOON, MONTH, TIME MOON, ALSO SUN, TIME MOON, ALSO SUN, FIRE, FACE OF WATER FIRE, FACE OF WATER
MOON IN WOODS, WANING MOON, MOON IN IN WOODS, LOOK FOREST WANING MOON, LOOK BELOW LOOK IN FOREST LOOK BELOW
WANING WANING MOON,MOON, ALSO SUN, MOON,MOON, ALSO SUN, LOOK BELOW LOOK BELOW SPANISH FIRE,OF FACE OF WATER FIRE, FACE WATER SYMBOL = ECLIPSE, DANGER, UNTAINS, WANING MOON, M MOON, MONTH, WANING MOON, MOON, ALSO MOON, SUN, ALSO SUN, LOOK HERE AINS, WEST LOOK BELOWLOOK BELOW L TIME ECLIPSE, DANGER, IRE, FACEMOON OF WATER FIRE, FACEMOUNTAINS, OF WATER OVER ECLIPSE, DANGER, LOOK HERE MOON OVER MOUNTAINS,WEST TRAVEL TO MOUNTAINS, LOOK HERE TRAVEL TO MOUNTAINS, WEST SPANISH SPANISH = www.garrett.com 56 SYMBOL SYMBOL = MONTH, MOON IN WOODS, MOON, MOON IN WOODS, MOON, MONTH, LOOK IN FOREST TIME DESCENDING MOON LOOK IN FOREST TIME ASCENDING SPANISH SPANISH ASCENDING DESCENDING MOON ECL
ESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS HOURGLASS, 1 DAY
SUN SYMBO HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNE
Time Markings and Symbols MOON = 3 MONTHS MOON = 3 MONTHS
HOURGLASS, SUN SYMBOLS = SUN = DAYS SUN= =3 4MONTHS DAYS HOURGLASS, 13 DAY MOON MOONNUMBER = 3 MONTHS HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY, OF DAYS 1 DAY SUN SYMBOLS = HOURGLASS, GLASS, HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS AY SUN SYMBOLS =1 DAY S, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS HOURGLASS, 1 DAY SUN SYMBOLS = HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS SUN = 3 DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS SUN = 3TIME, DAYS SUNA= DAY 4 DAYS DAY, SHORT JOURNEY SHORT DISTANCE MOON = 3 MONTHS SUN = 3 DAYS DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS MOON = 3 MONTHS HOURGLASS, 1 DAY MOON = 3 MONTHS SUN = 3 DAYS HOURGLASS, 1 DAY SS,
TIME, STANCE
YS
F DAYS LOGIC E, SONING NCE
SHORT TIME, SHORT TIME, SHORT DISTANCE HOURGLASS, SHORT DISTANCE 1 DAY SHORT TIME, SUN = 3 DAYS SHORT DISTANCE NUMBER OF DAYS JOURNEY, LOGIC SUN = 3 DAYS AND REASONING
DAY, A DAY JOURNEY
SUN = 4 DAYS SUN = 3 DAYS
NUMBER OF DAYS AND NIGHTS NUMBER OF DAYS NUMBER OF DAYS JOURNEY, LOGIC SHORT TIME, JOURNEY, LOGIC ANDDISTANCE REASONING SHORT SHORT TIME, AND REASONING NUMBER OF DAYS SUNDIAL = 1 DAY, SHORT DISTANCE JOURNEY, LOGIC FARTHER TO GO DAY, A DAY Understanding Treasure Signs AND REASONING JOURNEY
MOON = 3 MONTHS DAY, A DAY DAY, A DAY JOURNEY JOURNEY DAY, A DAY SUN JOURNEY == 4 DAYS SUNDIAL 1 DAY, FARTHER TO GO SUN = TIME, 4 DAYS SHORT SHORT DISTANCE
SUN = 4 DAYS SUNDIAL = 1 DAY, SUNDIAL =TO 1 DAY, FARTHER GO DAY, A DAY FARTHER TO GO JOURNEY DAY, A DAY SUNDIAL = 1 DAY, JOURNEY FARTHER TO GO
and Symbols
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NUMBER OF DAYS NUMBER OF DAYS JOURNEY, LOGIC DAY, A DAY SHORT TIME, NUMBER OF DAYS AND REASONING AND NIGHTS JOURNEY SHORT DISTANCE
Danger Symbols
DEAD PERSON DEAD PERSON
VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH
DEAD PERSON
VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH DEAD PERSON
DEAD DEFEAT OR DEATH H INDICATE DEATH VARIATIONS OF STARS INDICATE DEATH VARIATIONS OF WHICH STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH DEA VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH
AT OR DEATH THE LION EO THE LION DANGER OR DANGER
WARRIORS DO NOT RECOVER WARRIORS DO NOT RECOVER OR DEATH IN DAYTIME OR DEATH IN DAYTIME DEAD PERSON WARRIORS DO DEFEAT NOT RECOVER WAR EO THE LION OR DEATH HICH INDICATE DEATH OR DEATH IN DAYTIME OR DANGER DO LION NOT RECOVER WARRIORS WARRIORS DO NOTDO RECO WAR WAR WAR LEO THE LION WARRIORS NO WARRIORS LEO THE LEOLION THE IN DAYTIME OR DANGER DEATH OR DEATH IN DAYTIM OR OR DEATH IN OR DEATH OR DANGER OR DANGER WARWAR
