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Review of Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar S01E05 and S01E06

9/26/2015

126 Comments

 
​It’s a bit weird to review a show that is undead. Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar was doomed before it began, consigned to a Saturday night burn off after a scathing UNESCO report, but History couldn’t turn a blind eye to its low, low ratings. In one of her first acts as the new head of the network, Jana Bennett moved the show to 5 PM ET, out of prime time, where its vacated slot now houses Pawn Stars reruns. The eight episodes announced for the series in June seem to have been cut down to six, and these were the show’s last hours. Bennett replaces Dirk Hoogstra, who while at H2 became infamous for declaring that there is only “a portion of our viewers that still want” deep factual information, and he led the network into fact-free and low-information programming.
S01E05 “The Flaming Cross”
We open in Madagascar as “historian” Scott Wolter searches for an early modern “faction” of Knights Templar in a cave system in a remote part of the island. This somehow requires a lengthy recap of the first four episodes of the series, which other shows might have given as a “previously on” segment. Wolter is flying across the island in a helicopter to look at rock carvings the narrator says some unnamed people suspect were made by Portuguese Templars, or what the rest of the world would call the Knights of Christ, the successor organization to the Templars in that country. Wolter dismisses the indentations as natural geological formations and continues on to the caves.

Meanwhile, in the lesser plotline, Barry Clifford is still looking at the shipwreck he assumes is the Fiery Dragon (even the narrator won’t endorse this conclusion since UNESCO refuted it), and he’s trying to find the arms of the ivory crucifix that launched this series. Some redshirts who have never been given any characterization say and do some things, and then Clifford swears at a piece of Indian ivory that is entirely consistent with the wreck being, as UNESCO concluded, an Indian-built vessel used by the Portuguese and seized and sunk by pirates. This leads the team to ask whether the crucifix originated in India (which would mean that it isn’t medieval). Later, they find a Chinese cup made for European export, again consistent with the UNESCO conclusion. They also pull up a small, carved head of a tonsured figure, which they identify as a monk.

Wolter explores a dark cave, complete with stalactites and bats, but he finds no Templar signs. The narrator says that this disappointment has not changed his opinion on the Templars’ Madagascar activities. This leads to another recap of previous episodes, and Wolter tells Clifford how happy he is that Clifford found the lump of lead that both men mistake for silver. “The only thing I can say is ‘Bravo,’” Wolter says, “and it’s really got me buzzing!” Scott Wolter, a geologist, cannot tell silver from lead, or is happy to opine on material he never actually saw. Wolter offers his various conspiracy theories about the Templars, but even Clifford’s team historian pushes back against this, noting that there is too much of a time gap between early Portuguese activity on Madagascar and Capt. Kidd for the two groups to be in league. 

Wolter then says that the “Portuguese Templars” founded a colony on Goa, and Capt. Kidd once visited, so he needs to visit Goa to hunt Templars. The Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510, but it was not at the behest of the “Templars” (Knights of Christ), but rather under Alfonso de Albuquerque, a knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword. Wolter now speculates that Kidd obtained the Templar treasure from a Portuguese vessel, the Mary, captured en route back from Goa in the last years of the seventeenth century.

In exploring the ruins of Portuguese Goa, Wolter identifies a skull and crossbones on a gravestone as a Templar-Pirate symbol, and he claims that various Portuguese coats of arms featuring the cross of Lorraine are “symbols of the Bloodline families,” which the show doesn’t bother to explain, leaving Wolter’s Da Vinci Code Jesus conspiracies dangling outside the audience’s awareness. Another stone-carved coat of arms, featuring the so-called “triple tau” in the upper left and lower right quadrants and stripes in the other two, becomes a shocking link to Freemasons in Wolter’s eyes. The show does not identify the owner of those arms so viewers might check to see what they are meant to represent; in fact, the camera purposely cuts the name beneath the arms out of the shot, obscuring the history they should be elucidating. Why might that be? By royal order from the time of Manuel I (a Grand Master of the Order of Christ!), arms were restricted to nobility; might the owner of these arms not have been associated with the Order of Christ? [UPDATE: As noted in the comments below, higher quality images of the grave slab make clear that the supposed triple tau is really the top part of a cross that had been purposely defaced.] Since coats of arms had to be bestowed by the monarch, this would imply that the Kings of Portugal were somehow involved in the conspiracy—yet Manuel’s name isn’t mentioned. Is this because the show doesn’t know what it’s talking about or actually researched the Order of Christ before declaring all Portuguese to be them? The Freemason and psychologist from last week who pretends to be a historians joins Wolter in a teleconference to assert that yes, indeed, all of Portuguese exploration of the world was a “Templar” enterprise. 

Wolter asserts that the records of ship manifests from Goa are missing for the years when the “Templars” were exporting treasure from Goa. “The fact that they are missing tells me everything,” Wolter says. I am confused though by the sleight of hand that the show has pulled: What began as a search for the medieval treasure of the original flavor Knights Templar, perhaps including the Ark of the Covenant, has gradually changed into a search for Indian wealth acquired and exported by Portuguese imperialists. Anyway, Wolter becomes excited about the lost Fiery (or Flaming) Cross of Goa, a supposed massive 3-meter-tall golden cross lost in the 1700s after Olivier Levasseur (La Buse) seized it. There is no mention of this artifact before the 1900s, and most historians consider it a hoax, possibly exaggerated from a much smaller historical original. No wonder Wolter wants to go looking for it. As best I can tell, the story of the Flaming Cross and the cryptogram of La Buse that supposedly point to it were a fraud.  The cryptogram can’t be shown to have existed before 1882. The rest of the story is largely from the 1947 work of Reginald Cruise-Wilkins, who used the zodiac, Freemasonry, and the Key of Solomon to “discover” the story. Cruise-Wilkins devoted his life to finding the treasure, and died on Reunion Island trying to find it. To this day, people are still proposing new solutions to the cryptogram. The story did make the Weekly World News back in 1988, though, so the History Channel has that going for it.

The hour ends with Clifford looking at a hole in the ground and wondering if the Templars dumped their treasure down the hole. 

S01E06 “Treasure Island”
On Goa, Wolter assumes that the “Portuguese Templars” were the force behind Portuguese colonization of India, and in a Portuguese church on Goa he finds an icon of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, whom he calls the founder of the Knights Templar (he actually helped write their Rule), better known as the reformer of the Cistercian order. Meanwhile, on Madagascar the largely anonymous team of Clifford and some redshirts decides to make their working theory more byzantine. Now the Templar treasure passed to the Order of Christ, who took it to Goa in order to re-export it back to Portugal, during which time La Buse, who was a pirate but not one of the Templar pirates, seized it and brought it to Madagascar’s Pirate Island. They do not explain what five episodes’ worth of Capt. Kidd now have to do with this painfully complex conspiracy. On the plus side, even though the show has Wolter, a geologist, Clifford feels compelled to hire some Spanish geologists when he needs to do real geology, not Templar fantasies, to map the hole in the ground. It’s a great vote of confidence in Wolter! (I’m sure it’s due to Wolter’s shooting schedule, but as edited it looks like Clifford sent Wolter away in order to bring in Spanish geologists behind his back.)

The Spaniards tell Clifford that there is a manmade “metal” anomaly beneath the island of the size of the Flaming Cross. They also find a golden key, which they conclude (without evidence) belongs to a treasure chest. “It’s the only key to a pirate’s treasure chest that’s ever been found,” Clifford says. I will remind you again: There is no evidence it belonged to a treasure chest, or even to the pirates! They might just as well have stolen it for the gold.

In Goa, Wolter finds the same monk’s head on a copy of a statue of St. Anthony, but the owner tells Wolter that it is 300 years old—in other words, exactly the age we’d expect for a ship that sank in 1700s. Wolter is certain that the two heads were carved by the same man, but more likely they are both copies of a rather standard original, as most St. Anthony statues look nearly identical, depending on whether you get the bearded or beardless variety. Nothing about it screams Templar, but now the Templars are no longer our protagonists but rather the victims of our new hero, La Buse, who stole stuff from Goa that maybe or maybe not had something to do with what Templars might or might not have done. The whole show seems to be a slow bait-and-switch.

