We can thank the entertainment industry for that common myth. Well, I guess it’s not technically a myth since ONE pirate actually DID bury his treasure. William Kidd buried some treasure off the coast of Long Island once, only to have a shipmate dig it up and use it as proof against his piracy to get him hanged. Anyway, most pirates didn’t bury their treasure because very rarely was the treasure actually gold and jewels. Most of the time, the booty came in the form of food, alcohol, linens, and lumber.