People have never left the desire to find ancient treasures. While many have devoted their entire lives to searching for gold without finding it, others have stumbled upon ancient treasures quite by accident. Many of these stories have happy endings, with priceless gold treasures now in museums, while others speak of people desecrating and looting graves in the black market for antiquities. Here we take a look at ten of the most spectacular gold treasures from the ancient world.

"Nuestra Señora de Atocha", treasures at the bottom of the sea. Florida, USA

A flotilla of twenty ships left the port of Havana on the island of Cuba on its way to Spain on September 4, 1622. These ships carried the wealth of the empire, and on board were soldiers, passengers, and slaves. The next day, when the ships entered the Strait of Florida, a hurricane began. Eight ships sank.

The galleon "Nuestra Señora de Atocha" ("Our Lady of Atocha") was among them. Treasures from Colombia, Peru and other regions of South America were transported on it: 24 tons of silver in 1038 bars, 18,000 silver coins, 82 copper bars, 125 gold bars, 525 bales of tobacco, 20 bronze cannons and more. Spanish archaeologists have been looking for "Nuestra Señora de Atocha" for 60 years, but never found it.

The ship was discovered in July 1985 by the treasure hunter, diver Mel Fisher, who spent 16 years searching for the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, starting in 1969. Treasures and artifacts worth about half a billion dollars have been brought to the surface, this is the largest find ever made. Artifacts from the Atocha are now part of the collection of the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum in Florida.

Bronze Age treasure from the Bush Barrow burial site near Stonehenge, England

In 1808, William Cunnington, one of Britain's first professional archaeologists, discovered what became known as the crown jewels of the "King of Stonehenge". They were found in a large mound, located at a distance of only 800 m from Stonehenge, in the town of Bush Barrow. In the 4,000-year-old burial mound, Cunnington found jewelry, a diamond-shaped gold clasp, and an intricately decorated dagger.

The handle of the dagger is adorned with approximately 140,000 tiny gold pins, only a third of a millimeter wide, made from extremely fine gold wire, slightly thicker than a human hair. The end of the wire was flattened and cut off to make a hairpin. This delicate procedure was repeated tens of thousands of times. Tiny holes were made in the handle of the dagger to secure the studs with wood resin. It is believed that the entire process of creating the handle of the dagger took about 2500 hours.

Treasures of Malagan in Colombia: gold and greed

In 1992, a sugarcane farm worker was working on a tractor in Hacienda Malagana, in the Cauca Valley. Suddenly, the ground collapsed, and he, along with the tractor, fell into the resulting hole. The worker noticed shiny gold objects in the mud. Upon closer examination, he realized that he had found a huge treasure. He spoke about the treasures found, including golden masks, armbands, jewelry and other precious relics. He was soon joined by other workers and locals upon learning of the treasures buried in the fields, and a frenzy of looting began. Between October 1992 and December, approximately 5,000 people are said to have come in search of treasure, which has been described as the Malagan Gold Rush.

Nearly four tons of pre-Columbian artifacts have been stolen, melted down or sold to collectors. Hundreds of graves were destroyed and looted. The Museo del Oro in Bogota reportedly purchased some of the stolen gold artifacts in late 1992. About 150 gold pieces were eventually bought by the museum from looters for 500 million pesos ($300,000) in an attempt to preserve the artifacts. Unfortunately, looting in Hacienda Malagana continues, with several cases reported in 2012.

Eberswalde Hoard: Bronze Age Golden Treasury, Germany

The treasures of Eberswalde were found in 1913 during excavations in an area located northeast of Berlin. This treasure is one of the country's most priceless treasures; it is Germany's largest prehistoric collection of gold items. The hoard consists of 81 items, including 60 gold spiral bracelets, eight gold bowls and a gold ingot. The total weight of these artifacts is 2.6 kg. They are dated X-XI centuries.

