Category: Armchair Treasure Hunts

Open post

The Clock Without A Face – An Armchair Treasure Hunt

04/05/202318/08/2023
by Grey

THE CLOCK WITHOUT A FACE

An Armchair Treasure Hunt

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VI. Overview

Front cover art for The Clock Without A Face armchair treasure hunt book.

What does a cursed clock, twelve jeweled numbers hidden across the United States, and a puzzle book all have in common? They are all a part of the very same 2010 armchair treasure hunt book called The Clock Without a Face, written by Eli Horowitz and Mac Barnett with illustrations by Scott Teplin.

The basic plot of the book revolves around the theft of twelve jeweled numbers from the face of “the Emerald Khroniker”: a cursed clock that adorned a multi-floor apartment building. Clues to the thief’s identity and the whereabouts of the numbers are sprinkled throughout the text and in the accompanying pictures.

By the end of the book the identity of the thief is finally revealed, however, the location of the clock’s missing numbers is not and readers were therefore encouraged to solve the clues found throughout the book and use these clues to search for the numbers in the real world.

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The Legend

The Clock Without a Face has been described as “a treasure hunt, that is bright, with detailed illustrations that are fun to sift through and have an almost endless potential for clues, but the final solutions are ambiguous and unsatisfying.” There is a lot to unpack from this hunt so let’s start with a little more of a broader outline of the book.

The puzzle takes place with a couple of narrators, a detective named Roy Dodge and his assistant Gus Twintig. The detectives have been summoned to interview the dozen residents of the apartment building at 23 Glyph Street and investigate the theft of the 12 emerald-encrusted numbers from The Emerald Khroniker, the cursed clock that is on top of the building.

Front and back covers of the fun shaped puzzle book.

Fun shaped inside pages of the Clock Without A Face puzzle book.

As you proceed through the book, floor by floor, you, the reader, are supposed to pick up clues that lead to the real life buried numbers. Each two page spread has a part of the story on one side, and a cutaway image showing the current floor and apartment on the other.

The drawings are intricate and are very well done with lots of detail that can be used to help solve the puzzle!

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The Treasure

Each of the twelve numbers that were hidden around the country were handcrafted by the New York jewelry designer Anna Sheffield and each was made with real emeralds on a solid backing. Each of the numbers had a different implied backstory.

One was purported to be from the quiet halls of a Tibetan monastery, one was said to be lifted from the buckle of an unknown pirate’s shoe. Yet another was allegedly made from the bottle of a Venetian glass blower.

All 12 numbers from the cursed clock – the prizes for The Clock Without A Face treasure hunt.

No value was ever placed on the numbers by either the designer or the authors, instead the true value was how rare each number was, as well as the story of how each was found.

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The Clues

There were two main components of the book that the reader was tasked with ‘finding’. The first, or as many have said, the easy part are the missing objects from each floor. The residents of each of the floors 1 through 12 claim to have been robbed by a pair of men dressed as gorillas and each of them has had a special object stolen from their floor. These objects were actually hidden on one of the other floor images. Finding the hidden objects was not part of the actual treasure hunt and it did not lead you to any of the buried treasure, but it was a lot of fun, almost like a mini treasure hunt inside a bigger treasure hunt.

Part two of the puzzle book was where the real world treasure hunt began. For this part there were two important clues that helped determine the nature of the puzzle, the most important being the Fifth floor image. In this image there is a meta-copy of the Clock Without a Face book on the kitchen table and in the text that accompanies this image, the two ladies whose apartment it is say that they’ve got the state and the mile, but can’t figure out the highway. This was the key to solving the whole puzzle.

Sample puzzle page from The Clock Without A Face.

Close up of a puzzle page from The Clock Without A Face puzzle book.

Every page of the book contained three hidden pieces of information, one, a US state, two, a number for an Interstate Highway, and three, a distance in miles along that highway. Finding these three hidden pieces of information on each page was tough and laborious. Some of them were easy, while some of them were so cryptic that working them out whilst knowing the answer was impossible.

The second clue needed to solve the puzzle was drawn on the blackboard on the Floor 1 image. The tree in the picture has the pentagonal outline of the Clock Without a Face book drawn on it, and an object buried in the ground beneath it. This was a clue that, in the real world, metal plaques were placed on trees at the location of each buried number, and this meant that treasure-seekers didn’t need to dig up an entire Interstate rest-stop to find the prize.

Some of the locations that numbers were found include Floor 11, this level leads players to the hidden number 3 that was found at the rest stop 89 miles along I-90 in Washington State. Floor 8 led players to the number 10 hidden 10 miles along I-95 in Connecticut, other floors led to I-80 in Indiana, I-76 in Ohio, and I-5 in California.

Another close up of a puzzle page from The Clock Without A Face.

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Conclusion

Buried treasure found as part of the treasure hunt in the book The Clock Without a Face.

The Clock Without a Face was a successful armchair treasure hunt, however, some of the puzzles even now have not been completely solved. Ultimately it took almost two years of solving and searching with many different people for all of the twelve missing numbers to be found. The Clock Without a Face was written in a time before some of the big treasure hunting forums like Tweleve.com and Mysterious Writings, and the prizes, though numerous were not substantial and because all the numbers were found, the book never took on the cult-like status of Masquerade or the Secret.

Eli Horowitz and Mac Barnett unfortunately did not collaborate on any other treasure hunts, however, they did both go on to accomplish other things. Eli became the co-creator of both the podcast and television series Homecoming as well as many other projects. Max Barnett went on to create many successful children’s books such as The Terrible Two series and Mac Barnett Kid Spy series, and Scott Teplin has also continued to illustrate and create many amazing pieces of art, much of which feature very similar artwork to that in The Clock Without a Face such as the book Alphabet City.

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

REFERENCES:

Day, David. “THE CLOCK WITHOUT A FACE”. Weekly Dig. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
Messinger, Jonathan. “The Clock Without a Face – Scott Teplin, Mac Barnett, Eli Horowitz – Book Review – Time Out Chicago”. Time Out Chicago. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
Vaziri, Aidin (April 30, 2010). “Clues in book will lead to buried treasure”. San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2 June 2010..
“Read This Book And Join The Treasure Hunt”. NPR. Retrieved 12 June 2010.

Websites

The Clock Without A Face – Wikipedia
The Clock Without A Face – Dreams Of Gerontius
Unearthing buried treasure at a highway rest stop with clock without a face – Wired
The Clock Page – Teplin
The Clock Without A Face – Mac Barnett
Clock – Eli Horowitz

Map sources for Basing House

Coordinates: 51°16′07″N 1°03′09″W / 51.26872°N 1.05248°W / 51.26872; -1.05248

Other Sources
The Marquess of Winchesters Regiment of the English Civil War Society who reenact the regiment based at Basing House during the English Civil War.

Time Team Search for the second Basing House Channel 4’s Time Team’s excavation of the Basing House area – Dailymotion.

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ROBERT JENNER

Guest Writer

Robert, a guest writer for Areas Grey, has had treasure hunting coursing through his veins from a young age. A fascination with pirates, shipwrecks and lost treasures inspired him to study Marine Archaeology at QUT, working aboard cruise ships many years, then creating and hosting Live from the CodeBar: a podcast about treasure hunting.

Robert is also a member of Fourtune; the most successful armchair treasure hunting team to date which have solved: ‘The Lost Skull’, ‘It’s In LA’, ‘The Letters of St Germain’, ‘Hidden Treasures Treasure Hunt’, and more recently ‘The Bossall Treasure’ which had gone unsolved for almost 10 years!

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“The Clock Without a Face is the realization of every (inner) child’s wildest dreams: a full color, illustrated mystery book packed full of clues that lead to real treasure.”

– Bonnie Chan, Flavorpill, 2010

Open post

THE BOSSALL TREASURE – An Armchair Treasure Hunt

15/09/202218/08/2023
by Grey

THE BOSSALL TREASURE

An Armchair Treasure Hunt

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VI. Overview

In January 2014 Douglas George Pearson published an armchair treasure hunt book titled ‘The Bossall Treasure’. Unlike most armchair treasure hunt books this book was centred around Pearson’s own family history and their connection to a real life treasure of the Knights Templar!

The exciting real life story of Peason’s ancestors is complemented by the armchair treasure hunt scattered throughout the pages. Cryptic images which would lead a worthy treasure hunter to a precise location somewhere in England where Pearson had buried an ornate gold plated Lorraine cross.

After almost 10 years the Croix de Lorraine remained hidden despite the efforts of many armchair treasure hunt enthusiasts. That was until September 2021 when the clues were finally solved and the treasure was found!

The Front Cover for The Bossall Treasure Treasure Hunt Book.

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The Legend

A Picture of Bossall Hall, home of the Belt family.

While researching his family history Douglas Pearson was inspired to write The Bossall Treasure when he discovered that a distant relative, John Pearson who was the steward to Sir Robert Belt in the 1600’s was directly connected to a real life treasure legend which could be traced all the way back to the Knights Templar. The story of The Bossall Treasure is a rollercoaster and has everything from power plays, deceitful acts, murder, ambitious characters who will stop at nothing, political and religious differences and closely guarded family secrets.

The tale follows the Pearson family through the generations, their quest for justice after being denied the status of gentry which they firmly believed they deserved, and their connection to this treasure of the Knights Templar and covers its connection to the Freemasons and many historically significant characters such as Sir Robert Belt and the Belt family.

Other characters included in the story are Jaques de Morley the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Elias Ashmole, a man who stopped at nothing and who’s enduring legacy is the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford, Darley’s of Buttercrambe, well known members of the horse racing fraternity, the Read family of Sand Hutton, the Bawtry family, Charles I and Charles II.

This isn’t just a well researched and well written story you could read over and over for entertainment, it is also a book filled with clues leading people to find a gold Lorraine cross buried somewhere in England.

Engraving of Lytham St Annes with the famous windmill landmark from the 19th century.

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The Treasure

The Lorraine Cross As Depicted In The Prize Page Of The Bossall Treasure Book.

While the Pearson legacy revolves around a real life treasure legend in which the ancestor John Pearson while working as the steward to Sir Robert Belt, Lord of the Manor of Bossall Hall near York during the civil war in the mid 1600’s conspired with Sir Robert Belt to hide a hoard of gold and silver plat in the moat surrounding Bossall Hall. It is said that later John Pearson returned to the moat and stole the treasures from the moat.

The prize of The Bossall Treasure armchair treasure hunt is a gold plated bronze Lorraine cross encrusted with jewels measuring approximately 75mm x 55mm. While the treasure may not be worth thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions like some of the more well known armchair treasure hunts like the Thrill of the Chase this treasure will surely be a symbol of achievement and a conversation piece for whoever does find it for they will have solved a treasure hunt that has gone unsolved for almost a decade!

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The Clues

The Bossall Treasure book is 297 pages detailing the historical story of Pearson’s family history and their connection with a treasure legend. Tucked away in the eleven chapters of the book are 11 clues and puzzles which when solved would point someone directly to the location of a gold plated Lorraine cross which Pearson buried somewhere in England.

The puzzles & clues range in difficulty and complexity with some requiring some serious thought, but Pearson found a way to keep the puzzles engaging and challenging enough that you could spend days working on them and not give up out of frustration.

Pearson spent three years creating the book and the puzzles. With no one to test the clues on, Pearson needed to spend hours looking at other types of puzzles, brain teasers and even the solutions to Kit Williams’ treasure hunt Masquerade in order to gauge the difficulty levels of the clues.

Artwork for one of the puzzles of the Bossall Treasure hunt book.

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Conclusion

The Golden Lorraine Cross, Prize Of The Bossall Treasure Hunt.

In 2020 The Bossall Treasure’s official website was shut down and Pearson had begun working on other projects. This didn’t deter some of the treasure seekers who had been on the case of the Bossall Treasure since it began in 2014 and rightfully so. Pearson was still accepting emails with proposed solutions for the treasure hunt.

Over seven years had passed and no one was close to solving the mystery of the Bossall Treasure hunt. That was until September 2021 when a small team of plucky treasure hunters including Lisa Finch, Robert Jenner, Nick Spera, and yours truly, finally cracked the Bossall Treasure after collectively trying for years.

The Solution

THE BOSSALL TREASURE SOLUTION

NICK SPERA

The solution to The Bossall Treasure was divided into 11 chapters. Each chapter’s text and image either by itself or with info from a preceding chapter would give the reader one or more words that ultimately made up the solution to the puzzle. Here is the solution chapter by chapter and then at the end, how it ties into the final chapter text for a confirmer.

CHAPTER 1:

The solution for this chapter is used by taking the first letter of each component of the image which is backed by the chapter text. We have a map of Lombardy, which is the origin of the Belt family. Next is the Arms of the Medici Family. After that, we have the Indenture or Deed. Finally, the image shows York Minster. All 4 components are then used with their first letter: Lombardy Arms Deed York

The clue derived from Chapter 1 is LADY

CHAPTER 2:

The solution for this chapter is solved almost the same as the first chapter. You again use the first letter of all the image components. We have a Graveyard, the arms of Robert, Elias Ashmole, two chests, and Queen Elizabeth. The first letters of each image component are used to then spell a word: Graveyard Robert Ashmole Chests Elizabeth

The clue derived from Chapter 2 is GRACE

CHAPTER 3:

The solution for this chapter deals with a grid full of letters and 3 images. The reader will learn about the characters’ trip, who they meet, and the treasure they carry to identify the 3 pictures in the image. The 3 images are London, Renzo, and Plate. The solver is to then spell those three words by eliminating letters from the letter grid. They should also notice all three of those words are spelled with letters from the inner box of the grid. To help the solver, the first letter of each of those 3 words were colored red. After eliminating the letters of those 3 words, now match each letter to the letter next to it in the outer box by going through the same order again: LONDON RENZO PLATE. The letters on the outer box next to each will spell WORD CHAPTER THREE. Now, notice next to each letter that started the original three words: L, R, P; there is a number. Going in order, the solver will get 833. The last thing to do is to count the 833rd word of Chapter 3. That word is “Cross”.