Clifford’s team of personality-free middle-aged men dig a hole in the ground looking for the metal anomaly. They run out of time and have to give up before finding out what’s down there. “It’s very fucking frustrating,” says the team historian, whose name I haven’t learned because the show’s producers gave me no reason to care about him or identify him as a distinct character. (Heck, it doesn’t bother to develop Clifford as a character.) He seems to be speaking only because Clifford wasn’t available. I wonder why the producer of this show, Sam Brown, fell in love with Scott Wolter? He somehow ended up as the star, and the only character given a personality.

As the episode enters its final third, the narrator recaps the entire series yet again, for reasons that I can’t quite fathom except that it seems like this episode was cut down from the final three that were supposed to have aired, explaining why it keeps resetting and why its pacing is so much different than the preceding hours.

At a museum in Goa, Wolter sees ivory carvings of Jesus that are very similar to the one that kicked off the series. Because it is a Portuguese ivory carving of the 1600s—exactly the time I guessed back in Week 1 based on stylistic grounds!—Wolter declares that the one Clifford found is from the same place and time. NOTE CAREFULLY: Wolter started this series confidently dating that crucifix to the 1100s, but now is equally sure it is from the 1600s. He calls this about-face a “grand slam” proving that the pirate treasure found in Madagascar came from India. As the vulgar might say, no shit, Sherlock; that’s exactly what the historical record showed before you ever showed up: Pirates (who were not Templars) seized artifacts and booty from European ships leaving India (also not Templar), and some of that booty ended up under the sea.

So, to recap: The show completely abandoned its entire premise and declared it a victory for conspiracy theories and fringe research, when in fact they managed only to confirm what had been known to history before they tried and failed to rewrite it. 

The show then covers the presentation of the “silver” ingot (the lead one) to the president of Madagascar, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, whom they do not name, and the show manufactures some drama about the metal going missing before his arrival. They find it and present it. No one bothers to inform the viewers that the “silver” ingot is really lead, and the “treasure” without evidence. This is utterly dishonest​.

A week later, Wolter, Clifford, and the team historian, meet in Cape Cod and Wolter gives them his findings. No one notices or cares that Wolter was 100% wrong six episodes ago and that the entire premise of the series started from a false assumption. Instead, the three men congratulate themselves for “discovering” what history already knew, that English and French pirates raided Portuguese ships. “The team is happy with the connections and conclusions they’ve made,” the narrator crows.

The 1882 alleged La Buse cypher is shown and Scott Wolter calls it a “classic” example of Templar-Freemason coding. The fact that it can’t be shown to exist before 1882 isn’t shared with the audience, and even if it were as old as Wolter thinks, it dates from the period when the Masons existed, so no connection to the Templars need be proposed. As the music swells and a montage of glory shots play, the narrator sets this up as a launch pad for a future second season that will never come.

“The facts speak loud,” the historian says. Yes, but these guys don’t hear them. And it is the viewers who are left deaf, dumb, and blind.
126 Comments
JJ
9/26/2015 08:54:39 pm

'right their rule' ??

Reply
Jason Colavito link
9/26/2015 08:59:52 pm

It's just a typo. I meant "write."

Reply
JJ
9/27/2015 09:25:26 am

looks like somebody needs an editor :)

The troll Krampus
9/27/2015 09:51:38 am

Are you offering your service to edit this blog, JJ?

Reply
JJ
9/27/2015 09:23:32 pm

haha, no- thought maybe the same one Jason uses, also did Scott's shows...

val
1/26/2016 05:25:45 pm

in that series:Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar you should have pick someone else... this guy is so""false""and like Mister know it all...dont like him MrTsoukalos is the BEST

Reply
John
9/26/2015 09:04:48 pm

"On the plus side, even though the show has Wolter, a geologist, Clifford feels compelled to hire some Spanish geologists when he needs to do real geology, not Templar fantasies, to map the hole in the ground. It’s a great vote of confidence in Wolter! (I’m sure it’s due to Wolter’s shooting schedule, but as edited it looks like Clifford sent Wolter away in order to bring in Spanish geologists behind his back.)"

But Jason, the show told me that Scott Wolter is a "Historian." How can he be a Geologist all of a sudden? :P

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Americanegro
12/14/2015 06:43:02 pm

I think someone should say something good about Mr. Wolter, so here goes: he's a good looking guy and hasn't let his weight get out of control. There, that's all I got.

Due to his constant lying, he's one of the most disagreeable people on TV. But that's just what my Templar Mason masters told me to say, or was it the people who are trying to cover up the Templar Mason connection to everything in the known universe?

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Dan
9/26/2015 09:20:17 pm

And so ends Scott Wolter's ignominious tenure on the "History" Channel. Truly one of fringe history's most dishonest and deluded charlatans, he's now sentenced to a life of fringe history podcast interviews and self-published conspiracy books. If there's any justice in the world, his career as a "forensic geologist" is over too. Good riddance, Scott the scam artist.

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Javy Lopez 2
9/28/2015 08:57:52 am

Is that true? Is Wolter really toast, and is History finally done with him?

If yes, I'm torn; based on his "merits", that would be a deserved and long overdue fate; but I'm also going to miss the big galoot; no one else brought the Crazy without an ounce of self-awareness better than he did; what's going to get me to Yell Insanely at my television set with him gone?

Thanks to Jason, for his patient and thorough reviewing and debunking of this incredibly shameless Fraudster.

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Lemmiwinks
9/26/2015 09:41:25 pm

Great review, but I think you were too hard on the personality-free red shirts. Maybe they were just trying to get through working with two douches and figured the less said the better.

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Rebel
9/26/2015 10:47:44 pm

Regarding the coat of arms with two triple taus on a tombstone in Goa, India, if one looks closely, it appears that the triple taus are really crosses which have had their lower leg removed. Otherwise, why would the triple taus be located only in the top portion of each heraldic inset?

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Manly P Hall Archives Getty Library link
9/27/2015 01:18:38 am

By chance, did anybody notice those COA's look to be made of freshly poured concrete?

Here is a great digital resource from a private collection of scanned alchemical documents..enjoy:

Manly Palmer Hall collection of alchemical manuscripts, circa 1500-1825.

http://primo.getty.edu/GRI:GETTY_ALMA21120042200001551

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Jason Colavito link
9/27/2015 06:30:37 am

Indeed, in looking at higher quality images, it is quite obvious that the original fourth leg of the cross has been chiseled out.

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Duke of URL
9/27/2015 12:28:19 pm

I'd accuse Wolter of doing the chiseling, to make a better fake show, but since no hooked crosses magically appeared, it must not have been him.

David Bradbury
9/27/2015 12:34:20 pm

The tombstone in question appears to be the one shown in full (but obliquely and not very large) on
http://indiabackpacker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/augustine-tower-stands-tall-for-over.html
[just above the text starting "In 1835 the Augustine Church was abandoned"].

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Rebel
9/27/2015 02:20:12 pm

Here is a closeup of the subject tombstone, which clearly shows that what Scott Wolter said was a triple tau, was actually once a full cross with the lower portion removed:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g303877-d2708792-r258520429-Church_and_Monastery_of_St_Augustine-Panaji_Goa.html#photos

Shane Sullivan
9/27/2015 02:43:21 pm

Here's the specific image from Rebel's link:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/06/4b/58/26/church-and-monastery.jpg

Tony
9/27/2015 02:56:38 pm

Here's an image of the opposite side of the room:

http://www.novacinema.gr/sites/default/files/imagecache/article/ChamberSecrets1.jpg

;-)

Clete
9/27/2015 01:24:25 am

I think a more fitting end would be to have Scott Wolter travel back to Madagascar and to the hole dug by the Clifford team. He then could jump into the hole, yelling as he fell "A hooked X, a hooked X, my kingdom for a hooked X."

