miner1849
Greenie
Hi, Does anyone have knowledge, pictures or drawing on how to recognize the various Spanish death traps? thanks in advance.
Spanish Death Traps
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gollum
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- Jan 2, 2006
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Okay,
Be forwarned. HAHAHA You are going to get a bunch of whacky replies by people that see Spanish Death Traps in every rock and crevice. You have more to worry about with cave-ins, bad air, crumbling stopes, rattlesnakes, and mountain lion dens than Spanish Death Traps.
That said, they do exist, but are EXCEEDINGLY RARE! Here is a page from my website that gives just a bit:
DEATH TRAPS
There are several types. Most involve moving or digging under the wrong boulder, causing other big heavy things to fall and crush you. Even rarer, are pits with trap doors that you fall down into.
One thing is for certain; IF (and that is a VERY big IF) you have found an authentic Spanish Death Trap, then you are about to become wealthy (or dead).
Mike
Be forwarned. HAHAHA You are going to get a bunch of whacky replies by people that see Spanish Death Traps in every rock and crevice. You have more to worry about with cave-ins, bad air, crumbling stopes, rattlesnakes, and mountain lion dens than Spanish Death Traps.
That said, they do exist, but are EXCEEDINGLY RARE! Here is a page from my website that gives just a bit:
DEATH TRAPS
There are several types. Most involve moving or digging under the wrong boulder, causing other big heavy things to fall and crush you. Even rarer, are pits with trap doors that you fall down into.
One thing is for certain; IF (and that is a VERY big IF) you have found an authentic Spanish Death Trap, then you are about to become wealthy (or dead).
Mike
Last edited:
sdcfia
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Simon1
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Mike, could you please let me know your website, or PM it to me as I would find it interesting, considering your knowledge and experience ?
gollum
Gold Member
- Jan 2, 2006
- 6,770
- 7,719
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab SD2200D (Modded)/ Whites GMT 24k / Fisher FX-3 / Fisher Gold Bug II / Fisher Gemini / Schiebel MIMID / Falcon MD-20
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
See where DEATH TRAPS is bold and in a different color? That is a hyperlink to my website. Just click on it.
MINER1849,
Just because you find a Spanish Mine, does not necessarily mean you have also found a death trap. Only exceedingly rich mines that could not be worked year round and treasure cache caves would have any chance of being guarded by a death trap.
Mike Pickett's (now defunct) website "Treasure Hunters University" used to have a nice set of pics and story regarding a death trap found in Northern Mexico. He sent me the pics his friend in Mexico sent him. Since his site has been down a long time, I guess it is okay to repost them here, and retell the story.
As I remember it, a friend of Mike's in Mexico was doing a bit of exploring on a friend's property there. He started seeing coiled snake carvings (meaning DANGER) on the rocks on this particular hillside. A little closer inspection of the hill showed a very nice silhouette:
It was very obviously man made, and it seemed to be looking over and down at something. Looking closely at the area where the silhouette was facing, they found what looked like a cave that was backfilled, and the fill had settled some, leaving a small gap at the top.
It took them quite a while, and a LOT of sweat equity clearing the brush, dirt, and rock from the opening. After it was mostly done, this is what they found:
Okay, here is the explanation of how this death trap works: The entrance to this gold mine is around behind this (approx) 25 ton boulder (#1). Notice that this enormous boulder is balanced carefully on top of a piece of hand shaped bedrock sticking up under it (#2), and also balanced lightly against rock# 4. When you go around behind the boulder, the mine entrance is blocked by a beam of rock about 6-7 feet long (#3). If you are foolish enough (and/or greedy enough) to move this long narrow stone beam (#3) out of your way, it will dislodge rock# 4, allowing the enormous boulder (#1) to roll backwards off the piece of bedrock it is balanced on top of (#2), and either crushing the person behind there, or trapping them in the mine shaft. Once the boulder rolls backwards, it can't be moved because it is wedged between the immovable cave wall and the immovable piece of bedrock. Once they had figured this out, they redirected the boulder off the front of the piece of bedrock, safely downhill.
All I was ever told was that this was a gold mine. No idea what came from it.
Mike
MINER1849,
Just because you find a Spanish Mine, does not necessarily mean you have also found a death trap. Only exceedingly rich mines that could not be worked year round and treasure cache caves would have any chance of being guarded by a death trap.
Mike Pickett's (now defunct) website "Treasure Hunters University" used to have a nice set of pics and story regarding a death trap found in Northern Mexico. He sent me the pics his friend in Mexico sent him. Since his site has been down a long time, I guess it is okay to repost them here, and retell the story.
As I remember it, a friend of Mike's in Mexico was doing a bit of exploring on a friend's property there. He started seeing coiled snake carvings (meaning DANGER) on the rocks on this particular hillside. A little closer inspection of the hill showed a very nice silhouette:
It was very obviously man made, and it seemed to be looking over and down at something. Looking closely at the area where the silhouette was facing, they found what looked like a cave that was backfilled, and the fill had settled some, leaving a small gap at the top.
It took them quite a while, and a LOT of sweat equity clearing the brush, dirt, and rock from the opening. After it was mostly done, this is what they found:
Okay, here is the explanation of how this death trap works: The entrance to this gold mine is around behind this (approx) 25 ton boulder (#1). Notice that this enormous boulder is balanced carefully on top of a piece of hand shaped bedrock sticking up under it (#2), and also balanced lightly against rock# 4. When you go around behind the boulder, the mine entrance is blocked by a beam of rock about 6-7 feet long (#3). If you are foolish enough (and/or greedy enough) to move this long narrow stone beam (#3) out of your way, it will dislodge rock# 4, allowing the enormous boulder (#1) to roll backwards off the piece of bedrock it is balanced on top of (#2), and either crushing the person behind there, or trapping them in the mine shaft. Once the boulder rolls backwards, it can't be moved because it is wedged between the immovable cave wall and the immovable piece of bedrock. Once they had figured this out, they redirected the boulder off the front of the piece of bedrock, safely downhill.
All I was ever told was that this was a gold mine. No idea what came from it.
Mike
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