Understanding

Treasure Signs
and Symbols

Charles Garrett
 Understanding

Treasure
Signs and
Symbols

Charles Garrett
Front cover photo:
These boulders mark the location of a treasure
hidden by an Indian tribe in the Western United
States.This tribe hid its tribal wealth in a cave prior to
a conflict with the federal government in the 1880s.
They planned to recover the treasure after the war.
This is one of several treasure markers examined in
later years in this area. Remember, when searching
for hidden treasure signs always search diligently
for “out-of-place” markers. See other such marker
photos in this book.

Rear cover photo:

Explorers often discover ancient signs and symbols
such as these petroglyphs on this boulder. No one
should ever deface such precious historical works of
art.
 Understanding

Treasure
Signs and
Symbols
Understanding TREASURE SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

© Charles L. Garrett 2009

Manufactured in the United States of America.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording
or by any information storage or retrieval system,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews. For information, address
all inquiries to Editor, Ram Publishing Company.

First printing: March 2009

4 www.garrett.com
 CONTENTS

About the Author....................................................7

Introduction.............................................................9
Early Treasure Signs.............................................11
Some Personal Experiences..................................15
Interpreting Your Discovery................................25
Common Treasure Symbols.................................29
Sun Symbols.....................................................30
Distance and Measurement Symbols................31
Arrows and Directional Symbols......................34
Compass Degree Symbols.................................37
Treasure Direction Symbols..............................38
Treasure Location Symbols...............................42
Miscellaneous Symbols.....................................50
Turtle Signs and Symbols.................................51
Snake Signs and Symbols.................................53
Sample Tree Markings......................................55
Moon Symbols..................................................56
Time Markings and Symbols............................57
Danger Symbols................................................58
Crosses and Religious Symbols........................60
Spanish Treasure Terms....................................62
Special Advice........................................................66
Other RAM Books................................................71

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 5

Author Charles Garrett, seen on one of his expeditions through
Arizona, regards treasure signs and symbols in the field as road-
maps to old treasure.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 45 years, Charles Garrett has
pioneered the development of the modern metal
detector, demonstrated its capabilities in search-
es throughout the world and devoted himself to
teaching others to use detectors. He has recovered
treasures of all types while searching all over the
world. Garrett has encountered various treasure
signs and symbols in the field, some the ancient
pictoglyphs of Native Americans and others such
as age-old symbology of Spanish people.
The author’s lifetime interest in treasure
hunting prepared him to excel in that field.
After earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Electrical Engineering, Charles Garrett worked at
Texas Instruments and Teledyne Geotech develop-
ing systems and equipment required by America’s
fledgling space effort. While devoting himself to
his hobby, he designed and built his own metal de-
tectors. This avocation became a career when he
and his wife, Eleanor, founded Garrett Electronics
in 1964 to manufacture and market his inventions.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 7

 Garrett quality is praised today throughout
the world. From the beginning, Garrett vowed
“to practice what I preach” by field-testing his
equipment—to insure that each detector works for
customers regardless of ground conditions and en-
vironment. He has become recognized as an unof-
ficial spokesman for the hobby of treasure hunting
and the metal detecting industry through a long
list of honors, personal appearances and books.
This book on early treasure signs and symbols
marks the latest installment in Charles Garrett’s
pocket-sized treasure hunting field guides. He is
devoted to disseminating such knowledge in a
format that is both convenient and effective for
helping individuals recover more treasure with
their metal detectors.

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 INTRODUCTION

I am excited to release this fifth volume

in the Garrett treasure-hunting field guide
series because treasure signs and symbols have
always been a great fascination of mine. I have
encountered these marks during my many years
in the field and can say with experience that
understanding them can truly help you uncover
great riches, just as it has helped me.
Many of these early guides to treasure in
the West originated from Native Americans
of North America and Spaniards exploring
their new land. The use of such field markings
actually dates back to the beginning of mankind.
Cavemen painted on cave walls with charcoal
sticks. Early Europeans designed special crests
or family symbols. Ancient civilizations around
the globe created their own symbols for com-
munication, identification and education.
As people hid things of value, they cre-
ated treasure symbols to help guide them back
to their treasure trove later or to enable them

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 9

to describe the location to others. Pirates and
outlaws used signs and symbols to mark their
buried booty. The outlaw Jesse James carved a
particular “J” into trees to pinpoint his caches.
One such Jesse James symbol—on a section of
tree that was removed and sent to me—is cur-
rently on display in Garrett’s treasure museum
in Garland.
There are far too many symbols and com-
binations of them to fully cover in this book. I
will, however, present basic symbols, key signs
and words that you may encounter in your quest
for treasure. You should learn to properly inter-
pret these symbols after you find them in order
to be successful.
Your final step in recovering an old cache
is to use a high-quality metal detector that can
help you pinpoint the coveted treasure. I trust
that this book will become another valuable
tool in your treasure-hunting arsenal.
I’ll see you in the field…

Garland, Texas

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 EARLY TREASURE SIGNS

Man has always concealed his treasures and

other valuable possessions. People hid riches,
food, weapons or even sacred burial sites. In
many cases, such possessions were stored in
remote caves, on mountainsides, under rock
outcroppings or near some geographic land-
mark that could later be recognized. In order to
relocate their caches or describe their location
to others, individuals marked the landscape to
guide them back to their stash.
In some cases, this was accomplished by
stacking rocks in a particular manner. Native
Americans often bent young trees and tied them
off so that they would continue to point in a
particular direction as they matured. Such early
monuments and trail markers were meant to ap-
pear natural to the casual passer-by. But those
who knew what they were looking for found
trail markings as good as a modern road map.
Early tribesmen, Mayans, Incas and Aztecs
used pictographs and petroglyphs to help them
remember where they concealed their precious
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 11
goods. Hernan Cortes and the early Spanish
explorers were wise to learn the Indian symbols
and soon adapted some of them with Span-
ish variations. Some of the Indian tribes were
reported by the Spanish to display vast amounts
of gold, silver, pearls and jewelry—some of
which was doubtlessly cached away and never
recovered. Such riches were hidden after the
Indians learned that Spaniards were willing to
kill them for their precious possessions.
Numerous other cultures—including Span-
iards, Mexicans, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks
and Phoenicians—also left cryptic signs and
symbols as guides to their concealed items.
These pictorial guides were carved into trees,
etched or painted onto rocks or printed on
animal skins or maps. Pirates, bandits and pros-
pectors adopted many of the same emblems.
Symbols have even been used to help people
survive. In the era of the Great Depression in
the United States, hobos left special symbols
to mark places that provided their greatest
treasure—life-sustaining food. Special marks
denoted where a generous person lived or the

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location of a business that might offer a hand-
out. Hobos even made symbols to warn their
companions of a mean dog or other menaces.
Those hiding treasure caches certainly did
not want to make them easy to find, so one sym-
bol might lead the searcher to a spot where a
second symbol or map could be found. In some
cases, the person hiding the goods expected not
to return for years or perhaps even not at all.
Yet, they wanted to leave some path that could
lead others to what they had stashed.
The person hiding the treasure even needed
to give himself a reminder of where to dig for
his hidden loot. Some of the symbols that were
left behind could therefore indicate a number of
things: the treasure itself, directions, distances,
time, personal identification, landmarks or even
warnings related to the treasure trove’s location.
Florida Indians were known to carve sym-
bols into conch shells or onto hammered-out
Spanish pieces of eight. Pirates often incorpo-
rated astrological, zodiac, Masonry and even
witchcraft symbols into their “treasure maps.”
Trees were often carved with multiple symbols
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 13
and sometimes other trees or rock formations
in the same area provided additional clues. The
navigational marks on one old tree might very
well lead to another marked tree and so on.
Many symbols used in different cultures
have similar shapes and meanings. In some
cases, not all symbols can be understood—par-
ticularly those where a person created a per-
sonal emblem for recognition purposes. Only
an individual who knew a great deal about
that other person might be able to spot and
interpret such a personalized symbol.
This field guide simply does not have the
space to cover all known treasure signs and
symbols. I will, however, present some of the
more common signs that today’s treasure hunt-
er might have the good fortune of encountering.
The key to finding an old treasure cache is good
research and learning how to find and interpret
the clues that were left behind.

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 SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

Before we discuss the various symbols

themselves, I’ll relate a few of my own encoun-
ters with treasure-hunting signs and symbols.
Some have led to great treasures, while others
have caused me to conduct research to decipher
just what the map symbols were saying.

Javiere Castellanos, one of the author’s companions on a trea-

sure expedition into Mexico, points to a circle on a mountain
slope. Such circles served as clues, or markers, that helped lead
Garrett’s team to silver caches.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 15

 In the early 1970s, a group of men joined
me for a treasure-hunting expedition into Mex-
ico’s Sierra Madre. We journeyed to the primi-
tive village of Batopilas, a centuries-old gold
and silver producing area. On several Batopilas
area mountains are caves perched high upon the
slopes. Caves such as these were often used by
travelers and outlaws alike to hide themselves
or things they didn’t want others to find.

The Garrett search team followed painted white symbols in the

mountains to recover these nuggets of silver ore.

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 We were searching for a famed silver ore
cache that was reportedly hidden in this moun-
tain range. Clues were evident along the slopes
of this region. Circular painted symbols had
been applied to the rocks as location mark-
ers leading to the treasure. We followed these
painted symbols and, with the aid of our metal
detectors, were able to discover sacks of silver
ore nuggets that had been hidden in this area
decades before.
Indians often marked trees to pinpoint their
trails or to indicate directions to a treasure trove
or some sacred location. The young trees which
they bent, twisted or tied into a particular direc-
tion often grew into malformed adult trees. In
areas were trees were not available or practi-
cal for carving, Indians marked their trails or
caches in other ways.
Roy Lagal—my treasure hunting buddy—
and I have encountered several piles of stones
that had been used by Indians as markers. We
have found large rocks stacked in peculiar ways
or moved into positions that could not have
occurred naturally. Roy and I quickly learned to
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 17
Indians often tied off young trees to point out a trail or the path to a
treasure. Even in its old age, this deformed oak still clearly points
toward some old trail.

fire up our metal detectors when something just

seemed out of place.
During one expedition into old Indian
country, Roy and I were eagerly searching an
area that offered us great hope based on our
research. We scoured the rugged terrain for half
an hour before we found a lucky marker.
“Do you see it?” Roy yelled excitedly.
It took me a couple of minutes staring in the
direction Roy was pointing—but then I saw it.

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These heavy boulders, located in a fairly remote area, were
obviously propped against each other to serve as a guide. The
treasure hunters who noticed this unnatural marker found an
Indian cave cache site nearby.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 19

A large, flat piece of shale (similar to that shown
in the photo on the preceeding page) suddenly
became an obvious treasure marker to me. This
particular rock—roughly six inches thick, three
feet wide and about eight feet tall—was wedged
down between two adjacent boulders. The rock
was left sticking up about two feet higher than
the boulders it was wedged between. It was
clearly something unusual and out of its natural
place.
This particular area was off the beaten path
for most people. We knew it was an old Indian
sign that likely indicated a a hidden cache. The
marker led us to a small cavern tucked away
in the rocky bluffs below. The main area of the
cave was void of stashed goods or treasure. We
realized that other people had been in this par-
ticular cave in recent years. (They left clues of
their presence which were not hard to decipher.)
Momentarily disappointed, Roy and I complet-
ed a thorough sweep of this cave with our metal
detectors. Our reward was finding a tomahawk
and cache of weapons up on a small ledge that
the Indians had stashed during the 19th century.

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Treasure hunter George Mroczkowski studies pre-Columbian pic-
toglyphs in the Laguna Mountains of Southern California.

Another odd rock formation led me to a

great silver cache on a treasure expedition in
the 1980s in Canada. By chance, I spotted the
top of a large rock that seemed oddly unnatural
protruding from the ground. I scanned around
this rock and picked up two strong metallic sig-
nals, one on either side of the rock. After dig-
ging enough soil around this rock, I removed
it and realized that it had been wedged down

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 21

Mroczkowski felt that this “bursting sun” pictoglyph was an indica-
tion of a nearby buried treasure.

into a hole to conceal what was under it. Sure

enough, on either side of the base of this five-
gallon-can-sized rock, my detector picked up
nice silver readings. I soon recovered two cach-
es of high-graded silver ore that a miner had
hidden here many decades before.
The moral to both of these examples is to
be aware of your surroundings at all times and
to look for things that seem out of place. Even
today, people use signs and symbols to mark
treasure caches. I recovered a decades-old coin

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The author holds pieces of high-graded silver ore from two caches
he discovered in Canada by observing a treasure sign in the field.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 23

cache by spotting a spike that had been driven
long ago into an oak tree. It had been driven un-
der the bottom side of a limb and was not easy
to see. I ran my detector below where the spike
was directing me and—bingo!
My advice is to keep a sharp eye out for the
unnatural in your surroundings.
You should also have a good understand-
ing of the symbols outlined in this book. I’ve
long treasured such knowledge. An old hunt-
ing friend of mine named Bill Mahan put out
a great pamphlet in 1963 called Early Spanish
Treasure Signs & Symbols. I literally wore the
cover off that little booklet in my many years of
consulting Bill’s guide.
I hope this guide will serve you as well.
Today’s treasure hunter can also find a wealth
of information about Spanish and Indian trea-
sure symbols on the Internet.