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Only Me
9/27/2015 01:39:49 am

"No one notices or cares that Wolter was 100% wrong six episodes ago and that the entire premise of the series started from a false assumption. Instead, the three men congratulate themselves for 'discovering' what history already knew, that English and French pirates raided Portuguese ships."

And this jackass says your blog "is so full of crap it's amazing people actually read it"?

He rants about "over-the-top empty criticism and outright lies", "historical cover-ups and incompetence" and promises he will continue to do all he can to bring out the truth. I honestly don't believe he would acknowledge the truth if it walked up and punched him square in the face. Hell, I wouldn't trust him with competently doing his job testing and analyzing concrete after this.

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Not the Comte de Saint Germain
9/27/2015 03:13:47 am

I think he's probably reliable when testing concrete unless he gets it into his head that the Templars or some other secret immigrants to America are somehow involved with it. Once he gets that into his head, he'll say anything that strikes his fancy—I wouldn't put it past him to say that the concrete is actually moon rock.

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Duke of URL
9/27/2015 12:30:54 pm

Based on how he is clearly incapable of seeing any reality that's right in front of his face, there is NO way that I would trust him to test any concrete structure I was erecting - at least, not if I wanted it to stand for more than one TV season.

Joe Scales
9/27/2015 08:53:24 am

"I honestly don't believe he would acknowledge the truth if it walked up and punched him square in the face. Hell, I wouldn't trust him with competently doing his job testing and analyzing concrete after this."

This certainly was the case when Professor Williams solved and completely dismantled his Arizona Desert Mystery from his previous television show (though Wolter's conclusions were wholly illogical and his theories ridiculous on their face). Wolter refused to post the drubbing on his blog and claimed he couldn't as... if I recall correctly... it would leave an individual he didn't even know open to criminal prosecution for desecration of a burial site... for something that happened decades ago, As if.

It's not out of the ordinary for experts in any field that appear in court to know where their bread is buttered, so to speak. But to be demonstrably shown as a fraud, liar and now constant source of misinformation who defames those more knowledgeable (and reasonable), you would have to be a fool to hire him to do a job concerning a legal postition that may have to be defended in court.

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Ralf Buelow
9/27/2015 02:02:25 am

BTW Here are more details (in 4 parts - seems to be a complicated story)) about the La Buse cryptogram http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2013/04/15/la-buse-le-butin-pirate-cipher

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Robert
9/27/2015 07:56:42 am

Despite all the undue conjecture and misdirection I found the series very entertaining. It's a bit like watching a medicine show from the late 1800's. As long as one does not take it too seriously, it can be a fun ride. But suspension of disbelief and credulity are different matters. The former being temporary and the latter more permanent. I'm not sure the show's producers can be blamed for the population of suckers in our world.

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Scarecrow
9/27/2015 11:08:00 am

Scott Wolter is like a bad tooth, keeps coming back, and back....

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tm
9/27/2015 04:35:30 pm

I don't see anybody blaming the producers for the population of gullible people in the world. I blame the producer and participants for trying to profit trom the gullible and for encouraging them to completely abandon their critical thinking skills.

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Scotty Roberts link
9/27/2015 10:54:06 am

My understanding from Scott Wolter was that the show was only a six-episode mini-series, not eight.

It wasn't cancelled, it simply ran its course of six episodes.

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Clete
9/27/2015 01:45:10 pm

You, dear sir, like Scott Wolter, are not a reliable source about anything, either on the show, or about the show.

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Jason Colavito link
9/27/2015 01:50:02 pm

Shaw Media, which runs History in Canada, announced the series in June as eight 60-minute episodes. Sometime between then and the air date, the number was apparently reduced to 6. Since we know the show hadn't finished production when Shaw announced it, I'd gather that the decision was made during the whole UNESCO debacle.

Steve StC
9/27/2015 08:49:06 pm

Jason has been grasping at his desired outcome on this series from the start. He is desperate to be right about his speculation that History is "burning through" the series because the bureaucrats at UNESCO didn't like it. Jason has zero facts on this matter yet his acolytes lap it up... slurp... slurp... as though Jason's drivel is fact.

tm
9/27/2015 09:17:30 pm

Steve! What a coincidence. I just posted an answer to Robert (above) about your critical thinking skills.

Jason Colavito link
9/27/2015 09:49:54 pm

Yup, somehow in Steve's world I'm the one who imagined that History failed to promote the show, launched it with minimal publicity, double-ran episodes on low-rated Saturday nights, and then bumped the last episodes to Saturday afternoon. In Steve's world, this is "success" and I'm the one who can't read the ratings report.

Joe Scales
9/27/2015 10:55:01 pm

"...the bureaucrats at UNESCO..."

Hi Steve. Did you mean the bureaucrats at UNESCO with fully credentialed scientists, archeologists, historians and a penchant for demanding proper methodology with a respect for both potential historical sites and the environment within? You mean those guys?

Only Me
9/28/2015 04:40:38 am

Steve, I'd be careful with the slurping noises if I were you. White knighting for Scott doesn't make you a Templar. It does make you a dong-inhaling enragement child.

Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 12:43:28 am

Clete,
Not sure how reliable I find your statement.

Steve StC
9/30/2015 07:51:57 am

Well your "evidence" must point to the conclusion you desire, Jason. Just like all those Hooked X's in Minnesota and New England are proof that the Knights Templar were in America... because I want them to be.
Produce one document, Colavito.

Joe Scales
9/30/2015 10:51:57 am

Steve... what documentation would you like for the obvious? Perhaps you should look into what is commonly referred to by those at the grown up table as "inductive reasoning".

Steve StC
10/1/2015 12:18:36 am

Joe leapt to Jason's defense (as many of the acolytes here do), "...what documentation would you like for the obvious?"

Thanks for sharing your opinion Joe. Gosh, it added so much to the question at hand.

Gee, maybe an email from History confirming Colavito's total speculation that they are "burning off" Wolter's latest Pirate series because the UNESCO academics didn't approve of it. I patiently await such documentation.

However, Joseph, my question was directed at our host Jason Colavito.

But I'm sure Jason appreciates that you think he is so weak that he needs you to leap to his defense.

Jason, over to you.

Joe Scales
10/1/2015 11:19:11 am

Well now you have me Steve, and I call 'em as I see them. You have no skill at either logic nor debate. Your points are those of a sophist; ultimately meaningless and probably why you're being ignored by the host.

Only Me
10/1/2015 11:28:52 am

And I'm sure Scott appreciates that you think he is so weak that he needs you to leap to his defense, Steve.

Your "arguments" don't hold up well because they can be completely turned against you.

Scotty Roberts' Doppleganger
9/27/2015 06:08:38 pm

Hey! Dr. John Ward (internationally known and respected archaeologist, Egyptologist, anthropologist and dowser) and I (esteemed historian and theologian) are authorities on whatever we choose to be. Proximity equals authority and education, Don't forget that. We don't need no stinkin' degrees.

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Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 12:59:12 am

Your words do drip of doppelgäng, to be sure: "Ghostly; hallucinatory; look-alike but not twin; an apparition that bears some resemblance, but not identical in nature." Seems to fit the bill for you. But, hell, I'm no authority on doppelgängers, so what do I know...? ;)

Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 10:29:07 am

And if you think one needs an institutionally earned degree in order to research, study and render opinions and conclusions, you live in a very small world.

That is not to say that we do not understand the importance - in the Academic realm - to hold an institutional degree. But neither have we ever made any claims about possessing one, long before this blog and its anonymous critics ever existed.

If all work and research is only to be considered viable if one has letters behind their name, that would serve only to bolster one small facet of human society who conducts research and study and discovery.

