#1
A Florida man was recently exploring the attic of his family's home and found a peculiar box. Little did he know that the wooden vessel contained a number of scary secrets including a mummified hand, a treasure map and many old and rare objects! Following the discovery he was completely shocked.
#2
The discovery was made by Ernesto Lopez, while cleaning the attic of the house that belonged to his grandparents and great-grandparents. Considerable stashes of cash were also found in the attic, hidden among old books. When he opened the box, he saw what appeared to be an old mummified hand. The hand even had a ring on a finger. Quite a sinister discovery!
#3
As a result of the investigation, Lopez found a link between his family and a Spanish pirate named, "Jose Gaspar." The so-called pirate plundered the coast of Florida during his period of action, and one of the ports in which he would often take refuge had trade links with Lopez's great-grandfather. The map contained an inscription with Gaspar's name (which indicates the pirate's involvement) and a reference to an ancient curse.
#4
The map shows the Hillsborough River near Tampa, Florida. Regarding the mummified hand, it is unknown who it belonged to exactly, but it is suspected to be the Gaspar's, due to the presence of the ring. The pirate is so well known in the region that there is even a Florida festival in his honor, known as Gasparilla. The case captured TV station WFLA's attention, and the reporter highlighted how "very surprised" everyone was by the discovery.
#5
Along with the box, Lopez also found photos of his great-grandfather who is well known in the region. It is not only Lopez who was bewildered: the curator of the Tampa Bay History Center also said he was "perplexed" by the findings. Lopez believes that there could be a treasure buried on site, but does not know whether he will look for it. Lopez's discovery is important because there is so little evidence documenting Gaspar's existence. Some newspapers have even claimed that Gaspar is only a character invented by an announcement of a railway company.
#6
But the box, the hand and the map can change everything and help to re-write local history. But some have questioned the findings with the hand being an exception. Rodney Kite-Powell, the curator of the historical center, said he suspected that the map is a toy model, made in the 20s and coins, he said, they are too pristine to be real. But other historians think the hand is what is important and it can be valid that the other items are authentic.
#7
The fact is that everything is impressive and can rekindle the race to find treasures hidden by pirates in a region rich with these stories. And so, many of us might just take a look at what's tucked away in the attic of our own relatives?
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