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INTERPRETING YOUR DISCOVERY

The symbols in this book are important to

understand in order to help find your treasure.
When you discover that first symbol, then the
real fun begins: the quest to solve an ages-old
challenge!
Some symbols simply will not be under-
stood. Some will be the unique mark of the

This serpent symbol, outlined in white to highlight its details, was

presented to the author and is on display in Garrett’s treasure-
hunting museum in Garland, Texas.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 25

maker, a primitive personal logo if you will.
That person’s “crest” might just be the proof
that this position is indeed the correct location.
Take care to document the symbols you
find. Take a photo, if possible. Photos, however,
often will not show the finite details of a sym-
bol carved into a tree. It is therefore a great idea
to sketch out the symbol you see. If the symbol
is carved into a rough stone surface you might
even be able to carefully transfer it to a sheet of
paper by tracing the outline or lightly rubbing a
pencil against the paper.
You can also use white poster paint or chalk
to highlight or outline the symbols before you
photograph them. Do not use permanent paint!
Your highlights should be easily rinsed off with
water or by nature’s next rain. Symbols should
by treasured for the rare guideposts they are;
don’t destroy them by carving or defacing them
in any way.
This is especially true if you encounter an-
cient Indian pictoglyphs on stones. Report or
record your discovery but never destroy such
a rare piece of history. Remember the treasure

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This old tree section contains a specific “J” symbol that was re-
portedly used by the outlaw Jesse James to mark an area where
he had hidden a cache. This symbol, again highlighted in white to
show the detail, is also on display in Garrett’s museum.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 27

hunter’s code of ethics which we should all fol-
low as responsible searchers. Simply put, I’ve
always preached that you should leave a place
in better condition than you found it.
Check out the area around the location of
any treasure symbol. Draw a map of the area,
marking any symbols you find along with pre-
cise distances and directions between them and
nearby landmarks. Take note of these signifi-
cant landmarks—rivers, creeks, old trees, rock
formations, etc. Try to research this area to find
who might have left these signs.
Use your metal detector to search the area
where the treasure clues seem to be steering
you. If you can’t find anything, study your map
and its symbols again.

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 COMMON TREASURE SYMBOLS

Many signs and symbols can have multiple

meanings—an important fact to consider as
you attempt to interpret an old drawing or map.
Some early Indian pictographs—which can be
found in all parts of the United States—simply
cannot be interpreted. Many, however, are quite
clear and point toward the location of an item or
where an event once happened.
Spaniards later used some of the same early
Indian signs and symbols with only slight vari-
ations. While space limits the volume of such
symbols that can be discussed, I will begin by
covering some of the more commonly encoun-
tered treasure glyphs.

Sun Symbols
A circular sun may often be found with vari-
ous accompanying signal clues. For example, a
setting sun would indicate that you should look
toward the west.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 29

 MINE, TREASURE BELOW
T NO. BELOW, VAULT
BELOW, VAULT
S = DAYS DESCENDING
EARLY EXAMPLE
THE SETTING SUN,
SUN
OF SUN, WINDLASS,
LOOK WEST
EARLY EXAMPLE
Sun Symbols MINE, TREASURE
BELOW, VAULT
OF SUN, WINDLASS,
THE SUN MINE, TREASURE
ASCENDING ASCENDING
BELOW, VAULT
ASCENDING SUN
SUN
EARLY EXAMPLE SUN DESCENDING
OF SUN, WINDLASS, D
SUN
MINE, TREASURE
ASCENDING BELOW, VAULT
EARLY EXAMPLE THE SUN THE
SUN THE SUN
OF SUN, WINDLASS, ASCENDING DESCENDING
MINE, TREASURE SUN SUN
BELOW, VAULT D
TS, SUN GOD
THE SUN
ASCENDING
SUN SUN THE SUN
DESCENDING
SUN SUN LARGE QUANTITY
ING SUN, MINERALS SUN SIGNOF= MINERALS,
SUN SIGN =
CLOSE BY SUN SIGN = BRIGHT PROSPECTS,
BRIGHT PROSPECTS, DESCENDING
BRIGHT PROSPECTS, SUN GODGOLD SIGN
THE SUN OPENING
OPENING
GOLD, TREASURE OPENINGSUN
NEARBY SUN, TIME, LIGHT,
SUN SIGN = OPENING, AIR
THE SUN
BRIGHT PROSPECTS, SUN GOD
SUN SIGN =
OPENING
BRIGHT PROSPECTS,
OPENING
GOLD, TREASURE GOLD
LARGE QUANTITY
GOLD, TREASURE
OF MINERALS, NEARBY SUN, TIME, LIGHT,
SUN SIGN THE
= RISING SUN, LARGE QUANTITY ECLIPSE,NEARBY
THE
GOLD, SETTING SUN,
GOLD
ECLIPSE, SIGN
GOLD, OPENING, AIR
GHT PROSPECTS, LOOK EAST, ECLIPSE, GOLD,
OF MINERALS, INGOD
THE SHADOW LOOK WEST
IN THE SHADOW SUN
OPENING COUNT NO. IN GOLD
THE SHADOW
SIGN OF THE SUN
OF THE SUN
OF RAYS = DAYS OF THE
GOLD, TREASURESUN
N= NEARBY SUN, TIME, LIGHT,
SPECTS, SUN GOD GOLD, TREASURE
ECLIPSE, GOLD, OPENING, AIR
NG IN THE SHADOW NEARBY
ECLIPSE, GOLD,
OF THE SUN
IN THE SHADOW
11 OF THE SUN
GOLD, TREASURE
THE SETTING SUN, NEARBY EARLY EXAMPLE
SUN, MINERALS SUN, TIME, LIGHT,
LOOK WEST OF SUN,
CLOSE BYWINDLASS,
CLIPSE, GOLD, OPENING, AIR
MINE, TREASURE
THE SETTING SUN,
THE SHADOW GOLD, TREASURE
BELOW,
LOOK WESTVAULT
OF THE SUN
30 www.garrett.com
NEARBY SUN, TIME, LIGHT,
GOLD, OPENING, AIR
ADOW
SUN
 Distance and Measurement Symbols
The Spanish word “vara” was an early mea-
surement of distance used by land surveyors. A
vara measured 33 inches or about the normal
stride of a Spanish soldier. Another common
Spanish land measurement was the league. The
land measurement of a league varied from 2.12
to 2.18 miles.
Estado was a term used to indicate the mini-
mum depth that items of importance were to be
buried, set at 5 feet 7 inches. Pirates and sailors
also used the term braza to indicate a depth of
5’7” for treasure. On their maps, the pirate re-
placed the term braza with paces or varas. A
tall man’s pace could be significantly different
from that of a short man; but the pirate knew to
use the braza distance of 5’7” for each vara or
pace distance indicated on a map.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 31

 UTES,
VARAS6 ETC.
100 VARAS DISTANCE DISTANCE
6 FEET, 6 VARAS,
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
3 KILOMETERS

Distance and Measurement Symbols

CONTINUATION OF, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS,
6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 DEGREES, 4 DEGREES,
DISTANCE
CONTIN
ON CORRECT 4 VARAS
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.4 MINUTES, 4 MINUTES, ON C
S, LINE,
INCHES3 VARAS
OR SECONDS CONTINUATION
4 ETC., CAVE OF,
4 ETC., CAVE LINE
S, OR CAVES, ON CORRECT OR CAVES, 4 VARAS
VE MINERALS LINE, 3 VARASMINERALS FINGER
4 DEGREES,
INCHES OR SECONDS
S, MEANS ONE
4 MINUTES,
S 4 VARAS 4 VARAS
4 ETC., CAVE
INCHES OR SECONDS
OR SECONDS OR CAVES,
TRIPLE DISTANCE MINERALS
4 DEGREES,
2 VARAS, 4 VARAS, CONTINUATION
4 VARAS, OF,
TRIPLE
4 MINUTES,6TO
FEET,
2 ETC.DISTANCE
LEFT6 VARAS,
4 ETC. TO RIGHT ONTO
4 ETC. 6 FEET,
RIGHT6 VARAS,
CORRECT
2E
AS, 4 ETC., CAVE
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6
LINE, MINUTES,
3 VARAS 6 ETC.
2 VARAS,
O RIGHTOR CAVES,
2 ETC. TO LEFT 6 FEET, 6 VARAS,
MINERALS 6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 4 VARAS,
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
4 ETC. TO RIGHT
6 FEET, 6 VARAS,
6 FEET, 6 VARAS, 6 FEET, 6 VARAS,6 FEET, 6 VARAS,
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.
6 MINUTES, 6 ETC.

3 KILOMETERS 3 KILOMETERS
4 VARAS, 2 VARAS,
4 DEGREES, CONTINUATION OF,
ETERS4 ETC. TO RIGHT DISTANCE2 ETC. TO LEFT
4 MINUTES, ON CORRECT
4 ETC., IN
5 VARAS CAVE LINE, 3 VARAS
4 DEGREES,
OR CAVES, 3 CONTINUATION OF,
KILOMETERS 5 VA
DIRECTION 4 VARAS
4 MINUTES, ON CORRECT DIRE
DS OFMINERALS
POINT 5 VARAS IN
4 ETC., CAVE
GREES,ON4 BOTTOM
DEGREES, CONTINUATIONCONTINUATION OF, OF
OF, LINE, 3 VARAS
OR CAVES, DIRECTION ON B
NUTES, 4 MINUTES, ON CORRECT ON CORRECT
MINERALS FINGER OF POINT FINGER
., CAVE 4 ETC., CAVE LINE, 3 VARAS LINE, 3 VARAS
MEANS ON BOTTOM
ONE DISTANCE
OR CAVES, DISTANCE
CAVES,3 KILOMETERS TRIPLE
MEASUREMENT = MEANS ONE
ERALS MINERALS 50 VARAS
E 4 VARAS,
TRIPLE (33.3 INCHES), 2 VARAS,
4DISTANCE
ETC. TO RIGHT SOMETIMES = FINGER
2 ETC. TO LEFT
TRIPLE
100 VARAS MEANS ONE
RAS,
4 VARAS,
4 ETC. TO RIGHT
6 FEET, 6 14&15
VARAS,
5 VARAS DISTANCE
DIRECTION
IN
2 VARAS,
6 ETC. 6 MINUTES, 6 ETC. 2 ETC. TO LEFT
OF POINT
4 VARAS, TRIPLE 4 VARAS,
DISTANCE 2 VARAS, 2 VARAS,
ON BOTTOM
4 ETC. TO RIGHT
C. TO RIGHT 2 ETC. TO LEFT2 ETC. TO LEFT
FINGER
32 www.garrett.com
MEANS ONE
3 KILOMETERS

3 KILOMETERS
 MINUTE OR INCHES OR
FEET DISTANCE SECONDS
2 VARAS
Distance and Measurement Symbols
4 TIMES DISTANCE,
5 VARAS TO LEFT,
INCHES OR
2 VARAS FOLLOW POINT,
5 SECONDS OR
SECONDS 4 VARAS
5 INCHES TO LEFT.

SONRY SIGH = 5 VARAS TO

RAS, FOLLOW 5 SECONDS
MINUTE OR
OF TRIANGLES INCHES OR5 VARAS TO LEFT, 5 INCHES
INCHES OR TO
SECONDS 5 SECONDS MASONRY
OR SIGH =
M WITH 4 MARKSFEET 4 VARAS,
SECONDS
MASONRY SIGH = 5 INCHES TO LEFT. FOLLOW
4 VARAS, FOLLOW POINT OF TRIANGLES
H= POINT OF TRIANGLES OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS
OW 5 VARAS TO LE
OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS
LES 5 SECONDS O
ARKS 5 INCHES TO L
UP 4 FEET OR ONE FINGE
MASONRY SIGH = 4 VARAS ONE VAR
4 VARAS, FOLLOW FOLLOW DIRE
5 VARAS TO LEFT, 4 TIMES DISTANCE,
POINT OF TRIANGLES
UP 4 FEET OR
VARAS 5 SECONDS OR FOLLOW POINT,
OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS
4 VARAS
5 INCHES TO LEFT. 4 VARAS
2 VARAS 4 TIMES DISTANC
2 VARAS 5 VARAS TO LEFT, FOLLOW POINT,
5 VARAS TO
54 SECONDS
TIMES DISTANCE,
OR 4 VARAS
5 SECOND
FOLLOW POINT,
5 INCHES TO LEFT. 5 INCHES T
4 VARAS
STI
MASONRY SIGH =
4 VARAS, FOLLOW 4 TIMES DISTANCE,
POINT OF TRIANGLESHAND WITH FOLLOW POINT,
2 VARAS STILL FARTHER
OR ARM WITH 4 MARKS 3 FINGERS = 4 VARAS
3 VARAS, 3 ETC.,
DIRECTION POINTER ONE FINGER AND HAND =
HAND WITH ONE VARA, ONE ETC.,
3 FINGERS
4 TIMES =DISTANCE, FOLLOW DIRECTION OF FINGE
FEET OR 3 VARAS, 3 ETC.,
FOLLOW POINT,
ONE FIN
ARAS DIRECTION POINTER
4 VARAS
ONE VA
ONE FINGER AND
UP 4 FEET ORHAND = FOLLOW DI
UP 4 FEET OR 4 TIMES DISTANCE, ONE VARA, ONE ETC.,
4 VARAS 4 TIMES DISTANC
4 VARAS FOLLOW DIRECTION OF FINGER
FOLLOW POINT, FOLLOW POINT
2 VARAS
4 VARAS 4 VARAS
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 33ONE FINGE
ONE VAR
FOLLOW DIRE
UP 4 FEET OR
STILL FARTHER
4 VARAS
 ARROWS
ENEMY, DIRECTION,
OR TO OTHER SIGNS
3E
TO TREASUR
5 ENEMIES
Arrows and Directional
FOLLOWTO Symbols
TOTREASURE, ARROWS
TO WATER
TO WATERENEMY, DIRECTION,
The arrow was NEXTa very common
MARK
symbol that
OR TO OTHER SIGNS
indicates the direction or distance necessary to
ES TO TREASURE,
travel toward something. TO WATER