Its all a bunch of political game-playing and ego.

tm
9/30/2015 04:04:51 pm

All about "Dr" John Ward's "doctorate":

http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/scott-roberts-and-jack-ward-offer-sizzle-reel-for-new-fringe-history-show

:D

Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 06:26:28 pm

tm,
Of course, if its on a blog by Jason Colavito, that MUST be all there is to know about anything. :D

tm
9/30/2015 08:36:15 pm

Well, yes, actually. Between Jason and "Dr" John Ward, I'll give much more credibility to the guy who doesn't get his income from dowsing lessons. Duh.

Steve StC
10/1/2015 12:42:37 am

Uh... @TM... Jason Colavito gets at least a pittance of his income from posting how difficult his economic circumstances are with his house, his boiler, his cat, and possibly an unnamed other who helps to pay the mortgage, that he needs to ask his readers to pony up some cold, hard cash to keep the blog going?

So when you comment, "...I'll give much more credibility to the guy who doesn't get his income from dowsing lessons. Duh" are you ignoring that Jason also gets his income from his opinions in much the same way that someone who gets their income from dowsing lessons?

Just curious.

tm
10/1/2015 01:02:49 am

Steve St Clair: My God! You really did believe in the Long Range Locator, didn't you!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Steve StC
10/1/2015 01:14:33 am

Is that your answer to my question?

How very astute of you.

tm
10/1/2015 11:02:54 am

Steve St Clair. Are you referring to the question from a well known internet troll (you, Steve St Clair) who made a sloppy attempt to equate an intelligent, well documented blog with dowsing lessons?

Yes, that was my answer. It would have been more astute to point out your lack of critical thinking skills, but I've already done that once, and I hate to repeat myself, especially since you didn't pay attention the first time.

Joe Scales
10/1/2015 07:49:09 pm

"...and possibly an unnamed other who helps to pay the mortgage...

Steve, are you referring to Livian Sinclair?

Scotty Roberts link
10/4/2015 12:50:47 am

John Ward receives no income for the dowsing workshop he gives, spanning a total of four days per year. His dowsing research comprises a minuscule percentage of his work, and represents a personal interest that falls far outside his work as the assistant mission director at Gebel el Silsila.

You guys all have far too much time on your hands, evidenced by your "yeah, what Jason said" form of critical examination.

Scotty Roberts link
10/4/2015 12:56:21 am

tm said:
"Between Jason and 'D' John Ward, I'll give much more credibility to the guy who doesn't get his income from dowsing lessons. Duh."

Well, tm, I guess you've just equated Ward's credibility with Colavito's, because neither of them derive income form dowsing lessons.

Pays to do a little research before chiming in with the crowd, tm. Duh.

tm
10/4/2015 02:13:23 pm

Wow Scotty, you sure showed me...except that the point of my comment had more to do with the word "dowsing" than the word "income". But you already knew that.

Nevertheless, please allow me to revise that statement in response to your clumsy attempt to distract:

Between Jason and "Dr" John Ward, I'll give much more credibility to the guy who doesn't use an academic title without the academic credentials to back it up, to the guy who doesn't advocate dowsing, and to the guy who doesn't teach a dowsing seminar for which the Psychic College of London charges £110-£150.

As to your assertion that his interest in dowsing is far removed from his work in Egypt, I give you the following from his seminar description:

"John is renown for his dowsing skills which he uses in his investigations of ancient Egyptian architecture and symbolism."

And since I do actually research the things I write, judging from your past interactions on this blog I'm guessing you will probably try to nitpick another minor point or argue about the validity of dowsing. Whatever. I'm not willing to waste any more time responding to your efforts to distract from your credibility issues.

As to dowsing, I'll be happy to read your arguments after John Ward goes to the James Randi Foundation and allows them to document his dowsing "skills" in a double blind study. If he is successful they will give you guys a million dollars and you can cancel your GoFundMe campaign.

For someone "renown for his dowsing skills" that should be a piece of cake.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...Duh!

Scotty Roberts link
10/5/2015 11:48:40 pm

TM,
I actually didn't know the exact point you were you attempting to get across, but thanks for clarifying. And might I point out that when I have made clarifications, here, about things I have asserted, I am simply further criticized for not making my point clear from the beginning.

My assertion that Ward's use of dowsing is far outside his work as the assistant mission director at Gebel el Silsila, stands. I never said he hadn't used it in Egypt.

James Randi? Seriously...?

tm
10/6/2015 02:17:43 am

Oh, Scotty. Don't you just hate being so predictable? :)

Scotty Roberts' Doppleganger
11/12/2015 09:39:27 pm

Scotty Roberts- Yeah, you and your pal are just so legitimate that he used Nazi symbols on his logo that you tried to lie about when others exposed them, telling some b.s. story about an artist from India putting them there without his knowledge. In a word- bullshit, and you damn well knew it when you spread the lie. It was all about saving your own head which is firmly planted up Ward's ass. Neither of you has a degree, and I've read your articles which show you are no "historian", just a typical shyster.

Then we get to your most recent bullshit, the Paradigm Symposium 2015 that you've "cancelled" and "rescheduled" for an entirely different year while refusing people who bought tickets a refund. Just so you get a fucking clue cuz I know ur gonna start some bullshit about ur non-refund policy- they only protect the vendor if he delivers the product when and where advertised, NOT if he moves it to an entirely different location and year like you did. Your ass better hope nobody who bought your tickets wakes up from braindeath and decides to push the issue, cuz you would be in some deep shit.

You're an arrogant, narcissistic, man-child. Thats all.

Tony
9/27/2015 02:47:27 pm

I know it's a old trite stereotype that many Spaniards work on "manana time," but does it really take several of them to map a simple hole in the ground?

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Joe Scales
9/27/2015 08:18:57 pm

What I loved was the old treasure chestnut, reincarnated for this show, where they have to stop digging for the treasure right when they think they found it... then it gets too dark and the boat has to leave in the morning. Like they don't have lights? Like they couldn't dig a four foot hole any sooner, or faster? Not coincidentally, it's just like the old Oak Island hoax from over a century ago, where they had just struck the treasure chest, but had to stop because it got too dark, or it was Sunday and they had to go to church. Like that's how human nature works (and like they didn't have torches back then either). Then of course they come back and it's flooded... or caved in... and so it goes for the gullible, over and over, till the end of time.

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The troll Krampus
9/28/2015 08:48:26 am

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Skinner_box

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John
9/28/2015 06:26:19 am

Boy, Scott really has a horrible way of talking to people:


"Anonymous September 27, 2015 at 5:10 PM

I wanted to watch your show last night but it was not on. I was very upset but found it today on demand on my cable tv. So I got to watch two more episodes. I enjoyed the treasure hunt very much but then in the second show you said Saint Anthony was the patron saint of thieves!!! I turn my tv off. I will not watch again until you take this back. I am big fan but Saint Anthony is patron saint of getting lost things back. He is not for thieves!!! You hurt me and my mother.

Nam E'tisoppo

Reply

Replies

Scott Wolter September 27, 2015 at 5:25 PM

Nam,

No need to get upset. The reason he was the patron saint of thieves is because Saint Anthony helped get lost things back. Many Pirates were looking for protection because they made a lot of things of 'get lost' that belonged to other people.

It's not my opinion, it's a fact that many pirates revered Saint Anthony for that reason.

It's OK to watch the show; no one was trying to offend anyone."

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Kathleen
9/28/2015 02:52:02 pm

He's just making that up! I grew up being taught that St. Dismas, "The Good Thief" from the crucifixion, is the patron saint of thieves. Wikipedia says it's St. Nicholas.

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Uncle Ron
9/28/2015 03:57:18 pm

It made no sense to me that any criminal would have a Godly PATRON. Thieves might pray to St. Nicholas (or some other saint) but a saint would not be a patron of someone who breaks the seventh commandment. Wiki says St. Nicholas is the patron of "REPENTANT" thieves. Dismas is also referred to as "the PENITENT thief." Big difference. "Vade et amplius iam noli peccare."