The clue derived from this chapter is CROSS.

CHAPTER 4:

The solution for this chapter is solved by using the dates of the six events in the image (gravestones) and then number/letter subbing them to the alphabet. The solver only needs to use the day, not the month or year. In the text, the author changed one of the dates to alert the reader of the potential clue. All the reader needs to do is go by the days on the headstones in the image. Those numbers are: 9th, 4th, 18th, 21st, 5th, 2nd. Subbed to letters in the alphabet gives the letters I D R U E B. Those letters are an anagram to the word: Buried.

The clue derived from this chapter is BURIED

CHAPTER 5

The solution to this chapter is solved by using the image. The image shows Selby Abbey, a market cross scene, and a map in the background. The key is to look at how the cross on top of the market cross is shaded so it overlays perfectly onto the map. By doing this, it looks like it’s a symbol for a church on that map. Next to the cross are the words “on the marsh”.

The clue derived from this chapter is ON THE MARSH

CHAPTER 6

The solution to this chapter is solved with a shift cipher and then anagram. Use the first letter of each characters first name and shift it so A=O. If you use the order from left to right on the page, the answer will still be jumbled, but if you can see pretty easily the jumbled letters will spell the word Opposite.

The clue derived from this chapter is the word OPPOSITE

CHAPTER 7

The solution to this chapter is solved by viewing the image and using the components to create 3 words. From the text we know Picklington lives in Micklegate York. The text states it’s the south gate of the city. In the image we have a map of York with an arrow pointing to its southern “gate”. The last component is John Anstis in the image, who has the meeting at Mickelgate in the chapter. John Anstis is an anagram for Saint John’s. This anagram is used along with “gate” derived from the arrow indicator.

The clue derived from this chapter is SAINT JOHN’S GATE

CHAPTER 8

The solution to this chapter has a short and long way to solve the puzzle. Once again, there is a grid with letters and numbers. This is the first chapter that uses a piece from an earlier chapter that helps align the numbers. The short way to solve this puzzle is to ignore the numbers completely and attempt to anagram the letters to get the term EIGHTY FIVE FT.

The longer way involves the numbers and three marriage dates that are mentioned in the chapter Those dates are: 14th February 1687, 19th May 1710, and 20th July 1719. The solver should notice that 14, 19, and 20 are all numbers in the grid. The key is to solve the puzzle using multiplication to arrive at the other numbers. The pattern is Day= x1, Month= x2, Year is split into two numbers and the first number is x3 and the second is x4. Here is an example of the first marriage date of 14th February 1687: 14×1=14 2×2=4 16×3=48 87×4=384. The solver will now notice all the resulting numbers appear in the grid. Do the same process with the other two marriage dates. By using the letters adjacent to those numbers using the dates in that order, it will spell EIGHTY FIVE FT.

The clue derived from this chapter is EIGHTY FIVE FT

CHAPTER 9

The solution from this chapter is solved with the image and some text in the beginning of the chapter. The chapter describes Belt looking at a document the in the morning. His desk had a window that looked true south over the hills. The image shows the character looking up from the document and out the window. There is also a compass in the corner. Compasses usually denote North if they only show one direction. However, this one shows South. The reader at this time should gather that the clue is True South. The clock shows 2:42. This doesn’t match the time of day the character is sitting at his desk. The key is to understand the difference between True South and Magnetic South. If one looks at the publication of the book which is 2012 and checks the declination between True South and Magnetic South at that point in time, they will see that it is 2 degrees 42 minutes. This is used later on with the final walking steps to the burial of the treasure along with Ch 10’s solution to confirm

The clue derived from this chapter is TRUE SOUTH

CHAPTER 10

The solution from this chapter is derived from the text and image. The image shows a compass with names as well as death years. The reader should notice also an arrow on the East direction of the compass, as well as numbers in the inner circle. The first step to solve the puzzle is to determine the order by matching the proper death year to the right name using Ch 10’s text. After that is complete it should look like this:

Elizabeth Cutler 1745

John Pearson 1781

William Read 1798

Elizabeth Pearson 1809

Henry Pearson 1810

Thomas Cutler Rudson Read 1838

Now that the order is established, line up the numbers in the inner circle with the name order shown above. The result will be 3 .6 6 5&5 20. The reader will notice the 3 . 6 is in blue. Leave these as is. The black numbers are then number/letter subbed to the word FEET. Now combine it with the 3.6 and the arrow indicating East to get 3.6 FEET EAST. The 3.6 feet east is the difference between walking 85ft true south from the gate and walking magnetic south 85ft and then turning east and walking 3.6 feet. The 3.6 feet covers the declination between the two at the 85ft mark at time of the burial of the cross.

The clue derived from this chapter is 3.6 FEET EAST

CHAPTER 11

The solution from this chapter is gained from the family tree in the image along with confirmation from the text. The Pearson’s from this chapter have 8 children but only six of them survive. In the family tree, if you take the first letter of the names of children who survived, you get the word LYTHAM.

At this point you have all the clues solved and should have this message:

LADY GRACE CROSS BURIED ON THE MARSH OPPOSITE ST JOHN’S GATE EIGHTY FIVE FT TRUE SOUTH 3.6 FEET EAST LYTHAM.

The image for chapter 11 also confirms the area by showing St Johns the Divine Church and Lytham Marsh. The BOTG portion would be to stand at the center of the gate of St John’s, and face magnetic south. Walk 85ft in that direction. Then turn east and walk 3.6 feet. That was the burial location of the cross. One could also just walk true south from the gate, which is about 171 deg bearing. This is also confirmed in the text of Ch 11 where it describes the cross being buried in the passage below where the character realizes the curse the cross brings and how he wishes to rid himself of it.

“He entered the Church (St John’s) and took a moment to pray for less troubled times and the new life he was to embark on. On his way out, he walked slowly down the path and he paused under the lichgate. He then continued onto the marsh and paused again, re-affirming to himself his intention for a change of fortune.”

This concludes the solution for the Bossall Treasure. A big thanks to my team of Robert, Lisa, and Adam. Another big thanks to Doug Pearson for creating the hunt that stood the test of time unsolved for almost a decade. I hope you enjoyed reading the solution and that it answers your questions.

Sadly, while writing this post I was informed that Douglas G Pearson had passed away.

Douglas G Pearson made a huge impact on our lives, his book The Bossall Treasure is what brought our little team together, making friends for life. He gave us an adventure, a treasure, a story to tell, but most of all ignited the imagination and inspired not just us but countless others to challenge ourselves and dare to dream.

He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten by the community he touched with his creativity.

Useful Links:

The Bossall Treasure Available on Amazon

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

Primary Source: Atlantis of the Sands – Wikipedia

REFERENCES:

“The Incense Road: Ubar”. Nabataea.net. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
“Atlantis: The Lost Empire”. IMDb.
“Atlantis: Milo’s Return”. IMDb.
Wilford, John Noble (5 February 1992). “On the Trail From the Sky: Roads Point to a Lost City”. The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Fiennes, Ranulph (1993). Atlantis of the sands: The Search for the Lost City of Ubar. Harmondsworth: Signet Books. ISBN 0-451-17577-8. OL 17393459M.
Glassé, Cyril; Huston Smith (2003). “ʿĀd”. The New Encyclopedia of Islam (Revised ed.). AltaMira Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0759101906.
Clapp, Nicholas (1999). The road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-395-95786-8. OCLC 41557131.
Zarins, Juris (May–June 1997). “Atlantis of the Sands”. Archaeology. Vol. 50 no. 3. New York: Archaeological Institute of America. pp. 51–53. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Andy in Oman. “Is “The Lost City of Ubar” Found or Still Lost?!”. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Thomas, Bertram (1933). “Ubar – the Atlantis of the sands of the Rub’ al Khali”. Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society. Royal Society for Asian Affairs. 20 (2): 259–265. doi:10.1080/03068379308725252.
Lawrence, T. E. (1964). The letters of T.E. Lawrence. London: Spring Books. OL 17198428M.
Thesiger, Wilfred (October–December 1946). “A New Journey in Southern Arabia”. The Geographical Journal. Royal Geographical Society. 108 (4/6): 135. doi:10.2307/1789822. JSTOR 1789822.
Morton, Michael Quentin (2006). In the Heart of the Desert (2nd ed.). Aylesford, Kent, UK: Green Mountain Press. ISBN 0-9552212-0-X. OL 24229851M.
Phillips, Wendell (June 1972). Unknown Oman. Librairie Du Liban Publications. ISBN 978-0-86685-025-4. OL 9339953M.
“The lost city of Ubar”. Islam 101. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
Thomas, Bertram (September 1931). “A Camel Journey Across the Rub al-Khali”. The Geographical Journal. Royal Geographical Society. 78 (3): 209–38. doi:10.2307/1784895. JSTOR 1784895.
Wynn, Jeffrey C.; Shoemaker, Eugene M. (November 1998). “The Day the Sands Caught Fire” (PDF). Scientific American. Springer Nature. pp. 64–71. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Edgell, H. Stewart (2004). “The myth of the lost city of the Arabian Sands”. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. Archaeopress. 34: 105–120. JSTOR 41223810.
Stark, Freya (1936). The southern gates of Arabia. New York: E. P. Dutton. OCLC 557374. OL 6342012M.
Zarins, Juris (September 1996). “Interview with Dr. Juris Zarins”. PBS Nova Online (Interview). Retrieved 27 June 2013.
Zarins, Juris (2000). Bawden, Garth; Reycraft, Richard Martin (eds.). “Environmental disruption and human response: an archaeological-historical example from south Arabia”. Environmental Disaster and the Archaeology of Human Response. Anthropological papers. Albuquerque, NM: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. 7: 35–49. OCLC 45708208.
Blom, Ronald G.; Crippen, Robert; Elachi, Charles; Clapp, Nicholas; Hedges, George R.; Zarins, Juris (2006). Wiseman, James; El-Baz, Farouk (eds.). “Southern Arabian Desert Trade Routes, Frankincense, Myrrh, and the Ubar Legend”. Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. New York: Springer: 71–87. doi:10.1007/0-387-44455-6_3. ISBN 978-0-387-44455-0. S2CID 128081354.
Lawton, John (May–June 1983). “Oman: Frankincense”. Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 34 no. 3. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
Kakutani, Michiko (27 February 1998). “Stumbling Upon the Desert’s Secret”. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
Groom, Nigel (August 1994). “Oman and the Emirates in Ptolemy’s map”. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy. Blackwell Publishing. 5 (3): 198–214. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0471.1994.tb00067.x.
Groom, Nigel (Spring 2000). “The Road to Ubar—Pros and Cons”. Bulletin of the Society for Arabian Studies. Society for Arabian Studies. 5: 42–43.
Jones, Barri (July–August 1992). “On the Incense Trail” (PDF). Minerva. Vol. 3 no. 4. Myles Poulton. p. 17. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
“Information on tentative lists and examination of nominations of cultural and natural properties to the List of World Heritage in Danger and World Heritage List” (PDF). UNESCO.org. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
Sasson, Jack M., ed. (1994). Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. London: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 1351.

Other sources of information:

Bertram Thomas: Bertram Thomas – Wikipedia

Major Wilfred Thesiger: Wilfred Thesiger – Wikipedia

The Road to Ubar – Finding the Atlantis of the Sands by Nicholas Clapp: http://thereaderdiary.blogspot.com/2011/01/

Wadi Rum: Wadi Rum – Wikipedia

Nizwa: Nizwa – Wikipedia

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ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

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Join Robert, host of the CodeBar Live podcast and journey into the greatest treasure legends, armchair treasure hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, escape rooms, ARG’s, puzzle boxes & more!

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LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

Whether you’re looking for someone to help with a treasure hunt, if you’ve got a story to tell, some vital information to share, feedback for Areas Grey, or if you just want to say “hi”, all emails are welcome!

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“The discovery served to confirm a long-existing tradition, that the money and rich plate had been hidden by our ancestor Sir Robert Belt, during the Civil War, in that part of the pleasure ground.”

– William John Belt, 1779

Open post

THE LOST SKULL – An Armchair Treasure Hunt

25/05/202218/08/2023
by Grey

THE LOST SKULL

An Armchair Treasure Hunt

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

In September 2019 a Kickstarter was launched by game designer Robert Brewer. The Kickstarter was about a SciFi armchair treasure hunt book that Brewer was going to launch. A little over a month later the book was launched and the hunt began. The book contained amazing artworks hiding 10 cryptic puzzles which when solved would reveal coordinates that lead to the hiding place of the famed Lost Skull of Orion, a skull crafted from marble!

At the start of 2020 treasure hunters Nick Spera and Robert Jenner had solved the puzzles, flown out to the location and in the early hours of the morning dug up the Lost Skull winning a cash prize of $1,000. At the end of this article you can find the expedition journal wrote by Nick Spera and Robert Jenner describing how they solved the puzzles and their epic adventure going to retrieve the Lost Skull of Orion.

The Lost Skull Cover Art.

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Origins

Artwork from page 27 of The Lost Skull book.

