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Buried treasure is a literary trope commonly associated with depictions of pirates, alongside Vikings, criminals, and Old West outlaws. According to popular conception, these people often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return to them later (often with the use of a pirate’s treasure map).

Pirates burying treasure was a rare occurrence, with the only known instance being William Kidd, who buried some of his wealth on Gardiners Island. The myth of buried pirate treasure was popularized by such 19th-century fiction as Wolfert Webber, The Gold-Bug, and Treasure Island. The idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure is considered a fictional device.

There are cases of buried treasure from different historical periods, such as the Dacian king Decebalus and Visigoth king Alaric I, who both changed the course of rivers to hide their treasures. Legends of buried pirate treasure have existed for centuries, but authenticated discoveries are rare. For example, extensive excavations on Oak Island, Nova Scotia have not yielded any treasure. The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States is kept at the Pirate Soul Museum in St. Augustine, Florida.

Buried treasure is a cultural concept and not the same as a hoard, which is typically found by archaeologists and metal detectors. The Fenn treasure, reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn in 2010, was found in 2020 in Wyoming.

Pirates

Pirates burying treasure was rare. The only pirate known to have actually buried treasure was William Kidd,^[1] who is believed to have buried at least some of his wealth on Gardiners Island near Long Island before sailing into New York City. Kidd had originally been commissioned as a privateer for England, but his behavior had strayed into outright piracy, and he hoped that his treasure could serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations to avoid punishment. His bid was unsuccessful, however, and Kidd was hanged as a pirate.

In English fiction, there are three well-known stories that helped to popularize the myth of buried pirate treasure:^[2] "Wolfert Webber" (1824) by Washington Irving, "The Gold-Bug" (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe and Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. These stories differ widely in plot and literary treatment but are all based on the William Kidd legend.^[3] David Cordingly states that "The effect of Treasure Island on our perception of pirates cannot be overestimated," and says the idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure "is an entirely fictional device".^[1] Stevenson's Treasure Island was directly influenced by Irving's "Wolfert Webber," Stevenson saying in his preface, "It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther... the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters... were the property of Washington Irving."^[3]

In 1911, American author Ralph D. Paine conducted a survey of all known or purported stories of buried treasure and published them in The Book of Buried Treasure.^[4]^[5] He found a common trait in all the stories: there was always a lone survivor of a piratical crew who somehow preserved a chart showing where the treasure was buried, but unable to return himself, he transfers the map or information to a friend or shipmate, usually on his deathbed.^[5] This person would then go search in vain for the treasure, but not before transferring the legend down to another hapless seeker.^[5]

Cases

The Roman historian Dio Cassius says that, in the early 2nd century, the Dacian king Decebalus had changed the course of the river Sargetia and buried tons of gold and silver in the riverbed. Later, he ordered the river to be restored, and the slaves involved in the works to be executed. However, one of his nobles revealed the treasure's location to the Romans. The Byzantine historian Jordanes tells a similar story of the burial of the Visigoth king Alaric I and his treasure under the river Busento in 410. The burial places of the Khazar kings (qoruq) and other inner Asian people were also under a rerouted river.^[6]

There are a number of reports of supposed buried pirate treasure that surfaced much earlier than these works, indicating that the idea was around for more than a century before those stories were published. For example, extensive excavation has taken place on Oak Island (in Nova Scotia) since 1795 in the belief that one or more pirate captains had hidden large amounts of valuables there. These excavations were said to have been prompted by still older legends of buried pirate treasure in the area. No treasure has yet been reported found.

The Treasure of Lima is a supposed buried treasure on Cocos Island in the Pacific abandoned by pirates.^[7] The treasure, estimated to be worth £160 million, was stolen by British Captain William Thompson in 1820 after he was entrusted to transport it from Peru to Mexico.^[7]

The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States, once owned by Thomas Tew, is kept at the Pirate Soul Museum in St. Augustine, Florida.^[8]

Pirate Olivier Levasseur, also known as "The Buzzard" (La Buse), was rumored to have hidden treasure before his death in 1730. No such treasure has been found.

During the 1666 Great Fire of London, wealthy residents of the city buried luxury goods such as gold and wine in the ground to protect them from the raging flames above.^[9] Samuel Pepys, the noted diarist, buried a wheel of cheese in his garden to protect it from the fire.