Joe Scales
9/29/2015 05:40:34 pm

It's one thing to make up history in regard to Templars and Masons, as not too many people are going to care enough to even know the difference. But to call St. Anthony the patron saint of thieves is the utmost in stupidity on Wolter's part, as there is a far greater number of people who are going to see that for what it is; completely and utter asininity. That he is even attempting to justify it is only more proof of his mendacity for all to see.

Tony
9/28/2015 03:48:44 pm

Ironically, since this review is about Scott Wolter, St. Anthony is also the patron saint of shipwrecks.

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ll
9/29/2015 04:00:54 am

That what is lost may always be found.

John
9/28/2015 06:35:38 am

https://twitter.com/RealScottWolter/status/645444396922462208

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Tony
9/28/2015 04:01:05 pm

LOL Looks like he has a lot of time on his hands, or in this case hand.

I wonder how many thousands of Google images he sorted through to find one which kind of/sorta/not really looks like the pope is making an "m" with his fingers. "Just sayin'?"

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Colin Hunt
9/28/2015 01:35:19 pm

I agree with Jason about the H2 channels dismal and insulting view of it's audience. In some countries we pay for H2 in the expectation that we will receive truly historical documentaries, for which there is a significant audience. What we get is, in general, better suited to the SciFi channel. H2's reputation as a credible history channel is so damaged that I doubt it can recover, it is NOT a credible history channel. I suspect others, like me, will drop our subscription to this channel that puts up (cartoon characters and) speculations that any credible analytical school child would realize is b****it. There are always hypotheses in historical research, and it's interesting and necessary to explore them,. H2's strategy of starting with a conclusion then devising a hypotheses to establish their already concluded fact puts H2 into an incredible situation with ridiculous hypotheses (the moon is made of blue cheese, so prove us wrong!). H2 has lost its way and is floundering to recover respectability and credibility. I hope the new management understands the mistaken attitudes (probably manipulated by alternative voices) of previous management and gets back to its grass roots; REAL AUTHENTICATED history and historical research, otherwise, move the c**p to the SciFi channel and get off the air.

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Walt
9/28/2015 02:41:10 pm

As has already been announced, H2 is gone. It's a lame duck at this point. It will become "Vice" in a matter of months and H2 will cease to exist. The original History channel still survives due to reality-based programming. If they ever lose those viewers, that network will be gone as well.

Replacing their "garbage" shows with solid historical programming just isn't an option. It's just not profitable, which is a requirement these days for conglomerate-owned commercial television.

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Renne S. LeChateau
9/28/2015 07:09:21 pm

PTotKT was a steaming pile of monkey dung. I have actually worked with dozens of distinguished academics for 35 years at some of the biggest Ivies in the US, and I can tell you that it would *totally* chap their hides to hear Wolter refer to himself as a "historian." One must have a DEGREE IN HISTORY to claim such an official title, me thinks. Even if Scott decides to demote himself to "amateur historian," he is way over-stating his credibility. I personally have read most of the Templar and Gnostic literature available since the late 70s, and have seen untold pictures of the artifacts and carvings, etc., that Scott breathlessly declares as breakthrough "discoveries" as he (completely free of irony) stands in a wildly popular tourist destination or museum and pretends he's the first geezer to recognize the significance of something in a curated exhibit! This was beyond the pale for shabby, sloppy story telling.

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John
9/28/2015 09:40:08 pm

Well Renne, wait till you see what Scott said to me in a conversation I had with him over on his blog:

"Anonymous September 6, 2015 at 5:33 PM

Hi Scott,

How come in the History Channel's description for the new series on their site, does it say that your a "historian" and not a "geologist"?

http://www.history.com/shows/pirate-treasure-of-the-knights-templar/about

-- John

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Scott Wolter September 6, 2015 at 5:39 PM

John,

That's a good question. However, there are certain aspects of medieval history I do know a lot about. I certainly wouldn't try to pass myself off as an academic in history, but I have published a lot of original historical research. 'Amateur historian' is probably accurate.

I'll let you decide when you watch the new series.

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Anonymous September 6, 2015 at 8:12 PM

Scott,

I understand that reading up on medieval history is a hobby and side project of yours, but it still does seem like History Channel should fix the description as it is passing you off as someone that you are not. Has anybody contacted them to inform them of it? It would just feel more honest if it was updated.

-- John

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Scott Wolter September 6, 2015 at 8:19 PM

John,

Medieval history is more than just a hobby or side project to me and I don't think History is trying to pass me off as someone I'm not. What in your definition qualifies someone to be an historian?

What you will learn in this series very few historians know anything about.

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Anonymous September 6, 2015 at 9:07 PM

Scott,

I don't have my own definition of history as it is not mine to call. A historian is a professional and an authority who studies the past, and is accredited with a degree in the field because of their extensive focus in it. Even you said Scott that it is more accurate to say that you are an "amateur historian," so you are aware that you are not a professional in the field since you don't have a degree. And History hasn't described you before as a historian, so it's weird now that they are doing it all of a sudden.

-- John

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Scott Wolter September 7, 2015 at 7:03 AM

John,

Having a degree in history makes you an "historian" or a "scholar of History" or a "Professor of History", but that doesn't guarantee competence as we've seen time and again in the arena of pre-Columbian history in North America. Being paid makes you a "professional" and simply knowing more than most about a particular subject makes a person an "authority." An academic degree isn't required for either title.

Let's be clear that I'm not claiming to be an academic historian, but in this particular subject matter that is germane to this show I do know a lot about it.

I was surprised to see that title for me listed too, but it's too late to change. For the record; I am and always will be a forensic geologist who knows a lot about certain aspects of history. "

http://scottwolteranswers.blogspot.com/2015/08/hooked-xtau-cross-monogram-on-jesus.html#comment-form

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Renne S. LeChateau
9/29/2015 01:59:39 pm

Thanks, John, for passing along this interesting exchange you had with Scott. It doesn't surprise me that he parses and dices with the definition of "historian" -- clearly, it serves him well to claim credentials he doesn't possess. Even as an amateur, he's FAR less qualified than many, many of us who've had life-long interests (and familial ties) in the Masonic/Templar/Scotland/France connections. But Scott is a relentless self--promoter and is far too interested in free international travel and quasi-fame and pushing his ready-made agenda on the uninitiated masses to bother with intelligent and rigorous inquiry based on truth. All this huckster-ism only adds to the paucity of viewer sophistication -- but hey, that's Cable!

Scotty Roberts' Doppleganger
9/29/2015 05:17:15 pm

This is a common thread with these fringe sorts. They argue over what makes someone an historian, archaeologist, etc. Scotty Roberts, "Dr." John Ward, Scott Wolter, all play this word game they think somehow justifies fraudulently claiming titles and expertise they don't possess. Pretty pathetic.

In the end all you have is an artist, a scuba diving instructor, and a concrete specialist with insane ideas and a very disturbed worldview.

Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 01:12:24 am

I don't know what your personal accomplishments are, Scotty's Doppelgänger, but John Ward is mentioned fairly prominently in relation to his discovery as the Assistant Mission Director at Gebel el Silsila...

http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/long-lost-egyptian-temple-found-150517.htm

tm
9/30/2015 04:28:37 pm

Funny thing about "his" discovery. All the quotes in that story are from Dr. Nilsson (Lund University, Sweden).

With such a small staff, I'm guessing "Assistant Project Director" is Swedish for "gofer".

Scotty Roberts link
9/30/2015 06:32:06 pm

tm,
What do you find "funny" in the fact that the Mission Director was the one being interviewed? Damn, SOMEone must be lying over there.

And, of course, cheap shots simply categorize you.

tm
9/30/2015 08:25:50 pm

If it was "his" discovery, as you said, why was she doing the interview. Your attempt to distract from the point at hand is pathetic.

Scotty Roberts link
10/4/2015 01:09:54 am

tm,
Maria Nilsson was the one interviewed in that article because she is the Mission Director of the site. There are also some of the articles on this temple discovery that simply mention the "team" as discovering the temple.