The Lost Skull is a richly illustrated armchair treasure hunt book created by author, artist and game designer Robert Brewer in 2019. All the treasure hunters in the galaxy are searching for the famed Lost Skull of Orion. Captivated by the Masquerade and The Secret treasure hunt books as a child Robert Brewer discovered that the armchair treasure hunt genre of book was a great hobby to get involved in and decided he too would like to bring the thrill, adventure, and magic of hunting for treasure to others. For the next six months Brewer designed the artwork and puzzles and completed the Lost Skull armchair treasure hunt.

The Lost Skull project started out on Kickstarter so that funding could be gathered in order to publish the book and have it mass distributed. Backers of the project through Kickstarter were offered an extra incentive of receiving the book first and they would be sent an additional clue that wouldn’t be included in the wide release of the book. The Kickstarter was a success and the book launched in October 2019 sending treasure hunters on a researching frenzy in hopes of being the first to solve the clues and claim the Lost Skull.

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The Treasure

The first person to solve the 10 puzzles and locate the treasure would be the proud new owner of The Lost Skull of Orion, a skull crafted from marble weighing 3.3lbs and worth around $500. But, that’s not all, in addition to the skull the winners would receive a cash prize of $1,000!

A runner up prize for the first person to send a picture of themselves at all 10 locations would also be offered in the form of $500 cash.

The Lost Skull Of Orion.

Even today you can still go out to the ten locations and send the pictures to Brewer in exchange for a numbered skull collectible to show off. The first set of these were the “Champion” skulls which were moulds made of resin.

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The Clues

Hidden in the beautiful artwork of this SciFi adventure are 10 puzzles in the form of riddles, logic problems, and hidden clues in the images. When solved, these puzzles reveal the coordinates of the location of the treasure’s hiding place. The clues come in varying levels of difficulty so that it could be accessible to those familiar with puzzles and those who were new to the armchair treasure hunt genre.

Artwork from page 29 of The Lost Skull treasure hunt book.

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Conclusion

The Winners Of The Lost Skull, Nick Spera and Robert Jenner Finding And Claiming Their Prize.

At the start of February 2020 treasure hunters Nick Spera and Robert Jenner solved all 10 clues and recovered the Lost Skull of Orion from its hiding place and claimed $1,000! Nick and Robert flew out to Hudson Ohio where in the early hours of the morning dug up the famed Lost Skull of Orion and became the winners of The Lost Skull armchair treasure hunt.

The Runner Up prize of $500 was won by Tray Fitzgerald and the Champion skulls went to Beth Hoanec, Brian Poeppelman, Bill Gardner, and Tina Jones.

Robert Brewer says that “even though the main prizes have been won, I designed my hunt so it can still be enjoyed by being able to solve the puzzles and visit the locations and see the images and clues come to life. I think this hunt can be a good introduction to new hunters and even a family activity. Enjoy”

Find more from Robert Brewer on The Lost Skull website and on their social media accounts linked below.

The puzzle book full of amazing artwork is still available to buy if you think you have what it takes to solve the puzzles!

Useful Links:

The Lost Skull Website

Twitter

Instagram

The Lost Skull Available on Amazon

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

Primary Source: Atlantis of the Sands – Wikipedia

REFERENCES:

“The Incense Road: Ubar”. Nabataea.net. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
“Atlantis: The Lost Empire”. IMDb.
“Atlantis: Milo’s Return”. IMDb.
Wilford, John Noble (5 February 1992). “On the Trail From the Sky: Roads Point to a Lost City”. The New York Times. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Fiennes, Ranulph (1993). Atlantis of the sands: The Search for the Lost City of Ubar. Harmondsworth: Signet Books. ISBN 0-451-17577-8. OL 17393459M.
Glassé, Cyril; Huston Smith (2003). “ʿĀd”. The New Encyclopedia of Islam (Revised ed.). AltaMira Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0759101906.
Clapp, Nicholas (1999). The road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-395-95786-8. OCLC 41557131.
Zarins, Juris (May–June 1997). “Atlantis of the Sands”. Archaeology. Vol. 50 no. 3. New York: Archaeological Institute of America. pp. 51–53. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Andy in Oman. “Is “The Lost City of Ubar” Found or Still Lost?!”. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Thomas, Bertram (1933). “Ubar – the Atlantis of the sands of the Rub’ al Khali”. Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society. Royal Society for Asian Affairs. 20 (2): 259–265. doi:10.1080/03068379308725252.
Lawrence, T. E. (1964). The letters of T.E. Lawrence. London: Spring Books. OL 17198428M.
Thesiger, Wilfred (October–December 1946). “A New Journey in Southern Arabia”. The Geographical Journal. Royal Geographical Society. 108 (4/6): 135. doi:10.2307/1789822. JSTOR 1789822.
Morton, Michael Quentin (2006). In the Heart of the Desert (2nd ed.). Aylesford, Kent, UK: Green Mountain Press. ISBN 0-9552212-0-X. OL 24229851M.
Phillips, Wendell (June 1972). Unknown Oman. Librairie Du Liban Publications. ISBN 978-0-86685-025-4. OL 9339953M.
“The lost city of Ubar”. Islam 101. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
Thomas, Bertram (September 1931). “A Camel Journey Across the Rub al-Khali”. The Geographical Journal. Royal Geographical Society. 78 (3): 209–38. doi:10.2307/1784895. JSTOR 1784895.
Wynn, Jeffrey C.; Shoemaker, Eugene M. (November 1998). “The Day the Sands Caught Fire” (PDF). Scientific American. Springer Nature. pp. 64–71. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
Edgell, H. Stewart (2004). “The myth of the lost city of the Arabian Sands”. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. Archaeopress. 34: 105–120. JSTOR 41223810.
Stark, Freya (1936). The southern gates of Arabia. New York: E. P. Dutton. OCLC 557374. OL 6342012M.
Zarins, Juris (September 1996). “Interview with Dr. Juris Zarins”. PBS Nova Online (Interview). Retrieved 27 June 2013.
Zarins, Juris (2000). Bawden, Garth; Reycraft, Richard Martin (eds.). “Environmental disruption and human response: an archaeological-historical example from south Arabia”. Environmental Disaster and the Archaeology of Human Response. Anthropological papers. Albuquerque, NM: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. 7: 35–49. OCLC 45708208.
Blom, Ronald G.; Crippen, Robert; Elachi, Charles; Clapp, Nicholas; Hedges, George R.; Zarins, Juris (2006). Wiseman, James; El-Baz, Farouk (eds.). “Southern Arabian Desert Trade Routes, Frankincense, Myrrh, and the Ubar Legend”. Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. New York: Springer: 71–87. doi:10.1007/0-387-44455-6_3. ISBN 978-0-387-44455-0. S2CID 128081354.
Lawton, John (May–June 1983). “Oman: Frankincense”. Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 34 no. 3. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
Kakutani, Michiko (27 February 1998). “Stumbling Upon the Desert’s Secret”. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
Groom, Nigel (August 1994). “Oman and the Emirates in Ptolemy’s map”. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy. Blackwell Publishing. 5 (3): 198–214. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0471.1994.tb00067.x.
Groom, Nigel (Spring 2000). “The Road to Ubar—Pros and Cons”. Bulletin of the Society for Arabian Studies. Society for Arabian Studies. 5: 42–43.
Jones, Barri (July–August 1992). “On the Incense Trail” (PDF). Minerva. Vol. 3 no. 4. Myles Poulton. p. 17. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
“Information on tentative lists and examination of nominations of cultural and natural properties to the List of World Heritage in Danger and World Heritage List” (PDF). UNESCO.org. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
Sasson, Jack M., ed. (1994). Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. London: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 1351.

Other sources of information:

Bertram Thomas: Bertram Thomas – Wikipedia

Major Wilfred Thesiger: Wilfred Thesiger – Wikipedia

The Road to Ubar – Finding the Atlantis of the Sands by Nicholas Clapp: http://thereaderdiary.blogspot.com/2011/01/

Wadi Rum: Wadi Rum – Wikipedia

Nizwa: Nizwa – Wikipedia

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Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

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Expedition Journals

Expedition Journals are detailed accounts of treasure hunters such as myself that have conducted in-depth research and have gone on expeditions in search of lost treasures.

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Get Free Priority Access To Treasure News, Giveaways, And More!

*By subscribing to the newsletter you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

Whether you’re looking for someone to help with a treasure hunt, if you’ve got a story to tell, some vital information to share, feedback for Areas Grey, or if you just want to say “hi”, all emails are welcome!

GET IN TOUCH

Fields marked with * are required

Purpose of Email *

Work Together
Guest Writing
Feedback & Suggestions
Provide Information
General & Other

*By using this form you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

Follow us on:

GET IN TOUCH

Fields marked with * are required

Purpose of Email

Work Together
Guest Writing
Feedback & Suggestions
Provide Information
General & Other

*By using this form you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

Follow us on:

“Even though the main prizes have been won, I designed my hunt so it can still be enjoyed by being able to solve the puzzles and visit the locations and see the images and clues come to life. I think this hunt can be a good introduction to new hunters and even a family activity. Enjoy.”

– Robert Brewer, 2020

Open post

THE HARE ON THE MOON

28/10/202118/08/2023
by Grey

THE HARE ON THE MOON

By Joanna May

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

THE BOOK & MAP

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

Q & A

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

In 2019, wildlife conservationist and artist Joanna May launched her first treasure hunt with the release of ‘The Hare on the Moon’. The book is filled with beautiful artwork and a charming story about the mythical hare on the moon’s quest to return to her home in Wiltshire, England.

Hidden within the book’s fantastic tale and illustrations are clues which, when solved, will reveal the magical words and coordinates that can be submitted at JoannaMay.com. The first person to submit the correct answer will win ‘Three Hares on a Golden Moon’ – a one-of-a-kind painting on gold leaf created by Joanna May, representing an ancient Celtic fertility symbol, which in January 2020 was estimated to be worth £15,000.

The Hare On The Moon Treasure Hunt Book By Joanna May.

Three Hares On A Golden Moon

The successful hunter will have the right coordinates and words to a final destination and will fill them in online. The treasure awaiting them is a painting of the Celtic symbol of three interlinking hares made with gold leaf. It’s current estimated value is £15,000.

Sourced from: Journalism.co.uk

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Book & Map

Artist Joanna May Displaying The Zodiac Paintings In Her Gallery.

After producing her first paintings for the Zodiac series which were featured on BBC’s Spring Watch programme in 2006, Joanna was told that the style of the artwork was reminiscent to that of Masquerade, a famous armchair treasure hunt book from 1979 by Kit Williams.

Having grown up as a massive fan of the Masquerade book, Joanna was inspired to turn her zodiac series of paintings into a treasure hunt book of her very own, entitled The Hare on the Moon. The book features a hare at various different landmarks around the Wiltshire, England area such as Stonehenge, Avebury, and even Chalice Well Gardens in Glastonbury, Somerset.

With a hardback, gold foil, and embossed cover measuring 370mm x 246mm this book is a work of art in itself and one that is truly eye catching!

Within the pages of the book you’ll find beautiful works of art depicting the hare from the moon on her quest to collect the magical treasures from sacred sites around Wiltshire which are linked to the stars of the constellations of the zodiac. Accompanying the illustrations is the story of the hare’s journey, starting from when she sacrifices herself for a mystical traveller who places her image upon the moon.

The story allows readers to follow the hare’s journey as she is mentored by the moon on a quest for her freedom to return to Earth. The challenge involves collecting treasures from different sacred sites from around Wiltshire where she must learn from the constellations how to obtain the treasures and return them to the man in the moon. Once all of the treasures are collected the hare will need to complete a final task which will return her to the Earth.

Page From The Hare On The Moon Treasure Hunt Book Showing The Zodiac Painting.

Two Versions Of The Hare On The Moon Are Available the Joanna May’s Website:

Standard Edition for £29.95

A Limited Edition for £59.95

The Golden Hair Trail Map To Supplement The Hare On The Moon Treasure Book.

Available for £8.50 from Joanna May’s Website.

The Hare on the Moon map – The Golden Hare Trail is a recent addition to the treasure hunt that can be bought from Joanna’s gallery or the JonnaMay.com store. While the map isn’t necessary to find the treasure, Joanna has said that it does contain hints to help you along with The Hare On The Moon treasure hunt.

The map is another aesthetically pleasing addition to this armchair treasure hunt which leads readers on a journey through the Wiltshire landscape seeing all of the mystical locations that the hare visits on her quest for freedom. The Golden Hair Trail comes with an itinerary for a 7 day vacation in Wiltshire, when you can journey through the area with recommendations for routes to take, places to visit, places to stay, and even places to get lunch.

For those who take the trip out to Wiltshire to fully enjoy and appreciate the map, Joanna has set up a challenge whereby if you visit the places on the map and return to her gallery, Joanna will reward you with up to seven tokens as well as stickers for children to enjoy. Look out for the clues hidden at each of the twelve locations on the map.

Clues Of The Treasure Hunt

Sourced from: JoannaMay.com

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The Treasure

The first person to identify the key words and coordinates found from solving the clues in the book and submit the answer to JoannaMay.com will receive an original one of a kind Joanna May painting – Three Hares On A Golden Moon which depicts three hares interlinked by their ears creating an ancient Celtic fertility symbol over a moon of gold. The prize painting was estimated to be worth £15,000 in January 2020 and is currently being kept on display at Joanna May’s gallery in Devizes until the correct solution is submitted.

Three Hares On A Golden Moon is a beautiful painting on gold leaf which was created by Joanna May especially for The Hare On The Moon armchair treasure hunt.

The Prize: Three Hares On A Golden Moon An Original One Of A Kind Painting By Joanna May Valued At £15,000.

“I realised it would be a perfect prize because it is connected to the lunar cycle and is, in itself considered to be a puzzle.” – Joanna May

To win this beautiful painting, an extraordinarily important site is the ‘key’. You must solve the puzzle, which will unlock the spell that has placed the image of the hare on the Moon. This will allow her to come back down to Earth as a mortal hare, to her beloved Wiltshire.

