Ben Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), an archaeologist and adventurer is looking for the legendary lost treasure of the Templar Knights. The secret hiding place for the treasure is encoded on the back of the Declaration of Independence, placed there by none other than the founders of the United States. Ben is contacted by Ian Howe (Sean Bean), a rich British adventurer who also dreams of finding the lost treasure. When Ben learns Howe's intentions for the treasure are less than the best, Ben comes into contact with Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), a pretty and young researcher involved in the preservation and display of the Declaration of Independence. At first, Abigail is skeptical of Ben and his wild stories. But when Howe and his henchmen break into the National Archives, Abigail starts to believe...