Six Questions with Hutton Pulitzer: COMMANDER of ExpeditionHistory and TreasureForce

Hutton Pulitzer’s expertise, energy, vision, spirit, and fearless determination in investigating history’s most compelling treasures and mysteries is highly admirable.  As Commander of HistoryHeretic.org, his passion and enthusiasm for discovery is evident.  This is also apparent in the following Six Questions.

Hutton’s answers are powerful and immensely inspirational.  I can’t thank him enough for them.  From sharing one of his first found treasures to commenting on some remarkable treasures being researched today, Hutton’s words are uplifting.  His change of course from a Wall Street guru to his current adventurous endeavors strongly encourage each of us to chase after our own aspirations and goals in life.

I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy reading Hutton’s responses as much as I did!  They are exceptional!

• 1Q) The Curse of Oak Island premiered on the History Channel in 2014 and chronicles exploration into this island’s legendary lost treasure.  It’s currently filming for a third season and from its success has stirred quite a bit of excitement.  What do you feel has been the most promising find, indicating a treasure does indeed exist at the bottom of this ‘Money Pit’, so far?

One of my core beliefs in life is “everything happens for a reason and there is no such thing as a coincidence.  Most is predestined, it is just up to us to recognize the opportunity”.  The Curse of Oak Island as a series debuted on January 5th, 2014 (also happens to be my older sisters birthday).  What most people do not know, is our team had been deep in research on Oak Island for over 8 years. The first time we were ready to approach the island, unbeknownst to us, is when Rick, Marty and Craig had just bought the island and thus our goals of working to run an operation “on island” were set aside.

Then, years later, low and behold, once History Channel knew they had a hit on their hands with Season 1 and its 5 episodes, they reached out to us to bring some additional expertise to the island and to add a different skill set than drilling holes, metal detecting and walking around.  The new Season was to be 10 episodes and they needed some key help. That was the point this whole cycle came full circle once again back to us.

Aubrey, a member of my team you saw with me on Oak Island in the first part of the season is my cousin, but we were raised more like brothers. When we were 6 and 9 we found our first lost treasure in a Texas river and it changed our lives forever so on a deep level we can relate to the brothers Rick and Marty pursuing their life long dream.  In more ways than one can image, back through time, people from Michigan (the Laginas) and people from Texas (other past team leaders) have been involved in this wonderful Oak Island mystery.

Doing what is right for the TV Series and the Network, I cannot reveal what is “exactly” at the bottom of 10x, but I can share these facts.

1. Oak Island- as a physical landmark and destination is the single key tipping point for the “future rewriting of history recorded as we know it”.
2. At the bottom of 10x is a multi-chambered room, connected by other – let’s say- doorways or entrances and passages.
3. In the center of the room, side scan reveals a solid artifact, which has the rough dimensions of 4.5 feet wide, 4.5 feet tall and 7.5 feet long.  Pace that out on your living room floor and you will see the “artifact” is roughly the height, width and length of a SOFA.  Now, YOU imagine from there, what type of artifact shares those dimensions.
4. There are numerous artifacts and treasures on Oak Island, not just one secreted treasure.  Among the treasures are such items as lost history, ancient symbols, ancient knowledge and the visitation of “many peoples” over “many periods”.
5. The most important finds on Oak Island to date?  We say that would be the only two visually verifiable FINDS on Oak Island to date are (a) the H/O Stone, and; (b) our scan survey revealing contents at the bottom of 10x.  (Yes, I am biased).

• 2Q) Searching for lost treasures and probing into history for a living seems like a dream job. When did you first realize this kind of adventurous employment was for you?  What do you enjoy most about it?  Is there a negative side?

When, as in the comment above, Aubrey and I found the treasure (robbery safe loot) in a Texas river as kids, we were hooked, plus it did not hurt that we grew up on the Old Spanish Trail cutting through Texas and its ancient waterways.  Being located so close to old history meant we were always finding artifacts, ancient symbols, native tools and workings.  So, from the time we were kids it was in our blood.  It also did not hurt that our ancestors were involved in the search for El Dorado and many South American early exploration adventures backed by the English Crown.  So, it really is in our blood.

