Boston

 

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

—John 8:32

The Boston casque was found in October 2019 by an excavator operator as he worked the area in front of home plate during a renovation of the Puopolo baseball fields adjacent to Langone Park. Prior to this, Jason Krupat, a local game designer, informed the foreman at the site that a treasure might be buried in the ball field near home plate, telling him what to look for and leaving his phone number. When pieces were found matching the description, Krupat was called. The finding of additional pieces including the key is documented in the 2019 Expedition Unknown episode “‘The Secret’ Treasure Found in Boston.” The following account is taken from that episode. Do keep in mind that prior to the discovery Krupat participated in social media related to the hunt and his interpretations were at least in part affected by the information and opinions available in these public discussions.

Based on a number of clues, Krupat deduced that Image 11 and Poem 3 relate to the city of Boston. He found the letters “BOS” in the woman’s left sleeve, a globe and a stand that looks like the letter B (for Boston Globe), and the likeness of the Trinity Church on the box in the woman’s hands. He matched Poem 3 to Boston via the obscure references to the Ancient Greek historians “Thucydides” and “Xenophon” in Horace Walpole’s 1774 letter to Horace Mann where he mentions both names in reference to Boston and New York, and the partial date and time of Paul Revere’s midnight ride through Boston, “Eighteenth day, Twelfth hour, Lit by lamplight.” Krupat started his trek to the treasure at the Boston Public Library where the two Ancient Greek names are carved into the front of the building. From there, Krupat felt the trail led to Columbus Park because a statue of Columbus there bears a strong resemblance to the woman in Image 11. 

Take five steps

In the area of his direction

Krupat took these words to mean that he should then travel north five clusters of wharfs in order to “Take five steps in the area of his direction.” This took him to the Puopolo Baseball Fields adjacent to Langone Park. 

A green tower of lights

He took these lines to refer to the Tobin bridge, which could be seen in the distance, is painted green, and lit at night.

In the middle section

He interpreted this line to direct us to the middle of the three adjacent baseball fields. 

Near those

Who pass the coliseum

With metal walls

Krupat then looked for something that resembled a coliseum with metal walls. He took this to refer to a nearby ice skating rink. 

Face the water

Your back to the stairs

Krupat noticed that from the middle field he could face the water of the harbor with his back to the stairs of Copp Hill Terrace. 

Feel at home

He took this to mean that the casque was buried under or near home plate. 

All the letters

Are here to see

Krupat felt that this referred to the naval signal letters that once were displayed on the rigging of the USS Constitution moored across the harbor. 

Eighteenth day

Twelfth hour

Lit by lamplight

As noted earlier, Krupat thought this a reference to Paul Revere’s famous ride, Copp Hill Terrace being the place where he observed the lamplight. 

In truth, be free

Krupat had no explanation for this last line. He knew the correct ball field, and he knew the casque was buried somewhere near home plate—but where exactly he didn’t know. Now let’s start from the beginning and re-evaluate using our own methods. 

Welcome to Level 1.