You can find treasures while hiking. A 12-year-old girl was hiking near an ancient site in Israel when she discovered a scarab used in an Egyptian amulet around 3,500 years ago.
“I was looking down at the ground to find porcupine needles and smooth pebbles,” said Dafna Filshteiner. “And suddenly, I picked up an interesting stone. I showed it to my mother, and she said it was just an ordinary stone or a bead. But then I saw a decoration and stubbornly insisted it was more than that, so we searched on the internet. There, we identified more photos of stones similar to what we had found. We realized that it was something special and immediately called the Antiquities Authority.”
An archaeologist from the Israel Antiquities Authority confirmed the amazing find, took the bead-like stone to the state archives to be displayed for the public and gave Dafna and her family “a certificate of excellence for good citizenship.”
Closer to home, a millionaire, Jon Collins-Black, recently hid five boxes worth $2-3 million across the U.S. on public land. Inside are items like bitcoin, an emerald, rare Pokémon cards, antiques and more. The value of the boxes fluctuates with the market value of bitcoin. The boxes are not buried. Mr. Jon Collins-Black said that getting to them isn’t dangerous as he didn’t want anyone to be harmed. He wanted it to be an enjoyable journey. He has written a book with all the clues to find the boxes.
When asked if Mr. Collins-Black would regret giving away his money if the price of bitcoin soars, he said, “If bitcoin goes to $500,000 or $1 million or these treasures are worth $10 million in five to seven years and someone finds them, and then I think I’ll just celebrate that and be happy for it.”
Most of us don’t find priceless treasures while hiking. But bringing a metal detector can be a fun way to add a new dimension to your hikes! Places where a lot of people go have more dropped items. You find coins and old jewelry. You’ll also find trash, so a mental detector can help you if you want to help beautify nature!
It’s essential to be respectful — and follow the law! Make sure you’re allowed to use a metal detector where you are and refill any holes that you dig while looking for treasure. If you find trash instead of something worth keeping, throw it away in a proper place. If you find jewelry and are in a place that has a front office, turn it in at lost and found — you will be someone’s hero.
A friend of one person on the social media team lost his wallet while hiking Half Dome. He was heartbroken. He could replace his driver’s license and credit cards. But the wallet was filled with photos and movie ticket stubs. Two months later, a stranger messaged him on Facebook, saying that he had found the wallet and asked for an address to ship it back. Our friend got his wallet back! It even still had the cash in it! He looked at his hero’s Facebook profile, saw that the man liked Bonefish Grill and sent him a gift card to thank him.
When you look for treasure on your hikes, you engage with your walk in a new way. You might find a priceless artifact. You might hit it rich. You might become someone’s personal hero. Or, you may just get a new perspective on an old route you know and love. You notice details and take in new sights when you keep your eyes peeled. And that’s a different kind of treasure.
