Wednesday, May 21, 2008

What I want to know is...

How did the archeologists know what they were looking at? They don't sell these at Wal-Mart!

Photobucket
KEY WEST, Fla. - Experts found a tiny gold combined toothpick and earwax spoon, believed to be more than 385 years old, during the search for a shipwrecked Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.

The late 16th or early 17th century grooming tool, which weighs only about an ounce, was located Sunday by Blue Water Ventures diver Chris Rackley as he searched the area about 22 feet below the surface and 40 miles west of Key West. He says its value could exceed $100,000.

The divers, who are searching the shipwreck trail of the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita that sank in a 1622 hurricane, also recovered ceramic pieces, spikes, ships' fittings, rigging elements and two skeleton keys.

[snip]

Almost a year ago, Blue Water divers located gold bars, gold chains and a lead box containing thousands of pearls that were carried by the Margarita. The value of that find was estimated at more than $2 million.

I'd be digging in the ocean in a minute for such wonderful treasures if I wasn't so spooked by deep sea diving and sharks and weird blobby fish with teeth and sharks and stuff....

4 comments:

Steve Bates said...

Um... which prong is which tool?

ellroon said...

And what if you get them mixed up?

Sorghum Crow said...

Oh Ellroon, just look at it. What else could it be? (on second thought, it might be better if you didn't answer that.)

ellroon said...

It looks suspiciously like the Starbucks mermaid if you ask me...