Three Hares On A Golden Moon

Sourced from: JoannaMay.com

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Q & A With Joanna May

Contemporary Artists And Wildlife Conservationist Joanna May.

Thank you for taking the time to discuss The Hare On The Moon with me. I have to say, once I received your book and opened that package containing the book I was blown away, it’s a truly beautiful work of art and extremely well put together.

With the addition of the map for the Hare on the Moon trail which you recently released it all comes together really well and makes for a great experience for those armchair treasure hunters out there. I have my book proudly dominating the top of my treasure hunt book case at the moment, it’s definitely eye catching. It must have been a great feeling of accomplishment when you launched your book in 2019 after I suspect years of development.

Q. I’ve read that you have said that you were inspired by the Masquerade treasure hunt book by Kit Williams from 1979 to turn your zodiac series of paintings into an armchair treasure hunt book of your own. How much would you say the influence of the Masquerade has had over your own treasure hunt, was it just the spark that ignited the flame or would you say there is a stronger influence that participants of the Masquerade may recognize and have a bit of nostalgia about in your hunt?

A. My father worked for a Publishers in London and brought home all the latest illustrated books for me and my sisters. Masquerade was one of the books that inspired me to be an artist, I actually didn’t get very far solving the clues, but I was 14 years old at the time. It had a profound influence on me because I was ‘blown away’ by the detail. We all loved the concept of the book and never forgot it which did ‘ignite the flame’ in later life. I had no idea I would get well known for painting the hare and it was my new surrealistic hare paintings, the ‘Zodiac Hares’, which were launched on BBC’s Spring Watch programme which reminded my clients of Masquerade. This inspired me to make them into a story and treasure hunt book.

Q. When you were making the Hare on the Moon was the process of making puzzles and ciphers something new you had to learn and tackle specifically for the book or do you have some experience in participating in other treasure hunts, and if so, which have you enjoyed the most?

A. I hadn’t got involved in a treasure hunt book myself, apart from my early attempts as a teenager. It was all new to me and I made sure I didn’t look at Masquerade or any other treasure hunt book so I wasn’t influenced on how they had gone about it. I wanted it to be uniquely my way of constructing the clues. I did really enjoy the process. The only other person who looked at the construction was my husband because I needed some fresh eyes to check that they thought it was hard enough but fair. We believe it is solvable.

Q. If you didn’t have experience of participating in treasure hunts before, do you think you’ll be tempted to have a go at one now that you have published your own? If so have you got your eye on one you would like to try your hand at, what attracted you to that one specifically?

A. I would love to have the time but alas my work is full on, balancing the gallery, book and map sales and also keeping up with booked commissions. I am learning so much more about the solutions to previous treasure hunt books from websites like yours and meeting serious treasure hunters when they come into my gallery. One treasure hunter came in who had solved ‘The Last Fairy’ and showed me the treasure he had dug up of a golden wand, it was thrilling to meet him and see the treasure. He was kind enough to give me a book called ‘Treasure’ by Dan James. I will have fun looking at it, but I believe most of the clues have been solved.

Q. What would you say is your favorite type of cipher/puzzle that you have come across in your research or previous experience with treasure hunts?

A. Well, with my limited experience I did like to see the workings out of ‘The Last Fairy’ when he explained how he did it. I was surprised that it had taken 10 years to solve, but it goes to show if you know the answer it always looks easy.

Q. Having read the book and looked over the other materials including the map you have recently released I must say that I’ve had a great time exploring and learning the mystical and ancient places around Wiltshire. It’s easy to get lost down a rabbit (or maybe I should say Hare) hole when looking these places up. Would you say it is necessary for someone who is unfamiliar with Wiltshire and these sites to do some research to be able to solve the treasure hunt?

A. I think my answer here is that it is all in the book so you don’t have to be from Wiltshire or know Wiltshire to be able to solve the puzzle. Though, if you can visit the sites in the book it will make for some wonderful days out.

Q. I’ve read that the solution will be in the form of several words and map coordinates. Will this be obvious to those who solve the solutions or will there be a level of intuitive interpretation involved for the participants to determine these?

A. I believe that the book is logical not intuitive but there are levels of clues and one leads to another.

Q. My understanding is that at this current time the correct solution has not been submitted. Has anyone come close?

A. I have some serious treasure hunters working on it and they are posting their progress to me via social media sometimes and I am waiting with bated breath but, as of yet, it is still unsolved.

Q. If you were to gauge the difficulty of this treasure hunt, where would you rate it on a scale from Easy to Expert level?

A. I would say ‘middle’, I still believe a clever teenager has as much chance as an Oxford Don.

Q. The prize painting of the three hares on the moon is truly beautiful and whoever wins it will surely be displaying it with pride. However, there may be people out there who are wondering, how much is the painting worth, I’ve read a lot of different amounts ranging from £3,500 to £15,000. Is there an official figure?

A. My paintings to date have sold up to £15,000 and gold leopard and lion paintings produced back in 2007 sold at £10,000. ‘The Three Hares on a Golden Moon’ are more detailed than those so I would say around £15,000.

Q. If you could offer hunters one piece of advice about how to solve the treasure hunt, what would it be?

A. That is a very good question – I would say please stick at it, it is solvable and too many people buy the book and believe they are no good at puzzles and give up too easily.

Q. If the treasure hunt is a success do you think you will produce more in the future, or was this a once in a lifetime experience for you?

A. I would love to produce another one, I have some ideas but for the moment I am very busy promoting ‘The Hare on the Moon’ the newly released map ‘The Golden Hare Trail’ running my gallery and drawing and painting for my clients.

Q. Should participants in the treasure hunt be cautious of any red herrings or false clues in your book?

A. It is very easy to see things that aren’t there, but I haven’t purposely put any red herrings in the book.

A huge thank you again for taking the time to discuss The Hare On The Moon with me and answer some questions!

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Conclusion

Joanna May with her published treasure hunt book The Hare On The Moon.

You can find out more about The Hare On The Moon and buy your copy of the book and map with the links below

Useful Links:

Buy the Books and Maps from JoannaMay.com:

Standard Edition £29.95

Limited Edition £59.95

The Golden Hair Trail Map £8.50

Joanna May’s website

Official Facebook Page

Official Instagram Page

Official Twitter Page

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THIS TREASURE HUNT IS IN ITS ENTIRETY IS AN ARMCHAIR TREASURE HUNT THIS MEANS THAT TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE YOU, ABSOLUTELY AND EXPLICITLY, DO NOT NEED TO ENTER PRIVATE LAND, CLIMB ONTO OR MOVE ANY OBJECTS, OR DIG IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

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Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

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CodeBar Podcast

Join Robert, host of the CodeBar Live podcast and journey into the greatest treasure legends, armchair treasure hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, escape rooms, ARG’s, puzzle boxes & more!

VISIT THE CODEBAR

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Get Free Priority Access To Treasure News, Giveaways, And More!

*By subscribing to the newsletter you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

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“It is a unique painting in gold leaf which took two months to create. The three hares with the interlinking ears are a Celtic fertility symbol which is also connected to the lunar cycle. It is considered to be a puzzle, in its own right, which can lead us to a powerful and deeper understanding of life and the universe.”

– Joanna May, 2020

Open post

The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale

08/04/202118/08/2023
by Grey

THE ENTENTE CORDIALE TREASURE

Trésor de l’Entente Cordiale

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

The Golden Treasure of the Entente Cordiale is an armchair treasure hunt created by Michel Becker, the co-creator of the legendary ‘On The Trail Of The Golden Owl’ treasure hunt. The hunt began on April 8th 2021 on the anniversary of Edward VII and French President Émile Loubet signing the Entente Cordiale in 1904, an agreement between Britain and France to form an alliance. The story of this agreement along with the clues are documented in the illustrated pages of the treasure hunt book.

The prize awarded to the winner of this treasure hunt will be the golden casket given to France by Britain in which the Entente Cordiale was sealed. The casket, crafted by the jewelers who were appointed by the Crown – Goldsmiths & Silversmiths is valued at over £650,000!

The Golden Casket along with both French and English versions of the book.

©Trésor de l’Entente Cordiale

Sourced from: The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale – Press Page

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The Legend

First FAQ of the hunt the Golden Treasure of the Entente Cordiale®!

Michel Becker, co-creator of the legendary armchair treasure hunt Sur La Trace De La Chouette d’Or (On the Trail of the Golden Owl), Vincenzo Bianca, creator of the treasure hunt board game Guardians of Legends, along with authors Stephen Clarke, and Pauline Deysson launched a new armchair treasure hunt entitled The Golden Treasure of The Entente Cordiale on April 8th, 2021.

The treasure hunt offers up a real historic treasure: a Golden Casket, made by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths of London in 1903 and is valued at over 650,000 pounds! The prize will be claimed by the first person or team to solve two treasure hunts. One in the UK and one in France.

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The Treasure

When all the clues are solved, the geode halves found, and the key assembled the crystal case can be unlocked and the winner of the treasure hunt awarded with The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale – a golden casket given to France by Britain at the signing of the Entente Cordiale by Edward VII and French President Émile Loubet forging an alliance between the two countries on April 8th 1904.

The casket which was created by the jewelers of the Crown, the prestigious Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, is decorated with a golden sculpture of an allegorical figure crowning France and Britain with laurels. Contained within the gold casket is a roll of parchment celebrating the Anglo-French alliance with its inscription. Written on the 7th July 1903. Around the caskets edge are porcelain decorations depicting the Royal Opera House, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and Westminster. The golden casket has been valued at over £650,000!

The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale.

The Golden Casket Treasure

Sourced from: The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale – The Treasure Page

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The Clues

The two halves of the geode and the key that will open the crystal case holding the Golden Casket.

In order to win the golden casket worth over £650,000 you’ll first need to locate both halves of a geode. One half is buries somewhere in France and the other half in the United Kingdom. In order to find the geode half in the UK you’ll need to solve the 9 clues in the English version of The Golden Treasure of the Entente Cordiale® book.

For the French half of the geode, you’ll need to solve the 9 clues in the French version of Le Trésor de l’Entente Cordiale®. In addition to the books you’ll need the UK and French maps. All of these can be purchased from the official Editions La Chouette D’or store.

Both halves of the geode are required to construct a key which unlocks the crystal cabinet containing the golden casket.

The story ‘The Tale of the Edrei’, written by Pauline Deysson (Author of ‘The Library’ series of novels) is accompanied by 9 clues, each consisting of an illustration by Michel Becker (co-creator of ‘On The Trail Of The Golden Owl’ treasure hunt) and a cryptic poem by Vincenzo Bianca (creator of the ‘Guardians of Legends’ board game and treasure hunt). Each poem is missing some text which needs to be filled in by cracking the hidden code in the illustrations.

Teaser of a clue posted on social media March 17th 2021.

Clues Of The Treasure Hunt

The Golden Treasure of the Entente Cordiale contains 9 puzzles created by Vincenzo Bianca. Each puzzle is made up of an illustration by Michel Becker and of a secret text hidden in the accompanying story, The Tale of the Edrei, written by Pauline Deysson. Each puzzle is written as a poem which has some parts of its text missing. To find the missing text, the player needs to crack the hidden code in the accompanying illustration.

Once the player has successfully solved all 9 puzzles, he or she will have to use the Treasure Map and the Adventurer’s Notebook (which will be available from the website of the treasure hunt as soon as it is launched) to find the exact spot where the geode crystals are located.

Each geode is hidden in a chest along with documentation clearly stating that it is one of the geodes of the Entente Cordiale treasure hunt. One piece of geode is hidden in the UK and the other in France. The two pieces of geode need to be put together to open the crystal cabinet containing the golden casket. You could say it requires a new Entente Cordiale!

Sourced from: The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale – Press Kit

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Conclusion

Puzzle Teaser Posted To Facebook on April 7th 2021.

Due to the rules of The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale treasure hunt solutions to puzzles can’t be revealed. However, some useful links have been provided below to help you on your hunt for the Golden Casket.

Useful Links:

Buy the Books and Maps

The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale website

Official UK Facebook Page

Official France Facebook Page

Official Treasure Hunt Competition Rules

Rules Of The Game

Sourced from: The Golden Treasure Of The Entente Cordiale – Rules

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Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

CodeBar Podcast

Join Robert, host of the CodeBar Live podcast and journey into the greatest treasure legends, armchair treasure hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, escape rooms, ARG’s, puzzle boxes & more!

VISIT THE CODEBAR

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Get Free Priority Access To Treasure News, Giveaways, And More!

*By subscribing to the newsletter you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

Whether you’re looking for someone to help with a treasure hunt, if you’ve got a story to tell, some vital information to share, feedback for Areas Grey, or if you just want to say “hi”, all emails are welcome!

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“Now is the time for the casket to emerge from the shadows and deliver its message of peace and hope across political borders.”

– Michel Becker, 2020

Open post

Guardians Of Legends

02/04/202118/08/2023
by Grey

GUARDIANS OF LEGENDS

Golden Egg Hunt

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

On April 2nd 2019 a treasure hunting board game ‘Guardians of Legends’ was released by Lubee Editions, a subsidiary of N-zone. Guardians of Legends isn’t just a board game, within the games contents are clues that when solved lead the player to the location of a wooden chest hidden somewhere in the world. The chest when found can be then traded in the real treasure, a golden egg, a piece of artwork valued at €210,000 which was designed by Vincenzo Bianca, and created by two Belgian Artisans Cédric Sansen, and Olivier Gangi.

