Treasure Excavations in the Medieval and Early Modern Hispanic World
a study of bureaucratic, inquisitorial, and
criminal records of licensed and illicit treasure hunting and grave
robbing in Iberia and colonial Latin America
Buried treasure’s paper trail
This project gathers together sources from across the medieval and early modern Hispanic world.
Criminal Trials
Illegal excavations were criminally prosecuted.
Inquisition Records
The use of magic was forbidden but popular.
Treasure-hunting Licenses
A bureaucratic system built on claim-staking, excavation companies, and taxation.
Grave-robbing Permits
Medieval treasure-hunting policies were later applied to indigenous American tombs.
Law Codes and Legal Theory
From Plato to the Compendium of Laws of the Kingdoms of the Indies.
Magical Grimoires
The Picatrix: “Wherever the key falls from his feet, know that there is treasure there.”
Map and Database
Interactive map and database of excavation records
The Treasure Map
- Approximate locations (exact locations hidden).
- Details about treasure hunters.
- Description of finds.
The Treasure Trove
- Archival signatures.
- Sortable by date and location.
- Hundreds of years of records.
“If they wanted to escape poverty, they should go and extract a treasure.”
Cristóbal García, fieldworker, 1684
ARCV,SALAS DE LO CRIMINAL,CAJA 972,6,f18r.
Research Updates
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