Just how does a treasure end up “lost,” anyway? As these books show, it isn’t all about buried chests or weird holes in the ground. Most lost treasures were victims of the elements — an ill-timed storm, perhaps, or the inevitable ravages of time — or the whims of greedy humans who thought they had the right to take what they wanted from others. In the latter case, a “lost” treasure may not be entirely lost, just inaccessible to the rightful owners. While we’re defining terms, let’s take a minute to examine what we mean by “treasure,” too. Sometimes a treasure is as simple as a pile of money, and sometimes it’s rare objects or works of art. If you’re a history buff, the real treasure is the knowledge gained along the way. Whatever form it takes, a treasure hunt can only start if the treasure is valuable — or thought to be valuable — to a lot of people. You may think of your stuffed animal collection as a treasure (and you are absolutely right), but unless they’re stuffed with gold or the pages of Blackbeard’s diary, no one’s going to bother drawing a map to your house on the Declaration of Independence. Now that we’ve got the pedantry out of the way, here are some exciting books like The Curse of Oak Island. Each tells the story of a lost treasure and how (or if!) it was recovered. As a bonus/to provide greater context about how treasures can become “lost,” I also included books about the role museums have played in supporting looters and treasure hunters, as well as books by men who have devoted their lives to finding objects lost or left behind by others. (And I do mean men: most treasure hunting books seem to be by white dudes. This is especially unfortunate since many lost treasures were stolen from non-white peoples.) It’s like an extra bit of treasure buried right in this very article. Go on and dig in!
Treasure Hunting Books Like The Curse of Oak Island
Books About Museums and Lost Treasures
Books about Treasure Hunting
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