The purpose of the burial of the Eberswalde treasure is unknown, although one scholar has suggested that they are sacred objects, as vases were the most common type of sacred offering during the Bronze Age. All artifacts are believed to be Villena style jewelry due to their similarity to the Villena treasure in the Iberian Peninsula. The treasure is currently in Russia and Germany is trying to return it.

Treasures of Priam: the gold of the legendary Troy, Turkey

In the 19th century, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann began searching for the legendary city of Troy to prove that it really existed. His research was marked by success and the hills of Khizarlik in Turkey, where Schliemann excavated, are today recognized as the place where ancient Troy was located. Among his finds were treasures that, according to Schliemann, belonged to the Trojan king Priam.

On May 31, 1873, Schliemann found the precious treasure that he had been looking for for a long time. According to him, he accidentally stumbled upon the Treasure of Priam - while digging a trench on the southwestern side of the site, something flashed in the soil.
The remarkable find included weapons, a copper cauldron, a bronze saucepan, a bronze teapot, and many gold and silver items, including a gold headdress, necklaces, earrings, and gold armbands. Currently, the treasures of Priam are in Russia.

After finding the location of the legendary Troy, Schliemann discovered the final resting place of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, who led the Greek army during the Trojan War. Schliemann made an impressive find - the golden mask of Agamemnon.

In 1876, Schliemann began excavations at Mycenae under the auspices of the Greek Archaeological Society. Schliemann's workers unearthed a stele marking a burial site 27.5 meters across, which included 5 Bronze Age graves. Excavations have shown that they contained the remains of several Mycenaean chiefs, five of whom had golden masks. In a telegram to King Georg of Greece, Schliemann proudly declared: “It is with great joy that I announce to Your Majesty that I have discovered the tombs in which, in accordance with the description of Pausanias, Agamemnon, Cassandra, Eurymedon and their comrades, who were killed at the feast of Clytemnestra and her lover, are buried. Aegisthus."

Schliemann claimed that one of the remains belonged to Agamemnon, hence the golden mask was called the "Mask of Agamemnon". It was a death mask made of gold leaf using the embossing method. Of the five golden masks, this was the only one depicting a bearded man, so Schliemann concluded that it belonged to Agamemnon. However, scientists are still arguing about this.

Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon Gold Hoard, England

On July 5, 2009, amateur treasure hunter Terry Herbert was using a metal detector to explore farmland in the village of Hammerwich in Staffordshire when his metal detector indicated that he had found a metal object. Herbert began to dig and found gold. In five days, Herbert filled 244 sacks with gold objects dug out of the soil. He realized that the site could be of great historical importance and contacted the local authorities. Soon, archaeologists from Birmingham Archeology began excavating the site and found more than 3,500 items, including 5 kg of gold and 1.3 kg of silver. This is the largest known hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold.

Some of the items from the hoard were exhibited at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Their value is £3.3 million (approximately $5.4 million). Most researchers agree that all artifacts belong to XVII century, although it is not yet known when they were actually buried and for what purpose.

A man from Varna, a rich grave from the 5th millennium BC, Bulgaria

In 1970, archaeologists in Bulgaria unearthed a huge Eneolithic necropolis containing gold artifacts first found near present-day Varna. Only after excavating burial No. 43, they realized the real significance of the find. Inside the burial were the remains of a man of high social status and unfathomable wealth - there was more gold than was found in the rest of the world at that time.

The Varna culture originated on the Black Sea coast about 7,000 years ago, on the territory of present-day Bulgaria. It was an advanced civilization and the first known culture to create gold artifacts.

The first evidence ancient civilization Varnas were tools, vessels, utensils and figurines made of stone, flint, bone and clay. The incredible and accidental discovery was reported in newspapers around the world. In October 1972, excavator Raicho Marinov stumbled upon a huge Eneolithic necropolis containing countless gold treasures. More than 300 graves were found in the necropolis, 22,000 exquisite artifacts, including 3,000 pieces of gold with a total weight of 6 kilograms, as well as stone tools, jewelry, Mediterranean shells, ceramics, knives and beads.