LEO THE LION OR DANGER
WAR
WARRIORS OR DEATH
DO NOT R IN DAY
VERY FOUR POINT STAR SIX SIX PO VERY FOUR POINT STAR POISONOUS E, DEATH GRAVE INDICAT POISONOUS POISONOUS AXE, DEATH WARRIORS INDICATES GRAVE IND DOPOISONOUS NOT RECOVERINDICATES WAR NGER DANGER GRAVE DANGER FOUR POINT STAR SIX DANGER GR OR DEATH INVERY DAYTIME POISONOUS AXE, DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE INDI VERY VERY FOUR POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR FOUR POINT DANGER VERY FOURSTAR POINT DANGER GR VERY FOUR P BATTLEBATTLE AXE, BATTLE DEATH POISONOUS POISONOUS POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE INDICATES MORE INDICATES GRAVE AXE, DEATH POISONOUS AXE, POISONOUS DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES G POISONOUS INDICAT OR DANGER DANGER GRAVE DANGER DANGER OR DANGER OR DANGER DANGER DA SPANISH LIGHTING VERY FOUR POINT STAR BOLT ORPOISONOUS ABSOLUTE BATTLE AXE, DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE OR DANGER DEATH; CAN ALSO DANGER INDICATE THAT A DEATH TRAP IS NEAR E THE TREASURE R VERY SIX POINT STAR FOUR POINT STAR US POISONOUS INDICATES MORE INDICATES GRAVE GRAVE DANGER DANGER
58ORwww.garrett.com DEATH OR WATER OR OR DEATH WATER CAMPFIRE DEATH CAMPFIRE DEATH DEATH OR WATER OR CAMPFIRE DEATH
IMMINENT DANGER IMMINENT DANG HOSTILE INDIANS OR DANGER, HOSTILE INDIANS LONG STRETCH IMMINENT DANG RATTLES LONG STRETCH WITHOUT WATER HOSTILE INDIANS WITHOUT WATE
IN DAYTIME LEO THE LION LEO THE LION OR DANGER LEO THE LION OR DANGER OR DANGER
WAR
WAR WAR
Danger Symbols
WARRIORS REN WARRIORS DO NOTDO OR DEATH IN DAYT WARRIORS DOI OR DEATH OR DEATH
DO NOT RECOVER IN DAYTIME
VERYVERY FOU SPANISH LIGHTING POISONOUS BATTLE BATTLE AXE, DEATH AXE, DEATH POISONOUS POISONOUS POISONOUS INDI BOLT OR ABSOLUT OR DANGER OR DANGER DEATH; CAN ALSO INDICATE THAT A OUR POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR DEATH TRAP IS NEA DICATES GRAVE INDICATES MORE THEPOINT TREASURE VERY VERY FOUR FOUR STAR POINT SPANISH LIGHTING DANGER GRAVE DANGER POISONOUS BATTLEBATTLE AXE, DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE VERY FOUR POING POISONOUS AXE, DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES BOLT OR ABSOLUTE PERSON OR DANGER POISONOUS BATTLE AXE, DEATH DANGER POISONOUS INDICATES DEADDEAD PERSON OR DANGER DANGE DEATH; CAN ALSO DEFEAT OR DEATH OR DANGER DEFEAT OR DEATH INDICATE THAT ADANG ICH INDICATE DEATH DICATE DEATH POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR DEATH TRAP IS NEAR TES GRAVE INDICATES MORE THE TREASURE ANGER GRAVE DANGER
AR
DEATH DEATH OR OR CAMPFIRE CAMPFIRE WARRIORS DO NOT DORECOVER NOT RECOVER WARRIORS OR DEATH IN DAYTIME OR DEATH IN DAYTIME IMMINENT DANGER DEATH OR OROR HOSTILE INDIANS DEATH CAMPFIRE LONG STRETCH DEATH OR CAMPFIRE WITHOUT WATER CAMPFIRE
WATER WATER OR OR DEATH DEATH DANGER, POISON OR RATTLESNAKE JAW
WATERWATER OR OR DEATH WATER DEATHOR DANGER, POISON OR DEATH RATTLESNAKE JAW
IMM HOST LO WI
IMMINENT DANGER GILA MONSTER, GILA MONSTER, DANGER, DANGER, HOSTILE INDIANS OR DESERT, DESERT, POISON POISON LOOKLOOK HEREHERE LONG STRETCH WITHOUT WATER SIX POINT VERY VERY FOURFOUR POINTPOINT STAR STAR SIX POINT STAR STAR POISONOUS INDICATES INDICATES GRAVE INDICATES OISONOUS GRAVE INDICATES MOREMORE DANGER GRAVE DANGER DANGER GRAVE DANGER GILA MONSTER, DANGER, GILA MONSTER, DANGER, DESERT, POISON GILA MONSTER, LOOK HERE DANGER, DESERT, POISON LOOK HERE DESERT, POISON LOOK HERE