Since it’s launch in 2019 additional clues have been provided by the creators of the treasure hunt but the treasure as yet remains unclaimed.

Guardians Of Legends Board Game.

Guardians Of Legends Board Game

Sourced from: Guardians Of Legends

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The Legend

Guardians of Legends Review – with Tom Vasel on YouTube.

Since the age of 16 Vincenzo Bianca had been dreaming of creating a game that would be a real-life treasure hunt for its players. On April 2nd, 2019, that dream became reality with the launch of a treasure hunting board game ‘Guardians of Legends’.

The game contains several clues and puzzles, which when they have all been solved will lead one lucky player to the location of a buried chest somewhere around the world. The first person to find this buried chest will win the prize: a golden egg valued at over 210,000 euros.

The game has been running for several years, with many claiming to be close to finding the chest and winning the prize. To keep the game alive and alleviate feelings of stagnation to its players, new additional clues are released annually revealing hints to help nudge the players in the right direction and off wrong courses.

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The Treasure

‘L’Ouef d’Or’ or ‘The Golden Egg’ is a 24-carat pure gold egg topped with three 18-carat white gold leaves on a black gold (Weirdium) base and set with nearly 600 diamonds.

Created by two Belgian artisan jewelers Olivier Gangi and Cédric Sansen using designs by Vincenzo Bianca. When the artwork was appraised in 2018 The Golden Egg was said to be worth €210,000.

The Golden Egg.

Creation of ‘L’Oeuf d’Or’

Sourced from: Guardians Of Legends

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The Clues

Guardians Of Legends Board Game Contents

The Guardians of Legends board game claiming to be the first cross-media game in the world holds hidden within its contents a series of clues to participate in a real life treasure hunt. Searching for the prize – A golden egg worth €210,000 takes your adventure beyond the board game.

In order to take part in the treasure you must have purchased the game as you will need to be in possession of the game box and it’s contents which included the clues and your unique code. Your unique code is necessary to login to the Guardians of Legends forum where you will obtain your first clue ‘The Road Map’ as well as some additional clues. The forum also give you access to FAQ’s, Q&A sessions, and the ability to discuss the hunts clues with other players.

The Guardians of Legends treasure hunt is an armchair treasure hunt meaning that you can solve everything from home and only have to move when you have solved all of the puzzles.

Board Game & Treasure Hunt

Sourced from: Guardians Of Legends

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Conclusion

Postcards Used In The Guardians Of Legends Game.

While many claim to have solved the majority or all of the clues with some even digging to attempting to find the buried wooden chest, The Golden Egg remains unclaimed and the wooden chest unfound.

Due to the rules of the Guardians of Legends treasure hunt solutions to puzzles can’t be revealed. However, some sites have offered up some significant hints to the solutions including the official Guardians of Legends forum.

Useful Links:

Buy the game

Guardians of Legends website

Guardians of Legends Facebook Page

Reddit Page

Hunters of Legends fan site

Mysterious Writings Forum

Rules Of The Game

Sourced from: Guardians of Legends

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

CodeBar Podcast

Join Robert, host of the CodeBar Live podcast and journey into the greatest treasure legends, armchair treasure hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, escape rooms, ARG’s, puzzle boxes & more!

VISIT THE CODEBAR

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Get Free Priority Access To Treasure News, Giveaways, And More!

*By subscribing to the newsletter you are agreeing to the terms of the Privacy Policy

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

Whether you’re looking for someone to help with a treasure hunt, if you’ve got a story to tell, some vital information to share, feedback for Areas Grey, or if you just want to say “hi”, all emails are welcome!

GET IN TOUCH

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Purpose of Email *

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“Since around the age of 16, I’ve been wanting to create a game that would turn out to be a real-life treasure hunt.”

– Vincenzo Bianca, 2019

Open post

The Secret: A Treasure Hunt

23/09/202018/08/2023
by Grey

THE SECRET

A Treasure Hunt

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

The Secret is a treasure hunt started by Byron Preiss in 1982. Twelve treasure boxes were buried at secret locations across North America. As of August 2020 only three of the twelve boxes have been found.

Each of the twelve boxes contains a casque which holds a key. Once retrieved the keys can be exchanged for a valuable stone. Collectively the stones are said to be worth approximately ten thousand dollars.

The Secret treasure book cover by Byron Preiss

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The Legend

The Secret: An Armchair Treasure Hunt tells a story of “Fair People”, enchanted mystical and fantastical creatures.

Inspired by the hit armchair treasure hunt book Masquerade which took the world by storm in 1979, Byron Preiss decided to create his own armchair treasure hunt with not one, but 12 prizes hidden across the United States and Canada.

The Secret: An Armchair Treasure Hunt was launched in 1982 complete with a story of fairies, goblins, and other strange creatures travelling to the New World with their treasures. These treasures were in the form of rare stones and gems which could be collected by the lucky person to solve any of the 12 puzzles and find a hidden key and casque.

The puzzles consist of 12 images and 12 poems. Each poem must be paired with the correct image to correctly solve the puzzle. In 1983 a group of friends in Chicago found the first of the treasures, an emerald worth more than $1,000.

Years went by before another casque was found in 2004 in Cleveland. Another key had been exchanged for a precious gem. In 2005 Byron Preiss died in an accident leaving the responsibility of the game and its prizes to his family. Another casque was then found in 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.

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The Treasure

For each cask retrieved the finder is rewarded a valuable gem or stone in exchange for the key found. The book explains the following for the value of the treasures as well as some rules around the treasure hunt:

“The jewels collectively are worth over ten thousand dollars. The treasure casques themselves are of incalculable value, never having been owned by man or woman.”

“Every treasure casque is buried underground, at a depth of no more than three to three and one-half feet. The casques are protected by lustrous transparent boxes, and are sealed.”

“The following places do not hold any treasure:

– any life-threatening location, such as a dangerous highway embankment, a contaminated area or active railway track
– any cemetery
– any public or private flower bed
– any property owned by the contributors to the book, their families or friends.”

The Cask, Key, and Gems.

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The Clues

Inside the book there are twelve cryptic images and twelve verses as seen below in the order they appear in the book.

Image

Verse

Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9
Image 10
Image 11
Image 12

Verse 1:

Fortress north
Cold as glass
Friendship south
Take your task
To the number
Nine eight two
Through the wood
No lion fears
In the sky the water veers
Small of scale
Step across
Perspective should not be lost
In the center of four alike
Small, split,
Three winged and slight
What we take to be
Our strongest tower delight
Falls gently
In December night
Looking back from treasure ground
There’s the spout!
A whistle sounds.
Verse 2:

At the place where jewels abound
Fifteen rows down to the ground
In the middle of twenty-one
From end to end
Only three stand watch
As the sound of friends
Fills the afternoon hours
Here is a sovereign people
Who build palaces to shelter
Their heads for a night!
Gnomes admire
Fays delight
The namesakes meeting
Near this site.
Verse 3:

If Thucydides is
North of Xenophon
Take five steps
In the area of his direction
A green tower of lights
In the middles section
Near those
Who pass the coliseum
With metal walls
Face the water
Your back to the stairs
Feel at home
All the letters
Are here to see
Eighteenth day
Twelfth hour
Let by lamplight
In truth, be free.
Verse 4:

Beneath two countries
As the road curves
In a rectangular plot
Beneath the tenth stone
From right to left
Beneath the ninth row from the top
Of the wall including small bricks
Seven steps up you can hop
From the bottom level
Socrates, Pindar, Apelles
Free speech, couplet, birch
To find casque’s destination
Seek the columns
For the search.
Verse 5:

Lane
Two twenty two
You’ll see an arc of lights
Weight and roots extended
Together saved the site
Of granite walls
Wind swept halls
Citadel in the night
A wingless bird ascended
Born of ancient dreams of flight
Beneath the only standing member
Of a forest
To the south
White stone closest
At twelve paces
From the west side
Get permission
To dig out.
Verse 6:

Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes
Cruel and bold
Seen here
By eyes of old
Stand and listed to the birds
Hear the cool, clear song of water
Harken to the words:
Freedom at the birth of a century
Or May 1913
Edwin and Edwina named after him
Or on the eighth a scene
Where law defended
Between two arms extended
Below the bar that binds
Beside the long palm’s shadow
Embedded in the sand
Waits the Fair remuneration
White house close at hand.
Verse 7:

At stone wall’s door
The air smells sweet
Not far away
High posts are three
Education and Justice
For all to see
Sounds from the sky
Near ace is high
Running north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
Giant pole
Giant step
To the place
The casque is kept.
Verse 8:

View the three stories of Mitchell
As you walk the beating of the world
At a distance in time
From three who lived there
At a distance in space
From woman, with harpsichord
Silently playing
Step on nature
Cast in copper
Ascend the 92 steps
After climbing the grand 200
Pass the compass and reach
The foot of the culvert
Below the bridge
Walk 100 paces
Southeast over rock and soil
To the first young birch
Pass three, staying west
You’ll see a letter from the country
Of wonderstone’s hearth
On a proud, tall fifth
At its southern foot
The treasure waits.
Verse 9:

The first chapter
Written in water
Near men
With wind rose
Behind bending branches
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
Shell, limestone, silver, salt
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops
Over the tall grass
Years pass, rain falls.
Verse 10:

In the shadow
Of the grey giant
Find the arm that
Extends over the slender path
In summer
You’ll often hear a whirring sound
Cars abound
Although the sign
Nearby
Speaks of Indies native
The natives still speak
Of him of Hard word in 3 Vols.
Take twice as many east steps as the hour
Or more
From the middle of one branch
Of the v
Look down
And see simple roots
In rhapsodic man’s soil
Or gaze north
Toward the isle of B.
Verse 11:

Pass two friends of octave
In December
Ride the man of oz
To the land near the window
There’s a road that leads to
Dark forest
Where white is in color
With two maps
After circle and square
In July and August
A path beckons
To mica and driftwood
Under that
Which may be last touched
Or first seen standing
Look north at the wing
And dig
To achieve
By dauntless and inconquerable
Determination
Your goal.
Verse 12:

Where M and B are set in stone
And to Congress, R is known
L sits and left
Beyond his shoulder
Is the Fair Folks’
Treasure holder
The end of ten by thirteen
Is your clue
Fence and fixture
Central too
For finding jewel casque
Seek the sounds
Of rumble
Brush and music
Hush.

Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9
Image 10
Image 11
Image 12

Verse 1:

Fortress north
Cold as glass
Friendship south
Take your task
To the number
Nine eight two
Through the wood
No lion fears
In the sky the water veers
Small of scale
Step across
Perspective should not be lost
In the center of four alike
Small, split,
Three winged and slight
What we take to be
Our strongest tower delight
Falls gently
In December night
Looking back from treasure ground
There’s the spout!
A whistle sounds.
Verse 2:

At the place where jewels abound
Fifteen rows down to the ground
In the middle of twenty-one
From end to end
Only three stand watch
As the sound of friends
Fills the afternoon hours
Here is a sovereign people
Who build palaces to shelter
Their heads for a night!
Gnomes admire
Fays delight
The namesakes meeting
Near this site.
Verse 3:

If Thucydides is
North of Xenophon
Take five steps
In the area of his direction
A green tower of lights
In the middles section
Near those
Who pass the coliseum
With metal walls
Face the water
Your back to the stairs
Feel at home
All the letters
Are here to see
Eighteenth day
Twelfth hour
Let by lamplight
In truth, be free.
Verse 4:

Beneath two countries
As the road curves
In a rectangular plot
Beneath the tenth stone
From right to left
Beneath the ninth row from the top
Of the wall including small bricks
Seven steps up you can hop
From the bottom level
Socrates, Pindar, Apelles
Free speech, couplet, birch
To find casque’s destination
Seek the columns
For the search.
Verse 5:

Lane
Two twenty two
You’ll see an arc of lights
Weight and roots extended
Together saved the site
Of granite walls
Wind swept halls
Citadel in the night
A wingless bird ascended
Born of ancient dreams of flight
Beneath the only standing member
Of a forest
To the south
White stone closest
At twelve paces
From the west side
Get permission
To dig out.
Verse 6:

Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes
Cruel and bold
Seen here
By eyes of old
Stand and listed to the birds
Hear the cool, clear song of water
Harken to the words:
Freedom at the birth of a century
Or May 1913
Edwin and Edwina named after him
Or on the eighth a scene
Where law defended
Between two arms extended
Below the bar that binds
Beside the long palm’s shadow
Embedded in the sand
Waits the Fair remuneration
White house close at hand.
Verse 7:

At stone wall’s door
The air smells sweet
Not far away
High posts are three
Education and Justice
For all to see
Sounds from the sky
Near ace is high
Running north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
Giant pole
Giant step
To the place
The casque is kept.
Verse 8:

View the three stories of Mitchell
As you walk the beating of the world
At a distance in time
From three who lived there
At a distance in space
From woman, with harpsichord
Silently playing
Step on nature
Cast in copper
Ascend the 92 steps
After climbing the grand 200
Pass the compass and reach
The foot of the culvert
Below the bridge
Walk 100 paces
Southeast over rock and soil
To the first young birch
Pass three, staying west
You’ll see a letter from the country
Of wonderstone’s hearth
On a proud, tall fifth
At its southern foot
The treasure waits.
Verse 9:

The first chapter
Written in water
Near men
With wind rose
Behind bending branches
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
Shell, limestone, silver, salt
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops
Over the tall grass
Years pass, rain falls.
Verse 10:

In the shadow
Of the grey giant
Find the arm that
Extends over the slender path
In summer
You’ll often hear a whirring sound
Cars abound
Although the sign
Nearby
Speaks of Indies native
The natives still speak
Of him of Hard word in 3 Vols.
Take twice as many east steps as the hour
Or more
From the middle of one branch
Of the v
Look down
And see simple roots
In rhapsodic man’s soil
Or gaze north
Toward the isle of B.
Verse 11:

Pass two friends of octave
In December
Ride the man of oz
To the land near the window
There’s a road that leads to
Dark forest
Where white is in color
With two maps
After circle and square
In July and August
A path beckons
To mica and driftwood
Under that
Which may be last touched
Or first seen standing
Look north at the wing
And dig
To achieve
By dauntless and inconquerable
Determination
Your goal.
Verse 12:

Where M and B are set in stone
And to Congress, R is known
L sits and left
Beyond his shoulder
Is the Fair Folks’
Treasure holder
The end of ten by thirteen
Is your clue
Fence and fixture
Central too
For finding jewel casque
Seek the sounds
Of rumble
Brush and music
Hush.

