Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with treasure

Underwater kids computer game?

keribear — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:06:35 -0800

Another Old Computer Game Filter: Underwater treasure finding for kids circa 1995? Help! So my memory has waned a lot more than I thought. I have fond memories of playing this computer game at school with my friends when I was 12 years old or so... but I think the game was actually aimed at younger kids, maybe 8-10 or so. All I really remember about this game was that you swam underwater (you may or may not have been a fish, in fact) and searched for lost treasures. I think there were three treasures per level, maybe? And there were rainbows - lots of rainbows. A pretty froofy game, actually - we girls played it to kill time, but the boys thought it was just ridiculous.

I have no other hints, except that it would've been played on an IBM machine - probably Windows 3.1. I've seen Metafilter identify some really obscure movies & games - and I REALLY hope you guys can help! Bonus points to anyone who can tell me where I might download it or a similar game. Thanks! :)

Treasure Island -- Which One?

rahnefan — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:41:42 -0800

Which edition of Treasure Island was this? This was the 70s but I don't know when it was published. It was almost certainly abridged for children, and gorgeously illustrated.

Strangely, some of the illustrations were fairly bloody as I recall. IIRC, all were full color. Maybe the most telling one had an awkward perspective or something so that it accidentally looked like one of those nautical pulleys (or whatever it is?) appeared at the end of a character's arm or leg? I think I remember a character being pinned to a mast with a knife? And having a bloody bandage on his head later on, during a gunfight? There was one of the black spot (in Billy Bones' hand?). I've seen Wyeth illustrations online, and it wasn't that one.

Treasure Hunting in the Bay Area

cucumberfresh — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:40:53 -0800

Please recommend some good places to go treasure hunting in the SF Bay Area. I'm in the mood for exploring and I'd love to know where I might search for nifty rocks or seashells in the Bay Area. The more specific the better, and bonus points for places in SF or the North Bay.

Alternately, what are some good places to go on a visual "treasure hunt?" An example of what I'm looking for might be bird watching at Audobon Canyon Ranch or the upcoming Photojojo Safari to see murals in the Mission.

Thank you in advance!

Identify this 80s movie featuring Indy-type blond heroine and... Aztecs?

gentle — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:30:57 -0800

Back in the 1980s, I remember watching a bizarre sort of Indiana Jones-copycat treasure-hunting/western movie. It featured a young, blond Daryl Hannah lookalike and possibly Aztecs who liked to dip humans head-first in liquid gold before decapitating them. It was fairly violent stuff, and one scene had the characters being horrified when one of their comrades returned headless on a horse. The whole thing must have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, however, because it ended with a humorous 70s-style montage that set up a (presumably fake) sequel with the blond girl as a butt-kicking Indy-type heroine. I am pretty sure it was made in the 80s, and I remember the dialogue as being English, but I could be wrong; all I know is that Bud Spencer and Terence Hill weren't in it. Ring any bells?

Arrrr...where's me treasure, wench?

ninazer0 — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 02:08:49 -0800

What and where are the collections of the worlds best treasure troves? I want to track down the largest collections of gems, gold and jewellery around the world. Recently I was reading about the Iranian Crown Jewels and was gobsmacked by the sheer size of both the individual pieces and the sheer amount of it all.

I know about the English Crown Jewels, of course, and those of other countries. I guess there'd be collections of gems within various Natural History museums in the Geological section. Where else can I feast my eyes (online) on other brilliant baubles?

How can I use RFIDs and some sort of detector to create a city-wide treasure hunt?

ab5000 — Wed, 09 May 2007 08:13:31 -0800

How can I use RFIDs and some sort of detector to create a city-wide treasure hunt? For my wife's birthday, I'd like to create a treasure hunt around the city we live in (Boston), taking us to different places we've gone. Is it possible to buy some sort of wand/detector/geiger counter type thingy that I can use to find the clues? I was thinking of something involving RFIDs that would make the device beep louder as we got closer (within a reasonable distance, like 30 feet or something). That way I could hide clues at different places and not have to worry about the impossible-ness of finding them. Is this at all possible?

They wouldn't be big clues, probably just a sheet of paper folded in half, in an envelope, either taped to a wall or something, or being held by a person at a restaurant or hotel or something. Is that enough room to put the RFID thing in? I really have no idea how this all would work technically, but I think that the concept is cool! If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Are treasure maps real?

bugloaf — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:42:19 -0800

Has an ancient document ever led to an archaeological discovery? This seems to always happen in the movies: The hero translates some ancient document or digs up some ancient map which leads him to some buried treasure. For example, the Indiana Jones movies or the Tomb Raider movies. I wonder if there are any archaeology-themed movies that don't follow this pattern. Does this ever happen in real life?

I know things have been discovered that were previously only known about through ancient texts, such as the lost city of Ubar or the Gospel of Judas, but I'm not asking about these. I'm asking about discoveries that were found with direct help from an ancient text. I expect that there are none.

metal detectors

crunchland — Thu, 12 May 2005 07:58:15 -0800

Buying advice for a good starter metal detector. There are a wide range of prices for metal detectors. I don't want a toy, but I'm not prepared to drop more than $300, and there are a lot of rigs that are priced higher than that. It doesn't need to be waterproof... I'm just looking for something to get me going and decide if I want to pursue the hobby further.