Treasure Hunters Challenge

It looks like NBC is getting into the game with their new Treasure Hunters show. They have created a Treasure Hunters Challenge site that you can play to enhance the experience. While not as immense in scope as The Hanso Foundation, it’s still not bad (and you may win money). What’s more is that it seems to have some end in site, while The Lost Experience seems almost never-ending.

While I originally started to put the details of the challenges here in this one entry, it quickly overwhelmed the size of this entry. So in order to make things a little more manageable, I’ve broken each week out into its very own entry, which should help to keep things somewhat orderly and help you to find what you need a little faster. At least that’s the plan. Things may change once we see what’s working and what’s not. Stay tuned for further developments on that front.

Each week is listed, along with the primary focus of that week’s challenge, which may or may not agree with what you think the challenge should be named. I’m not trying to be difficult (I promise), but I figured that it would be better to give the challenge some sort of descriptive name, rather than just “Week 1”, “Week 2”, “Week 3”, and hopefully what is there will be enough to help you find what you need. If not, I’m sorry. Click the link and read up to see if it’s what you need. If not, come on back and try the next week. Ultimately there are only 9 challenges (and only 8 weeks) so it shouldn’t take long.

Just a reminder: Since the details were getting so long, I’ve split this post into detailed reviews of each week’s challenge. Check back here, where I’ll update this list with links to each review, or keep an eye out for the detailed reviews.

If you want to discuss the overall game theory, discuss it here please, and leave the other entries for challenge-specific information.

Update August 15, 2006: For those who have been waiting, the answer has been posted.

We were indeed looking for the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Apparently either Smithsonian and/or The National Museum of American History was accepted as a correct answer. The ten winners names have been posted.

Thanks, RobH, for the pointer to the post, and to everyone for playing along! If anyone who participated here was among them, congratulations and good luck in the contest!


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144 responses to “Treasure Hunters Challenge”

  1. Marcus Avatar
    Marcus

    You could have a point Dave. Last night’s clues where in the graveyard. Andrew Carnegie, who spent a huge amount of time in New York, and the clues on the note pad treasure in the water, etc could be the Statue of Liberty also New York.

  2. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    The symbols for each complete part of the game relate to the basic idea behind each week’s “hunt.” Such as the pumpkin for Sleepy Hollow (headless horseman’s makeshift head was a jack-o-lantern), or the lightbulb referring to Edison.

  3. Lydea Avatar
    Lydea

    I think I’m in sync with the other person who is guessing it’s the flag (early symbol) that was flown at Fort McHenry. The same flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem, which is set to a drinking song. My final guess is where the flag is laid to rest in the American History Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. I do wonder though about all the little clues in each week’s game…..the watch, feather, cannon, sword, pumpkin and what the heck are the other two????

  4. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    I still cannot help but think that all the clues point to the star spangled banner (the original flag) and it is being displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Behring Center. There appears to be a huge promotion about it now as well, as the Smithsonian is spending lots of money to build a new display for it?

    I don’t know… as far as the artifacts – well we know that they are a map of Washington, DC National Mall – and the NMAH is one of those buildings portrayed in the artifacts – but not the last which appears to be the Capitol. We’ll see, but it’s been fun reading everyone’s comments.

  5. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    This is just a thought… maybe the map of DC is leading us to the US Capitol, which is indirectly telling us to look at one of the three other places the US Capitol has been over the history of our country…

    1. Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland 1783–1784)

    2. Federal Hall in New York (1789–1790)

    3. Congress Hall in Philadelphia (1790–1800).

    4. Current location in DC

    Just a thought that popped in my head. Thoughts? Ideas?

  6. Jeremy Avatar

    I don’t think the treasure is going to be in DC. That seems to obvious. Anyone have any other ideas where it might be? The clues are telling us where, but everyone keeps keying in on DC because of the peices we have been getting. That just seems too easy.

    Another thing. There are two more lines left in the notebook but only one more challenge left. Did anyone think that the final entry in the notebook might take you out of DC? But the final location has something to do with something that is at the Mall? Just something to think about. I would love to hear some feedback on it.

  7. Marcus Avatar
    Marcus

    Heres food for thought the motto E PLURIBUS UNIM was proposed by non other than Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson plus John Adams. In our challenges I know that Franklin and Jefferson have come up but not too sure of Adams.

  8. Marcus Avatar
    Marcus

    On the Statue of Freedom is a message that says E Pluribus Unum which means out of many, one.

    I looked up this phrase and in a picture it shows the all seeing eye and on the Genworth book it shows the all seeing eye plus a sword plus eagle feathers and stars which all are on the Statue of Freedom.

  9. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    After doing some quick searching found out that the architect of the Capitol building, and the designer of the Statue of Freedom, Tomas U. Walter, was a freemason.

    Do we have a connection between the mason symbols in the Genworth book, the last piece of the puzzle being the Capitol building, and the symbology behind the Statue of Freedom?

    Thoughts? Ideas?

  10. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Doing some more digging around on the Treasure Hunters site, and found some interesting Masonic symbols in the Genworth book on the board. Click the book and take a look through it, every symbol in it is from the Masons.

    The entire set of symbols from the second page, the fifth page has the masonic apron, the sixth page has some sort of archway with an object sitting in it… no idea on what this means, any ideas?

    The final page has the same archway as the sixth page, but now has the masonic “G” in the center.

    What are the connections between the Masons, Treasure Hunters, and Washington, DC?