Buried treasure is not the same as a hoard, of which there have been thousands of examples found by archaeologists and metal detectors. Buried treasure is as much a cultural concept as an objective thing. It is related to pirates and other criminals who leave stolen artifacts behind for later retrieval, typically in remote places like islands, sometimes with maps leading back to the treasure.

The Fenn treasure was reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn around 2010 and found in 2020, somewhere in Wyoming.

References

^ ^a ^b Cordingly, David (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House. ISBN 0-679-42560-8.
^ Paine, pp. 27–28
^ ^a ^b Paine, pg. 28
^ The Book of Buried Treasure at Internet Archive (scanned books original editions)
^ ^a ^b ^c Simon Garfield. On the Map: Why the World Looks the Way It Does (2012). Pgs. 176-180
^ DeWeese, Devin A. (1994). Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde:Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition. Hermeneutics, Studies in the History of Religions. Penn State Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-271-04445-3. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
^ ^a ^b Jasper Copping (5 August 2012). "British expedition to Pacific 'treasure island' where pirates buried their plunder". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 August 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
^ Abravanel, Lesley; Miller, Laura Lea; Miller, Laura (2010-07-30). Frommer's Florida 2011. Wiley. p. 302. ISBN 9780470890219.
^ Mercer, Chris (2016-09-05). "Great Fire of London: Wealthy buried wine to save it". Decanter. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2019-03-16.

[Cordingly-1] Cordingly, David (1995). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House. ISBN 0-679-42560-8.

[2] Paine, pp. 27–28

[Paine28-3] Paine, pg. 28

[4] The Book of Buried Treasure at Internet Archive (scanned books original editions)

[garfield-5] Simon Garfield. On the Map: Why the World Looks the Way It Does (2012). Pgs. 176-180

[6] DeWeese, Devin A. (1994). Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde:Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition. Hermeneutics, Studies in the History of Religions. Penn State Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-271-04445-3. Retrieved 10 February 2013.

[copping-7] Jasper Copping (5 August 2012). "British expedition to Pacific 'treasure island' where pirates buried their plunder". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 August 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.

[8] Abravanel, Lesley; Miller, Laura Lea; Miller, Laura (2010-07-30). Frommer's Florida 2011. Wiley. p. 302. ISBN 9780470890219.

[9] Mercer, Chris (2016-09-05). "Great Fire of London: Wealthy buried wine to save it". Decanter. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2019-03-16.

