Man says he found Civil War-era belt buckle in drought-stricken Mississippi River
Photos shared by Riley Bryant on Instagram show what he says is a Civil War-era belt buckle inscribed with the letters 'US.' It was found tucked between the rocks in a spot that would normally be underwater.
Man finds suspected Civil War-era belt buckle in drought-afflicted Mississippi River
Artifacts and treasures are being brought to light in Memphis, Tenn., with record low water levels in the Mississippi River.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It was an insane find, one metal detectorist said while treasure hunting along the banks of the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee.
Photos shared by Riley Bryant on Instagram show what he says is a Civil War-era belt buckle inscribed with the letters "US." It was found tucked between the rocks in a spot that would normally be underwater.
Photos shared by metal detectorist Riley Bryant, @relic.riley on Instagram, show the treasure hunter holding what he says is a Civil War-era belt buckle, inscribed with the letters US.
(Riley Bryant / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
"I'm walking the riverbank here in Memphis, you can see the Bass Pro Pyramid, and all this stuff is washed out, and look what I just found laying here," Bryant said in a video of the find. "Look at that! It's a Civil War belt buckle! Look, it's perfect shape."
SALTWATER CREEPING UP MISSISSIPPI RIVER AMID LOWEST LEVELS IN A DECADE
Photos shared by metal detectorist Riley Bryant, @relic.riley on Instagram, show the treasure hunter holding what he says is a Civil War-era belt buckle, inscribed with the letters US.
(Riley Bryant / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
Extremely low water levels of the Mississippi River have unearthed various artifacts and treasures in previous months.
Earlier this month, a shipwreck thought to be from the late 1800s or early 1900s was spotted by Baton Rouge, Louisiana, local Patrick Ford while he was walking along the riverbank. He discovered the hull of a two-hull steamboat, similar to a pontoon boat or a catamaran. It’s 95 feet long, just over 10 feet wide and made of wood with large iron spikes and bolts.
The region experienced severe drought conditions over the summer, as did much of the western U.S., with the Colorado River system also experiencing historically low levels.
LOW WATER LEVELS FORCE VIKING TO CALL OFF MISSISSIPPI RIVER CRUISE FOR NOW
The Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee, reached a record-low stage of 10.71 feet below the historical average on Oct. 17, breaking a level of 10.70 below average set back in 1954, the National Weather Service said.
According to the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center, water levels are at or below the low-water threshold along a nearly 400-mile stretch of the river from near where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River southward to near Vicksburg, Mississippi.