3 ENEMIES
5 ENEMIES TO TREAS
, DIRECTION, TO WAT
OTHER SIGNS
3 ENEMIES
ENEMY, DIRECTION, ARROWS DOWNWARD TO
OR TO OTHER SIGNS DOWNWARD
TREASURE BELOW,TO TREASURE,
5 ENEMIES DOWNHILL TO
FOLLOW TO
LOOKDOWNHILL
BELOW TO TREASURE 3 ENE
NEXT MARK

TO TREASURE, DOWNWARD TO TREASURE,

O TO WATER DOWNHILL TO TREASURE
K

EMIES TO TREASURE, DOWNWARD

TO WATER DOWNHILL
FOLLOW TO
NEXT MARK 3AWAY FROM TREASURE,
ENEMIES
5 ENEMIES TO TREASU
AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN
TO WATER
DIVIDE
TREASURE BELOW, DIVIDED
FOLLOW TO TREASU
LOOK BELOW TREASURE
NEXT MARK

DOWNWARD TO TREASURE, DIVIDED

BELOW, DOWNHILL TO TREASURE TREASURE
LOW
TO TREASURE,
TREASURE TO ONE
TO WATER SIDE
DOWNWARD TO TREASURE,
W TO DOWNHILL TO TREASURE DIVI
TREASURE BELOW,
MARK TREA
LOOK
AWAY BELOW
FROM TREASURE, DOWNWARD
WRONTO
SURE, AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN WRONG DIRECTION DOWNHILL TO
SIGN FOLLOW TO
NEXT MARK
TREASURE BELOW,
34 www.garrett.com LOOK BELOW
OM TREASURE, WRONG DIRECTION
OM NEXT SIGN
DIVIDED 4&5
 WRONG DIRECTION

TOWARD THE SUN,

TOWARDS THE MOON
Arrows and Directional Symbols
TREASURE BELOW, STRAIGHT ACRO
ARROWS
HERE, THIS IS LOOK BELOW A LANDMARK
THE PLACE, OR RIVER,
TOWARD THE SUN,
FRIENDSHIP TOWARDOR THE SUN,
DEFEAT, DEATH ROAD
TOWARDS THE MOON ARROWSTOWARDS THE MOON
TO THE RIGHT
OF THE TRAIL
TREASURE IN THE WOODS OR LANDMARK
STRAIGHT ACROSS
A LANDMARK,
OR RIVER, HERE, THIS IS
OR ROAD THE PLACE,
CIRCLE AROUND, AWAY FROM TREASURE,
FRIENDSHIP
LOOK AROUND YOU AWAY FROM NEXT SIGN
STRAIGHT ACROSS
HERE, THIS IS A LANDMARK,
DEFEAT, DEATH
THE PLACE, TOWARD THE SUN,
CIRCLE AROUND, OR RIVER, THE MOON
TOWARDS
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE AROUN
STRAIGHT
LOOK AROUNDACROSS
YOU OR ROAD
LOOK AROUND
IS A LANDMARK,
TO THE RIGHT PROCEED,
E, OR RIVER,
OF THE TRAIL THEN TURN RIGHT
P OR ROAD
OR LANDMARK

TOWARD THE SUN,

TOWARDS THE MOON TREASURE TO ONE SIDE
DEFEAT, DEATH

BOX BELOW
DEFEAT, DEATH CIRCLE AROUND
TOWARD THE SUN,
LOOK AROUND Y
TOWARDS THE MOON
TO THE RIGHT
OF THE TRAIL
TOWARD THE SUN,
ORPROCEED,
LANDMARK
THEN TURN RIGHT TOWARDS THE MOON BENEATH THE WATERS
BOX BELOW BOX BELOW
4&5
CIRCLE AROUND,
LOOK AROUND YOU

TO THE RIGHT
OF THE TRAIL
WARRIORS, CIRCLE
OR AROUND,
LANDMARK
DEATH LOOK AROUND YOU
TO THE RIGHT
PROCEED,
OF THE TRAIL
OR LANDMARKUnderstanding Treasure Signs and Symbols BOX
THEN TURN RIGHT CIRCLE AROUND,
WARRIORS,
BELOW
35WARRIOR
S BENEATH THE WATERS LOOK AROUND YOU
DEATH DEATH
 “ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS” TOWARD THE CENTER
DIRECTION “PROTECTS”,
CHANGETOWARD THE CENTER

Arrows and Directional Symbols HER

GO AROUND,
OVER AND
REVERSE,
TO THE LEFT

DIRECTION DIRECTION
CHANGE CHANGE
DIRECTION, WATER NEARBY,
HERE,
GO AROUND, LOOK UP, ALERTNESS
TO WATER, TO CRE
OVER AND UNDER
DIRECTION
POINTS TO,
REVERSE,
DIRECTION RIVER, STREAM, OC
FROM,
TOCHANGE
THE LEFTLIGHTING HERE, CHANGE
OVER AND UNDER

WATER NEARBY,
TO WATER, TO CREEK,
POINTS TO, “ WARD
DIRECTION, OFF EVIL SPIRITS”
RIVER, STREAM, OCEAN
“PROTECTS”,
FROM, LIGHTING LOOK UP, ALERTNESS
DIRECTION, TOWARD THE CENTER
LOOK UP, ALERTNESS
DIRECTION “ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS”
CHANGE “PROTECTS”,
TOWARD THE CENTER
DIRECTION
CHANGE ARROWS
WA
TO W
POINTS TO, RIVER
FROM, LIGHTING
DIRECTION DIRECTION
CHANGE CHANGE

HERE,
GO AROUND,
OVER AND UNDER
REVERSE,
TO THE LEFT WATER NEARBY,
HERE,
GO AROUND,
DIRECTION TO DIRECTION
WATER,
OVERTO CREEK,
AND UNDER
REVERSE,
POINTS TO,CHANGE CHANGE
RIVER, STREAM, OCEAN
TO THE LEFT
FROM, LIGHTING
“ WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS”
36 www.garrett.com “PROTECTS”,
DIRECTION, TOWARD THE CENTER
LOOK UP, ALERTNESS
DIRECTION
CHANGE
 Compass Degree Symbols
Some old maps will contain symbols of
45˚compass degrees
90˚ to SEXTILE
help steer you120
toward your
45˚ 90˚
= 60˚ ˚ = 60
treasure.
45˚ 90 90˚SEXTILE = 60
SEXTILE ˚ 120˚
45˚
45˚ ˚˚
45˚ 90 90˚
SEXTILE ˚˚SEXTILE
= 60 ˚˚= 60˚ 120˚120˚
= 60˚
SEXTILE120
120
45˚ 90˚ SEXTILE = 60˚ 120˚

SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 ˚
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 ˚
˚˚˚ ˚ ˚ ˚˚ ˚ ˚ ˚ ˚˚
45 90 120
SEMI-SEXTILE
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 = 20
SEMI-SEXTILE
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20 = 20
45 SEXTILE
45 90 = 60 SEXTILE
90 = 60 SEX ˚
EMI-SEXTILE ˚
45 = 20
˚
90 ˚
SEXTILE = 60 120 45
˚ ˚ ˚ 90 ˚

180 ˚
150 ˚
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20SEMI-SEXTILE SEMI-SEXTILE
= 20
˚ = 20 ˚ ˚ 1
˚˚ ˚˚
180
150 180
ONE AND A HALF 180 180
˚
˚˚˚
SEMI-SEXTILE = 20
˚ ˚ ˚ ˚ ˚ ˚˚
150 SEMI-SEXTILE = 20
EXTILE = 60
QUADRATES˚ = 135 ONE AND 150
120 A HALF
150 ˚˚
180 180 180
ONE AND AONE AND 150
A HALF = 135 180
HALF QUADRATES
ONE AND A
ONE ANDQUADRATES
A HALF HALF
=150 ˚˚ ˚
180
˚
QUADRATES = 135
AND A HALF =QUADRATES
135
˚˚
= 135
180
˚ ˚

∞
ONEQUADRATES 135

∞
QUADRATES = 135
˚

∞
18

∞ ∞
˚ ˚˚
150 150
˚˚

∞
150 180
INITY PERPENDICULAR
ONE AND A HALF ONE AND A HALFONE AND A HALF
180 180
˚
150 PERPENDICULAR
˚ ˚ ˚
INFINITY SQUARE, 90
INITY ONE AND
QUADRATES
INFINITYA HALF
INFINITY
= 135QUADRATES
PERPENDICULAR
PERPENDICULAR
135 180
= QUADRATES
PERPENDICULAR APART
= 135
ONE
˚
IN LONGTITUDE
AND A HALF
˚ SQUARE ˚
FINITY
QUADRATES = 135
PERPENDICULAR
˚ SQUARE,
OR RIGHT 90SQUARE,
APART 90
ASCENSION
QUADRATES = SQUARE,
135
IN LON
90 ˚˚ ˚ ˚ ˚
Y PERPENDICULAR APARTSQUARE, 90INOR

∞∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
APART
IN LONGTITUDE LONGTITUD
RIGHT AS
APART IN LONGTIT
SQUARE,
APART IN 90
LONGTITUDE
OR RIGHT ASCENSIO
OR RIGHT ASCENSION
APARTORINRIGHT
LONGTITUDE OR RIGHT ASCEN
ASCENSION
˚
180 ˚
OR RIGHT ASCENSION
INFINITY PERPENDICULAR
INFINITY INFINITYPERPENDICULARPERPENDICULAR
180
˚ SQUARE, 90
˚
FINITY 0
PERPENDICULAR ˚ INFINITY APART IN LONGTITUDE
APA
PERPENDIC
CONJUNCTION 0 SQUARE,
OR ˚
90
RIGHT ASCENSION
OR ˚
0
SAME LONGITUDE, 0 CONJUNCTION
˚˚ 0
0 CONJUNCTION
˚ ˚
APART IN LONGTITUDE
SAME LONGITUDE,
CONJUNCTION
RIGHT ASCENSIONCONJUNCTION OR RIGHT ASCENSION
SAME
0
CONJUNCTION ˚
SAME LONGITUDE,
LONGITUDE,
SAME
RIGHT ASCENSION
LONGITUDE,
Understanding
CONJUNCTION
SAME ASCENSION
RIGHT
SAMERIGHT
Treasure
LONGITUDE,
RIGHT
LONGITUDE,
Signs and Symbols 37
ASCENSION
RIGHT ASCENSION
ASCENSION
RIGHT ASCENSION
SQUARE, 90 0
˚ ˚
0
CONJUNCTION CONJUNCTIONCONJUNCTION
0 ˚ ˚
APART IN LONGTITUDE
 MOUNTAIN OR CAVE,
MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, ARM, SWORD
ARM, SWORD
TUNNEL,TUNNEL,
LOOK UP,
LOOK UP,
OVER DEPOSIT
OVER DEPOSIT

Treasure Direction Symbols

You may also encounterTREASUREa wideBELOW
variety of
symbols which offer information
MARKS SPOT, on
Treasure
ON howTreasure
to Dire
D
URE IN
proceed to the next sign or to Treasure
the
LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST Directions
cache.
OR CAVE, ARM, SWORD
OOK UP,
EPOSIT
Treasure Directions
GOING IN RIGHTIN RIGHT
GOING
DIRECTION
DIRECTION CAVE ORCAVE
SHAFT,
OR SHA
FILLED, STEPS
FILLED, STE
TREASURE ABOVE
TREASURE BELOW TREASURE BENEATH,
TREASURE BELOW TREASURE
CREST IN BENEATH,
MOUNTAINS, BELOW
ASURE BELOW CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOW
TREASURE BENEATH,
CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOW
URE BELOW TREASURE BENEATH,
CREST IN MOUNTAINS, BELOWMEASURE OFF
MEASURE
NG IN RIGHT CURVE CURVE
IRECTION KNIFE POINTS
KNIFE TO
POINTS TO CAVE OR SHAFT,
TREASURE OR TO NEXT
TREASURE SIGN
OR TO NEXT SIGN FILLED, STEPS

TREASURE ABOVE PIPE =

TREASURE ABOVE PIPE TO
STEM POINTS =
ASURE ABOVE STEM OR
PIPE TREASURE
= POINTS
NEXTTO
STEM POINTS
TREASURE IN SIGN,TREASURE
TO OR NEX
FOLLOW STEM,
URE ABOVE TREASURE
MOUNTAIN OR CAVE,
PIPE SIGN,
= OR NEXT FOLLOW
TO ONE SIDE STE
MEASURE
SIGN,
TUNNEL,
STEMLOOKFOLLOW
POINTS OFF
UP,TOSTEM,TO ONE SIDE
OVER TOCURVE
ONE
DEPOSIT
TREASURE SIDE
ORSHOE
NEXT
IFE POINTS TO POINTING,
SHOE POINTING
REPOINTING TO NEXT
OR TO NEXT SIGN
SIGNTO
POINTING NEXT SIGN SIGN, FOLLOW STEM, IN ROUTEIN ROUTE
TO ONE SIDE