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+{{Short description|Literary trope}}
-{{Other uses}}
+{{About|the literary trope}}
 {{redirect|Treasure chest}}
+[[Image:Pyle pirates burying2.jpg|thumb|Illustration of pirates burying [[Captain Kidd]]'s treasure, from ''[[Howard Pyle]]'s Book of Pirates''.]]
-{{multiple issues|
-{{lead too short|date=April 2019}}
-{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
-}}
-[[Image:Pyle pirates burying2.jpg|thumb|[[Howard Pyle]] illustration of pirates burying [[Captain Kidd]]'s treasure, from ''Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates''.]]
-'''Buried treasure''' is a [[literary trope]] commonly associated with depictions of [[pirate]]s, [[criminals]], and [[Old West]] [[outlaw]]s. According to popular conception, these people often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return to them later (often with the use of a [[treasure map]]).
+'''Buried treasure''' is a [[literary trope]] commonly associated with depictions of [[pirate]]s, alongside [[Viking]]s, [[criminals]], and [[Old West]] [[outlaw]]s. According to popular conception, these people often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return to them later (often with the use of a pirate’s [[treasure map]]).
+Pirates burying treasure was a rare occurrence, with the only known instance being [[William Kidd]], who buried some of his wealth on [[Gardiners Island]]. The myth of buried pirate treasure was popularized by such 19th-century fiction as ''[[Wolfert Webber]]'', ''[[The Gold-Bug]]'', and ''[[Treasure Island]]''. The idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure is considered a fictional device.
-==Pirate treasure==
-In reality, pirates burying treasure was rare.  The only pirate known to have actually buried treasure was [[William Kidd]],<ref name="Cordingly" /> who is believed to have buried at least some of his wealth on [[Gardiners Island]] near [[Long Island]] before sailing into [[New York City]]. Kidd had originally been commissioned as a [[privateer]] for [[England]], but his behavior had strayed into outright piracy, and he hoped that his treasure could serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations to avoid punishment. His bid was unsuccessful, however, and Kidd was hanged as a pirate.
+There are cases of buried treasure from different historical periods, such as the Dacian king [[Decebalus]] and Visigoth king [[Alaric I]], who both changed the course of rivers to hide their treasures. Legends of buried pirate treasure have existed for centuries, but authenticated discoveries are rare. For example, [[Oak Island mystery|extensive excavations]] on [[Oak Island, Nova Scotia]] have not yielded any treasure. The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States is kept at the [[Pirate Soul Museum]] in St. Augustine, Florida.
-In English fiction there are three well-known stories that helped to popularize the myth of buried pirate treasure:<ref>Paine, pp. 27–28</ref> ''[[Wolfert Webber]]'' (1824) by [[Washington Irving]], ''[[The Gold-Bug]]'' (1843) by [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883) by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]. These stories differ widely in plot and literary treatment but are all based on the William Kidd legend.<ref name=Paine28>Paine, pg. 28</ref> David Cordingly states that "The effect of ''Treasure Island'' on our perception of pirates cannot be overestimated," and says the idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure "is an entirely fictional device."<ref name="Cordingly">{{cite book|last=Cordingly|first=David|year=1995|title=Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates|isbn=0-679-42560-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/underblackflagro00cord_0}}</ref> Stevenson's ''Treasure Island'' was directly influenced by Irving's ''Wolfert Webber'', Stevenson saying in his preface, "It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther... the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters... were the property of Washington Irving."<ref name=Paine28/>
+Buried treasure is a cultural concept and not the same as a [[hoard]], which is typically found by archaeologists and metal detectors. The [[Fenn treasure]], reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn in 2010, was found in 2020 in Wyoming.
+==Pirates==
+Pirates burying treasure was rare.  The only pirate known to have actually buried treasure was [[William Kidd]],<ref name="Cordingly" /> who is believed to have buried at least some of his wealth on [[Gardiners Island]] near [[Long Island]] before sailing into [[New York City]]. Kidd had originally been commissioned as a [[privateer]] for [[England]], but his behavior had strayed into outright piracy, and he hoped that his treasure could serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations to avoid punishment. His bid was unsuccessful, however, and Kidd was hanged as a pirate.
+In English fiction, there are three well-known stories that helped to popularize the myth of buried pirate treasure:<ref>Paine, pp. 27–28</ref> "[[Wolfert Webber]]" (1824) by [[Washington Irving]], "[[The Gold-Bug]]" (1843) by [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883) by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]. These stories differ widely in plot and literary treatment but are all based on the William Kidd legend.<ref name=Paine28>Paine, pg. 28</ref> David Cordingly states that "The effect of ''Treasure Island'' on our perception of pirates cannot be overestimated," and says the idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure "is an entirely fictional device".<ref name="Cordingly">{{cite book|last=Cordingly|first=David|year=1995|title=Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates|publisher=Random House |isbn=0-679-42560-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/underblackflagro00cord_0}}</ref> Stevenson's ''Treasure Island'' was directly influenced by Irving's "Wolfert Webber," Stevenson saying in his preface, "It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther... the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters... were the property of Washington Irving."<ref name=Paine28/>