I was there and walked the ground with John Ward before they ever made announcement of the new temple.

So, who is attempting to make "pathetic distraction?" I would rather say it is the person who ignores the facts at hand and chooses the path of ad hominem attack.

Here is the official report on May 17th of this year, from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities...

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=371451483060002&id=336764893195328

Scotty Roberts link
10/4/2015 01:22:41 am

But if you want to quibble over who was being interviewed, TM, here is an article in the Cairo Post that also quotes Ward...

http://www.thecairopost.com/news/151080/culture/ancient-egyptian-temple-remains-discovered-in-gebel-al-silisilah-quarry

And this article from a Swedish radio station quotes Ward extensively...

http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6168065

Sergios
10/4/2015 06:08:56 pm

Wow, Scott Wolter does seem a a tad bit aggressive. As a real historian and archaeologist ( both masters degrees from reputable European universities) I kind of chuckle when i read Wolters replies and views about his interpretation of "historian". If we follow that way of thinking i would be a modern day Da Vinci because at my time at the universities i wrote about: art, finance, social and economic themes, business, emerging technologies, etc. Following that kind of thought is just bonkers.

A history degree, though i can only speak for European universities, is of the highest level and students learn more than just "history". Students will be confronted with source materials, how to approach said materials and how to interpret them. If people that haven't received adequate training or haven't got some sense of critique ( on said sources or other material) wrong conclusions will be drawn and then we arrive at the fringe "history".

The argument that Scott W. uses to hint on a continuous, un-interrupted line from the 1200's till modern days is just a bridge too far. It is not a early version of a Marvellian universe where the knight templar, playing the role of Hydra ( lob of one head ,2 will grow in its place), just go and multiply. Another quite funny story Scott proposed was that "shaolin monks" went on a road trip to Europe and taught the knights templar".. right Scott and you wonder why people do not believe you.......

Most historians, like any other academic scientist, bases his theories on cold hard facts and source materials. Is there sometimes creative thinking and conjecture involved? Of course because we have only fragments ( 50% at best but mostly it is far less of original source material ( writings,archaeological evidence, etc) so the academic/professional has to fill in the blanks so to speak but that is ok,because he has been taught at university how he or she should do that). So before trying to slap every academic( professional) historian in the face by saying " bad bad historians, look at pre Columbian history you naughty naughty historians" you have to look at the time and place that the books/papers/etc were publicized and what evidence these professionals were able to examine.

It is true that a minority of, mostly North American students and professors alike, use certain evidence and ignoring others that doesn't fit his or her theories. Let me be clear: this behavior is not tolerated at any reputable university because others will call them out on it. There are far more fringe amateurs that do these underhanded tricks to prove a point than actual real university certified historians or other academics.

So Scott Wolters I challenge you to come with proof, real documents, etc that will put some "umpf" in your theories because I hear a lot of opinionated and biased interpretations ( on one occasion even a complete lie) but see next to none hard evidence.

tm
10/4/2015 08:48:06 pm

Gee Scotty, we agreed on who was being interviewed. Duh. What I have challenged is your credibility and John Ward's credibility. The fact tbat you listed an Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities press release that refers to him as "Dr" John Ward only confirms my opinion.

Scotty Roberts link
10/5/2015 12:20:16 am

TM,
That you question my credibility is a big "so what" to me. No serious offense meant by that, in the least.

I have no idea who you are or what qualifications you have that would be any better than mine or Ward's, so it really doesn't matter much that you think us non-credible on the basis of our not possessing institutional degrees.

And you speak of it continually as if those facts didn't exist long before this blog. When Jason was in diapers, both John and I were still non-credentialed, and it wasn't even a secret back then.

It ain't new news.

tm
10/5/2015 03:29:11 am

Scotty, you lack credibility because, among other things, you misrepresent facts. Read my posts. I never questioned your lack of academic credentials, though ONE of my criticisms of John was for using the title without having the degree. No matter his intention, he is misrepresenting himself and that is dishonest. Your last post was a great example of reframing an argument to obscure the primary issue. You have done that more than once. That kind of behavior is manipulative and dishonest. Education may or may not be an issue, but your lack of credibility is primarily based on your own words, your own behavior, and the ideas you promote.

Scotty Roberts' Doppleganger
11/12/2015 09:50:01 pm

What Roberts fails to mention is that Ward got his position on that dig because his wife gave it to him. It's called nepotism. He has no education. He's a failed fucking scuba diver. Thats it. A moron who married up. So Roberts save the bullshit for people who dont know whats going on in your little gaggle of fraud.

Americanegro
12/14/2015 07:48:17 pm

Okay, Scott, you're a historian. By the same token, I'm a geologist, specifically a forensic geologist.

That's how it's done.

John
9/28/2015 09:51:49 pm

Scott on the lead from the UNESCO report:

"Anonymous September 19, 2015 at 7:20 PM

Why is your new television show incorrectly referring to a hunk of lead ballast as being silver treasure? As a geologist, can't you easily distinguish lead from silver?

Reply

Replies

Scott Wolter September 20, 2015 at 2:21 PM

Anonymous,

First, the bar is a stamped ingot, not lead ballast. Second, it has not been definitively determined what the bar is made of. You certainly can’t trust anything UNESCO says since they have a well-known disdain for Barry Clifford and are actively trying to discredit him. Third, I have never personally seen the ingot so I can’t tell you what it's made of.

Regardless, for the research I did on the show the composition of the ingot is irrelevant. I am hoping to get a chance to see and hopefully test the bar at some point in the future. In any case, it’s certainly not "rock fill" UNESCA claims the ballast piles are. Something stinks with UNESCO’s “investigation” of Pirate Cove."

http://scottwolteranswers.blogspot.com/2015/08/hooked-xtau-cross-monogram-on-jesus.html#comment-form

Reply
Only Me
9/28/2015 11:18:43 pm

>>>Second, it has not been definitively determined what the bar is made of.<<<

Someone so willing to resort to a lie should NOT be demanding history should be determined by a court of law. I can't even muster an iota of sympathy for the people who accept his word on anything.

Reply
Renne S. LeChateau
9/29/2015 02:07:42 pm

One of my side interests is jewelry making and the sale of vintage sterling silver. I can tell you it takes about 20 seconds and a very simple chemical test to determine if something is made of silver or not...... So, once again we have a blustery, outraged obfuscation of a very simple truth.

Reply
Sergios
10/4/2015 06:21:37 pm

Renne, you are completely right. In said series you see Scott huffing and puffing to find a structure that proves "Purtugese habitation ... aka knights templar". You see him take out his testing kit and test rocks. Nice but why o why didnt he test the "ingot"? There are a couple methods where you can test the "ingot". The easiest and cheapest you can get a test set with the necessary chemicals from amazon for like 10-30$. The more expensive and far more correct way to measure the precious metal content of an "ingot/bar" is one of those hand held scanners the UNESCO and universities alike use. On the bar there was the number 95 , which meant that the bar consist of 95% of a metal. Having tested it with the scanner it proved to be 94. something% lead.

Again clifford and Wolters missed again a beautiful opportunity to validate their finds. The Ivory statue can be dated by C14 and other methods. But did they do that? Nope ( probably because they know it was either a fake or a replica from the 17-18th century)

Hoyt Clagwell
9/29/2015 01:54:15 am

I personally hate to see Barry Clifford dragged down to Scott Wolter's level and I really think some of the commenters here, and even you Jason, are stating as fact, things that you are simply taking on faith. If we are being intellectually honest we have to acknowledge that no one on this blog has actually seen any evidence of UNESCO testing the bar for it's composition or how they did it. You all are simply taking UNESCO's word for it over Barry Clifford's, who has had experience with silver bars found on shipwrecks. I'm not saying he's right, but we don't really know he's wrong either. As far as the ballast piles, we know from historical documents that certain ships like the Adventure Galley and the Fiery Dragon were sunk in that bay and their ballast piles must be there. Why is it at all considered more likely to be stones from old port construction? Let's not give UNESCO more credit than you know they actually deserve and remain objective. But please go ahead a slam Mr. Wolter because the whole show seemed to prove nothing more than pirates probably captured a portuguese ship at some point and some of the goods ended up on the ocean floor. Big deal!

