Definition
What is a treasure hunt? Let’s start with the dictionary definition:
a game in which players search for hidden objects by following a trail of clues.
Oxford English Dictionary
A treasure hunt is initiated with the discovery of a clue. This generally leads to more clues and culminates in the discovery of a treasure or reward. A treasure map may be involved.
A scavenger hunt is different in that it usually involves finding a list of items (or performing a list of activities) which are delivered to claim a prize.
An escape room is a type of puzzle where participants are required to find clues and solve puzzles to work their way out of a room within a time limit.
Did pirates really bury their treasure?
Probably not.
Only one pirate is known to have actually buried treasure, William Kidd in 1699. He was being hunted as a pirate, and he buried a small quantity of his treasure to use as a bargaining chip once he was caught and arrested. However clearly the gold wasn’t tempting enough as he was tried and executed. His treasure was found by the authorities.
Pirates burying treasure is largely a myth popularised by three works; Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island, Edgar Allan Poe’s 1843 story The Gold-Bug and Tales of a Traveller by Geoffrey Crayon in 1824.
Treasure hunts make tantalising stories. The discovery of the first clue, the breadcrumbs leading to other clues, solving riddles or puzzles with increasingly greater stakes and finally the revelation of the treasure! They are very popular and have been written over and over since they started in the 1800s.
You can read more about treasure hunts in popular culture at our article here.
Lost treasure
Pirates didn’t bury treasure and therefore didn’t make maps to find it again, however that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of treasure out there waiting to be found.
Ships carrying precious cargo are lost at sea, artefacts are lost through time, sometimes valuables are stolen and never recovered. These riches remain in the world somewhere, just waiting to be rediscovered.
There is a list of missing treasures on Wikipedia to get you started on your hunt!