Unusual discoveries have sometimes happened to each of us. Maybe while cleaning out the basement you found a hidden family heirloom or a $20 bill you forgot in an unused coat pocket. As with these individual discoveries, every discovery on this list—which ranged from the odd to the truly valuable—was pleasantly surprising.
These are some strange facts that might amaze you.
Unusual discoveries often appear unexpectedly and surprise us with their novelty and historical significance. Each individual encounter with an unexpected find, whether stumbling upon a long-lost family heirloom or uncovering a forgotten treasure, resonates with the thrill of the unknown. Similarly, the compilation of discoveries in this list includes a spectrum of strange and truly valuable artifacts, each presenting a unique story of surprise and fascination.
The prospect of encountering the strange, historically significant, or mysterious in everyday places incites a sense of wonder. These discoveries, like treasures found in cellars or old coats, arouse intrigue and often become objects of fascination.
Place: Xian, Shaanxi Province, China Year of discovery: 1974
While digging a well in Xian in 1974, Chinese workers made the amazingly strange discovery of thousands of detailed terracotta clay figurines, ready for battle. The 8,000 soldiers who make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site are replicas of the emperor’s warriors and are known as the Terracotta Army. These incredibly detailed figures, of which only 2,000 have so far been excavated, were meant to accompany Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, on his ascension to the afterlife in 210 BC.
The results of “alien” deep research are shared by Swedish scientists
Where: Baltic Sea; Discovered in 2015
A strange discovery in the depths of the Baltic Sea was the result of Swedish scientists’ search for aliens in the depths of the sea. Although some thought it might be a spacecraft, the Ocean Explorer team determined it was a “natural geological formation”. This underwater anomaly has sparked debate about its origin and purpose and spawned conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials.
World War II plane found in jungle with preserved coffee thermoses
Location: Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, New Britain
1972 was a year of discovery.
In 1942, the “Swamp Ghost”, a World War II Boeing B-17E bomber, went down in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. When the plane was found undisturbed in 1972, the kunai grass and mud miraculously kept it intact. In the cockpit, it was even discovered that there were thermoses for coffee inside. The estimated value of this unique, well-preserved World War I find is approximately $9 million.
A priceless discovery from a 2,000-year-old wreck: The Antikythera Mechanism
Location: Antikythera, Greece
1900 was a year of discovery.
The Antikythera Mechanism, a unique discovery discovered in 1900 near Antikythera, Greece, is an ancient astronomical calculator made of thirty precisely hand-ground bronze gears. It was discovered from a shipwreck.
Created by the ancient Greeks around 65 BC, this priceless artifact has puzzled scientists for years. It has more historical significance than financial value and works like a clock.
Disturbing Figures Along the Alaskan Coast: An Art Installation by Sarah Davies
Location: Alaska, USA
2015 was a year of discoveries.
Eerie humanoid sculptures, part of an art installation by Sarah Davies, have appeared on the desolate shores of Point Woronzof near Anchorage. More than eighty-five terrifying characters represented various experiences of vulnerability. Davies created an engaging, thought-provoking, and attention-grabbing installation motivated by her battles with an unidentified illness.
A sealed mummy was discovered in a thousand-year-old Buddha statue
Place: China Year Found: 1990
In 1990, the unexpected discovery of a priceless thousand-year-old Buddha statue took an unexpected turn. Using X-rays, scientists testing the statue for restoration found an internal human skeleton. The tomb remained intact when the statue was revealed as a sarcophagus, lending an air of mystery to its historical significance.
Burger King from the 1980s found abandoned behind a mall wall
Where: Wilmington, Delaware
Year of discovery: 2022
A 1980s-era Burger King has been hidden behind a wall in Wilmington, Delaware’s Concord Mall, according to a widely shared image in 2022. The perfectly preserved remnant of the vintage fast-food restaurant revealed the mall’s history, surprising and enthralling to anyone who caught a glimpse of its nostalgic appeal. What a special find!
Spain’s Clever Hidden Studio under the Valencia Bridge
Where: Valencia, Spain Year Discovered: N/A
Fernando Abellanas, a Spanish citizen, designed a mobile studio under a bridge in Valencia, Spain, drawing inspiration from his early years spent in shelters. Equipped with a table, bed, chair, and folding walls, this surprising discovery dispels assumptions about areas under bridges.
Mysteries 2020: Metal monoliths appear all over the world
Location: New Mexico, Romania, Utah and California
2020 was a year of discoveries.
In 2020, mysterious ten to twelve-foot-tall monoliths appeared in Utah, California, New Mexico, and Romania. Reminiscent of the totems from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” these metal structures have sparked plenty of speculation, from elaborate pranks to government experiments, alien encounters, and art installations.
Extravagant third-century house found beneath Roman streets
Location: Rome, Italy 2017 was a year of discovery.