MARKS SPOT, ON
TREASURE IN MARKS LONGEST
LINE, FOLLOW SPOT, ON
TREASURE
MOUNTAIN IN
OR CAVE, MARKS SPOT, LINE,
ON
ARM,FOLLOW
SWORDLONGEST
EASURE MOUNTAIN
IN
TUNNEL, LOOKOR CAVE,
UP, LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST ARM, SWORD
TUNNEL,
TAIN OR CAVE, LOOK UP, SHOE GOING
ARM, IN RIGHT
POINTING,
SWORD
OVER
O NEXT SIGN DEPOSIT MARKS SPOT, ON
DIRECTION
IN ROUTE
SURE IN UP,OVER DEPOSIT
EL, LOOK LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST
ER DEPOSIT
N OR CAVE, ARM, SWORD
LOOK UP,38 www.garrett.com
DEPOSIT
 OF LONGEST ARM CHURCH TREASURE,
FOLLOW LARGE KNOB,
CHURCH OBJECTS HERE
CHURCH TREASURE,
Treasure Direction Symbols FOLLOW LARGE KNOB,
CHURCH OBJECTS HERE

PATHS CROSS,
PATHS CROSS,
THIS PLACE, HEREANCHOR,
THIS PLACE, HERE
FOLLOW,
PATHS CROSS, ARROW
MARK SPOT,
THIS PLACE, HERE FOLLOW POINT MARK SPOT,
REASURE, AROUND HILL, STONE,
OF LONGEST ARM
RGE KNOB, CHURCH TREASURE, ETC., THEN TOFOLLOW
RIGHT POINT
JECTS HERE FOLLOW LARGE KNOB, OF LONGEST ARM
AROUND HILL, STONE,
CHURCH OBJECTS HERE TRIANGLE OF
TRIANGLE OF
ETC., THEN TO RIGHT
TREES OR ROCKS,
TREES OR ROCKS,
TREASURE TO ONE SIDE
TREASURE TO ONE SIDE
TRIANGLE
ROCKSOF ENCLOSE
TREES OR ROCKS,
TREASURE
TREASURE TOINONE SIDE
TRIANGLE

MARK SPOT, AROUND BEND,

PATHS CROSS,
HILL, STONE, FOLLOW POINT AWAY FROM TRIANGLE
THIS PLACE, HERE PATHS CROSS,
N TO RIGHT OFAROUND
LONGEST ARMSTONE,
HILL, AROUND BEND,
THIS PLACE, HERE
ETC., THEN TO RIGHT AWAY FROM TRIANGLE

VARIATION, FOLLOW DIRECTION

VARIATION,
FOLLOW POINT
FOLLOW POINT
TO TREASURE TRIANGLE OF
TO TREASURE
VARIATION, TREES OR ROCKS, TRI
FOLLOW POINT TREASURE TO ONE SIDE TREES
END, TO TREASURE TREASUR
RIANGLE PATHS CROSS, ANCHOR,
AROUND BEND,
THIS FOLLOW,
AWAYPLACE, HERE
FROM TRIANGLE
ARROW
ANCHOR,
FOLLOW,
ARROW

GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE

GO UP SLOPE GO DOWN SLOPE
TRIANGLE OF
Understanding Treasure
TREES OR ROCKS, Signs and Symbols 39
VARIATION,
TREASURE TO ONE
GO UP SLOPE SIDE
GO DOWN ROCKS ENCLOSE
SLOPE
FOLLOW POINT VARIATION,
R, TO TREASURE TREASURE FOLLOW POINT
IN TRIANGLE
W, ANCHOR, TO TREASURE
ROCKS ENCLOSE
 MEASURE OFF
CURVE
KNIFE POINTS TO
EASURE OR TO NEXT
CAVE SIGN
OR SHAFT,
Treasure Direction Symbols
FILLED, STEPS
MARKS SPOT, ON
TREASURE IN LINE, FOLLOW LONGEST
MOUNTAIN OR CAVE, ARM, SWORD
TUNNEL, LOOK UP,
OVER DEPOSIT

MEASURE OFF
CURVE SHOE POINTING,
NG TO NEXT SIGN IN ROUTE

GOING IN RIGHT
DIRECTION CAVE OR SHAF
FILLED, STEPS
SHOE POINTING,
TRAIL FORKS
IN ROUTE
TAKE LEFT HAND
GUN SIGHT AIMS
TOWARD NEXT MARK
TRAIL FORKS
TAKE RIGHT HAND MEASURE OF
DEER TRACKS OR OTHER ANIMAL GUN SIGHT AIMS
CURVE
KNIFE=POINTS
TRACKS PLENTYTO
GAME, TOWARD NEXT MARK
TREASURE OR TO
FOLLOW NEXT SIGN
TRACKS

SHOE POINTING,
TURKEY
POINTING TO TRACKS,
NEXT SIGN
TRAIL FORKS IN ROUTE
CROW TRACKS, TRAIL FORKS
TAKE RIGHT HAND DIRECTION
FOLLOW TAKE LEFT HAND

ORSE POINTING PAN, HANDLE

40 www.garrett.com
WN = TREASURE POINTS IN
NEXT SIGN BELOW TREASURE
DIRECTION
HORSE SHOE HORSE POINTING
POINTING IN DOWN = TREASURE
 DIRECTION TO
CONTINUE

R ANIMAL
GAME,
Treasure Direction Symbols
GUN SIGHT AIMS
TOWARD NEXT MARK
CHURCH TREASURE,
KS DEER TRACKS OR OTHER ANIMAL FOLLOW LARGEGUN SIGHT TRAIL
KNOB, AIMS FO
TRACKS
DEER TRACKS= PLENTY GAME,
OR OTHER TOWARD
ANIMAL CHURCH OBJECTS HERE
GUN NEXT
TAKE
SIGHT MARK
RIGHT
AIMS
FOLLOW
TRACKS TRACKS
= PLENTY GAME, TOWARD NEXT MARK
MARK SPOT,
FOLLOW TRACKSFOLLOW POINT
URE,
OF LONGEST ARM TURKEY TRACKS,
NOB,
HERE PAN, HANDLE CROW TRACKS,
POINTS IN FOLLOW DIRECTION
HORSE SHOE
TREASURE WITH DOT =
DIRECTION CHECK FOR
SOMETHING BELOW
AROUND HILL, STONE,
ETC., THEN TO RIGHT

PATHS CROSS,
TONE, THIS PLACE, HERE
RIGHT
HORSE POINTING RIVER WITHPAN, HA
DOWN = TREASURE
RUNNING WATER A FORK IN IT POINT
OR NEXT
EARTHLY
HORSE SIGN BELOW
WATERS
SHOE HORSE POINTING TREAS
POINTING IN DOWN = TREASURE DIREC
HORSE SHOE HORSE
AROUND POINTING
BEND,
DIRECTION TO
POINTING IN OR NEXT= SIGN
DOWN BELOW
TREASURE
CONTINUETO AWAY FROM TRIANGLE
TRIANGLE
DIRECTION OR NEXTOFSIGN BELOW
CONTINUE TREES OR ROCKS,
TREASURE TO ONE SIDE

LE

RUNNING
RIVER WITH ISLANDS EARTHLY
OR STONES
VARIATION
HORSE SHOE IN TRAIL = ANCHOR,
WITH FOLLOW
HORSE DOT =
SHOE
POINT FOLLOW,
CHECK FOR VARIATION IN TRAIL =
ARROW
WITH DOT = VARIATION,
SOMETHING BELOWFOLLOW POINT FOLLOWINPOINT
VARIATION TRAIL =
CHECK FOR
Understanding
SOMETHING BELOW TOTreasure
TREASURE Signs andFOLLOW
SymbolsPOINT
41
CENTRAL POINT LEG PRIMARY FORCES,
ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME
CENTER TREES - IN THE WOODS
GO POINT
CENTRAL OPPOSITE
BETWEEN TREASURE
3 TREES D
SAME, LOOK
ABOVE AND BELOW,
Treasure Location Symbols
2 LOCATIONS

CIRCLE OF ROCKS
ON INDIAN MOUND
ON LINE OR HILL = TREASURE
OF TREASURE CENTRAL POINTHERE
CIRCLE OF ROCKS AROUND CENTRAL
TREASURE CLOSE
TREE TREASURE
FOLLOW HERE
= TREASURE HERE
POINTS,
OR BY, LOOK FOR CIRCLE KEY TO MEANING
OF ROCKS OR
AROUND
THEPOINTING
FOUR GREAT TREASURE TO HERE BELL
TREASURE
TREE = TREASURE
BELOW
TOTREES
TREASURE
PRIMARY IN THE WOODS, LAST SIGN CIRCLE
- FORCES, OF ROCKS AROUND TRE
BETWEEN
(ANY OFGO
3 3 TREES
DIRECTIONS) IN HOLE,
OPPOSITE TREE = TREASURE HEREFAVOR
CAVE OR TUNNEL
SY

NEW MOON
POINTING DOW
DIG HERE,
GOLD SILVER, CAVE
NEARBY, OVER C
TREASUREGOLD
TREES
IN - IN THE WOOD
CAVE
TREASURE ORGOLD
CAVES
DIRECTIONS BETWEEN 3 TREES
SAME, LOOK OR
19 KEY TO
TREASURE
ABOVE
MEANING
TREASURE
TOAND
BELOW
BELOW,
TREASURE
CLOSE
BY, LOOK FOR
2 LOCATIONS BELL = NEAR
LAST SIGN
CIRCLE OF ROCKS AROUND TREASURE,
TREE = TREASURE HERE FAVORITE PIRATE
TREASURE BELOW SYMBOL
ON LINE, BELOW
TREASURE
LAND MARK, OR
TREASURE
TO BREAK,BELOW
OR
TO DIVIDE, OR 10
FOLLOW POINTS, KEY TO MEANING OR
THE FOUR GREAT TREASURE
TO TREASURE
TREASURE
PRIMARY IN TUNNEL
FORCES, BELOW
OR ENTRANCES
GO OPPOSITE CIRCLE OF ROCKS
ON INDIAN
GOLDMOUND
PRECIOUS BELL
STONES = NEAR OR HILL = TREASURE
NEARBY, ORTREASURE,
4, OR HERE CLEAR DEPOSIT IN
PRECIOUS
TRIANGLESTONES
OF TREES
VARIANT OF CROSSPIRATE
FAVORITE
NEARBY, OR 4, OR
SYMBOL OR STONES
PRECIOUS ROCKS
VARIANT OF CROSS
NEARBY, OR 4, OR
VARIANT OF CROSS
42 www.garrett.com FENCE
TREASURE BELOW
TREASURE CLOSE
HOLDS IN
BY, LOOK FOR NEW MOON L
TURTLE OR ANIMAL OR CONTAININGS
SYMBOLS OF GOLD BELL = NEAR
 TREASURE
IN TRIANGLE

GO UP SLOPE
LEG POINTS Treasure Location Symbols
GO DOWN SLOPE
VERGING
EPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW
ONE LEG POINTS
OLOOK
CAVE,BELOW
TO DEPOSIT,FLAME
IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW
FOLLOW
ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME
TER LEG
FOLLOW DIRECTION
OINTS
IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW
BELOW LOOK BELOW OR
FLAME
FOLLOW LEGS
RGING
ONE LEG POINTS
AVE,
TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW
LLOW
ROCK, LOOK BELOW
CENTRAL POINT FLAME
R LEG
ON LINE
CENTRAL POINT
F TREASURE CENTRAL POINT
CENTRAL POINT

ONVERGING
ONE LEG POINTS
18&19
NTO CAVE,
CENTRALONE LEG POINTS
POINT
TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLOW
TO DEPOSIT, IF ON
WC., FOLLOW CENTRAL POINT CANDLE = FOLLOW
ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME
ENTER LEG ROCK, LOOK BELOW FLAME
N LINE
REASURE CENTRAL POINT
CENTRAL POINT

TREES - IN THE WOODS,

CONVERGING BETWEEN 3 TREES
TREES - IN THE WOODS,
ONE LEG POINTS
ON LINEINTO CAVE,
E BETWEEN 3 TREES
TO DEPOSIT, IF ON CANDLE = FOLLO
SAME, LOOK
ETC., FOLLOW
OF TREASURE CENTRAL
ROCK,POINT
LOOK BELOWPOINT
CONVERGING FLAME
SURE
OVE AND BELOW,
CENTER LEG CENTRAL
CENTRAL
INTO CAVE, POINT O
2 LOCATIONS CENTRAL POINT
TREES - IN THE WOODS, TO
ETC., FOLLOW
BETWEEN 3 TREES RO
CENTER LEG

TREES - IN THE WOODS,

BETWEEN 3 TREES
ME, LOOK
KEY TO MEANING OR
AND BELOW,
FOLLOW POINTS,ON LINE TO TREASURE
OCATIONS KEY TO MEANING OR
OF
THE FOUR GREAT TREASURE CENTRAL
TO POINT
TREASURE
RIMARY FORCES, CENTRA
ON LINE
GO OPPOSITE Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
OF TREASURE43
TREES - IN TREES
KEY TO MEANING OR - IN THE WOODS,
THE WOODS,
SAME, LOOK TO TREASURE BETWEEN 3BETWEEN
TREES 3 TREES
OOK
BOVE AND BELOW,
BELOW,
 BELOW (ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS)
TREASURE TREASUR
CAVE
TREASURE IN
BELOW
CAVE OR CAVES