Reply
Joe Scales
9/29/2015 10:13:15 am

"If we are being intellectually honest we have to acknowledge that no one on this blog has actually seen any evidence of UNESCO testing the bar for it's composition or how they did it."

Here is the UNESCO report, which contains not only a discussion of the physical aspects of the lead bar, but the reports attached from two independent laboratories that confirmed the same results:

http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CLT/pdf/Rapport_Madagascar_EN_public.pdf

Are you alleging fraud on the part of UNESCO, or the two labs in question? I know you feel somehow that Mr. Clifford has been slighted here, but to see him pick up fragments on a beach and make definitive claims in regard to their heritage was all I needed to see to know that any findings of his deserve great scrutiny.

Reply
Sergios
10/4/2015 06:32:13 pm

Joe Scales: I completely agree. you just dont stroll on the beach and "suddenly" find some breakthrough "evidence" ( which can be planted )...I think History, Wolter and Clifford think they can bamboozle anyone and if someone calls them out " they are hindering them" or "its a conspiracy".

I also trust the UNESCO findings a lot more because the bar is there and it can be tested yet again, and again, and again.. though a lead bar will not turn into "gold" or " silver" by re testing it.

In nearly every single episode of this kind of fringe shows they have " evidence" but they rarely test it ( save for "UFO hunters" which i found kind of cool but didn't believe it in the end). Though it is not solely the fault of the people in the show, it is also the producers and the network's fault because they let this BS go on. Remeber the ancestor show where it came to light that Ben Affleck's great great great great great grandparents ( plus or minus a great great) were slave owners and thus he pressured the network and the professor ( shame on him and lack of professionalism) to not air that episode about him.

Joe Scales
10/4/2015 07:35:13 pm

If you read UNESCO's report in regard to the lead bar, you'll see they were highly skeptical of it being silver before they were able to get it tested at the request of the Madagascar government. The color wasn't right, it had a lack of encrustation and it weighed more for its size than to be expected for silver. You would think such salient points might have a "forensic geologist" question it as well...

John
9/29/2015 10:20:28 pm

"Anonymous September 27, 2015 at 8:21 PM

I beg to differ, my good man. If a pirate would claim any saint as their patron, that would be St. Nicholas of Myra, or the Wondermaker. Pirates embracing St. Anthony as their patron? From where did you learn this? I am most curious.

Cheers,

Lesley

Scott Wolter September 28, 2015 at 6:38 PM

Lesley,

You are welcome to disagree if you'd like. The information was shared by the historian working for production company whose name I can't recall. In any case, it made sense to me and I'm sure it's likely correct.

When I finally get a chance to watch the final two episodes and hear what I said, I'm sure it'll come back to me. I've been on the East Coast for a wedding and research and won't watch it until I get home in a couple of days.

Anonymous September 29, 2015 at 2:58 PM

I am sorry I do not wish to start a row, but it is not a matter of disagreement. If you stated that St. Anthony was the patron saint of thieves, you are entirely incorrect. St. Anthony is highly revered by Catholics and is one of a select few saints that can be depicted holding the Christ child. It is absolutely inconceivable that he could ever be considered the patron saint of thieves, or even pirates for that matter.

Even if your historian was trying to tell you that pirates would invoke him anyway, looking for protection, that is likewise untenable. Pirates, being sailors, were quite a superstitious lot. There is absolutely no reason to believe that they would chance invoking the wrath of a saint who protects the very people they plunder.

Forgive the impertinence, but I really do think you need to have a talking to with that historian. You also might want to consider at least a retraction to soothe Nam and his dear mum.

Cheers,

Lesley

Scott Wolter September 29, 2015 at 7:08 PM

Lesley,

"Saint Anthony of Padua is the Patron Saint of Padua, of Portugal, and of San Antonio, Texas. Prayer cards manufactured in Italy identify him as the saint of "miracles," but to most Catholics, he is the Patron Saint associated with the return of lost articles and missing persons."

Here is the reference: http://www.luckymojo.com/saintanthony.html

It's all good Lesley"

Reply
Only Me
9/30/2015 12:29:39 am

So, how is "the return of lost articles and missing persons" the same as being the patron saint for those that steal and kidnap again?

Reply
Joe Scales
9/30/2015 10:29:32 am

This is an interesting take on Wolter's mechanisms. First he declares that it's a "fact" that St. Anthony is the patron saint of thieves, and henceforth pirates. Then he claims his opinion is based on hearsay from some unknown production company historian, which sounded good to him and thus is likely correct. When his nose is thoroughly rubbed into his rather obvious error, he then posts a link to a commercial hoodoo site that is basically selling saint oil... or better put, snake oil; and makes no specific connection to thieves or pirates. And he does this as if he was correct all along.

Yup. A telltale sign of a fringe theorist. They will not admit error in their speculation. Ever.

Americanegro
12/14/2015 08:04:48 pm

Wolter with his "It's all good Lesley" is simply "declaring victory and getting out". At this point I'm wishing for him to get a terminal disease. He's using my oxygen.

Reply
Rebel
9/30/2015 12:03:28 pm

What started out as a dissection of the History Channel's, "Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar", in an attempt to set the record straight seems to have evolved into name calling and flame wars. Responders to Jason's blog appear to be aligned into two camps, one which support Scott Wolter and company to the ends of the earth, and one which simply want to set the record straight (e.g., the UNESCO report seems to be a relatively scholarly and conclusive report). History Channel is owned by A+E Network, which is a joint venture between the Hearst Corporation and Disney–ABC Television Group. The Hearst Corporation was never known for 100 percent truthfulness, and the Disney Corporation, in all its guises, is here to provide entertainment. So lets take some (most?) of th History Channel's offerings for what they are.....entertainment.. With the advent of the so called "reality" shows, TV is a cultural wasteland pandering to the lowest common denominator of intelligence in our society.

Since I am over 75 and not sure of my expiration date, I don't wish to spend my remaining time reading messages devoted to name calling and flaming. As such, I bid you all adieu. It's been fun. Caio.

Reply
Joe Scales
9/30/2015 01:18:15 pm

"Since I am over 75 and not sure of my expiration date, I don't wish to spend my remaining time reading messages devoted to name calling and flaming. As such, I bid you all adieu. It's been fun. Caio."

The old I'm taking my ball and going home routine. Very mature for an alleged 75 year old...

But to address your parting shot, only intelligent and educated minds will see what Wolter is doing as "entertainment". That leaves the rest to act upon bad history as well as bad science; often in the form of extremism. When such "entertainment" poses as educational, we all lose.

Reply
Americanegro
12/14/2015 08:06:34 pm

"Since I am over 75 and not sure of my expiration date, I don't wish to spend my remaining time reading messages devoted to name calling and flaming. As such, I bid you all adieu. It's been fun. Caio."

That translates as "look for my next post in the very near future."

Steve StC
10/1/2015 12:27:04 am

Oh no, @Rebel. We are here to prove our superiority over the great unwashed who are so completely, hopelessly inferior to us that we must educate them about the error of their ways. Our selflessness in educating them only enhances our superiority over them.

How do we do this?

We religiously watch shows that we hate.
Then we come on here to share how much we hated watching them.

It's our own form of religion. Our god is ourselves...er...those of us with Ph.D's.

All hail us.

Reply
Ed
10/1/2015 04:59:10 am

Yeah, yeah, go back to your Nazi rallies.

Joe Scales
10/1/2015 11:23:02 am

"We are here to prove our superiority over the great unwashed who are so completely, hopelessly inferior to us that we must educate them about the error of their ways. Our selflessness in educating them only enhances our superiority over them."