In 2017, a treasure trove of fascinating unusual finds was discovered under ancient Rome during excavations for a new metro line. Among these discoveries were the ruins of a stately third-century house that had been destroyed by fire. Excavators also discovered exceptionally well-preserved skeletal remains of a crouching dog, estimated to be 1,800 years old. The discovery is a sobering reminder of the horrific events that took place during the inferno.
Ironically, the destructive power of the fire helped save the burned house, with the layer of ash being particularly important in halting the progress of the ruins. Analysts have speculated that the mansion was probably owned by the aristocrat Celian Hill.
An underground miracle in Bolivia: The discovery of an underground pyramid
Location: Tiahuanaco, Bolivia
2015 was a year of discoveries.
Years of excavation by the government and the private sector have yielded several discoveries at the historically significant site of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia.
Ground-based radar was used by archaeologists to uncover an underground pyramid, a revolutionary find in 2015. Excavations are still ongoing as monoliths have been discovered inside this hidden structure.
Covering 231,000 square miles, Tiahuanaco was once the center of the most important ancient South American city. She produced sculptures, stone monuments, and palace ruins. It continues to serve as a reminder of the area’s rich history and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.
See also: 25 places where over-tourism is destroying the environment
Enchanting folklore discovered: A witch’s bottle from an English chimney
Where: Watford, United Kingdom
The year 2019 has been discovered.
Contractors in Watford, England, stumbled upon an unexpected find in a chimney while demolishing a former public house: a 19th-century witch’s bottle. Filled with shards of glass, teeth, and an unknown liquid, this vessel is believed to have been used as a charm to ward off witches. The property is associated with the birthplace of the Saratoga Witch, Angeline Tubbs, who moved to Saratoga, New York in 1761 to practice divination and make witch bottles to shadow opponents. This connection makes the story even more interesting.
Eight-meter wonders invade global shores with Lego Men
Where: Japan’s Yuigahama Beach
2014 was a year of discoveries.
In 2014, visitors to Yuigahama Beach in Japan were treated to an unusual sight: giant eight-foot Lego men floating on the shore. A mysterious figure found by a surfer in Japan wearing a T-shirt that read: “No Real Than You Are” has sparked rumors. Contrary to alien conspiracy theories, these giant “virtual world” Lego figures, attributed to the mysterious Dutch artist Ego Leonard, have been seen on beaches in Siesta Key, Florida, and Topanga Beach, California.
The world’s largest flower found in a botanical wonder in West Sumatra: One of the best unusual discoveries
Location: West Sumatra, Indonesia
2020 was a year of discoveries.
In 2020, when scientists were exploring the isolated jungles of West Sumatra, they discovered the largest flower bloom on Earth, a botanical wonder. Rafflesia tuan-mudae, known for its huge and transitional flowers, revealed a massive 3.6 feet in diameter. This “corpse flower” is easily identifiable with its flesh-colored petals with white spots. During the short flowering period, it smells like a decomposing corpse.
Skyfall on the Green: An Unexpected Shark on the Golf Course
Location: California San Juan Capistrano
2012 was a year of discoveries.
In 2012, an incredible sequence of events occurred when a two-pound leopard shark fell from the sky and landed just off the twelfth tee of a California golf course. A live leopard shark accidentally dropped by a bird was discovered by San Juan Capistrano golf course staff who were shocked to see it. The confused fish was safely returned to its natural habitat on Baby Beach by trolley carers.
Subaquatic Mysteries: A Submerged River off the Yucatan Peninsula
Location: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; Cenote Angelita
2016 was a year of discoveries.
In 2016, divers conducting research off the Yucatan Peninsula made a remarkable discovery: an underwater river hidden under a cloud of poisonous gas.
This underwater river, which originates in the huge sinkhole of Cenote Angelita, descends 90 feet below the surface and flows into the ocean under a layer of hydrogen sulfide. Petrified trees and a small skeleton add a creepy atmosphere and mystique. Cenote Angelita was seen by the ancient Maya as a portal to hell.
Bom Jesus emerges from a desert shipwreck in Namibia
Location: Oranjemund, Namibia
2008 was a year of discoveries.
In 2008, the Namibian desert turned out to be an unexpected repository of maritime history, contrary to expectations. As the coastal waters recede, the wreckage of the Portuguese ship Bom Jesus, which disappeared 500 years ago, has come to light again. On its tragic journey to India, the ship, loaded with valuables such as copper and gold ingots, sank in a storm. When the ship was uncovered by diamond miners, they found tens of thousands of pounds of almost perfectly intact copper ingots and two thousand pure gold coins.
Soviet Echoes: Estonian Lake emerges with the T34/76A tank
Where: Estonia
The year 2000 was discovered.