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Conclusion

A dozen paintings
Share the clues
Yet Fairy secrets
Come in twos
To sing a happy treasure song
To have a casque to you belong
Wed one picture
With one verse
For Fair Folk’s peace
Goodness first.

Since 1982 when the Treasure Hunt began only three treasure casques have been found as follows:

Image 5 was matched with Verse 12 revealing the treasures location as being Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois.

A casque was found in 1983, one year after the launch of the game by pairing image 5 and verse 12 which revealed the outline of Illinois and some iconic landmarks around Chicago with an image of a bowman and reference to “L” leading the treasure hunters to Grant Park. It was two intersecting lines of trees that pinpointed the exact spot under a unique fence design which provided confirmation.

Chicago Treasure Found

Synopsis
The casque associated with Image 5 and Verse 12 was buried in Grant Park in Chicago, IL, somewhere in the near vicinity of these coordinates: 41°52’41.2″N 87°37’20.4″W.

The outline of Illinois and a few well-known landmarks get us to Chicago. An image of a bowman and a reference to “L” (Lincoln) get us to Grant Park. Two intersecting lines of trees pinpoint the spot and a distinctive fence feature provides the confirmation.

Sourced From: thesecret.pbworks.com

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A casque was found in 2004, over 20 years after the Chicago find. This time the treasure hunters connected verse 4 and image 4 to find Cleveland, Ohio by seeing the shape of Ohio’s rivers in the visual. The clues eventually leading to the Greek Cultural Gardens the visual depicts the exact area to dig for the hidden treasure.

Cleveland Treasure Found

Synopsis
The casque associated with Image 4 and Verse 4 was buried in the Greek Cultural Garden in Cleveland, OH, at these coordinates: 41.527651 N, 81.626926 W.

The shape of Ohio (with rivers) is hidden in the image. Several of the clues that would presumably get us to Cleveland are still unsolved, but the visual references to the Greek Cultural Garden are very clear and unambiguous. Lines in the verse pin down the exact place to dig inside the neglected planter bed shown in the image. Visual images in this puzzle seem more realistic and true-to-life than in the other 11 images, possibly because the artist saw the spot in person rather than working from photographs.

Sourced From: thesecret.pbworks.com

Image 4 was matched with Verse 4 revealing the treasures location as being the Greek Cultural Garden, Cleveland, Ohio.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

.@JoshuaGates is on the verge of finding a new piece of the puzzle that no one has cracked for nearly 40 years: The Secret. 🗝

Join the real life treasure hunt next Wednesday at 9p in the #ExpeditionUnknown season finale event on Discovery and the Discovery GO app. pic.twitter.com/qvm8vMaRC1

— Discovery (@Discovery) October 24, 2019

In 2019 a third casque was found in Boston, Massachusetts and featured on a series finale of a television series: ‘Expedition Unknown’. In the episode they pair up verse 3 and image 11 and by following the clues find themselves at the North End Baseball Field.

Boston Treasure Found

The scene took place at the baseball fields at Langone Park / Puopolo Field on Commercial Street as featured on this week’s season finale of Discovery’s Expedition Unknown. The TV crew followed the story of Jason Krupat and his family who figured out a puzzle from a 1982 book, The Secret, leading the clue-seeking treasure hunters to stop the construction at the waterfront parks.

In the North End, the painting matched that of the Christopher Columbus statue at the namesake park on Atlantic Avenue. The book’s author, Byron Preiss, looked to celebrate immigrants groups, including Chicago’s Irish, Cleveland’s Greeks and now, the Italians in Boston’s North End.

Sourced From: Northendwaterfront.com

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So, what about the other 9 treasures hidden across North America?

Below is a table of the generally accepted pairings of verses and images along with the cities the treasures are suspected to be buried.

Image No.	Verse No.	Status	Likely Location
1	7	Unsolved	San Francisco, California
2	6	Unsolved	Charleston, South Carolina
3	11	Unsolved	Roanoke Island, North Carolina
4	4	Solved	Cleveland, Ohio
5	12	Solved	Chicago, Illinois
6	9	Unsolved	St. Augustine, Florida
7	2	Unsolved	New Orleans, Louisiana
8	1	Unsolved	Houston, Texas
9	5	Unsolved	Montreal, Canada
10	8	Unsolved	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11	3	Solved	Boston, Massachusetts
12	10	Unsolved	New York, New York

Where Are The Rest Of The Treasures Hidden?

Three of the treasure boxes have been recovered.[1][2] The first was found in Chicago, Illinois; the second in Cleveland, Ohio; and the most recent treasure box was found in Boston, Massachusetts.[2] The remaining nine treasure boxes have not yet been recovered.[1] The Boston treasure box’s recovery was filmed for Discovery Channel’s television show Expedition Unknown and aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.[3] [4]

Image No.^[5]	Verse No.^[5]	Verse opening	Status	Location (solved, or likely)	Ref.
1	7	*At stone wall’s door*	Unsolved	San Francisco, California	^[6]^[7]
2	6	*Of all the romance retold*	Unsolved	Charleston, South Carolina	^[8]
3	11	*Pass two friends of octave*	Unsolved	Roanoke Island, North Carolina	^[9]
4	4	*Beneath two countries*	Solved (2004)	Cleveland, Ohio	^[10]^[11]
5	12	*Where M and B are set in stone*	Solved (1983)	Chicago, Illinois	^[12]^[13]
6	9	*The first chapter Written in water*	Unsolved	St. Augustine, Florida	^[14]^[15]
7	2	*At the place where jewels abound*	Unsolved	New Orleans, Louisiana	^[16]^[17]
8	1	*Fortress north Cold as glass*	Unsolved	Houston, Texas	^[18]^[19]
9	5	*Lane Two twenty two*	Unsolved	Montreal, Canada	^[20]
10	8	*View the three stories of Mitchell*	Unsolved	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	^[21]^[22]
11	3	*If Thucydides is North of Xenophon*	Solved (2019)	Boston, Massachusetts	^[2]^[23]
12	10	*In the shadow Of the grey giant*	Unsolved	New York, New York	^[24]

Sourced From: Wikipedia

REFERENCES:

“Shhh! The Secret Podcast”. 12treasures.com. Retrieved November 10,2019.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Baker, Billy (October 25, 2019). “Hidden treasure, a family’s quest, and ‘The Secret‘“. The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ “EPIC SEASON FINALE OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S ‘EXPEDITION UNKNOWN’ STARRING JOSH GATES UNCOVERS FAMED HIDDEN TREASURE”. discovery.com (Press release). October 28, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
^ “Expedition Unknown: ‘The Secret’ Treasure Found in Boston”. Discovery Com. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
^ Jump up to:^a ^b “The Secret (a treasure hunt)”. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via pbworks.com.
^ Walker, Wilson (March 4, 2019). “Treasure Hunters May Be Closing In On Prize In Golden Gate Park”. KPIX-TV. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ Parks, Shoshi (September 20, 2019). “S.F. Marks the Spot for Buried Treasure”. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved November 10, 2019. A fantasy author’s 37-year-old cache may soon be unearthed in one of the city’s 220 parks. But which one?
^ Behre, Robert (April 22, 2019). “Discovery Channel team to dig up Charleston’s White Point Garden in search of buried key”. The Post and Courier. San Francisco, California. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
^ Kile, Jenny (June 9, 2019). “In Search of the Roanoke Island Casque of The Secret Armchair Treasure Hunt: Six Questions with Dustin and Deidra White”. Mysterious Writings. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ Firschein, Merry (July 18, 2004). “Treasure hunter strikes pay dirt”. The Record. Bergen County, New Jersey. p. 1. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ Firschein, Merry (July 18, 2004). “Treasure: A 22-year quest ends in a park in Cleveland”. The Record. Bergen County, New Jersey. p. 12. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ Swartz, Tracy (January 17, 2018). “Travel Channel show revisits ’80s treasure find in Grant Park”. Chicago Tribune. p. 1-3. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ “The Secret of Byron Preiss: How they found the Chicago key”. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via YouTube.
^ Connolly, Patrick (July 27, 2019). “In Search of ‘The Secret‘“. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. A1. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ Connolly, Patrick (July 27, 2019). “Treasure”. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. A4. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^ Brasted, Chelsea (April 9, 2019). “There’s a secret treasure in New Orleans. We may have found it”. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 11, 2019 – via nola.com.
^ Truong, Thanh (May 18, 2018). “The Secret: There’s a treasure buried in New Orleans”. WWL-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ Ramirez, Fernando (May 16, 2017). “The 35-year-old hunt for Hermann Park’s buried treasure continues”. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 11, 2019 – via chron.com.
^ West, Aaron (March 5, 2018). “You’ll (Probably) Never Find the Buried Treasure In Hermann Park”. bylinehouston.com. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ Lynne, Aeryn (March 21, 2018). “Treasure Hunting North America: The Secret in Montreal”. geeklife.ca. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ Tanzilo, Bobby (January 16, 2018). “Did Travel Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” dig up treasure in Lake Park?”. OnMilwaukee. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ Brooke, Zach (June 1, 2016). “The 35-Year-Long Hunt to Find a Fantasy Author’s Hidden Treasure”. Vice. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ Conti, Matt (October 30, 2019). “Treasure Hunt Leads to North End Baseball Field”. North End Waterfront. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ Kile, Jenny (April 18, 2019). “Six Questions with James Renner: In Search for the New York City Casque of The Secret (A Treasure Hunt)”. Mysterious Writings. Retrieved November 11, 2019.

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

Primary Source: The Secret Treasure Hunt – Wikipedia

Bibliography:

- “Book Variants”. 12treasures.com. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- “The History Behind ‘The Secret‘“. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- The Secret (1982), pp. 7–8
- “Shhh! The Secret Podcast”. 12treasures.com. Retrieved November 10,2019.
- Baker, Billy (October 25, 2019). “Hidden treasure, a family’s quest, and ‘The Secret‘“. The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- “EPIC SEASON FINALE OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S ‘EXPEDITION UNKNOWN’ STARRING JOSH GATES UNCOVERS FAMED HIDDEN TREASURE”. discovery.com (Press release). October 28, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- “Expedition Unknown: ‘The Secret’ Treasure Found in Boston”. Discovery Com. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- “Shhh! The Secret Podcast”. 12treasures.com. Retrieved November 10,2019.
- Baker, Billy (October 25, 2019). “Hidden treasure, a family’s quest, and ‘The Secret‘“. The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- “EPIC SEASON FINALE OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S ‘EXPEDITION UNKNOWN’ STARRING JOSH GATES UNCOVERS FAMED HIDDEN TREASURE”. discovery.com (Press release). October 28, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- “Expedition Unknown: ‘The Secret’ Treasure Found in Boston”. Discovery Com. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
- “The Secret (a treasure hunt)”. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via pbworks.com.
- Walker, Wilson (March 4, 2019). “Treasure Hunters May Be Closing In On Prize In Golden Gate Park”. KPIX-TV. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- Parks, Shoshi (September 20, 2019). “S.F. Marks the Spot for Buried Treasure”. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved November 10, 2019. A fantasy author’s 37-year-old cache may soon be unearthed in one of the city’s 220 parks. But which one?
- Behre, Robert (April 22, 2019). “Discovery Channel team to dig up Charleston’s White Point Garden in search of buried key”. The Post and Courier. San Francisco, California. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
- Kile, Jenny (June 9, 2019). “In Search of the Roanoke Island Casque of The Secret Armchair Treasure Hunt: Six Questions with Dustin and Deidra White”. Mysterious Writings. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- Firschein, Merry (July 18, 2004). “Treasure hunter strikes pay dirt”. The Record. Bergen County, New Jersey. p. 1. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- Firschein, Merry (July 18, 2004). “Treasure: A 22-year quest ends in a park in Cleveland”. The Record. Bergen County, New Jersey. p. 12. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- Swartz, Tracy (January 17, 2018). “Travel Channel show revisits ’80s treasure find in Grant Park”. Chicago Tribune. p. 1-3. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- “The Secret of Byron Preiss: How they found the Chicago key”. Retrieved November 9, 2019 – via YouTube.
- Connolly, Patrick (July 27, 2019). “In Search of ‘The Secret‘“. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. A1. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- Connolly, Patrick (July 27, 2019). “Treasure”. Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. A4. Retrieved November 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- Brasted, Chelsea (April 9, 2019). “There’s a secret treasure in New Orleans. We may have found it”. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 11, 2019 – via nola.com.
- Truong, Thanh (May 18, 2018). “The Secret: There’s a treasure buried in New Orleans”. WWL-TV. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Ramirez, Fernando (May 16, 2017). “The 35-year-old hunt for Hermann Park’s buried treasure continues”. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 11, 2019 – via chron.com.
- West, Aaron (March 5, 2018). “You’ll (Probably) Never Find the Buried Treasure In Hermann Park”. bylinehouston.com. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Lynne, Aeryn (March 21, 2018). “Treasure Hunting North America: The Secret in Montreal”. geeklife.ca. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Tanzilo, Bobby (January 16, 2018). “Did Travel Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” dig up treasure in Lake Park?”. OnMilwaukee. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Brooke, Zach (June 1, 2016). “The 35-Year-Long Hunt to Find a Fantasy Author’s Hidden Treasure”. Vice. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Conti, Matt (October 30, 2019). “Treasure Hunt Leads to North End Baseball Field”. North End Waterfront. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- Kile, Jenny (April 18, 2019). “Six Questions with James Renner: In Search for the New York City Casque of The Secret (A Treasure Hunt)”. Mysterious Writings. Retrieved November 11, 2019.

