Despite the seemingly endless power of modern technology, there is still actual buried treasure out there. The best part? It’s yours for the taking if you have knowledge and endurance to find it.
I know it sounds like a movie, right? But there are historical facts to back it up. Check out these 7 places around the world where there is still buried treasure. Who knows, maybe you could try your luck?
1.) Mexico City – Treasure of La Noche Triste.
In 1520, the Spanish occupied the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan. As you might imagine they were not very good guests, so the Aztecs decided to expel them from the city. Hernán Cortés being the greedy leader he was, ordered his men to stuff their armor with Aztec gold on their way out.
As Tenochtitlan was an island city in the middle of a lake, the Aztecs opted to just push many of the Spanish soldiers into the water. Because they were weighed down with all their armor and gold, they sunk right to the bottom.
The site of Tenochtitlan is now modern day Mexico City. It sites on the dry lake bed on top of all that buried Aztec gold.
2.) Coco Islands – The Treasure of Lima.
We have English Captain William Thompson to thank for this one. Back in 1820 Thompson was ordered to bring a cache of treasure (estimated today to be worth $269 million) from Lima, Peru to Mexico City. It never arrived.
Legend has it that Thompson hid the loot somewhere on the Coco Islands, off the cost of Costa Rica. Despite countless expedition, no one has ever found the treasure.
3.) Haymarket, Virginia – Col. John Singleton Mosby’s Missing Treasure.
Confederate Col. John Singleton Mosby and his Partisan Rangers successfully attempted a risky attack on Northern troops garrisoned at the Fairfax Courthouse in early spring 1863. Mosby and his men captured 42 Union soldiers and raided what they could from their quarters.
What they found was a stash of priceless family heirlooms stolen by the Union troops. Before the courthouse could be recaptured by the North, Mosby had one his men take the heirlooms and hide them in the countryside. They still haven’t been found.
4.) The Florida Keys – La Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
La Nuestra Señora de Atocha, or “Our Lady of Atocha,” was a Spanish treasure ship that sunk in 1622 carrying a huge amount of treasure. Although some of the booty has been recovered, there is still a good part of it missing somewhere on the ocean floor.
5.) Lake Guatavita, Colombia – The Gold Dust God.
The indigenous people around Lake Guatavita in Colombia, South America used to have an odd ritual to please their water god. A priest would cover himself in cold dust and then toss pieces of gold into the lake. As a result there’s quite a bit of gold sitting at the bottom of the lake.
Sadly though, if you’re looking to hunt for this treasure it might be a bit difficult. The Colombian government has banned anyone from trying to drain the lake to find the treasure.
6.) Lake Toplitz, Austria – Nazi Treasure.
It’s no secret that the Nazis plundered valuables from their victims during World War II. However as the tide turned against them, panic set in to cover up all of the things they stole.
A good portion of it was allegedly dumped into Lake Toplitz in Austria. You need to obtain permission from the government to go searching for the buried treasure. However they hardly ever permit anyone to do so.
7.) Washington, Georgia – Secret Confederate Gold.
Right before the south began to contemplate surrender in 1865 during the Civil War, there was the question of what to do with the rest of its treasury. No one quite knows exactly what happened to the money. However, there’s a rumor it was buried somewhere near Washington, Georgia.
(Via: Huffington Post)
Well I’m about ready to get an expedition together. What do you say? Let’s go find some treasure.