In 2000, a young man named Kasper discovered the secret of a historical monument that was hidden in the depths of Lake Kurtna Matasjärv in Estonia. A terrifying reminder of the past has appeared in the form of a Soviet-made T34/76A tank.
After Kasper’s discovery – which was identified by a special rope and markings – the entire city was involved in a large-scale excavation. There is still no explanation as to why the tank is there or how it got there.
Underground Film: The Secret Theater of the Paris Catacombs
Location: Paris, France 2004 was a year of discoveries.
In August 2004, the Paris Catacombs, a maze beneath the city of Paris created to house the dead, took a disturbing turn. A fully functional cinema was found in one of the unexplored caves during police training. The terraces carved into the rock created an amphitheater with projection technology, a large screen for films, and a selection of thrillers and noir films. The movies are not offensive, but they give the impression that someone wants to create a haunted private theater.
The Secret Chapel of Shropshire House: Relics from the Wars of Religion
Location: Shropshire, England 2010 was a year of discoveries.
In a scene straight out of a horror movie, Pat and Diane Farl discovered something amazing in 2010 while celebrating Good Friday in Shropshire, England. They found a hole leading to a small underground chapel behind a rectangular slab that measured six feet long on their wall. The pew and cross in the basement hinted at a religious theme. According to authorities, during England’s historic wars of religion, this underground church may have been used by congregations fleeing religious persecution.
Read: After divers finally reach the bottom of the Great Blue Hole, they make a surprising discovery
Viking heritage discovered: 1,000-year-old ship on Norwegian farm
Where: Edoy, Norway The year 2019 was discovered.
In 2019, when archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar on a farm in Norway, they made the unexpected discovery of a ship buried just two feet below the surface, thought to have been built during the Merovingian or Viking period. Once part of a millennia-old burial mound, this chance discovery followed the same methodology used to find the Gellestad ship, also located in Norway.
Kitchen safe: 50-year-old safe found by a couple
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
2015 was a year of discoveries.
In 2015, a couple discovered a mysterious safe hidden behind a kitchen wall while renovating a kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona. They were shocked to find that in addition to $50,000 and vintage liquor, the safe contained instructions for a treasure hunt. The complex system of clues described in E.F. Schumacher’s book “A Guide for the Perplexed” is still not solved.
Qing Dynasty Elegance: Priceless Vase Discovered in Attic
Location: Paris, France Year 2018 found.
Estimated Value: $19 million*
The owners of a house in France noticed elaborately decorated porcelain vases hidden in the attic. A Sotheby’s appraisal revealed that this undervalued gem was an original Qing Dynasty work valued between $590,000 and $825,000. But this unique piece fetched an incredible 19 million dollars at auction.
Creative Trickery: $15 million Norman Rockwell discovered in the wall
Location: Arlington, Vermont
2006 was a year of discoveries.
In a tale of deception and discovery, two brothers in Arlington, Vermont, discovered in 2006 that their father’s walls contained an original Norman Rockwell painting. During the divorce, their father strategically altered the “Breaking Home Ties” painting, hiding the priceless original and displaying a convincing replica. At a Sotheby’s auction, the painting later sold for $15.4 million.
Mark Twain’s Manuscript Revealed: A Literary Find
Location: Hollywood, California
1991 was a year of discovery.
The 665-page draft of Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn,” thought to have existed for more than a century, was found in a suitcase in an attic in Hollywood, California in 1991. Written by Mark Twain himself, the manuscript challenged preconceived notions of contemporary literature and greatly differed from her published source text. The trunk’s owner, a close friend of Mark Twain’s granddaughter, immediately handed it over to Sotheby’s for authentication, ending a hundred years of disappearance.
Discovery of a preserved fallout shelter in Woodland Hills, California in 1961
Location: Woodland Hills, California
2013 was a year of discoveries.
People built fallout shelters in their backyards during the tumultuous 1960s amid tensions between the United States and Russia and the threat of nuclear war. Such a shelter was discovered in 2013 by a couple in Woodland Hills, California, in their new residence.
When the couple bought the house, they didn’t think much of it except for the hole in the ground, but after exploring, they discovered a hidden time capsule filled with antique supplies that were perfectly preserved. It is valued at $5,400 and provides a unique window into the concerns of the past.
A 4,500-year-old statuette of a goddess found in the Gaza Strip by a farmer
Location: Palestinian Gaza Strip
Year of discovery: 2022
A farmer named Nidal Abu Eid discovered the limestone statue of Anat, the 4,500-year-old Canaanite goddess of beauty, love, and war, in 2022 while tending his land in the Gaza Strip. The “serpent inscription” on the statue’s head added to the meaning, perhaps evoking myths from antiquity and making connections with figures such as Athena.
Ancient Roman Coins Found in Japanese Castle Ruins: A Special Find
Location: Okinawa, Japan
2016 was a year of discoveries.
