# Buried pirate treasure **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750 "2023-06-18T21:51:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/1 "2023-06-18T21:51:27Z")
I just watched John Gates Expedition Unknown, about pirate treasure. Capt Henry Avery IIRC. But my thought was- why would a pirate bury his loot someplace hard to get to anyway? Pirates spent their loot on run, high living and etc. Not to mention- A Pirate captain just got a double share of the loot (along with the Quartermaster). They had to share it out. So even if there was a $1000000 loot in toda’s value, with a crew of 100, the Captain would only get $20000. So all these talks about "well they looted stuff worth $100Million today, doesnt mean the captain got it all. So I ask the Teeming Millions- have they ever found any buried Pirate treasure? Shipwrecks, sure but the Captains buried loot? Note this is similar to [Buried Pirate Treasure - #34 by Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/421622/34) but that was back in 2007, so I didnt want to play Necromancer (altho you would think with my posting name…). Oh and the so called letter they were basing their hunt on- it started with “buried or shipwrecked”= which to me is a danger sign. Some divers did find a shipwreck on the show with a few coins, but again- I expect loot in a shipwreck. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/2 "2023-06-18T23:13:19Z")
As far as I know the only pirate in the historical record known to have buried treasure is William Kidd who needed to put it aside to buy a pardon from the governor of one of the American colonies. The governor (of NY, I think) had the treasure dug up and used it as evidence to hang Kidd. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/3 "2023-06-18T23:37:17Z")
Fiddle. They didn’t bury it, they _spent it!_ On carousing. Also, boats are money pits. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/4 "2023-06-19T00:15:17Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > They didn’t bury it, they _spent it!_ > On carousing. > Also, boats are money pits. Yep. That’s what I thought too. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/5 "2023-06-19T00:15:39Z")
> **[Did pirates really bury their treasure?](https://www.history.com/news/did-pirates-really-bury-their-treasure)** > > Pirate lore is rife with tales of hidden treasure and maps where “X” marks the spot, but there are only a few reliable accounts of buccaneers actually burying their loot.  One early example concerns the English privateer Francis Drake. After a... It’s only four paragraphs so you should read it all. He lists Kidd and also Sir Francis Drake. But he also says, correctly I think, that the modern idea was popularized by _Treasure Island_ because real pirates did really spend the booty. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/6 "2023-06-19T00:19:11Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > He lists Kidd and also Sir Francis Drake. But he also says, correctly I think, that the modern idea was popularized by _Treasure Island_ because real pirates did really spend the booty. Thanks. Good article. I remember the bit about Sir Francis Drake, but what I remember is that they took the gold and jewels but couldnt carry all the silver, so they hid it. So no one can find any cites for real found buried pirate treasure? I could not. There of course is this one, but again- a ship wreck- [https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/article/World-s-only-real-pirate-treasure-dug-up-and-5200102.php](https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/article/World-s-only-real-pirate-treasure-dug-up-and-5200102.php) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/7 "2023-06-19T00:25:40Z")
Not just pirates, but many raiding cultures buried treasure. The reason should be fairly obvious: It’s bulky and hard to carry. You just plundered a town, and have 200kg of plunder with you, and it’s a 50 mile hike to your next destination, where you expect to get more plunder. What’s a poor Viking, Pirate, or Anglo Saxon raider to do? Well, you find a very clever way to bury it, then come back for it later when you have more time and carrying capacity. Then you get yourself killed, and the treasure is forgotten. Metal detectorists still uncover Anglo-Saxon hoards buried around England. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/8 "2023-06-19T00:32:08Z")
Pirates were more integrated into local and regional economies than we think. Often their “loot” was cargo that they then sold, rather than chests of jewels and gold, and like many sailors, they spent much of their pay on necessities and pleasures. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/9 "2023-06-19T00:36:31Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Well, you find a very clever way to bury it, then come back for it later when you have more time and carrying capacity Pirates always had the capacity because they also captured the ships that were already carrying the treasure. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/10 "2023-06-19T00:45:37Z")
Yes, but the Anglo-Saxon hoards weren’t buried by looters who had seized them; they were mostly buried by owners who hoped to save them from being seized. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/11 "2023-06-19T00:51:45Z")
I’m gonna quit watching ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ I’m a non-believer now. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/12 "2023-06-19T01:08:01Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > Yes, but the Anglo-Saxon hoards weren’t buried by looters who had seized them; they were mostly buried by owners who hoped to save them from being seized. I think both happened, didn’t they? I remember reading about a hoard find that was traced to raiders burying it behind them as they raided, and apparently it was quite common. After a battle especially, the loot that would be taken from dead soldiers (including swords, armor, etc) was just too heavy to carry at the time, but too valuable to abandon. Best solution: Bury it, and hope to come back and dig it up one day. And of course if you know raiders are on the way, burying your valuables makes a lot of sense. But if the raiders kill you, the treasure remains undisturbed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/13 "2023-06-19T02:09:08Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m gonna quit watching ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ At least there ,Oak Island has some rather old legends. Compared to skinwalker ranch which is 100% made up hokum. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/14 "2023-06-19T03:27:38Z")
Does this explain why Hagar the Horrible is always broke? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/15 "2023-06-19T06:57:59Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Also, boats are money pits. Boat has always been an acronym, Break Out Another Treasure-chest! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/16 "2023-06-19T09:59:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > At least there ,Oak Island has some rather old legends. > > Compared to skinwalker ranch which is 100% made up hokum. I’m, going to dispute that Oak Island isn’t 100% hokum. It may be old hokum, but hokum nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/17 "2023-06-19T18:28:59Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I’m, going to dispute that Oak Island isn’t 100% hokum. It may be old hokum, but hokum nonetheless. Well, the show is, certainly, with them planting a “Templar Cross”. But I think the original group of youths did find something odd. Mind you there was never any treasure there. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/18 "2023-06-19T19:28:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Mind you there was never any treasure there. I will be back here after next season ends to help you eat your words. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/19 "2023-06-19T19:30:48Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just watched John Gates Expedition Unknown That’s Josh. A standard conversation in our house goes like this: Wife (in the other room). “Is that Josh?” Me (watching TV), “Yes!” Wife, “Has he found anything yet?” Me, “No.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750/20 "2023-06-19T19:42:10Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Wife, “Has he found anything yet?” > Me, “No.” Well, in the recent lost underwater pyramids episodes, they indeed make a pretty good discovery. But yeah- usually maybe a coin or two or something which Josh seems to get really excited over. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buried-pirate-treasure/985750.md?page=2)