Treasure Location Symbols TREASURE

BELOW TR
OR
OR CAV
TREASURE IN TREASURE
OR BELOW TREASURE
CAVE OR
TREASURE IN CAVES
TUNNEL TREASURE TREAS
BELOW
TREASURE INTREASURE
TUNNEL
OR ENTRANCES BELOW CAVE O
TREASURE
BELOW
OR ENTRANCES HERE TREASURE TREASUREHOLDS IN
TREASURE OR POINTING TURTLE OR
IN TUNNEL ANIMAL
BELOW OR CONTAININGS
BELOW
TO TREASURESYMBOL = TREASURE
OR ENTRANCES TREASURE BELOW
OR
(ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS) BELOW TREASURE IN HOLE,
N TUNNEL BELOW CAVE OR TUNNEL
ANCES OR TREASURE IN TUNNEL
OR ENTRANCES
TREASURE
OR IN TUNNEL
OR ENTRANCES FENC
TREASURE
FLAT STONE OR STONES FENCE
UNNEL FENCE TREASURE D
COVERINGBELOW
LOCATION
CES HOLDS
TREASURE IN
IN TUNNEL FENCE
TURTLE OR ANIMAL HOLDS INOR ORENTRANCES
CONTAININGS
TREASURE IN
NTLE OR ANIMAL OR CONTAININGS
SYMBOL = TREASURE CAVE OR CAVES
NINGS
BOL = TREASURE HOLDS IN FENCE
TREASURE
BELOW
LEBELOW
OR ANIMAL BELOW OR CONTAININGS
OL = TREASUREHOLDS IN
BELOW OR CONTAININGS

TURTLE OR ANIMAL OR
TREASURE
FLAT STONEHERE
OR STONES WELL OR FENCE SYMBOL = TREASURE
HOLDS IN
STONE ORCOVERING
STONES
OR POINTING
LOCATION SHAFT BELOW CHECK SOMETHIN
FILLED,
TURTLE OR ANIMALTREASURE
CHECK OR CONTAININGS
BELOW
SOMETHING
TO TREASUREOR POSSIBLE
ERING LOCATION CONTAINGS
SYMBOL = TREASURE
BELOW
TONE OR CHECK
HOLDSSOMETHING
STONES IN IN HOLE,
BELOW
(ANY OF 3 DIRECTIONS) TREASURE
BELOW
OR
RING LOCATION BELOW
CONTAININGS CHECK SOMETHING
HOLDS IN
CAVE OR TUNNEL
BELOW TREASURE
TURTLE OR ANIMAL
TREASURE IN TUNNEL OR CONTAININGS
ES BELOW
SYMBOL
OR ENTRANCES = TREASURE
CHECK SOMETHING
N
BELOWBELOWFLAT STONE OR STONES
COVERING LOCATION
FLAT STONE OR STONES TRIANGLE OF TR
TRIANGLE OF TREES,
ROCK, LANDMA
TRIANGLE
WELL OR OF TREES,COVERING LOCATIONROCK, LANDMARKS,
TREASURE IN CE
WELL OR SHAFT
ROCK, FILLED,
LANDMARKS, TREASURE
TRIANGLE IN
OF TREES,
CHECK SOMETHING TREASURE IN CENTER
SHAFT FILLED,TREASURE
POSSIBLE IN CENTER
CONTAINGSFLAT STONE OR STONES
CAVE OR LANDMARKS,
ROCK, CAVES
WELLCONTAINGS
OR TREASURE BELOW
SIBLE TREASURE COVERING LOCATION TREASURE IN CENTER
HAFT FILLED, TRIANGLE OF TREES,
TREASUREBELOW FENCE
44 www.garrett.com ROCK, LANDMARKS,
BLE CONTAINGS
TREASURE TREASURE IN CENTER
HOLDS IN
S WELL OR
TURTLE OR ANIMAL OR CONTAININGS 22&23
SHAFT FILLED,
SYMBOL = TREASURE
 CIRCLE OF ROCKS TREASURE BELOW
ON INDIAN MOUND STEPS TO TREASURE OR PRECIOUS STONES
TREASURE BELOW
IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC.NEARBY, OR 4, OR
OR HILL = TREASURE
ON LINE,
VARIANT OF ON LINE,
CROSS
HERE
PRECIOUS LAND MARK, OR
STONES CIRCLE OF ROCKS
LANDAROUND
MARK, OR

NEARBY, ORTO Treasure Location Symbols
BREAK,
4, OR CLEAR
TREE DEPOSIT HERE
= TREASURE IN
TO BREAK,
VARIANT OFTOCROSS
DIVIDE, OR 10 TRIANGLE OF TREES
TO DIVIDE, OR 10
OR ROCKS
SHAFT TO TREASURE IN 3 TREES
CIRCLE
TUNNEL ATOF ROCKS
ON INDIAN
FOOT OF HILL MOUND
OR HILL = TREASURE
PRECIOUS STONES SYMB
HERE SYMBOLS
NEW MOON
PRECIOUS STONES NEARBY, OR 4, OR OF GOLD
MINERA
CLEAR
POINTINGDEPOSIT
DOWN, IN LOOK
VARIANT IN TUNNEL
OF CROSS CLEAR DEPOSIT
IN MI
NEARBY, OR 4, OR
TRIANGLE SYMBOLS
OF TREES OF GOLD
SYMBOLS OF CROSS OR MINE SHAFT
DIG HERE,
VARIANT SYMBOLS OF GOLD OF TRE
TRIANGLE FO
OR ROCKS
OF GOLDSILVER, CAVE GOLD OR ROCKS P
NEARBY, OVER CAVE
TRAINGLE OF LANDMAR
BUT STAY TO THE RIGH
STEPS TO TREASURENEW OR MOON RISING SUN =
IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC. DOWN, TREASURE BELOW
S, POINTING SYMBOLS OF GOLD
SYMBOLS
S,
LD RISING SYMBOLS
SUN = OF GOLD DIG OFHERE,
SYMBOLS
GOLDOF GOLD BOX ORSYMBOLS
SYMBOLS CHEST, OF GOLD
ER TREASURE BELOW SILVER, CAVE TREASURE BELOW
OF GOLD BURIED HERE,
NEARBY,
MINEOVER CAVE
OR TUNNEL COP
ON LINE, OR SQUARE FOOT
CLOSED, ROCK ROOM, T
AND MARK, OR
LIVING QUARTERS TRE
TO BREAK,
O DIVIDE, OR 10
22&23
RISING SUN =
RISING SUN = TREASURE BELOW MINERALS OR TREASURE
BOX
LOOKORINCHEST,
TUNNEL BOX ORSIDE,
CHEST,
TREASURE BELOW IN TO
SHAFT MOUNTAIN
BURIED
OR MINEHERE,
SHAFT BURIED HERE,
ON LINE,
OR SQUARE FOOT TUNNELFOLLOW LONG
ATOR SQUARE
PRECIOUS POINT,
STONES
FOOT OF HILL DELTA FOOT
LAND MARK, OR
CLEAR DEPOSIT IN TO BREAK, NEARBY, OR 4, OR
TO DIVIDE, OR 10
RIANGLE OF TREES VARIANT OF CROSS
OR ROCKS
LADDER = CLIMB
22&23 SHAFT TO TREA
TO TREASURE
TUNNEL AT
FOOT OF HILL

MINE ORDEPOSIT
CLEAR TUNNEL IN COPPER, MINES WITH
CLOSED, ROCK
TRIANGLE OFROOM,
TREES STEPS TO TREASURE OR VEIWS
TUNNELS, SYMBOLS
MBOLS OF GOLD SYMBOLS
LIVING
ORQUARTERS
ROCKS IN CAVE, 3 CHESTOF
ORMINERALS
3 ETC.
OF GOLD

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 45 TRAING

DAGGER =
BUT S
TREASURE
STEPS TO TREASURE OR BELOW
IN CAVE, 3 CHEST OR 3 ETC.
 MINE OR TUNNEL COPPER, MINES WITH
CLOSED, ROCK ROOM, TUNNELS, VEIWS
LIVING QUARTERS
TREASURE
HORSESHOES = WINDLASS = MINE WINDLASS = MINE
OF MINERALS
TREASURE
Treasure Location Symbols
BELOW BELOW OR TREASURE BELOW
TREASURE
D OR ORE NEARBY
OR ABOVE
TREASURE BELOW
GOLD OR ORE
LADDER = CLIMB
TO TREASURE TREASU

SPIKE =
GOLD OR ORE NEAR
TREASURE
BELOW
TUNNELS -
BRACKETS = TREASURE INSIDE ANCHOR = TREASURE
LADDER
TREASURE NEARBY
OPENING, = CLIMB
MINE OR BELOW, FAVORITE
CAVE TO TREASURE
CONCEALED POT = PIRATE SYMBOL, STOPPOT =
HERE
DAGGER = HERE
TREASURE TREASURE HERE
GOLD OR ORE NEARBY
TREASURE SPIKE =
STRAIGHT
BELOW TREASURE
TO LEFT AHEAD
L BELOW
TREASURE IN TUNNEL
OR SPRING,
LOOK IN HOLE

DAGGER = TUNNELS - TREASU

TREASURE INTREASURE
TUNNEL INSIDE
TREASURE
TREASURE TREASURE OR SPRING,
TREASURE
BELOW
BELOW ABOVE LOOK IN HOLE
ABOVE

STRAIGHT
WINDLASS = MINE TO LEFT AHEAD
TREASURE IN OR
TUNNEL
TREASURE BELOW HORSESHOES =
OR SPRING, TREASURE BELOW
LOOK IN HOLE
GOLD OR ORE NEARBY
ANCHOR == TREASURE
BRACKETS = ANCHOR = TREASURE HORSESHOES
TREASURE NEARBYBELOW, FAVORITE TREASURE BELOW,
BELOWFAVORITE
PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HEREPIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HERE

TUNNELS -
HORSESHOES = POT = TREASURE
OPENING, MINE OR INSIDE
WINDLASS = MINE
TREASURE BELOW TREASURE HERE CAVE CONCEALED
OR TREASURE BELOW

46 www.garrett.com
OPENING, MINE ORSTRAIGHT
TO CONCEALED
CAVE LEFT AHEAD
TREASURE IN TUNNEL
OR SPRING,
 STRAIGHT
OPENING,
AHEADMINE OR
TO LEFT RIGHT LOWER POT =
CAVE CONCEALED RIGHT LOWER
GO DOWN
HALF TREASURE HER
CHANGE HALF TREA
Treasure Location Symbols
DIRECTIONS

TUNNELS -
GO DOWN TREASURE INSIDE

CHANGE
CHANGE
TREASURE DIRECTIONS PERPENDICUL
RIGHT LOWER STRAIGHTTREASURE
TREASURE
DIRECTIONS DIRECTIONS
WINDLASS
BELOW= MINE
GO UP ABOVE T
HALF
TO LEFT
TREASURE AHEAD
DIRECTIONS
OR TREASURE
TREASURE IN TUNNELBELOW
OR SPRING,
LOOK IN HOLE
PERPENDICULAR

FO
JE
GOGO
UPUP LEFT UPPE
RIGHT LOWER CHANGE ANCHOR = TREASURE
BRACKETS = RIGHT LOWER HALF O
HALF DIRECTIONS LEFT UPPER
BELOW, FAVORITE HE
TREASURE
RIGHT LOWER FOLLOWNEARBY
90º HALF HALF
PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HER
HALF OR FOLLOW
FOLLOW POINT,
POINT
POT = SYMBOL
HORSESHOES = JESUIT WINDLASS = MINE
TREASURE
TREASURE BELOW FOR HERE
GOLD OR TREASURE BELOW
OR TREASURE
HERE OR NEARBY

GOON
DOWN
COU
CHANGE FOLLOW 90º
DIRECTIONS GOCHANGE
UP FOLLOW
GO90º
DOWN IN EITHE
CHANGE OR FOLLOW POINT
DIRECTIONSOR FOLLOW POINT
DIRECTIONS NORTH OR
FOLLOW OPPOSITE
COURSE
ON TO SOUTH
TREASURE
COURSE, FOLLOW
OPENING, MINE OR
ABOVEDIRECTION
IN EITHER
CAVE CONCEALED POT =
TREASURE HERE
PERPENDICULA
GO UP NORTH
GO UP
FOLLOW 90º OROR
PERPENDICULAR
NORTH
GO UP FOLLOW TO EAST FOLLOW
FOLLOW OPPOSITE
OPPOSITE
OR FOLLOW POINT COURSE TO SOUTH
(CAN BE A “W”, “S” OR “N”) COURSE TO SOUTHPOINTING LIM
FOLLOW LIM
ANCHOR = TREASURE
Understanding
BELOW, FAVORITE Treasure Signs and Symbols OFTEN USED
47
SPANIARDS, PIR
FO
PIRATE SYMBOL, STOP HERE
TREASURE TREASURE JE
POINTING LIMB =
BELOW ABOVE FOLLOW POIN
FOLLOW LIMB, JESUIT SYMB
OR
 ON COURSE,
PERPENDICULAR FOLLOW
TREES, ROCKS, ETC.
INTREASURE ON OPEN SIDETRIANGLE OF
EITHER DIRECTION
WATCHING TREASURE
TREES, ROCKS,DIRECTIONS
ETC. TREA
URE HERE OR TREASURE ON OPEN SIDE
GLE OF TREES, NORTH OR
CKS, ETC. Treasure Location Symbols FOLLOW OPPOSITE
COURSE TO SOUTH
GOLD NEABY
FOLLOW POINT,
JESUIT SYMBOL EYE WATCHING
FOR GOLD TREASURE HERE OR
OR TREASUREIN TRIANGLE OF TREES, TRIANGLE O
EYE
OPENING, HERE OR NEARBY ROCKS,EYE
WATCHING
CAVE ETC.WATCHING TREES, ROCKS
TREASURE HERE OR
CONCEALMENT TREASURE
FOLLOWHERE OR
TREASURE ON OP
TO EAST
POINTING LIMB = OPENING, CAVE IN (CAN
TRIANGLE OF TREES,
IN TRIANGLE OF TREES, BE A “W”, “S” OR “N”)
FOLLOW LIMB,
ROCKS, ETC. CONCEALMENT ROCKS, ETC.
OFTEN USED BY
SPANIARDS, PIRATES
TREASURE
ABOVE
ON COURSE, FOLLOW
IN EITHER DIRECTION OP
GOLD NEABY CO
TREASURE IN
OPENING
FOLLOW
LONGEST POINT TREASURE
TREASURE IN
DIRECTIONS OPENING, CAVE
GOLD NEABY GOLD NEABY HOLE INCONCEALMENT
TREE =
FOR 4 VARAS, ETC OPENING
SIGHT THRU
HOLE TO LOCATION