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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Crosses and Religious Symbols EARLY CROSS LATIN CROSS
EARLY CROSS EARLY CROSS EARLY CROSS OR OR AMONG THE OR AMONG THE FIRST SIGNS AMONG THE FIRST SIGNS FIRST SIGNS
ST. PETERS CROSS
EARLY CROSS LATIN CROSS OR VARIATION AMONG THE ATIN CROSS SIGNS LATINFIRST CROSS VARIATION
MEXICAN CROSS, MEXICAN CROSS, VARIATION EXICAN CROSS, VARIATION VARIATION ST. ANDREWS CROSS, THE ROMAN CROSS OR “BARRIER”
EARLY CROSS EARLY CROSS EARLY CROSS
LATIN VAR
LATIN CROSS LATIN CROSS LATIN CROSS
GREEK CROSS
EARLY CROSS GREEK CROSS MEXICAN CROSS ST. PETERS LATIN CRO CROSS LATIN CROSS ST. PETERS GREEK CROSS ST. PETERS VARIATION CROSS CROSS MEXICAN CROSS MEXICAN CROSS MEXICAN CROSS
PERUVIAN CROSS
ST. ANDREWS CROSS, PERUVIAN CROSS CROSS OFTHE LORRAINE, ST. ANTONEY’S ROMAN CROSS THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIATION ST. ANDREWS CROSS, OR MEXICAN CROSS ST.“BARRIER” ANDREWS CROSS, P THE PERUVIAN ROMAN CROSS ROSS MEXICAN CROSS, CROSS THE ROMAN CROSS OR “BARRIER” VARIATION OR “BARRIER” CROSS OF LORRAINE, ST. A CHURCH CROSS = CROSSTHE OF PATRIARCHAL LORRAINE, ST. ANTONEY CHURCH CROSS =ARTICLES CROSS CROS CROSS OF LORRAINE, ST. ANTONEY’S HURCHRELIGIOUS CROSS 60 =www.garrett.com THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIA ELIGIOUS ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIATI IGIOUS ARTICLES
CAN CROSS EARLY CROSS FIRST SIGNS MEXICAN CROSS FIRST SIGNS OR AMONG THE FIRST SIGNS
S
PERUVIAN CROSS ST. ANTONEY’S ST. ANTONEY’S MEXICAN CROSS, MEXICAN CROSS, CROSS, VARIATION CROSS, VARIATION VARIATION VARIATION
CHURCH CROSS = ELIGIOUS ARTICLES
CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS
Crosses and Religious Symbols
MEXICAN CROSS, VARIATION
WS CROSS, N CROSS RRIER”
THE ROMAN EARLYCROSS CROSS OR “BARRIER” OR “BARRIER”
MEXICAN MEXICAN CROSS CHURCH CROSS CHURCH CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS, CROSS OF LORRAINE, VARIATION THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS
CRO
ST. ANTONEY CROSS, VARIA
OF LORRAINE, CHURCH CROSS OF CROSS LORRAINE, CHURCH CROSS = CROSS = CROSS ON SPANISH ARTICLESTHE PATRIARCHAL THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS RELIGIOUS JESUIT SYMBOLS CROSS C RELIGIOUS ARTICLES SILVER BARS OF GOLD, CROSS OF LORRAIN CHURCH CROSS = THE ATTAINMENT THE PATRIARCHAL C RELIGIOUS ARTICLES
JESUIT SYMBOLS JESUIT SYMBOLS LATIN CROSS OF GOLD, OF GOLD, ST. PETERS VARIATION THE ATTAINMENT THE ATTAINMENT CROSS JESUIT SYMBOLS OF GOLD, THE ATTAINMENT Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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SPANISH TREASURE TERMS Treasure hunters who have studied old maps or written notes regarding a treasure often encounter the Spanish language. As Spain expanded into the New World, many words from its language made their way into other cultures and will be found during your research of land grants, waybills or field surveys. The way a Spanish word is interpreted today might be quite different from its meaning hundreds of years ago. Along the same lines, a unit of measure might be slightly different in different cultures or in different countries. One such troubling treasure word is vara, a word commonly used by Spaniards, Mexicans, Indians and even early Texas settlers to measure distance. The length of one vara, however, has varied over time from 30 inches up to 35.9 inches and was once inconsistent even between the different provinces within Spain. In general a vara was approximately 32 or 33 inches in lenght, or about the normal stride of an average 62