What made it become an actual career?  Frankly put – the dot com crash and the total implosion of my technology company almost killed me (literally).  One week you are the Wall Street Wunderkind and the next the newspapers are writing about the “darling of tech’s spectacular flame out”. Fame and Fortune can be fickle, but not Fate.  Two things happened during that horrific downfall and merciless unwarranted attacked by the media (1) had to lay off great people and employees who I loved and cared for and close offices in Dallas, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London and Manhattan.  That was a most excruciating pain which still hurts to this day when I give it too much thought, but; (2) on the opposite end, even with the corporate downfall and the device ridicule, my technology and patents survived and thrived and today we can boast over 2.5 BILLION people a day use my technology and vision.  Inherently I always knew there would be a better future and as always, I am NOT adverse to risk.  When one does not take risk, they cannot reap the huge rewards of success and I am only cut out to do huge things.  So after being knocked to my belly by the tech industry, I decide to merge my skills, wits and passion with my career and the merging of those things is me, the “professional explorer and lost history hunter”.  My boss is me, answer to me and only me.  It suits me well.

Making this my career for more than the last decade has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.   This career is not a job; it is more like a hobby that pays, so we say we have “Jobbies”.  Being a patent guy, research is a strong suit for me.  In lost history and treasure hunting, the deep research is the difference between success and failure.  In tech and other parts of my career, I was known for an attitude of “never give up”, and in this industry you have to have a “never give up attitude”.  In tech and inventions one must be able to dream and dream big, and the exact same thing is true of the adventurer and lost history hunter, so to me this is the perfect melding of my skills, passions, love and life into one grand JOBBY!

In any career there is a negative side.  Most think it is the potential risk of life and limb, and yes that is a consideration, but the real NEGATIVE side of this business is the BS and backlash from the archaeological community and – believe it or not – others who consider themselves “professional treasure hunters”.  Here is how I will qualify those statements.  Archaeologists and Anthropologists are always going to attack finds made outside of the academic world, but the academic world is not funding exploration and it is left to individuals such as our team to make it happen.  Thus, the natural clash with Academia.  In some ways it is easier to deal with the backlash of academia easier than “other professional treasure hunters”.

Academia will at least can understand the science, forensics and empirical evidence and the debate or argument can at least be won, if not come to an agreed stalemate; but let another “treasure hunter” get you in their radars because they see YOU on TV and they think they SHOULD be on TV, no matter what you find, what you discover and how much you prove something or change history as we know it – it will never be enough and they will dog your interviews, releases, publications and appearances with negativity and personal attacks.  THAT is the NEGATIVE side of this business.

https://youtu.be/E7EtQVBIzDw

• 3Q) Out of the many lost treasures and hidden histories you have investigated, which have you been most captivated with?  Is there one mystery you simply can’t get off your mind and feel you must solve/find it in order to be content?

The best answer to that question is – it is not any one particular lost treasure or legend to be proven or recovered, it is to be the team which helps or instigates the “total rewriting of History as we know it!”  That is what consumes me the most.  We have all, domestically and globally, been lied to about our history and we want to set the record straight and once and for all create a standard of reporting and documenting history NOT based on biased or assumptions but fact and science NO MATTER what the ultimate findings are and what political, religious or ruling elites it pleases or effects.  Just the facts presented as they are irrefutably; good-bad-ugly.  Just the TRUTH once and for all.

Now granted I am an “OakIsland-aholic”.  Our whole team both admits and embraces it.  Consumed from top to bottom, take it personally, and wish I had more control to get the ‘real’ story of Oak Island out to the world, but alas we are only a small cog in a 220-year-old adventure and mystery.  We would love to be the team, explorers and authors who put the final “period” on the story of Oak Island, but there is still too many questions, too many legal, political, personal and unnecessary petty encumbrances to such.  Honestly, at the end of the day, we are more than deeply concerned that the public, even thought they follow along with the adventure on TV, may never get the benefit of seeing the final resolution and getting the full, unfiltered and unedited story of Oak Island.

So the real story is no matter what we find, bring to the table or reveal, the real story of Oak Island may never get told – fully.  Therefore, our real interests and the one mystery we WILL SOLVE and bring resolution to is two fold:

(A) We will see an end to the teaching that Christopher Columbus discovered America once and for all and forever have that discovery story rewritten correctly as an expedition and visitation story, and;
(B) We will prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Americas where a thriving place of gathering, community and commerce with the ENTIRE WORLD as far back as 3000 BC and beyond.  When our grandchildren and great grandchildren learn in school that the Americas were as thriving as Ancient Egypt in the ancient past, then we will have done our job, accomplished our mission and will of have done something worth being remembered for.

