New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Great reading - Bogota here I come?

I think that there were several places that were like that but the one in question will be Lake Guatavita and below is a series of paragraphs relating to it

'Conquistadores Lázaro Fonte and Hernán Perez de Quesada attempted (unsuccessfully) to drain the lake in 1545 using a "bucket chain" of labourers. After 3 months, the water level had been reduced by 3 metres, and only a small amount of gold was recovered (with a value of 3000 - 4000 pesos [approx. 100,000 USD today {a peso or piece of eight of the 15th century weighs .88oz of 93% pure silver}]).
A later more industrious attempt was made in 1580, by Bogotá business entrepreneur Antonio de Sepúlveda. A notch was cut deep into the rim of the lake, which managed to reduce the water level by 20 metres, before collapsing and killing many of the labourers. A share of the findings - consisting of various golden ornaments, jewellery and armour - was sent to King Philip the 2nd of Spain. Sepúlveda's discovery came to approximately 12,000 pesos. He died a poor man, and is buried at the church in the small town of Guatavita.
In 1801, Alexander von Humboldt made a visit to Guatavita, and on his return to Paris, calculated from the findings of Sepúlveda's efforts that Guatavita could eventually offer up as much as $300 million worth of gold.
In 1898, 'The Company for the Exploitation of the Lagoon of Guatavita' was formed and taken over by 'Contractors Ltd.' of London, in a deal brokered by British expatriate Mr Hartley Knowles. The lake was successfully drained by means of a tunnel that emerged in the centre of the lake. The water was eventually drained to a depth of about 4 feet of mud and slime.
This made it impossible to explore, and when the mud had dried sitting and being baked by the sun, it had set like concrete. A haul of only £500 was found, and subsequently auctioned at Sothebys of London. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy and ceased activities in 1929.'

Noted site below shows Golden objects recovered from the cenote or well of sacrifice at Chichen Itza

http://www.delange.org/A...useum2C/ArchMuseum2C.htm