In 2016, ancient Ottoman and Roman coins were discovered at the site of Katsuren Castle, an old imperial building in Okinawa, Japan. Archaeologists were puzzled as to why ten of these coins – identified by researcher Toshio Tsukamoto – were discovered among the ruins of a castle in southern Japan.
Surprise in Riverside: Man discovers $100,000 while jumping with his dog
Where: Lincolnshire, England
2013 was a year of discoveries.
In November 2013, a man saw wads of money floating in the Spalding River in the UK, turning an ordinary dog walk into something truly remarkable. Notifying authorities resulted in a $100,000 refund.
A forensic examination was carried out to determine the origin of the notes, as most of them were in good condition despite some water damage.
Underwater Skeleton Tea Party: La Paz County Sheriff’s Find
Where: Colorado River, Arizona; La Paz
2015 was a year of discoveries.
La Paz County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of possible human remains in the Colorado River while working with the Buckskin Fire Department in Arizona. A diver surprised everyone by finding two artificial skeletons enjoying a tea party while sitting in lawn chairs and adorning themselves with oddities. We don’t know why this is such an interesting installation.
Uncovered “E.T.” Video Games in a New Mexico Landfill: Atari’s Buried Legacy
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
2014 was a year of discoveries.
This is a pretty unique discovery in the grand scheme of things. In 2014, an investigation in Alamogordo, New Mexico made a startling discovery: the video game “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” by Atari, considered a huge failure in 1983, was actually buried in a landfill. Once an urban legend, Burial has been confirmed as real, proving the depth of the game’s failure.
Israel’s Sign: Fresh Dead Sea Scrolls Discovered After 75 Years
Location: Israel’s Nahal Darga Reserve, Murabba’at Cave
Year of discovery: 2021
New fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 2021 by the Israel Antiquities Authority during a comprehensive survey of the Judean Desert, a remarkable discovery. After a six-year hiatus, fragments of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets have been revealed, offering new insights into the ancient texts.
One of the most extraordinary finds, is “Love letters from WWI soldiers found hidden in the wall”.
Location: United States of America In 2014 it was discovered.
The owner of the house discovered 1,918 love letters from the First World War hidden in an attic wall in 2014 while excavating his house. The letters written by a man named Clement to his lovely Mary served as a poignant reminder of the hardships faced by soldiers in the First World War. After the war, Phil Mathies, the owner of the house, was able to find Clement’s family and confirm that he and Mary had gotten back together.
Revealing the hidden chamber: A new home surprise for the couple
Location: United States of America; Year of discovery: 2022
In 2022, a couple unexpectedly discovered a hidden room hidden behind a bookcase in their home in Logan, Utah, which was mentioned in the plans but had many unanswered questions.
The purpose of the concrete room believed to be a dungeon or panic room, was unclear as it only had one folding chair.
Discovered in Arkansas, the largest diamond in the world
Location: Murfreesboro, Arkansas
Discovered in 1924
A remarkable diamond discovery was made in 1924 in the early stages of excavation in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Known as the “Uncle Sam,” this 40.23-carat pink and white diamond fetched $150,000 at auction in 1971. According to Arkansas State Parks, it is a “one-in-a-billion gem” with a current value of $1 million.
The world is full of extraordinary surprises waiting to be discovered, as evidenced by these fascinating and unusual discoveries from different corners of the world. From ancient artifacts to unexpected finds in attics, rivers, and even under bridges, these discoveries range from the historically significant to the strangely mysterious.
Some unearthed treasures, such as the Terracotta Army in Xian, China, or the Antikythera Mechanism in Greece, offer glimpses into ancient civilizations and their technological prowess. Others, like the submerged river in the Yucatán Peninsula or the underground pyramid in Bolivia, continue to amaze us with their mysteries.
Unexpectedly stumbling upon artifacts, such as a 4,500-year-old statue of a goddess in the Gaza Strip or a 665-page manuscript by Mark Twain in Hollywood, California, adds layers to our understanding of history and literature. Even modern surprises, such as a hidden room in a Utah house or the discovery of 1918 love letters from World War I soldiers, offer poignant connections to the past.
Some discoveries, like Israel’s Dead Sea Scrolls or “E.T.” video games discovered in a New Mexico landfill, are rewriting our understanding of cultural and entertainment history. Others, such as a Norman Rockwell painting found hidden in Vermont or a hidden chapel in England, add intrigue and artistry to their stories.
These remarkable discoveries show the depth of human history and the unexpected wonders waiting to be found, whether in the deepest depths of the ocean, buried beneath ancient ruins, or hidden within the walls of ordinary houses. They remind us that the world is full of mysteries that have not yet been revealed, and inspire us to keep exploring, searching, and discovering the extraordinary.