Other sources of information:

Previous finds and General Information: TheSecret.PBWorks.com

Boston Treasure Found: NorthEndWaterfront.com

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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LET’S CONNECT AND FIND SOME TREASURE!

It’s always a pleasure to hear from a fellow treasure hunter, get in touch using the form below.

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“The jewels collectively are worth over ten thousand dollars. The treasure casques themselves are of incalculable value, never having been owned by man or woman.”

– Byron Preiss, 1982

Open post

The Thrill Of The Chase

17/09/202018/08/2023
by Grey

THE THRILL OF THE CHASE

Forrest Fenn’s Treasure

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

In 2010, Forrest Fenn an art dealer and author from Santa Fe, New Mexico hid a treasure chest full of gold and jewels in the Rocky Mountains estimated to be worth nearly 2 million dollars. The clues that were to lead the finder to the treasure were hidden within a poem found within his book: ‘The Thrill Of The Chase: A Memoir’

The chase ended on the 6th June 2020 when Forrest announced that the treasure had been found. Although the treasure has been found the solution to the poem and where the treasure was found still remain a mystery.

The Thrill Of The Chase by Forest Fenn

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The Legend

Forrest Fenn flew 328 combat missions in one year of service of the Vietnam War while he was a pilot in the United States Air Force.

Forrest Fenn flew 328 combat missions in one year of service of the Vietnam War while he was a pilot in the United States Air Force before retiring and starting a successful art gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico which grossed 6 million dollars a year.

In 1988, Fenn was diagnosed with cancer and given a prognosis that it was likely terminal. This inspired him to put together a treasure chest of gold, jewels, and other valuable items valued at over 2 million dollars which he would take into the Rocky Mountains to a secret location he would use for his final resting place.

When he recovered from the illness he decided to hide the treasure chest anyway, self-publishing The Thrill Of The Chase: A Memoir, a collection of short stories from his life. The book contained hints, a poem and a map to the chest’s location which if someone could correctly decipher would take claim to the treasure.

On June 6th, 2020, the treasure was found, 10 years after it had been hidden and 3 months before Fenn passed away on September 7th, 2020. In December 2020 it was revealed a man by the name of Jack Stuef had found the treasure. However, the location of the treasure has still not been specified. The chest and its contents have since gone up for auction and sold off by various parties.

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The Treasure

The 12th Century bronze chest featuring scenes of knights climbing ladders to get to maidens – a reference to Le Roman de la Rose’ “Castle of Love” was filled with items from Fenn’s antique collection.

The collection of antiques consisted of golden jewelry, jade carvings, gold coins, and more. Collectively the treasure was estimated to be worth between one and three million dollars.

The bronze chest filled with treasure. Photo credit: Forest Fenn

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The Clues

Forrest Fenn’s poem from ‘The Thrill of the Chase: A Memoir’ paired with a map of the Rocky Mountains demonstrates the vast scale of this treasure hunt.

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Conclusion

On the 6th of June 2020 the hunt for Fenn’s treasure was over with a post by Fenn to the Thrill of the Chase blog:

“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago. I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot. I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries. So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days.”

This was followed by pictures of the treasure at the site of the location and of Fenn examining the contents of the treasure chest. As a final clue to those who still wanted to know where the treasure was found Fenn and the finder agreed to reveal that the treasure was found in the state of Wyoming.

Fenn shared this image of the treasure chest from when it was found.

Forrest Fenn examining the contents of the treasure chest.

Shortly after Forrest Fenn’s death the finder revealed himself to be a medical student named Jack Stuef from Michigan and his plans to sell the treasure at auction in the near future. Stuef also stated that he doesn’t intend to reveal the solution to the poem or the location of the treasure chests hiding place as means to preserve the area and prevent it from becoming trampled by tourists.

With the solve to the poem and the location the treasure was hidden still unknown to the general public there are those in the treasure hunting community who haven’t given up on trying to solve this treasure hunt.

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

Primary Source: Fenn Treasure – Wikipedia

Bibliography:

- Burnett, John. “Seeking Adventure And Gold? Crack This Poem And Head Outdoors”. NPR. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- “Fenn’s Treasure Search Area”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- Aitken, Peter (June 7, 2020). “Treasure stash worth over $1 million found in Rocky Mountains after decade-long search”. Fox News. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- “Valor Awards for Forrest B. Fenn”. MilitaryTimes.
- “‘Rex’ Arrowsmith’s Former Partner Becomes Leading Art Dealer in West”. Belleville Telescope. January 19, 1978 – via newspapers.com.
- “Rex Arrowsmith Obituary”. www.legacy.com.
- Eady, Brenda (June 9, 1986). “Rivals Scorn His Santa Fe Gallery, but Forrest Fenn Baskets the Cash”. People Magazine.
- Goldsmith, Margie. “The Thrill of the Chase”. Hemispheres Inflight Magazine. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- “The Thrill of the Chase”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- Fenn, Forrest. The Thrill of the Chase: A Memoir. One Horse Land & Cattle Company. p. 121. ISBN 9780967091785.
- “Fenn Treasure Poem”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- “Where is Fenn’s treasure hidden? – Frequently Asked Questions About Forrest Fenn”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Áine Cain (February 8, 2018). “There’s a fortune hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and this millionaire is the only one who knows where it is”. Business Insider.
- Eun Kyung Kim (March 13, 2013). “Book containing treasure-hunt clues sells out”. www.today.com.
- Miller, Cynthia (September 16, 2016). “When Forrest Fenn treasure hunters hit a dead end”. Star Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- Tamara Stewart (Fall 2009). “Authorities Charge 25 With Looting Artifacts”(PDF). American Archaeology. Vol. 13 no. 3. p. 8. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- Sharpe, Tom (August 16, 2011). “Dealer: Blame FBI for seller suicides in Four Corners looting case”. Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- “Art dealer whose treasure sent hunters scouring US West dies”. Associated Press. September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- “Forrest Fenn’s Bronze Chest – Comparing Similar Bronze Chests To Forrest Fenn’s Bronze Treasure Chest”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- “Bronze Treasure Chest Artwork – Comparing Similar Bronze Chests To Forrest Fenn’s Bronze Treasure Chest”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- “Comparing Similar Bronze Chests To Forrest Fenn’s Bronze Treasure Chest”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- “Fenn’s Treasure Found in 2020”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- “‘THE CHEST HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!…“. dalneitzel.com. June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- “BREAKING: The Forrest Fenn Treasure has been found”. Our.News. June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- “‘Forrest Fenn confirms his treasure has been found‘“. www.santafenewmexican.com. June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
- Lee, Alicia (June 7, 2020). “A treasure chest hidden in the Rocky Mountains for a decade has finally been found”. CNN.
- “Treasure chest hidden in Rocky Mountains finally found”. ABC News.
- “$1m treasure in Rocky Mountains has been found, says Forrest Fenn”. the Guardian. June 7, 2020.
- “THE CHEST HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!…part seven”. The Thrill of the Chase. June 16, 2020.
- “Fenn Treasure Photos Released”. Coast to Coast AM. June 18, 2020.
- “THE CHEST HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!…part fifteen”. dalneitzel.com. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- Barbarisi, Daniel (December 7, 2020). “The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn’s Treasure”. Outside Online. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ “Jack Stuef Found Fenns Treasure”. Fenn’s Treasure. Retrieved December 9,2020.
- ^ Scottie Andrew. “The man who found Forrest Fenn’s treasure wanted to be anonymous. A lawsuit compelled him to go public”. CNN. Retrieved December 7,2020.
- ^ “Man who found Forrest Fenn’s famed treasure reveals identity”. www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ “A Statement on the Disclosure of My Identity”. medium.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.

Other sources of information:

Contents of the Box: The Guardian

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

CodeBar Podcast

Join Robert, host of the CodeBar Live podcast and journey into the greatest treasure legends, armchair treasure hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, escape rooms, ARG’s, puzzle boxes & more!

VISIT THE CODEBAR

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago.”

– Forrest Fenn, 2020

Open post

On the Trail of the Golden Owl

15/09/202018/08/2023
by Grey

ON THE TRAIL OF THE GOLDEN OWL

Sur La Trace De La Chouette D’or

I.

OVERVIEW

II.

LEGEND

III.

THE TREASURE

IV.

THE CLUES

V.

CONCLUSION

VI.

WRITER

Overview

In 1993 a book called ‘Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or’ (On The Trail Of The Golden Owl) was published launching an armchair treasure hunt created by Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” a communications expert who created the riddles and Michel Becker the artist who created the visuals and provided the prize of the treasure hunt – A solid gold and silver owl with diamonds on it’s head, estimated to be worth between 150,000 and 500,000 Euros.

The book contained 11 puzzles which remain officially unsolved. Once solved the clues are to lead the treasure hunters to a bronze replica of the golden owl buried somewhere in France. Régis Hauser died in 2009. Now the treasure hunt is in the hands of the artist Michel Becker.

front cover of the French treasure-hunt book ‘Sur La Trace De La Chouette D’Or’ (On The Trail Of The Golden Owl)

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The Legend

Image of the iron bird found where the bronze owl countermark should have been when Becker went to check the solutions in 2021.

In 1993 an armchair treasure hunt book was published in France entitled Sur la trace de la Chouette d’or (On the trail of the golden owl) offering a prize of a Golden Owl statuette made entirely of gold and silver, encrusted with diamonds estimated to be worth over 150,000 euros to the first person to solve the clues and find the bronze owl countermark.

The original book contained eleven double-page spread riddles composed of a title, text, and a painting. Each painting was created by the artist Michel Becker while the game itself was created by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym “Max Valentin” who spent 450 hours designing the game between 1970 and 1993 when the book was launched.

Additional clues were created and released after the launch of the book in the form of short riddles or plays on words and when solved would act as confirmers of if a treasure hunter was on the right track or not.

The treasure hunt has seen a lot of controversy over the years since its launch in 1993. When “Max Valentin” died in 2009 he left the solutions inside a sealed envelope as to preserve them. However, in 2004, the original publisher of the book went bankrupt, and the Golden Owl statuette was seized as a part of its liquidation. After a long legal battle, the prize was reclaimed for the game in 2008.

Michel Becker, the co-creator of the hunt then claimed sole ownership of the Golden Owl in 2011 with intentions to sell it. More legal battles followed in order to stop this from happening. Thanks to a treasure hunter association known as A2CO the game and its prize were saved and continues to this day.

In 2019 Becker rejuvenated the game with the launch of a new edition of the puzzle book called The Secret Notebooks which tells Michel Becker’s side of the story, the history of the game and the creation of the prize. It also contained notes given to him by Valentin for the creation of the paintings, offering insight to the players for how the puzzles were created.

In 2021 Becker became the official organiser of the game when he obtained the sealed envelope containing the solutions from the Hauser family. After which he ventured with a Bailiff to confirm the bronze owl’s burial from the solutions. He reported when he dug at the spot, he found the owl missing and instead found a rusty iron bird. He replaced this rusty bird with a new bronze owl so that the treasure hunt could continue.

Front cover of the new edition of the puzzle book: On the Trail of the Golden Owl – Under the seal of secrecy released by Becker in August 2022.

In August 2022 another new edition of the book was released titled On the Trail of the Golden Owl – Under the seal of secrecy. Containing the original eleven clues, the additional clues, notes from Hauser to Becker and some more history from Becker about the creation of the game and his takeover of the game in 2021.

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The Treasure

The Golden Owl made entirely of gold and silver with diamonds on it’s head stands 10 inches tall and has a wingspan of 20 inches weighing 33lbs (15kg).

It’s estimated value is between 150,000 and 500,000 Euros.

When Régis Hauser (Max Valentin) died in 2009 the prize owl found it’s way to Michel Becker for safe keeping until the bronze countermark replica owl is found.

The Golden Owl prize is currently on display at the Lingot D’Art museum in Rochefort, France

The Golden Owl Prize

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The Clues

The Book ‘Sur La Trace De La Chouette D’or’ or On The Trail Of The Golden Owl contains 11 cryptic clues which are paired with 11 visuals painted by the artist Michel Becker. Solving the 11 clues is said to reveal a 12th and final “super clue” revealing the location of the owl.

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Conclusion

By solving the clue entitle ‘B’ it is possible to find what is believed to be the correct order of the clues by recognizing that the numbers assigned to clues are representative of wavelengths.

The following table shows the generally accepted translations and solutions to those clues.