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Spanish soldier. Fortunately, Spain accepted the metric system in the late 1860s but treasure terminology prior to that time frame will often involve varas. Treasure symbols for vara can indicate how many paces or sets of these 33-inch lengths must be stepped off to reach a particular point. In North America, the vara had slightly different measurement lengths. In Mexico, the vara’s equivalent in inches was 32.99. This was later rounded to 33 inches in California while Texas used a 33.33-inch vara for early land measurements. Many other words of Spanish origin will likely be encountered in your research of old documents. Although I recommend adding a Spanish to English dictionary to your treasurehunting arsenal, it is worth considering a few other significant treasure words that are of Spanish origin. For example, the terms braza and estado were also used to measure distances. Pirates and sailors used the term braza as a measuring distance of 5 feet 7 inches. Each “pace� or vara distance given on a map was Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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thus walked off in lengths of 5 feet 7 inches. The term estado, used by Spanish Jesuits or Catholic priests, was also measured as 5 feet 7 inches. One estado was the minimum depth measurement that items of importance were to be buried. The term league is another important word in determining distances to treasures. The statute (land) league was a distance that varied between 2.12 and 2.18 miles while a nautical league varied between 3.18 and 3.27 miles. There are far too many words to cover in this book but the treasure hunter should be aware of at least some common terms of measurement that can be quite troublesome. The following brief list includes translations of common Spanish words that could be encountered on treasure-related documents: 64
alhaja jewel cajón large box, chest cavar dig, excavate cobre copper codo half of a vara (16�) www.garrett.com
entierro hidden treasure escondida hidden este east harqueta fork in trail or stream iglesia church joya jewels llano plain loma small hill marca mark, sign moneda money or coin norte north oeste west oro gold pasada passage patacรณn silver coin plata silver quilate carat (24 carat gold) sur, sud south tesoro treasure tiro mine shaft vena vein of ore
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SPECIAL ADVICE • Make sure you have a trustworthy hunting partner. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than to track down a treasure, solve the clues of the symbols and then get doublecrossed. Trust me...I’ve been taken before. I worked closely with someone I trusted to successfully locate a cache site in Louisiana. We planned to excavate the area the next morning but I returned to find nothing but fresh dirt and a hole where something large had been removed! • Consult a specialist if you find words from another language you are not familiar with. In the Spanish language, for example, word combinations might be interpreted differently in various regions. • Be wary of trickery when following directions from a group of treasure symbols. Some signs, seemingly clear, might actually be pointing you in exactly the opposite direction. 66