TREASURE
20 & 21
HERE TRE
O
TREASURE
POINTING LIMB = ABOVE TRIANGLE OF
FOLLOW
CHESTLIMB,
OR BOX, TREASURE
EYE WATCHING TREES, ROCKS, ETC. IN
OFTEN
180ºUSED
TO BY
TREASURE
EASURE HERE OR
TREASURE TREASURE ONOPENING
TREASURE OPEN SIDE
SPANIARDS, PIRATES CHEST OR BOX,
RIANGLE OF TREES,
ABOVE ABOVE
E ROCKS, ETC. 180º TO TREASURE

FOLLOW
LONGEST POINT TREASURE 18
SPADE = DIG HERE
FOR 4 VARAS, ETC HERE POINTS TO
SOMETHING CHEST OR BOX,
OPENING, CAVE
TREASURE REMOVED TREASURE 180º TO TREASURE
ABY CONCEALMENT
48 www.garrett.com
HERE FROM HERE HERE
SOMETHING
REMOVED
FROM HERE
20 & 21
RE
 REMOVED
EYE WATCH
NING TREES, ROCKS, ETC.
FROM HERE
TREASURE HER
TREASURE ON OPEN SIDE
IN TRIANGLE OF
SPADE = DIG HERE LEFT UPPER
ROCKS, ET
POINTS TO HALF
Treasure Location Symbols

EST OR BOX,
SPADE = DIG HERE TREASURE IN MOUND
TO TREASURE OPENING, CAVEGO DOWN
POINTS TO GOLD NEABY
CONCEALMENT
TREASURE IN
TUNNEL OR CAVE,
TWO ENTRANCES

T
PERPENDICULAR
TREASURE IN
SOMETHING
OPENING
REMOVED TREASURE IN TREASURE
FROM HERE TUNNEL OR CAVE, ABOVE
INT, TWO ENTRANCES
BOL
D
RE FOLLOW POINT,
& 21
ARBY JESUIT SYMBOL
FOR GOLD
OR TREASURE
HERE OR NEARBY
CHEST OR BOX,
180º TO TREASURE TREASURE
SURE IN MOUND HERE
LOW
ION

ON COURSE, FOLLOW
IN EITHER DIRECTION

SOMETHING
REMOVED
UnderstandingFROM
Treasure
HERE Signs and Symbols 49
SPADE = DIG HERE
POINTS TO
 TO THE LEFT
“COMING FROM”

TO THE RIGHT TO THE

TO THE RIGHT
TO THE RIGHT “GOING TO TO THE L
Miscellaneous Symbols
LADDER, VARIATIONS OF “GOINGTO
LEADING
“GOING TO
TO THE RIGHT SOMEWHERE”
TO
SOMEWHERE”
“COMING
“COMING F
TO THE LEFT
“GOING TO SOMEWHERE”
LADDER, LADDER,
VARIATIONS OF LEADING TO VARIATIONS
“COMING OF LEADIN
FROM”
TO THE LEFTSOMEWHERE” DOUBLE DISTANCE UP,
THE LEFTFURTHER UP, TO THE RIGHT TO TH
“COMING FROM” TREE, LOOK UP,
MING FROM” TREE “GOING TO “COMIN
LOOK DOWN
SOMEWHERE”
LADDER, VARIATIONS
FURTHER UP, OF LEADING TO
TREE

FURT
DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, FURTHE
HT DOUBLE DISTANCE UP,
TO THE LEFT T
DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, TREE, LOOK
FURTHERUP, UP, TRE
UP TOTREE, LOOK
THE “COMING
TOUP, UP, FROM”
THE RIGHT
DOUBLE
TO DISTANCE
THE RIGHT TREE,
UP, LOOK HERE,
TO THETHE
LOOK DOWN
LEFTTREE
E” RIGHT, LOOK
DIVIDED DOWN
“GOING TO “C
FURTHER TREE,
“GOING
UP, TOLOOK UP,LOOK DOWN BEGINNING,
“COMING FROM”
URTHER SOMEWHERE”
UP, SOMEWHERE” MULTIPLIED FUR
TREE LOOK DOWN UP TO THE
TREE DOUBLE DISTANCE UP,
RIGHT, DIVIDED AR
TREE, LOOK UP,
TO THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT TO
LOOK DOWN
°
E
“GOING TO “COMING FROM” OR
SOMEWHERE” LESS
N. THAN HERE, THE HERE, THE UP TO TH
AROUND 180
TO TREASURE
° HERE, THE
BEGINNING, GREATERBEGINNING, RIGHT, DIVI
UP TO THE BEGINNING,
HERE, FURTHER LESSUP, THAN MULTIPLIED
MULTIPLIED
CE UP, OR NEXTUP TOSIGN.
RIGHT,
THE
DIVIDEDMULTIPLIED TREE
BEGINNING, THAN
RIGHT, DIVIDED FURTHER UP,
°°
P, MULTIPLIED DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, AROUND 180
DOUBLE DISTANCE UP, AROUNDTREE 180
N HERE, THE
TREE, LOOK UP, TO TREASURE
TREE, LOOK UP,
LOOK DOWN HERE,
BEGINNING,
LOOK DOWN °
AROUND 180 TOOR TREASURE
NEXT SIGN.
TO TREASUREOR NEXT SIGN.
MULTIPLIED LESS
CONTAINS OR NEXT SIGN. FURTHER UP,
HERE, EARTH, TO LEFTTHAN
DOUBLE DISTANCE LESSUP,WITHIN
GREATER
AROUND
GREATER
OR
TO
TREE
RIGHT,
TREASURE
°
180
VARAS
LESS UP,
TREE, LOOK GREATER HERE, THAN
THAN THAN UP TO (USUALLY
OR NEXT50
THE OR 100),
SIGN.
THAN
LOOKGREATER
DOWN THAN CONTAINS
MINUS, NEGATIVE
RIGHT, DIVIDED
THAN WITHIN UP TO THE
FT RIGHT, DIVIDED
HERE, THE GREATER HERE, THE
), BEGINNING, THAN BEGINNING, HERE,
MULTIPLIED HERE, TIMES
EARTH, TO CONTAINS
LEFT
MULTIPLIED
TOHERE,
TREASURE
°
AROUND 180 HERE, EARTH,
HERE, EARTH, TO LEFT
TO LEFT THREE
THE OR
UP TO THE
RIGHT, VARAS
DISTANCE, WITHIN
HERE,
HERE, EARTH,
CONTAINS
OR NEXT SIGN.TOOR
OR RIGHT,
LEFT AROUND
RIGHT,
(USUALLY
VARAS
VARAS 180 LESS (USUALLY
°
50 OR 100),THAN FARTHER,
AROUND °
RIGHT, 180
DIVIDED
50 OR 100),
TO TREASURE
HERE,
UP, THE HERE (USUALLY
DOWN,
CONTAINS TO TREASURE
50 OR 100), MINUS,
A MEASUREMENT, NEGATIVE
OR RIGHT, VARAS
WITHIN MINUS,NEXT
NEGATIVE OR NEXTLESS
SIGN.
BEGINNING,
GOD
WITHINPOWER
100),OR
(USUALLY 50 ORMINUS, NEGATIVE SIGN. CAVES THAN
MULTIPLIED HERE, EARTH, TO LEFT
MINUS, NEGATIVE
UP, DOWN, HERE
50 www.garrett.com GOD
OR RIGHT,
AROUND
GREATER
POWER
VARAS
°
180
GREATER (USUALLY
TO TREASURE50 OR 100),
THAN
MINUS, NEGATIVE THREE TIMESLESS
THAN THREE TIMES
OR NEXT SIGN.
THREE TIMES THE DISTANCE,THAN UP, DO
THE DISTANCE, HERE, UP, DOW
THREE TIMES THE DISTANCE, FARTHER, GOD
FARTHER,
 Turtle Signs and Symbols
The turtle is an important treasure symbol
used to point to a trail or to give direction to a
hiding place. If you see a turtle with markings
on his shell, each mark represents 1 vara in dis-
tance. The number of marks is often followed
by a vara arrow pointing in a particular direc- VARIA
tion. Three marks followed by a down-pointing NOTE

arrow would indicate to proceed 3 varas south.

A turtle with its head removed indicates
that the treasure has been removed. If the head
seems to have been recently removed from the
original carving or sketch, it is possible that
another hunter is hoping to frustrate you from
FOLLOW TURTLE,
searching any further. MyVARIATION,
advice is…don’t give
TREASURE, TO
TURT
NOTE FEET
up! NEXT SIGN

FOLLOW TURTLE, FOLLOW TURTLE

FOLLOW TURTLE,
TREASURE, TO TREASURE, TO GO IN DIRECT
NEXT SIGN NEXT SIGN BY OF HIS TAIL
FOLLOWING HEAD

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 51

CLOSE TO
BODY

Turtle Signs and Symbols

FOLLOW TURTLE, FOLLOW TURTL
TREASURE, TO GO IN DIRECT
OLLOW TURTLE, NEXT SIGN OF HIS TAI
TREASURE, TO
NEXT SIGN BY
OLLOWING HEAD TURTLES
VARIATION,
NOTE FEET FEET ARE OBVERSE =
ON RIGHT SIDE
3 DIAMONDS AND VARA SHELL MARKED TO M
SYMBOL INDICATES
ONDS AND VARA TURTLESTO GO SHELL MARKED TO “GO
MEAN4 VARAS IN DIREC
INDICATES 3TO
VARAS
GO IN THIS DIRECTION OF TURTLE’S HEAD
“GO 4 VARAS IN DIRECTION
IN THIS DIRECTION OF TURTLE’S HEAD”
FOLLOW TURTLE,
TREASURE, TO
NOTE:
NEXTIF TURTLE
SIGN BY HEAD IS CUT–OFF, THIS MIGHT MEAN THAT
OTE: IF TURTLE HEAD TREASURE
IS CUT–OFF,
FOLLOWING HASMEAN
THIS MIGHT
HEAD BEEN THAT
RECOVERED.
TREASURE HAS BEEN RECOVERED.
LLOW TURTLE, FOLLOW TURTLE BUTFEET ARE OBVER
GO IN DIRECTION ON RIGHT SID
EASURE, TO
NEXT SIGN OF HIS TAIL

FOLLOW TURTLE BUT

10&11
GO IN DIRECTION STOP, DANGER,
OW, NOTE
OF HIS TAIL OBJECTS HIDDEN
T CLOSE TO
BODY

LLOW TURTLE,
REASURE, TO
EXT SIGN BY
LOWING HEAD STOP, DANGER,
SLOW, NOTE
OBJECTS HIDDE
FEET CLOSE TO FEET ARE OBVERSE =
BODY ON RIGHT SIDE

52FEETwww.garrett.com
ARE OBVERSE =
ON RIGHT SIDE
MONDS AND VARA SHELL MARKED TO MEAN
L INDICATES TO GO “GO 4 VARAS IN DIRECTION
S IN THIS DIRECTION OF TURTLE’S HEAD”
ATION, HEAD TO NEXT SIGN SNA
3 VARAS

Snake Signs and Symbols

The turtle was also commonly used as a GO IN
HEAD
warning or to indicate the direction to travel.
Some were drawn or carved as mere curved SNAKES
HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN
H,
NTS
lines with a trianglur or oval head. HEAD UP =
GO IN DIRECTION O
S HEAD TO NEXT SIG
HEA
COILED SNAKE = GO IN DIR
HEAD POINTS
TREASURE BENEATH, DOWN = HEAD TO
OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS GO IN DIRECTION
TO LOCATION, OF HEAD,
DISTANCE 3 VARAS HEAD UP10X
= DISTANCE,
TO GROUND,
GO IN DIRECTION OF
HEAD TO NEXTTOSIGN
TREASURE,
AKE
TAIL =
TO NEXT
COILED SIGN=
SNAKE OR TO SIGN
HTREASURE
CAUTION BENEATH,
OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS
TO LOCATION,
COILED SNAKE =
DISTANCE 3 VARAS BENEATH,
TREASURE
OR HEAD OR TAIL POINTS
HEAD POINTS
TO LOCATION,
HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN DOWN =
DISTANCE 3 VARAS
GO IN DIRECTION
SNAKE = OF HEAD,
E BENEATH, 10X DISTANCE,
TAILBLACK
POINTSSNAKE = TO GROUND,
CATION,
SAFE TO FOLLOW TO TREASURE,
E 3 VARAS OR TO SIGN
ON HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN

HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN

RATTLESNAKE = HEAD
PROCEED WITH CAUTION HEAD POINTS TO TREASURE
DOW
GO IN
OF H
Understanding
HEAD OR TAIL TO NEXT SIGN Treasure Signs and Symbols 53 10X D
ACK SNAKE =
FE TO FOLLOW TO G
TO T
RATTLESNAKE =
OR T
ROCEED WITH CAUTION
 DOWN = MEASURE ENEMY
TIP TO GROUND,
10X TO NEXT HEAD =
SIGN OR TREASURE SNAKE SNAKEDIRECTION OR
Snake Signs and Symbols
SNAKE GOING
DOWN = MEASURE
SNAKE GOING UP,
GOING UP,
GOING UP,ENEMY
GO TO NEXT SIGN GO TO NEXT SIGN
TIP TO GROUND,
GO TO NEXT SIGN
SNAKES HEAD = DIRECTION
10X TO NEXT HEAD = DIRECTION= OR
HEAD ENEMY
N SIGN OR TREASURE SNAKE GOING
ENEMY
DIRECTION OR
HEAD = DIRECTION OR DOWN = MEASURE
ENEMY
BLACK SNAKE ENEMY
= TIP TO GROUND,
SAFE TO FOLLOW 10X TO NEXT
SIGN OR TREASURE
DOWN,
BENEATH
FOLLOW AROU
TO RIGHT, ALS
HEAD =
TREASURE BENE
DIRECTION OR
SNAKE ENEMY
GOING UP, HEAD POINTS TO TREASUR
DOWN,
DOWN,
DOWN,
GO TO NEXT SIGN
BENEATH BENEATH
BENEATH HEAD = DIRECTION OR
FOLLOW AROUND
ENEMYFOLLOW AROUND
TO RIGHT, ALSO
SNAKE TO RIGHT, ALSO BENEA
FOLLOW AROUND TREASURE
GOING UP, TREASURE BENEATH
GO TO NEXT SIGNTO RIGHT, ALSO
TREASURE BENEATH HEAD = DIRECTION OR TO RIGHT
STAY ONLY
FOLLOW AROUND SNAKE
ENEMY
TO LEFT GOING UP,
GO TO NEXT SIGN

FOLLOW AROUND FOLLOW AROUNDSTAY ONLY TO RIGHT

DOWN,AROUND
FOLLOW TO LEFTOR TO STAY
LEFT ONLY TO RIGHT
HEAD
TO =
BENEATH DIRECTION
LEFT
STAYPOINTS
ENEMY
HEAD ONLY TO RIGHT
FOLLOW AROUNDTO THE LEFT,
TO TREASURE TO RIGHT, ALSODANGER
TREASURE BENEATH
DOWN,
BENEATH
FOLLOW AROUND
NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF,
TO RIGHT, ALSO
HEAD POINTS THIS INDICATES POINTS DOWN,
HEAD TREASURE REMOVED.
TREASURE BENEATH
TO THE LEFT,
HEAD POINTS
TO TREASURE TO TREASUREBENEATH
TO THE LEFT,
DANGER
TO TREASURE
DANGER
TO THE LEFT,
54 www.garrett.com
DANGER
AROUND STAY ONLY TO RIGHT
NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE
NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF,
EFT NOTE: IF SNAKE HEADS ARE CUT–OFF,THIS INDICATES TREASURE
FOLLOW AROUND THIS INDICATES TREASURE REMOVED.
THIS INDICATES TREASURE REMOVED.
HEADS TO RIGHT,
ARE ALSO
CUT–OFF,
 GOLD, Sample Tree Markings HORN,
ATTAINMENT, HARMONY TRE
REASURE
EYE WATCHING TO T
LOCATION

GOLD, GOLD,
TTAINMENT,
GOLD, THEHORN,
ATTAINMENT, HORN,
THE ATTAINMENT, HARMONY
TREASURE
REASURE TREASURE HARMON
TREASURE
TO THE LEFT

RATTLESNAKE, TREASURE MOON WIT

WATCHING HEAD POINTS TO LOCATION TO THE LEFT MARKS T
CATION

TREASURE
MOON WITH DIRECTIONAL EYE WATCHING TREASUR
ATCHING TO THE LEFT
EYE WATCHING
MARKS TO THE RIGHT LOCATION TO THE LE
CATION
LOCATION
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 55
 MOON IN CLOUDS,
FARTHER, LOOK T
HIGHER
GO TO RIGHT MO
H, MOON IN WOODS,
Moon Symbols
GO TO LEFT
LOOK
MOON IN FOREST
OVER MOUNTAINS, GO TO RIGHT ECLIP
GO TONEW
RIGHT
MOON, LO
GO TO LEFT TRAVEL TO MOUNTAINS, WESTNEW MOON,
MOON IN CLOUDS, GO TO RIGHT,
MOON INFARTHER,
CLOUDS, LOOK GOTIDES,
TO RIGHT,
TIDAL WATERS
FARTHER, LOOK TIDES, TIDAL WATERS
HIGHER
HIGHER
NEW MOON,
NEW MOON,
MOON MOON IN CLOUDS,
IN CLOUDS, GO TO GO TO RIGHT,
RIGHT,
FARTHER,FARTHER,
LOOK LOOK ASCENDING TIDES,TIDES, TIDAL WATERS
TIDAL WATERS
MOON DESC
HIGHER HIGHER ECLIPSE,
GO TO DANGER,
LEFT NEW MOON, NEW MOON,
UNTAINS, GO TO RIGHT,GO TO RIGHT,
MOON IN CLOUDS,
MOON IN CLOUDS, LOOK HERE
TAINS, WEST
FARTHER, LOOK FARTHER, LOOK WANING MOON,TIDES, TIDALTIDES,
WATERSTIDAL WATERS
N, HIGHER HIGHER LOOK BELOW
TER
WANING MOON,
MOON, ALSO SUN, WANING
LOOKMOON,
BELOW
MOON, ALSOOFSUN, LOOK
FIRE, FACE WATER GOBELOW
TO RIGHT
GO TO
FIRE, FACE OFLEFT
WATER GO TO RIGHT
GO TO LEFT
G
DESCENDING MOON

GO TO GO TO RIGHT
RIGHT
GO TO GO TO LEFT
LEFT
12&13
MOON, ALSO SUN,
GO TO RIGHTGO TO RIGHT
GO TO LEFT GO TO LEFT FIRE, FACE OF WATER

SPANISH MOON IN WOODS,

SPANISH
SYMBOL = LOOK IN FOREST
SYMBOL =
MOON, MONTH, MOON IN WOODS,
MOON, MONTH, MOON WANING
IN IN MOON,
WOODS,
MOON, TIME
ALSO SUN, LOOK
WANING MOON,FOREST
MOON, ALSOTIME
SUN, LOOK
LOOK IN BELOW
FOREST
FIRE, FACE OF WATER LOOK BELOW
FIRE, FACE OF WATER

WANINGWANING
MOON,MOON,
MOON,MOON, ALSO SUN,
ALSO SUN, LOOK BELOW
LOOK BELOW
FIRE,OF
FIRE, FACE FACE OF WATER
WATER SPANISH
SYMBOL
ECLIPSE, =
DANGER,
UNTAINS, MOON, MONTH, WANING MOON,WANING MOON, M
MOON,
AINS, WEST SUN, ALSO SUN, LOOK HERE
ALSO MOON, LOOK BELOWLOOK BELOW L
TIME ECLIPSE, DANGER,
IRE, FACEMOON
OF WATER
FIRE, FACEMOUNTAINS,
OVER OF WATER
ECLIPSE, DANGER,
LOOK HERE
MOON
TRAVEL OVER MOUNTAINS,WEST
TO MOUNTAINS, LOOK HERE
TRAVEL TO MOUNTAINS, WEST
SPANISH
SPANISH
SYMBOL
www.garrett.com
56 SYMBOL =
= MONTH,
MOON, MOON IN WOODS,
MOON, MONTH, MOON IN WOODS,
LOOK IN FOREST
TIME DESCENDING MOON LOOK IN
TIME FOREST
ASCENDING
SPANISHSPANISH
ASCENDING DESCENDING MOON ECL
 ESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS
HOURGLASS,
1 DAY
SUN SYMBO
HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNE

Time Markings and Symbols

MOON = 3 MONTHS
MOON = 3 MONTHS
HOURGLASS,
SUN =
13 SUN SYMBOLS =
DAYS
HOURGLASS,
DAY SUN= =3 4MONTHS
DAYS
MOONNUMBER
= 3 MONTHS MOON
HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY,
1 DAY OF DAYS
SUN SYMBOLS =
GLASS, HOURGLASS,
HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS
AY SUN SYMBOLS =1 DAY
S, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS
HOURGLASS,
SUN SYMBOLS = 1 DAY
HAPPINESS, DAYS JOURNEY, NUMBER OF DAYS
SUN = 3 DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS
SUN = 3TIME,
SHORT DAYS SUNA= DAY
DAY, 4 DAYS
SHORT DISTANCE JOURNEY
SUN = 3 DAYS MOON = 3 MONTHS
DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS
HOURGLASS, MOON = 3 MONTHS
1 DAY MOON = 3 MONTHS
HOURGLASS, SUN = 3 DAYS
1 DAY
SS,
MOON = 3 MONTHS
SHORT TIME, DAY, A DAY
SHORT
SHORT TIME,
DISTANCE
HOURGLASS, DAY, A DAY
JOURNEY
SHORT DISTANCE
1 DAY JOURNEY
TIME, SHORT TIME, DAY, A DAY DAY, A DAY
STANCE SUN = 3 DAYS
SHORT
NUMBER DISTANCE
OF DAYS JOURNEY SUN JOURNEY
==
SUNDIAL 4 DAYS
1 DAY,
JOURNEY, LOGIC FARTHER TO GO
SUN = 3 DAYS SUN = TIME,
SHORT 4 DAYS
AND REASONING
YS SHORT DISTANCE
SUN = 4 DAYS

SUN = 3 DAYS SUN = 4 DAYS

NUMBER OF DAYS
AND NIGHTS
NUMBER OF DAYS SUNDIAL = 1 DAY,
NUMBER
JOURNEY,
SHORT OF DAYS
LOGIC
TIME, SUNDIAL
FARTHER =TO
1 DAY,
DAY, A DAY GO
JOURNEY, LOGIC
ANDDISTANCE
SHORT REASONING FARTHER
JOURNEY TO GO
SHORT TIME,
AND REASONING DAY, A DAY
F DAYS NUMBER OF DAYS SUNDIAL = 1 DAY, SUNDIAL = 1 DAY,
SHORT DISTANCE JOURNEY
LOGIC JOURNEY, LOGIC FARTHER TO GO FARTHER TO GO
E,
SONING
Understanding
AND REASONING Treasure
DAY, A DAY
JOURNEY
Signs and Symbols 57
NCE
NUMBER OF DAYS
NUMBER OF DAYS JOURNEY, LOGIC
SHORT TIME, NUMBER DAY, A DAY
OF DAYS AND REASONING
AND NIGHTS
SHORT DISTANCE JOURNEY
 Danger Symbols
DEAD PERSON
DEAD PERSON
VARIATIONS OF STARS
VARIATIONS WHICH
OF STARS INDICATE
WHICH DEATH
INDICATE DEATH DEAD PERSON
VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH
DEAD PERSON DEAD
DEFEAT OR DEATH
H INDICATE DEATH
VARIATIONS OF STARS
VARIATIONS OF WHICH
STARS
VARIATIONS INDICATE
WHICH
OF STARS DEATH
INDICATE
WHICH DEATH
INDICATE DEATH
DEA
VARIATIONS OF STARS WHICH INDICATE DEATH

AT OR
THE DEATH
LION WARWAR WARRIORS DO NOT RECOVER
EO THE LION WARRIORS DO NOT RECOVER
DANGER OR DEATH
OR DEATH IN DAYTIME
IN DAYTIME
OR DANGER DEAD PERSON
EO THE LION WAR WARRIORS DO DEFEAT
NOT RECOVER
OR DEATH
HICH
OR INDICATE DEATH
DANGER OR DEATH IN DAYTIME
WARRIORS
LEO THE LION
LEO THE DO LION
LEOLION
THE NOT RECOVER
WAR WAR WAR WARRIORS
WARRIORS DO NOTDO
WARRIORS RECO
NO
OR DANGER
OR DEATH
OR DANGER IN DAYTIME
OR DANGER OR DEATH
OR DEATH IN DAYTIM
OR DEATH IN

LEO THE LION WAR WARRIORS DO NOT R

OR DANGER OR DEATH IN DAY

VERYVERY FOUR POINT

FOUR STAR
POINT STAR SIX SIX
PO
E, DEATH POISONOUS
POISONOUS POISONOUS
AXE,
WAR DEATH WARRIORS NOT RECOVERINDICATES
DOPOISONOUS GRAVE
INDICATES GRAVE INDICAT
IND
NGER
DANGER DANGER GRAVE
OR DEATH INVERY
DAYTIME FOUR POINT STAR
DANGER SIX
GR
AXE, DEATH POISONOUS POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE INDI
DANGERVERY FOUR POINT STAR VERY
SIX POINT
VERYSTAR
DANGERFOUR POINT
VERY FOURSTAR
POINT
FOUR GRP
BATTLEBATTLE
AXE, BATTLE
POISONOUS DEATH
AXE, AXE, POISONOUS
INDICATES
DEATH GRAVE
DEATH POISONOUS
POISONOUS
INDICATES
POISONOUS MORE
POISONOUS INDICATES
POISONOUS GRAVE
INDICATES
INDICAT G
OR DANGER
OR DANGER DANGER
OR DANGER GRAVE DANGER DANGER DANGER DA
SPANISH LIGHTING VERY FOUR POINT STAR
BOLT ORPOISONOUS
BATTLE AXE, DEATH ABSOLUTE POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE
OR DANGER DEATH; CAN ALSO DANGER
INDICATE THAT A
DEATH TRAP IS NEAR
E THE TREASURE
R
VERY FOUR POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR
US POISONOUS INDICATES GRAVE INDICATES MORE
DANGER GRAVE DANGER