Proposed Solutions

Wavelength	B order	Translated Title and Text	Meaning
B	1	THERE IS NO WORSE BLIND PEOPLE THAN THE ONE THAT DOES NOT WANT TO SEE 1 = 530 3 = 470 5 = 600 7 = 420 9 = 650	This is the only riddle that doesn’t have a wavelength as its page number. Applying the colors/marks of the other riddles to a color wheel and looking for the complementary color gives the “B order” of the ten wavelength riddles: B-530-780-470-580-600-500-420-560-650-520.[11] If the eleven riddles are resolved in this order, new links appear which may point to the final zone.[12][13]
530	2	OPENING My first, first half of the half of the first age, Precedes my Second and Third, seeking their way. My Fourth is inspired, my Fifth is in rage, But, without protest, follows my Fourth and the roman alpha. My Sixth is hidden at the limits of ETERNITY. My Seventh, standing, spits his venom. To find my all, just to be wise, Because the Truth, in truth, will not be a Devin’s affair.	The riddle identifies the starting city of the game, Bourges.[5][6] (B/baby)(OU/où)(R/air)(G/in rage)(E/start and end letter of ETERNITE)(S/SssS)
780	3	FIRST STEP… Wherever you want, By the ross and the coachman. But where you have to, By the compass and the foot.	This riddle is unsolved. Valentin gave hints, but no answer has been identified.[7] He once described this as the second-most important riddle of the game.[8]
470	4	IT’S THE RIGHT WAY IF THE ARROW TARGETS THE HEART My First multiplies by gaiety. My Second offers you space, My Third air, and my Fourth water. When he’s lying, my Fifth snores. My Sixth is worth one hundred, and my Seventh is just one node. My Eighth tastes like laurel, While my Ninth, with astonishment, stays behind. My Tenth is always naked when there’s a link. My Eleventh, finally, is the unknown. Found my all, and through the opening, you will see the light	A simple word game. The solution is another city, Roncevaux.[18][19] (A/haha)( /space)(R/air)(O/eau)(N/lying ZZz)(C/Latin number)(E/noeud)(V/victory)(A/aah)(U/French grammatical rule)(X/the unknown)
580	5	THE GOOD WAY, IT IS THE WAY OF THE OPPOSITE WAY, AND VICE VERSA 19.9.13.12.15.19.18.21.15.9.19 will be worth 1 12.15.19.18.21.15.9.19.18.9.13.8.15.4 will be worth 2 9.13.16.16.9.13.9.5.18 will be worth 3 25.1.12.14.18.9.13.16.9.13 will be worth 4 8.15.4.1.12.9.19.18.15.1.6 will be worth 5 18.9.13.13.5.18.18.1.12.18.9.13.12.15.19 will be worth 6 20.18.21.15.15.4.9.18.9.13.8 will be worth 7 9.13.18.9.15.19.19.9 will be worth 8 15.4.1.12.14.18.1.12.10 will be worth 9 19.18.9.13.12.15.19.14.1.12 will be worth 0	This riddle requires a three-stage decryption. First, by converting the numbers into letters, then, by reversing them, and finally, by applying the letter notation code to the Solfège code. The solution consists of the names of ten cities – Bourges, Cherbourg, Dieppe, Épernay, Forbach, Gerardmer, Héricourt, Issoire, Jarnac, and Angers – associated with ten numbers. The final key is A=0 B=1 etc., which is used in the following riddle.[21][22]
600	6	WHEN AL-MAR ALLIES TO PRAENESTE FIBULA, DARKNESS SHINE BDI,J. DF,F. CFD. BJ. HJ. EA,B. BC. E. DC,B. CDI,B. BAB,H. BE. CD. FB. BCG,J. BIG,D. BE. BG. BJD,B. DB. BGH,C. BC. E.	Al-mar is an ancient word for Arabs, implying numerals, and the Praeneste fibula implies letters – so numbers should unite with letters. If the reader applies the rule A=0 to the letters, he or she gets numbers which can be treated as atomic masses. The symbols for the elements indicated form the sentence “The Key is on the Black Perched Ship”.[9] The meaning of this phrase is unknown. Valentin gave clues, including an anagram implying that the illustration means “Becalmed Nave”, associated with the “Black Perched Ship”.[10]
500	7	UT QUEANT LAXIS At 2424-42-424-44-224-24-42-24, take the orthogonal. To find the Spiral with four centers, 560.606 measures, it’s far. But by the Mega, it’s a million times less.	Applying time signature to the numbers, reversing the sequence, and treating the sequence as morse code reveals the word Carignan, a French city.[3] The reference to finding, or drawing, a spiral has not yet been decoded.[4]
420	8	FROM THE SKY COMES THE LIGHT (the translated text is encrypted with the original method) 365-HI-10752 I-10752 WHERE 365-HE EAGLE 90677-RI-60140-365-ED 365-HE 687-ARK OF HI-10752 CLAW-10752 I-60140 365-HE 10752-ABLE, O-60140-E H-30667-60140-DRED DAY-10752 BEFORE BREAKI-60140-G HI-10752 BEAK A-60140-D LOO-10752-I-60140-G HI-10752 FEA-365-HER-10752Then lend a bow to Apollo: from this point, he will count 1969,697 measures towards the zenith. In a fraction of a 46,241,860th of a sidereal day, his line will fall. Hasten to find the arrow.	The numbers are planets’ revolutions, and the first letters of the planets are the missing elements of the text. The completed text is This is where the eagle printed the mark of his claws in the sable, one hundred days before breaking his beak and loosing his feathers, meaning Golfe Juan, the city where Napoleon returned from exile.[14] The second part is still unsolved. The direction of Apollo’s arrow is presumed to be important. Valentin corrected some theories from hunters, and clarified the action of Apollo.[15]
560	9	AD AUGUSTA PER ANGUSTA When at Carusburc, you will have Albion in the back, Seek the opening that reveals the Heavenly Light. Don’t linger, don’t ask for your rest, But prepare yourself to walk on water. Twice, Neptune will help you And carry you away from the icy north. Pursue your road and do not interrupt your journey Before seeing, through the Opening, the becalmed Nave. Without deviating an inch, draw a line, And you will not regret what you did.	The only riddle that requires the treasure-hunter to have several elements from other riddles. The treasure-hunter is told to do something from Cherbourg (old name Carasburc), by passing Bourges (opening), to find the Becalmed Nave. This riddle is only partially understood, but is presumed to be very important because it may point to the final zone – the “Becalmed Nave” being a reference to 600 and a special feature of the map.[20]
650	10	WHEN ALL IS REVEALED Back to the Ponant, seeks the Sentinels. At 8000 measures from there, they are waiting for you. Find them, you need to review them.	This text remains cryptic; some treasure-hunters consider the “Sentinels” to refer to one of the last steps, since the treasure-hunters have to “review” them (presumably in the physical final zone).[17]
520	11	EARTH OPENS Between them, there would be only two intervals if they were aligned. But this would be a too easy game! Now that you have undone all the yarns, Doubt is the last torment that will be inflicted to you. Because it is the rule of this cruel game: Alone, you have to find where to land your shovel. Show your respect for Mother Nature, And before getting away, close its injury.	This text is relatively straightforward: the treasure-hunter finds something in the zone, and can start to dig. If a hunter understands it correctly, he or she can find the buried owl.[16]

Sourced from: Wikipedia REFERENCES:

Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
^ Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
“500 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “500 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “530 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “530 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “780 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ valentin, max. “The 780 Special Case”. Public Answers Database. 19 August 1995.
^ “600 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “600 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “B Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ Valentin, Max. “The 11 Riddles Sequence”. Public Answers Database. 11 November 1995.
^ “B Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “420 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “420 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “520 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “650 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “470 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “470 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “560 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
^ “580 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
^ “580 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.

Livre Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or – Les Cahiers Secrets

While these solutions in the above table are what is generally accepted it is worth noting that there a hundreds of vastly different theories as to what the solutions to the clues could be with each a convincing argument for why it could be the correct solve.

Once the 11 clues are solved the 12th clue will need to be pieced together from some of the other 11 clues. When this 12th clue is solved it is said to reveal the location of the owl. The owl buried is a bronze replica of the golden owl with the golden owl currently held in the possession of the artist Michel Becker who now makes other similar armchair treasure hunts and released a follow up book for the golden owl in 2019 – ‘Livre Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or – Les Cahiers Secrets’

Sources & References

Information for this article has been provided by various sources and are referenced here:

Primary Source: On The Trail Of The Golden Owl – Wikipedia

Bibliography:

- Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
- Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
- “Description of the Prize”. l’Express. 22 July 1993.
- Krotoski, Aleks. “Description of the Prize”. The Guardian. 25 January 2008.
- Valentin, Max. “How the Quest Started”. Public Answers Database. 28 January 1997.
- Schofield, Hugh (2018-08-12). “France’s 25-year treasure hunt for a golden owl”. BBC News. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
- Valentin, Max. “The False Trails”. Public Answers Database. 16 August 1995.
- Valentin, Max. “The Strength of the False Trails”. Public Answers Database. 13 December 2001.
- Smith, Reiss (2016-12-10). “10 lost treasures that YOU could still find: From Blackbeard’s loot to hidden Nazi gold”. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
- Valentin, Max. “450 Hours of Work”. Public Answers Database. 5 May 1998.
- Becker, Michel. “Fabrication of the Golden Owl”. La Chouette d’Or.
- “500 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “500 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “530 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “530 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “780 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- valentin, max. “The 780 Special Case”. Public Answers Database. 19 August 1995.
- “600 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “600 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “B Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- Valentin, Max. “The 11 Riddles Sequence”. Public Answers Database. 11 November 1995.
- “B Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “420 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “420 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “520 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “650 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “470 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “470 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “560 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.
- “580 Explained by Monglane”. A2CO Database. 2001.
- “580 Synthesis”. Figaro Magazine. 1997.

Other sources of information:

Official Site of the Golden Owl: Editions-ChouetteDOr.com

Informative Fan Page: GoldenOwlHunt.com

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Written By

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ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is an avid treasure hunter, seeker of adventure and the creator of Areas Grey. After travelling for almost half his life and cataloguing over 100 treasure legends along the way. He decided this was simply far too much treasure for one person to chase! As a result he created Areas Grey so he could share his stories, connect with other treasure hunters and put a little more adventure in the lives of the treasure hunting community.

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

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“There is only one truth, and it must be found. But the way is sometimes turntling and sowed with traps. Whose fault is it? Not mine! .. I repeat: Not mine!”

– Max Valentin (Régis Hauser), 1993

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THE CLOCK WITHOUT A FACE

An Armchair Treasure Hunt

Overview

What does a cursed clock, twelve jeweled numbers hidden across the United States, and a puzzle book all have in common? They are all a part of the very same 2010 armchair treasure hunt book called The Clock Without a Face, written by Eli Horowitz and Mac Barnett with illustrations by Scott Teplin.

By the end of the book the identity of the thief is finally revealed, however, the location of the clock’s missing numbers is not and readers were therefore encouraged to solve the clues found throughout the book and use these clues to search for the numbers in the real world.

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The Legend

As you proceed through the book, floor by floor, you, the reader, are supposed to pick up clues that lead to the real life buried numbers. Each two page spread has a part of the story on one side, and a cutaway image showing the current floor and apartment on the other.

The drawings are intricate and are very well done with lots of detail that can be used to help solve the puzzle!

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The Treasure

Each of the twelve numbers that were hidden around the country were handcrafted by the New York jewelry designer Anna Sheffield and each was made with real emeralds on a solid backing. Each of the numbers had a different implied backstory.

One was purported to be from the quiet halls of a Tibetan monastery, one was said to be lifted from the buckle of an unknown pirate’s shoe. Yet another was allegedly made from the bottle of a Venetian glass blower.

No value was ever placed on the numbers by either the designer or the authors, instead the true value was how rare each number was, as well as the story of how each was found.

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The Clues

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Conclusion

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Written By

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ROBERT JENNER

Guest Writer

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“The Clock Without a Face is the realization of every (inner) child’s wildest dreams: a full color, illustrated mystery book packed full of clues that lead to real treasure.”

– Bonnie Chan, Flavorpill, 2010

THE BOSSALL TREASURE

An Armchair Treasure Hunt

Overview

In January 2014 Douglas George Pearson published an armchair treasure hunt book titled ‘The Bossall Treasure’. Unlike most armchair treasure hunt books this book was centred around Pearson’s own family history and their connection to a real life treasure of the Knights Templar!

The exciting real life story of Peason’s ancestors is complemented by the armchair treasure hunt scattered throughout the pages. Cryptic images which would lead a worthy treasure hunter to a precise location somewhere in England where Pearson had buried an ornate gold plated Lorraine cross.

After almost 10 years the Croix de Lorraine remained hidden despite the efforts of many armchair treasure hunt enthusiasts. That was until September 2021 when the clues were finally solved and the treasure was found!

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The Legend

This isn’t just a well researched and well written story you could read over and over for entertainment, it is also a book filled with clues leading people to find a gold Lorraine cross buried somewhere in England.

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The Treasure

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The Clues

The puzzles & clues range in difficulty and complexity with some requiring some serious thought, but Pearson found a way to keep the puzzles engaging and challenging enough that you could spend days working on them and not give up out of frustration.

Pearson spent three years creating the book and the puzzles. With no one to test the clues on, Pearson needed to spend hours looking at other types of puzzles, brain teasers and even the solutions to Kit Williams’ treasure hunt Masquerade in order to gauge the difficulty levels of the clues.

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Conclusion

Sadly, while writing this post I was informed that Douglas G Pearson had passed away.

He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten by the community he touched with his creativity.

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Written By

Follow On:

ADAM L C

Director of Areas Grey

Adam is a Private Investigator and former Wilderness Guide with a passion for history and archaeology. With the skills, knowledge and gear, Adam is always eager to go on the next fortune seeking adventure and connect with fellow treasure hunters along the way.

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“The discovery served to confirm a long-existing tradition, that the money and rich plate had been hidden by our ancestor Sir Robert Belt, during the Civil War, in that part of the pleasure ground.”

– William John Belt, 1779

THE LOST SKULL

An Armchair Treasure Hunt