• 4Q) You are recognized as one the top 50 inventors in the world.  What do you feel was one of your most useful inventions and why?

My mind has always worked in a weird analytical way and thanks to my Jr. High school Shop teacher I manufactured my first patentable item and won awards (a unique rabbit feeder) and as a kid there was always something being tinkered with or engineered.  Later in life I was lucky enough to parlay that into patents in the field of technology, internet, networking, media, broadcasting, mining, medical, gaming, data processing, data collection, telecommunications and manufacturing.

The recognition came when the Smithsonian Awarded me the “laureate medal” in technology, media and broadcasting as ‘the man most likely to change the world as we know it”.  Was a great honor and now my research, case study and course works are available in over 130 Universities.  Developing patents has been very good, healing and satisfying for me in the sense that I now possess patents in 189 different countries and those patents have evolved into a huge multi billion dollar industry now and one can see my “idea” in action (even though many thought I was nuts and even some business leaders called ‘the stupidest invention ever” – LOL).  It is satisfying to go anywhere on the planet and see the results of my mind noodling and now billions of people around the globe use it and have no idea some “weird lost history hunter’ created that.

What are my most useful inventions?  Scan Commerce and Scan to Connect, where you can use you mobile device or PC to scan a unique code or bar code and instantly get information or website.

What I value as my most “personally” pleasing patents? Some of my new inventions in the world of Medicines, both the delivery of medicines and the efficacy thereof, and; my environmental patents which reduce the impact on the earth’s resources from consumerism construction and those which change the drought by consumption water resources in both developed and undeveloped countries.

• 5Q) Would you have any advice for someone just getting started with the endeavor of treasure hunting?  You have written numerous books on the subjects of treasures.  Not just about them, but how to study and find them.  Is there a book, or books, you would recommend first reading?

These are my inspirational must-reads for anyone interested in this business:

1. The Treasure Hunter, by Robin Moore and Howard Jennings
2. 1421: The Year China Discovered America – Gavin Menzies
3. The Big Dig: The $10 Million Search for Oak Island’s Legendary Treasure – D’Arcy O’Conner
4. Cities of Gold – Bill Yenne
5. The House of Wisdom – Jonathan Lyons
6. The Fourth Part of the World – Toby Lester
7. Constantine the Emperor – David Potter
8. Masters of the Word – William J. Bernstein
9. Collapse – How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed – Jared Diamond
10. The Dictionary of Mythology – An A-Z of Themes, Legends and Heroes

For me it is easy to recommend books.  I love books and own thousands of them and read between 200 and 300 a year.

• 6Q) For most people, treasure hunting is like a hobby.  For you, it is your job.  So what would be your hobbies?  What do you like to do when not out hunting down the mysteries of the world? 🙂

My career is my hobby so is it really work?  What are the things I like to do or find enjoyable?

A. Cooking
B. Organic Gardening
C. Reading
D. Hard Cover Book Binding (old techniques to restore old books to their glory)
E. Collecting Ancient Maps
F. Hanging out with my Family
G. LOVE LOVE LOVE Cruise Ships
H. Studying History by going to the place where it occurred, instead of just reading about them
I. Teaching and Molding Young Minds.

Wow and wow again.  I know that might not be a very professional thing to say after reading such fascinating answers, but it is how I feel.  I am extremely thankful, Hutton, for you taking time out of your busy schedule to share with us your thoughts.

Your story is wholly encouraging.  Anyone who is facing challenges can look upon the incredible attitude you have and take strength from it.  I love the sentiment, ‘Fame and Fortune can be fickle, but not Fate.’  Thank you for sharing such an important outlook.  (Reminds me a bit of Boethius.) 

I am also reminded of the following quote; “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” ~ Charles Mayes.   There will be always be history.  It is fantastic you are making such noted contributions towards it.  Thanks again, Hutton.  Truly enjoyed reading your answers.  (and I will be ordering some new books now!  I love them too.)