"The night of sorrows" - that's how Cortez described the defeat of the Spanish army at the hand of Aztec Indians. Cortez and his men were trapped in Tenochtitlan, the fabled city of gold in what is today modern Mexico. They were holding the Aztec ruler, Moctezuma, hostage. When Moctezuma died, the Aztecs grew violent and stormed the city.
Cortez planned an escape by night and instructed his men to take as much treasure as they could carry. They were hoping to slip by the Aztecs but were apprehended and a bloody battle ensued in which no man escaped uninjured. Many Spanish infantry were killed, unable to flee because they were so weighed under with booty. They were fatally injured by spears or drowned in the lake that the city of Tenochtitlan was built on. A lot more of the infantry would have died except the Aztecs stopped to retrieve their silver and gold. The date was 1520.
Though Cortez escaped with his life and later returned with great force to take down the Aztec Empire, one query remains to this day: What has happened to the treasure of gold and silver that the Spanish squads tried to cart off?
It is a fact the treasure is genuine. Its worth has been calculated to be worth close to half of all the wealth ever gathered in Spanish South America. Some of the valuables that were lost included solid balls of gold and silver, semi-precious jewels, a solid gold life-size alligator head and countless collars made of gold. To this very day, this treasure hasn't been found.
There are numerous speculations about what has happened to the treasure. One speculation is that a big portion of it sank to the bottom of the lake being covered by rubble when Cortez returned to tear the city into the ground. Treasure hunting has continued in the area to this very day. The lake has even been drained and dragged in efforts to recover it.
Other theories say that the Aztecs hid the gold and silver in the nearby hills or maybe in a further field some distance away. This is credible; especially when you consider that the Spanish conquerors brought sicknesses such as smallpox with them against which the Indians were defenseless. A dreadful epidemic shortly decimated the native population in that area. So maybe the awareness of where the treasure was concealed died with them.
Some may wonder whether treasure hunting can make money . There are sufficient success stories to prove it can be. In 1998, Mel Fisher found the wreck of a Spanish treasure ship in the Caribbean that was loaded down with 100,000 gold coins. He quickly turned into a multi-millionaire as a result. In 2005, $10 billion worth of treasure-in the form of 600 barrels of gold coins-was found at "Crusoe" Island near the coast of Chile.
There's more sophisticated gear for treasure hunting being developed all of the time. A mini robot that has the ability scan 50 meters below the earth was utilized to find the gold coins on Crusoe Island. With new hardware such as this, it's worth having a second look at the story of La Noche Triste and see whether the legendary lost treasure can be discovered.
Cortez planned an escape by night and instructed his men to take as much treasure as they could carry. They were hoping to slip by the Aztecs but were apprehended and a bloody battle ensued in which no man escaped uninjured. Many Spanish infantry were killed, unable to flee because they were so weighed under with booty. They were fatally injured by spears or drowned in the lake that the city of Tenochtitlan was built on. A lot more of the infantry would have died except the Aztecs stopped to retrieve their silver and gold. The date was 1520.
Though Cortez escaped with his life and later returned with great force to take down the Aztec Empire, one query remains to this day: What has happened to the treasure of gold and silver that the Spanish squads tried to cart off?
It is a fact the treasure is genuine. Its worth has been calculated to be worth close to half of all the wealth ever gathered in Spanish South America. Some of the valuables that were lost included solid balls of gold and silver, semi-precious jewels, a solid gold life-size alligator head and countless collars made of gold. To this very day, this treasure hasn't been found.
There are numerous speculations about what has happened to the treasure. One speculation is that a big portion of it sank to the bottom of the lake being covered by rubble when Cortez returned to tear the city into the ground. Treasure hunting has continued in the area to this very day. The lake has even been drained and dragged in efforts to recover it.
Other theories say that the Aztecs hid the gold and silver in the nearby hills or maybe in a further field some distance away. This is credible; especially when you consider that the Spanish conquerors brought sicknesses such as smallpox with them against which the Indians were defenseless. A dreadful epidemic shortly decimated the native population in that area. So maybe the awareness of where the treasure was concealed died with them.
Some may wonder whether treasure hunting can make money . There are sufficient success stories to prove it can be. In 1998, Mel Fisher found the wreck of a Spanish treasure ship in the Caribbean that was loaded down with 100,000 gold coins. He quickly turned into a multi-millionaire as a result. In 2005, $10 billion worth of treasure-in the form of 600 barrels of gold coins-was found at "Crusoe" Island near the coast of Chile.
There's more sophisticated gear for treasure hunting being developed all of the time. A mini robot that has the ability scan 50 meters below the earth was utilized to find the gold coins on Crusoe Island. With new hardware such as this, it's worth having a second look at the story of La Noche Triste and see whether the legendary lost treasure can be discovered.
About the Author:
Tom one of the principle contributors to the base data, as well as, to the progress and advancement of Satellite Treasure Map Info overlaid on Google Maps. Tom has accumulated this info through many years of seeking out obscure truths thru many diverse sources.
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