August 24th, 2013 by Piper Smith
When did treasure maps become popularized? And why do we think that all pirates buried treasure and possessed treasure maps? As we know, there are few documented cases of actual buried treasure – pirates probably felt safer with their loot close by! The idea of treasure maps comes from popular works of fiction and film. For instance, the cliche “X marks the spot” was made a common theme in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island which was published in 1883. As well as maps, puzzles depicting the location of buried treasure are also popular. These puzzles originate in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold-Bug, published in 1843.
Picture caption: Pick it up! It’s a fabulous read of classic literature!