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Other treasures could be buried in the middle— halfway between your first symbol and the point you believed to be the ending spot. Use your metal detector to sweep the whole area from one end to the other. • Research source materials. Old family stories, tribal legends, court and church records, diaries, wills and archival documents sometimes prove to be just as productive as a genuine treasure map. Legends from the old days usually contain a certain degree of historical fact, even when intertwined with the hyperbole. • Depend on items that have not changed with time. When following signs, remember that the treasure you are seeking was probably hidden long ago. Trees and shrubs have grown while rock formations, although weathered, have remained essentially the same. • Never destroy or alter signs or symbols that you may encounter. Follow them and appreciate them but leave these ancient artifacts Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
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alone so that others may learn from and enjoy them in their original state. • Pay close attention to symbols of danger when they are presented. Some were meant to scare off treasure seekers while others could be an indication of a trap that was set. Death traps have been found where a heavy boulder is propped in a precarious position—ready to fall on the unwary fortune hunter who digs in the wrong spot! • Use logic and a little imagination when reading a sign. Some treasures have been found by simply following the ancient directions. Other treasures await only those who can “think outside the box”—misdirection was a common tactic of those who left symbols. A little luck and perseverance are often just as productive as knowledge. Mine entrances, mines shafts and cave entrances have also been booby-trapped to protect treasures. The lightning bolt symbol indicated that a large gold or silver treasure was nearby but that deathtraps were present. 68
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• I’ll leave you with the best treasures signs advice I know to offer. Look for something or things unusual or out of place. Anything you can spot that could not have happened naturally is important. Such abnormalities, although often subtle, might be just the treasure clues that could lead you to great discoveries! I wish you good health, good hunting and the good fortune to find your own treasure signs and symbols. I’ll see you in the field!
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OTHER RAM BOOKS Please note that RAM Books, the publishing division of Garrett Metal Detectors, continues to release new titles each year related to treasure hunting, gold prospecting, coin hunting and relic recovery. To see a current list of titles available from RAM Books, please consult a Garrett Metal Detectors hobby catalog or visit:
www.garrett.com After reaching Garrett’s website, visit the Hobby Divison section and select “RAM Books” to see all of our current titles. An order form is available on our site which can printed and mailed with your requested titles and payment.
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Collect Charles Garrett’s other treasure-hunting field guides! Check out RAM Books on www.garrett.com for future releases.
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Master treasure hunter and author
Ram Publishing Co.
A subsidiary of Garrett Metal Detectors 1881 West State Street Garland, TX 75042 PN 1546000 ISBN 978-0-9818991-4-5