 In 1911, American author [[Ralph D. Paine]] conducted a survey of all known or purported stories of buried treasure and published them in ''The Book of Buried Treasure''.<ref>[https://archive.org/search.php?query=%22the%20book%20of%20buried%20treasure%22%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts ''The Book of Buried Treasure''] at [[Internet Archive]] (scanned books original editions)</ref><ref name=garfield/> He found a common trait in all the stories: there was always a lone survivor of a piratical crew who somehow preserved a chart showing where the treasure was buried, but unable to return himself, he transfers the map or information to a friend or shipmate, usually on his deathbed.<ref name=garfield/> This person would then go search in vain for the treasure, but not before transferring the legend down to another hapless seeker.<ref name=garfield>Simon Garfield. ''On the Map: Why the World Looks the Way It Does'' (2012). Pgs. 176-180</ref>
+==Cases==
-==Famous and notorious cases==
-The Roman historian [[Dio Cassius]] says that, in the early 2nd century, the [[Dacia]]n king [[Decebalus]] had changed the course of river [[Sargetia]] and buried [[Decebalus Treasure|tons of gold and silver]] in the river bed.  Later, he ordered the river to be restored and the slaves involved in the works to be executed.  However, one of his nobles revealed the treasure's location to the Romans.  The Byzantine historian [[Jordanes]] tells a similar story of the burial of the [[Visigoth]] king [[Alaric I]] and his treasure under the river [[Busento]] in 410.  The burial places of the [[Khazar]] kings (''qoruq'') and other inner Asian people were also under a rerouted river.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde:Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition
+The Roman historian [[Dio Cassius]] says that, in the early 2nd century, the [[Dacia]]n king [[Decebalus]] had changed the course of the river [[Sargetia]] and buried [[Decebalus Treasure|tons of gold and silver]] in the riverbed.  Later, he ordered the river to be restored, and the slaves involved in the works to be executed.  However, one of his nobles revealed the treasure's location to the Romans.  The Byzantine historian [[Jordanes]] tells a similar story of the burial of the [[Visigoth]] king [[Alaric I]] and his treasure under the river [[Busento]] in 410.  The burial places of the [[Khazar]] kings (''qoruq'') and other inner Asian people were also under a rerouted river.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde:Baba Tükles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition
  |last = DeWeese |first = Devin A.
  |year = 1994
@@ Line 28: / Line 31: @@
 }}</ref>
-There are a number of reports of supposed buried pirate treasure that surfaced much earlier than these works, which indicates that the idea was at least around for more than a century before those stories were published. For example, extensive excavation has taken place on [[Oak Island]] (in [[Nova Scotia]]) since 1795 in the belief that one or more pirate captains had hidden large amounts of valuables there. These excavations were said to have been prompted by still older legends of buried pirate treasure in the area. No treasure has been found to this day.
+There are a number of reports of supposed buried pirate treasure that surfaced much earlier than these works, indicating that the idea was around for more than a century before those stories were published. For example, extensive excavation has taken place on [[Oak Island]] (in [[Nova Scotia]]) since 1795 in the belief that one or more pirate captains had hidden large amounts of valuables there. These excavations were said to have been prompted by still older legends of buried pirate treasure in the area. No treasure has yet been reported found.
-Samuel Argyll. Licensed buccaneer. Born about 1580 in Kent England. Quote "Believed to have buried a rich treasure in the Isles of Shoals, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the seventeenth century". Gosse.P.: ''The Pirates Who's Who.'' 1924 Rio Grande Press,Inc.
-John & Owen Lloyd.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coastal Review Online|url=https://www.coastalreview.org/|access-date=2021-03-06|language=en-US}}</ref> After being caught in a hurricane on the 25 August 1750, which sunk five of the seven ships of the "Flotas de Indias" Spanish treasure fleet off Cape Lookout Carolina.The ''Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe,'' carrying around 44-55 chests of silver coin, around 8-12 tons, a handsome $ 12 million in bullion alone in today's money as of 2021. The damaged ship put into Teach's hole Ocracoke to effect repairs. Employed in the salvage operation and in charge of transferring the cargo onto two smaller ships the brothers John (a one legged sailor who may have been the inspiration for the character of Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson's all time pirate classic Treasure Island) and Owen ceased their opportunity of the cargo being unguarded and a falling tide, slipped the cables on the salvage ships and set sail for the open sea. The booty then being divided among the crew and later cashed on Norman's island Virgin islands.