DEATH 58ORwww.garrett.com
OR
DEATH WATER OR OR
WATER IMMINENT DANGER
CAMPFIRE IMMINENT DANG
CAMPFIRE DEATH
DEATH HOSTILE INDIANS OR
HOSTILE DANGER,
INDIANS
DEATH OR WATER OR LONG STRETCH
IMMINENT
LONG DANG
RATTLES
STRETCH
CAMPFIRE DEATH WITHOUT WATER
HOSTILE INDIANS
WITHOUT WATE
 IN DAYTIME WARRIORS
LEO THE LION
LEO THE LION
WAR WAR WARRIORS DO NOTDOREN
OR DANGER
LEO THE LION WAR OR DEATH
WARRIORS
OR DEATH IN DAYT
DOI
OR DANGER
OR DANGER OR DEATH

DO NOT RECOVER
Danger Symbols
IN DAYTIME VERYVERY FOU
BATTLE
BATTLE AXE, DEATH POISONOUS
AXE, DEATH POISONOUS SPANISH
POISONOUS LIGHTING
POISONOUS INDI
OR DANGER
OR DANGER BOLT OR ABSOLUT
DEATH; CAN ALSO
INDICATE THAT A
OUR POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR DEATH TRAP IS NEA
DICATES GRAVE INDICATES MORE VERY VERY THEPOINT
FOUR TREASURE
DANGER GRAVE DANGER FOUR STAR
SPANISH LIGHTING POINT
BATTLEBATTLE
AXE, DEATH POISONOUS POISONOUS
POISONOUS VERY INDICATES GRAVE
FOUR POING
AXE, DEATH POISONOUS INDICATES
BOLT OR ABSOLUTE
OR DANGER
BATTLE AXE, DEATH
OR DANGER DEADDEAD PERSON
POISONOUS
PERSON POISONOUS DANGER
INDICATES
DEATH;
DEFEAT CAN
OR DANGE
ALSO
DEATH
OR DANGER
ICH INDICATE
DICATE DEATHDEATH DEFEAT OR DEATH
INDICATE THAT ADANG
POINT STAR SIX POINT STAR DEATH TRAP IS NEAR
TES GRAVE INDICATES MORE THE TREASURE
ANGER GRAVE DANGER

DEATH
DEATH
OR OR WATER
WATER
OR OR
CAMPFIRE
CAMPFIRE DEATHDEATH
AR WARRIORS DO NOT
WARRIORS DORECOVER
NOT RECOVER DANGER, POISON OR
OR DEATH
OR DEATH IN DAYTIME
IN DAYTIME RATTLESNAKE JAW

IMMINENT DANGER
DEATH
HOSTILE OR OROR
INDIANS
DEATH WATERWATER
OR OR IMM
CAMPFIRE
LONG STRETCH
DEATH OR DEATHWATER
CAMPFIRE DEATHOR HOST
WITHOUT WATER
CAMPFIRE DANGER, POISON OR
DEATH LO
RATTLESNAKE JAW WI
IMMINENT DANGER GILA MONSTER,
GILA MONSTER,
DANGER,
DANGER,
HOSTILE INDIANS OR DESERT,
DESERT,
POISON
POISON
LOOKLOOK
HEREHERE
LONG STRETCH
WITHOUT WATER
VERY VERY FOURFOUR
POINTPOINT
STAR STAR SIX POINT
SIX POINT STAR STAR
POISONOUS INDICATES
OISONOUS INDICATES
GRAVEGRAVE INDICATES
INDICATES MOREMORE
DANGERDANGER GRAVE
GRAVE DANGER DANGER
DANGER, GILA MONSTER,
GILA MONSTER,
DANGER, DESERT, POISON
LOOK HEREDANGER, GILA
DESERT,MONSTER,
POISON
LOOK HERE
LOOK HERE DESERT, POISON

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 59

 Crosses and Religious Symbols

EARLY CROSS
LATIN CROSS LATIN
VAR
EARLY CROSS
EARLY CROSS EARLY CROSS
EARLY CROSS OR EARLY CROSS
OR AMONG THE EARLY CROSS LATIN CROSS
OR LATIN CROSS
AMONG THE
FIRST SIGNS LATIN CROSS
AMONG THE
FIRST SIGNS
FIRST SIGNS

ST. PETERS GREEK CROSS

CROSS

EARLY CROSS
LATIN CROSS OR EARLY CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS
ST. PETERS GREEK CROSS
VARIATION
AMONG THE LATIN CRO
CROSS
ATIN CROSS LATIN CROSS
LATINFIRST
CROSSSIGNS ST. PETERS
GREEK CROSS
ST. PETERS
VARIATION
VARIATION CROSS
CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS, MEXICAN CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS, MEXICAN CROSS
VARIATION
EXICAN CROSS,
VARIATION
VARIATION
ST. ANDREWS CROSS,
THE ROMAN CROSS PERUVIAN CROSS
OR “BARRIER”

ST. ANDREWS CROSS,

CROSS OFTHE
LORRAINE,
ROMAN CROSS PERUVIAN
ST. CROSS
ANTONEY’S
THE PATRIARCHAL
OR CROSS CROSS, VARIATION
ST. ANDREWS CROSS,
ST.“BARRIER”
ANDREWS CROSS, MEXICAN CROSS
P
ROSS MEXICAN CROSS, THE PERUVIAN
ROMAN CROSS
CROSS
THE ROMAN CROSS
VARIATION OR “BARRIER” OR “BARRIER”
CHURCH CROSS = CROSS OF LORRAINE, ST. A
CHURCH CROSS =ARTICLES CROSSTHE
OF PATRIARCHAL
LORRAINE, CROSS ST. ANTONEY
CROS
HURCHRELIGIOUS
60 =www.garrett.com
CROSS CROSS OF LORRAINE, ST. ANTONEY’S
ELIGIOUS ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIA
IGIOUS ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIATI
 CAN CROSS EARLY CROSS
FIRST SIGNS THE ROMAN
MEXICAN CROSS
FIRST SIGNS EARLYCROSS
OR “BARRIER” CROSS
OR OR “BARRIER”
AMONG THE
FIRST SIGNS
MEXICAN CROSS

MEXICAN CROSS, Crosses and Religious Symbols
VARIATION

WS CROSS,
N CROSS PERUVIAN CROSS
RRIER” ST. ANTONEY’S MEXICAN
MEXICAN CROSS
ST. ANTONEY’S
MEXICAN MEXICAN CROSS,
CROSS,
CROSS, VARIATION
S CROSS, VARIATION
VARIATION VARIATION
CHURCH CROSS CRO
CHURCH CROSS
MEXICAN CROSS,
CHURCH CROSS = CROSS OF LORRAINE, ST. ANTONEY
VARIATION
ELIGIOUS ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL CROSS CROSS, VARIA

CHURCH
CHURCH CROSS = CROSS = CROSS OF CROSS OF LORRAINE,
LORRAINE,
CROSS
JESUIT ON
SYMBOLS
RELIGIOUS SPANISH ARTICLESTHE PATRIARCHAL
RELIGIOUS
ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL
CROSS CROSS C
SILVER
OF GOLD, BARS
THE ATTAINMENT CHURCH CROSS = CROSS OF LORRAIN
RELIGIOUS ARTICLES THE PATRIARCHAL C

JESUIT SYMBOLS
JESUIT SYMBOLS
CROSS LATIN
OF GOLD, CROSS
OF GOLD, ST. PETERS
VARIATION
THE ATTAINMENT
THE ATTAINMENT CROSS
JESUIT SYMBOLS
OF GOLD,
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols
THE ATTAINMENT 61
 SPANISH TREASURE TERMS

Treasure hunters who have studied old maps

or written notes regarding a treasure often
encounter the Spanish language. As Spain
expanded into the New World, many words
from its language made their way into other
cultures and will be found during your research
of land grants, waybills or field surveys.
The way a Spanish word is interpreted today
might be quite different from its meaning hun-
dreds of years ago. Along the same lines, a unit
of measure might be slightly different in differ-
ent cultures or in different countries.
One such troubling treasure word is vara, a
word commonly used by Spaniards, Mexicans,
Indians and even early Texas settlers to mea-
sure distance. The length of one vara, however,
has varied over time from 30 inches up to 35.9
inches and was once inconsistent even between
the different provinces within Spain. In general
a vara was approximately 32 or 33 inches in
lenght, or about the normal stride of an average

62 www.garrett.com
Spanish soldier. Fortunately, Spain accepted the
metric system in the late 1860s but treasure ter-
minology prior to that time frame will often in-
volve varas. Treasure symbols for vara can in-
dicate how many paces or sets of these 33-inch
lengths must be stepped off to reach a particular
point.
In North America, the vara had slightly dif-
ferent measurement lengths. In Mexico, the
vara’s equivalent in inches was 32.99. This was
later rounded to 33 inches in California while
Texas used a 33.33-inch vara for early land
measurements.
Many other words of Spanish origin will
likely be encountered in your research of old
documents. Although I recommend adding a
Spanish to English dictionary to your treasure-
hunting arsenal, it is worth considering a few
other significant treasure words that are of
Spanish origin. For example, the terms braza
and estado were also used to measure distances.
Pirates and sailors used the term braza as
a measuring distance of 5 feet 7 inches. Each
“pace” or vara distance given on a map was
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 63
thus walked off in lengths of 5 feet 7 inches.
The term estado, used by Spanish Jesuits or
Catholic priests, was also measured as 5 feet
7 inches. One estado was the minimum depth
measurement that items of importance were to
be buried.
The term league is another important word
in determining distances to treasures. The stat-
ute (land) league was a distance that varied
between 2.12 and 2.18 miles while a nautical
league varied between 3.18 and 3.27 miles.
There are far too many words to cover in this
book but the treasure hunter should be aware of
at least some common terms of measurement
that can be quite troublesome.
The following brief list includes transla-
tions of common Spanish words that could be
encountered on treasure-related documents:

alhaja jewel
cajón large box, chest
cavar dig, excavate
cobre copper
codo half of a vara (16”)

64 www.garrett.com
 entierro hidden treasure
escondida hidden
este east
harqueta fork in trail or stream
iglesia church
joya jewels
llano plain
loma small hill
marca mark, sign
moneda money or coin
norte north
oeste west
oro gold
pasada passage
patacón silver coin
plata silver
quilate carat (24 carat gold)
sur, sud south
tesoro treasure
tiro mine shaft
vena vein of ore

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 65

 SPECIAL ADVICE

• Make sure you have a trustworthy

hunting partner. There’s nothing more heart-
breaking than to track down a treasure, solve
the clues of the symbols and then get double-
crossed. Trust me...I’ve been taken before. I
worked closely with someone I trusted to suc-
cessfully locate a cache site in Louisiana. We
planned to excavate the area the next morning
but I returned to find nothing but fresh dirt and a
hole where something large had been removed!

• Consult a specialist if you find words

from another language you are not familiar
with. In the Spanish language, for example,
word combinations might be interpreted differ-
ently in various regions.

• Be wary of trickery when following

directions from a group of treasure symbols.
Some signs, seemingly clear, might actually be
pointing you in exactly the opposite direction.

66 www.garrett.com
Other treasures could be buried in the middle—
halfway between your first symbol and the
point you believed to be the ending spot. Use
your metal detector to sweep the whole area
from one end to the other.

• Research source materials. Old family

stories, tribal legends, court and church records,
diaries, wills and archival documents some-
times prove to be just as productive as a genu-
ine treasure map. Legends from the old days
usually contain a certain degree of historical
fact, even when intertwined with the hyperbole.

• Depend on items that have not changed

with time. When following signs, remember
that the treasure you are seeking was probably
hidden long ago. Trees and shrubs have grown
while rock formations, although weathered,
have remained essentially the same.

• Never destroy or alter signs or symbols

that you may encounter. Follow them and ap-
preciate them but leave these ancient artifacts
Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 67
alone so that others may learn from and enjoy
them in their original state.

• Pay close attention to symbols of danger

when they are presented. Some were meant
to scare off treasure seekers while others could
be an indication of a trap that was set. Death
traps have been found where a heavy boulder is
propped in a precarious position—ready to fall
on the unwary fortune hunter who digs in the
wrong spot!

• Use logic and a little imagination when

reading a sign. Some treasures have been found
by simply following the ancient directions.
Other treasures await only those who can “think
outside the box”—misdirection was a common
tactic of those who left symbols. A little luck
and perseverance are often just as productive as
knowledge. Mine entrances, mines shafts and
cave entrances have also been booby-trapped
to protect treasures. The lightning bolt symbol
indicated that a large gold or silver treasure was
nearby but that deathtraps were present.

68 www.garrett.com
 • I’ll leave you with the best treasures signs
advice I know to offer. Look for something or
things unusual or out of place. Anything you
can spot that could not have happened natu-
rally is important. Such abnormalities, although
often subtle, might be just the treasure clues
that could lead you to great discoveries!

I wish you good health, good hunting and

the good fortune to find your own treasure signs
and symbols.
I’ll see you in the field!

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 69

70 www.garrett.com
 OTHER RAM BOOKS

Please note that RAM Books, the publishing

division of Garrett Metal Detectors, continues
to release new titles each year related to trea-
sure hunting, gold prospecting, coin hunting
and relic recovery.

To see a current list of titles available

from RAM Books, please consult a Garrett
Metal Detectors hobby catalog or visit:

www.garrett.com

After reaching Garrett’s website, visit the

Hobby Divison section and select “RAM
Books” to see all of our current titles. An order
form is available on our site which can printed
and mailed with your requested titles and pay-
ment.

Understanding Treasure Signs and Symbols 71

Collect Charles Garrett’s other
treasure-hunting field guides!
Check out RAM Books on
www.garrett.com for future releases.

72 www.garrett.com
Master treasure hunter and author

Ram Publishing Co.

A subsidiary of Garrett Metal Detectors
1881 West State Street
Garland, TX 75042
PN 1546000
ISBN 978-0-9818991-4-5