I suppose the alternative enhancement of superiority you embrace Steve is to sell them books and/or feed them idiotic speculation disguised as history in order to profit from their ignorance.

tm
10/1/2015 11:38:52 am

Steve St Clair! What a great example of marketing lies, er...I mean "spin".

An Over-Educated Grunt
10/1/2015 12:27:02 pm

Ah yes, a man whose claim to fame is his lineage, showing up just long enough to fling insults from the safety of a computer, then never staying long enough to see how they're received. Punching and running is truly the act of a brave man indeed; how lucky we are to live in the days of such a hero! How proud those ancestors must be of you. The intrepid seafarer, explorer, and man of action Henry Sinclair must weep at how his deeds pale before yours. There were giants in those days, perhaps - but certainly they are eclipsed by the magnificence of their descendants.

Steve StC
10/1/2015 04:56:20 pm

Over-educated grunt, I'm still here. I don't literally hang out here like the acolytes because I have a life. And because I find arrogant people difficult to tolerate.

An Over-Educated Grunt
10/1/2015 05:27:21 pm

Indeed, you dislike arrogance? No wonder you're so difficult; such levels of self-loathing must border on schizophrenia.

Steve StC
10/1/2015 08:29:33 pm

Thanks so much for your opinion @Grunt.

An Over-Educated Grunt
10/1/2015 09:22:39 pm

You're quite welcome. Opinions are like assholes - everyone's got one. I named mine Steve years ago.

Only Me
10/1/2015 09:32:46 pm

Grunt, isn't that insulting to your asshole? ;)

Steve StC
10/2/2015 12:04:09 am

So @Grunt, let me ask your advice so that I might hope to someday ascend from my lowly state to something resembling your god-like self:

How many hours of your day do you spend on Jason's hate blog with your elevated friends like Only Me (who seems to have a penchant for making crude sexual references about others)? I'm guessing three or four hours a day?

And, if my claim to fame is my lineage, then is yours the fact that you hang out with those who religiously watch TV shows they hate and then virtually hang out with others who so gleefully discuss how much they, too, hate the particular show that Jason hated?

I have to admit, it sounds so much more advanced than my lowly self.

Only Me
10/2/2015 01:46:02 am

>>>like Only Me (who seems to have a penchant for making crude sexual references about others)<<<

This is coming from the guy who was obsessed with fecal sandwich remarks and questioning Jason's manhood, while extolling Scott's own masculine virility. Really creepy.

I like how you keep talking about the commenters here watching shows they hate, as if you have a point, all the while hanging out on a blog you so obviously despise.

Anyway, I'm enjoying your latest round of apoplectic trolling failure.

An Over-Educated Grunt
10/2/2015 07:42:23 am

Probably an hour, two hours on a slow day. Don't have many slow days. And no, my claim to fame, such as it is, is that I finished basic training, including the old twenty-K road march, on a broken foot, which I then didn't report for three days so I could take the last PT test and not get recycled, I once had the Ziggurat of Ur on my run route, I've served my country on four of seven continents, I worked full-time with two kids all the way through engineering school, undergraduate AND graduate, I have seven published papers with my name on them, I've seen more than two-thirds of the states in the US, including Alaska but not Hawaii, I passed the eight-hour licensure exam to be a professional engineer first time out with precisely three references on my desk, and I was picked very specifically out of the herd for promotion to manage the largest single infrastructure program at the largest-population military installation in the US. So no, my claim to fame, such as it is, is that I've actually done stuff.

Joe Scales
10/2/2015 10:00:12 am

Steve, you think it takes three or four hours to read a blog post and make a comment or two? You must read really slow... and/or be used to typing with one hand.

titus pillo
9/30/2015 03:14:02 pm

Here's the thing. For any of these shows you can create interest but after a few years you have to deliver the goods. There are no goods so you lost interest. Monster Quest needs to find a Bigfoot, UFO shows need to well find a UFO or have one land, Scot Wolter needs to find a Viking ship at the bottom of the Hudson and so on. heck this year Oak Island needs to find some treasure. And we all know they are not going to....fringe history shows are going down..Mysteries at the Museum is the future of these things or mayby "skeptic" shows that show how wrong these folks are.

Reply
J Duggan
10/4/2015 11:56:27 am

Dear Readers, I happened to watch an old Discovery Channel Special re Barry Clifford's investigation of the Adventure Galley and Fiery Dragon. Both wreck sites were undisturbed and show clear evidence re their construction.

How can UNESCO get away with stating that the Adventure Galley was a Pier. Are they certain they were on the same wreck ?

I'm also curious how UNESCO's archeology team could investigate and refute five ships wrecks in four days ? It doesn't say much for their opinion of Mr. Clifford's archaeologists who published extensive archeology reports on the various discoveries.

I'm just a curious "amateur" historian, but have always been fascinated with Mr. Clifford's adventures. I hope he learned a lesson, and does his next show by himself.




Reply
Only Me
10/4/2015 01:53:05 pm

Scroll above and find the comment left by Joe Scales that has the link to the UNESCO report.

Reply
Joe Scales
10/4/2015 07:26:17 pm

"I'm also curious how UNESCO's archeology team could investigate and refute five ships wrecks in four days ? It doesn't say much for their opinion of Mr. Clifford's archaeologists who published extensive archeology reports on the various discoveries."

You have to keep in mind that Clifford's expedition was first and foremost a film project. As such, the script was likely drafted before the finds in question. That the UNESCO team was able to do this in short order really isn't surprising given the their detailed report; which as of yet the details remain unchallenged. No, the criticism is solely that UNESCO is "jealous" of Clifford, or out to get him somehow, and therefore.... well, to quote a recent political gaff... is "untrustable". Judge for yourself why they'd have to resort to such tactics.

Reply
Ricardo Venâncio
3/1/2016 09:11:25 am

About the tombstone in the old convent in Goa. I couldnt identify the family crest but the called "tau" seems almost certain that is a cross with the bottom half erased.

The grave says : grave of Francisco Teixeira Leitão and his wife Antónia Pega da Gama, their sons and their descendants... The other one seems dated 1596...

http://indiabackpacker.blogspot.pt/2014/01/augustine-tower-stands-tall-for-over.html

Reply
Ricardo Venâncio
3/1/2016 09:30:17 am

Well check the the Leitão family crest http://rlv.zcache.com.pt/crista_da_familia_de_leitao_poster-rd4abee52d4274477a3cb2092c634b812_i7xp6_8byvr_324.jpg and the Teixeira family crest https://mayrinkteixeirabr.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/image003.jpg ... lol that's right, the cross is complete...

Reply
Ricardo Venãncio
3/1/2016 09:56:18 am

wow i found a reference to this Francisco Teixeira Leitão in the diary of D. Rodrigo lobo da Silveira, Viceroy of India between 1655-56. he is refered as "almoxarife" a kind of a Tax director from a certain area... probably from India in this case...

cvc.instituto-camoes.pt/conhecer/biblioteca-digital-camoes/...1/.../file.html

Reply
Richard Smith
3/27/2016 07:42:02 pm

Caught what turned out to be the last episode, followed by the first, in an apparent Easter marathon ('cause nothing says Easter like the, erm, Pirates Templar..?), and the whole happy horseshit about the Jolly Roger finally inspired me to search for some actual facts. Wasn't surprised to find it on Jason's site.

Regarding the summing-up of the final (please!) episode, I can't help but quote our lords and saviours, the Pythons of Monty: "for - in his way - Wrong-Way Norris was right."

Reply
ANDREA
7/5/2019 06:49:04 am

On the website link bellow, there is a slideshow of images from Goa.

On Image #28, we can see the "Triple Tau" presence on the Coat of Arms of other Portuguese Knights burried in Goa.

http://www.yogoyo.com/resources/photo-viewer/slideshow/goa.htm

Cheers

Reply

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