 The [[Treasure of Lima]] is a supposed buried treasure on [[Cocos Island]] in the Pacific abandoned by pirates.<ref name=copping>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/costarica/9450737/British-expedition-to-Pacific-treasure-island-where-pirates-buried-their-plunder.html |title=British expedition to Pacific 'treasure island' where pirates buried their plunder |date=5 August 2012 |author=Jasper Copping |work=The Telegraph |access-date=August 12, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812062945/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/costarica/9450737/British-expedition-to-Pacific-treasure-island-where-pirates-buried-their-plunder.html |archive-date=12 August 2012 }}</ref> The treasure, estimated to be worth £160 million, was stolen by British Captain William Thompson in 1820 after he was entrusted to transport it from Peru to Mexico.<ref name=copping/>
+The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States, once owned by [[Thomas Tew]], is kept at the [[Pirate Soul Museum]] in [[St. Augustine, Florida]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Abravanel|first1=Lesley|last2=Miller|first2=Laura Lea|last3=Miller|first3=Laura|title=Frommer's Florida 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5VT8fIGiggC&pg=PA236|page=302|isbn=9780470890219|date=2010-07-30|publisher=Wiley }}</ref>
-Charles Gibbs. A pirate notorious for killing the crews of all the ships he captured. "to paraphrase" the Philip Gosse  book,  page 133-132, ''The Pirates Who's Who.'' In 1830 Gibbs orchestrated his second mutiny and following his usual ''modus operandi'' murdered the captain and mate. After scuttling the ship the crew landed on Barrow Island where they buried their cash in the sand. Gibbs was hanged at New York in 1831.
+Pirate [[Olivier Levasseur]], also known as "The Buzzard" (La Buse), was rumored to have hidden treasure before his death in 1730. No such treasure has been found.
-The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States, once owned by [[Thomas Tew]], is kept at the [[Pirate Soul Museum]] in [[St. Augustine, Florida]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Abravanel|first1=Lesley|last2=Miller|first2=Laura Lea|last3=Miller|first3=Laura|title=Frommer's Florida 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5VT8fIGiggC&pg=PA236|page=302|isbn=9780470890219|date=2010-07-30}}</ref>
+During the 1666 [[Great Fire of London]], wealthy residents of the city buried luxury goods such as gold and wine in the ground to protect them from the raging flames above.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/the-editors-blog/great-fire-london-pepys-wine-329621/|title=Great Fire of London: Wealthy buried wine to save it|last=Mercer|first=Chris|date=2016-09-05|website=Decanter|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-16|archive-date=2020-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727053359/https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/the-editors-blog/great-fire-london-pepys-wine-329621/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Samuel Pepys]], the noted diarist, buried a wheel of cheese in his garden to protect it from the fire.
-The Pirate [[Olivier Levasseur]], also known as La Buse, (the Buzzard ) or (the Mouth). Levasseur, famous for capturing  perhaps the greatest prize in pirate history the -72 gun ''Le'' ''Nossa Senhora de Cabo'' without firing a single shot in April 1721. On board was a vast treasure, vast as in beyond the dreams of even the greediest pirate, rivers of diamonds, unimaginable amounts of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, silk, art, and religious relics, including the Flaming Cross of Goa all bound for Portugal. "around 5 billion US, give or take a couple of tons in gold in loose ingots"  Each of the 350+ pirates was said to have received 1500 gold coins and 40+ Indian diamonds.  Levasseur kept the six foot tall, solid gold, jewel encrusted Flaming Cross of Goa for himself. Before his capture aboard the ''Le Medusa, Levasseur'' was rumoured to have hidden a vast treasure on a island in the Indian Ocean. On the gallows just before his death at 5pm on the 7th of July 1730 at St-Denis on lie Borbon, now called Reunion Island.  Olivier Levasseur is said to have thrown a coded cipher to the spectators saying (Mès tresors à qui saute comprendre!). To date, no such treasure has been reported found.
-During the 1666 [[Great Fire of London]], wealthy residents of the city buried luxury goods such as gold and wine in the ground to protect it from the raging flames above.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/the-editors-blog/great-fire-london-pepys-wine-329621/|title=Great Fire of London: Wealthy buried wine to save it|last=Mercer|first=Chris|date=2016-09-05|website=Decanter|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref>
 Buried treasure is not the same as a [[hoard]], of which there have been thousands of examples found by archaeologists and metal detectors. Buried treasure is as much a cultural concept as an objective thing. It is related to pirates and other criminals who leave stolen artifacts behind for later retrieval, typically in remote places like islands, sometimes with maps leading back to the treasure.
+The [[Fenn treasure]] was reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn around 2010 and found in 2020, somewhere in [[Wyoming]].
 ==See also==
 * [[Chest (furniture)]]
+* [[Confederate gold]]
+* [[Entierro]]
 * [[List of missing treasures]]
-* [[Treasure of Guarrazar]]
 * [[Oak Island]]
+* [[Treasure hunting]]
+* [[Treasure of Guarrazar]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 58: / Line 60: @@
 {{Pirates}}
+[[Category:Buried treasure| ]]
 [[Category:Archaeology in popular culture|Treasure]]
 [[Category:Pirate treasure]]
 [[Category:Treasure]]
+[[Category:Tropes]]