Secret storeroom in the Scythian burial mound. The use of drugs in rituals. Russia

In 2013, gold artifacts with traces of cannabis and opium were discovered in a secret room hidden in an ancient Scythian mound near Stavropol. Called the discovery of the century, the golden artifacts and drugs point to ancient rituals described by the Greek historian Herodotus.

The Scythian burial mound was discovered during the construction of a power line in the Caucasus Mountains, in southern Russia. It was determined that the burial mound had been looted, however, archaeologists discovered a hidden chamber, built approximately 2,400 years ago, containing gold objects weighing more than three kilograms. Among them are two vessels, rings, necklaces, bracelets and three golden goblets. The vessels are richly decorated with embossing depicting highly detailed dramatic battle scenes, animals and people.

Criminologists have analyzed the black residue found on the walls of the golden vessels. The results confirmed that it was opium and hashish, so the researchers concluded that the Scythians performed rituals using drugs, as reported by Herodotus.

Treasures from the tomb of a warrior priest in Sipan, Peru

In 1987, a huge complex of tombs was discovered during archaeological excavations in Huaca Rajada, near the village of Sipan on the northern coast of Peru. The most famous of the graves belonged to El Señor de Sipan, a Moche warrior priest who was buried among dazzling treasures unlike any other tombs in the region.

In the center of the tomb with an area of ​​5 by 5 meters was a wooden sarcophagus - the first of its kind found in North and South America. It contained the remains of a man dressed in rich royal robes, surrounded by many gifts that were supposed to accompany him to the afterlife. Analysis of the iconographic images found in the tomb suggests that this man was a warrior-priest and prominent ruler of the Lambayeque Valley.

The coffin contained jewelry made of gold, silver and copper, including a headdress with a huge crescent moon and a plume of feathers, masks, glass beads, necklaces, rings, earrings, a golden scepter, plates of gilded metal sewn to cotton fabric, and also trapezoidal sheets of wrought gold that the warriors attached to the back of their suits. Necklaces were made of gold and silver in the shape of peanuts, an important food item for the Moche people.

Ten golden peanut kernels of gold, representing masculinity and the sun god, were on the right side, and ten silver kernels on the left side, representing femininity and the moon god. In addition, there were many ceremonial items in the grave, such as tropical sea shells, silver and gold rattles, knives, a golden death mask, golden bells, and three other beaded headdresses. In total, the tomb contained more than 450 gold, silver, copper and other items.

Scientists have calculated that more than 900 billion dollars worth of treasures are currently hidden on Earth! Treasure hunters have something to look for. In our review - the legendary treasures that no one has yet found, the greatest finds recent years, as well as a legal educational program for those who go in search of wealth ...

Legendary treasures.

Treasures of the Incas. For more than four centuries, in the ancient mines of Peru and on high plateaus, in deaf caves and on the slopes of the Andes - in all corners of the former Inca empire, treasure hunters have been digging. According to legend, in order to free the Inca emperor Atahualpa from Spanish captivity, the conquistador Pizarro demanded a huge ransom: in two months to fill with gold the very dungeon in which Atahualpa was imprisoned. And this, neither more nor less, is almost 50 cubic meters of gold! The Incas began to collect their treasures - a pile precious metal grew and grew, but still, when the time was up, the room was never filled. And although Atahualpa convinced Pizarro that there was not much time left to wait, he nevertheless executed him. When it became known about the death of the emperor, eleven thousand lamas loaded with gold were on the way ...

Mackenna gold. It is believed that the White Mountain, located near the city of Kenab in the US state of Utah, has a hidden canyon filled to the top with gold from the lost mines of the first Spanish colonists. This mysterious cache has not been discovered for more than 450 years, and the value of the treasure is estimated at 10 billion dollars.

Treasure of the Templars.

The treasures of the "poor knights of Christ" - the Templars so modestly called themselves - were kept in the impregnable Temple Castle in the vicinity of Paris. It would seem that no one can penetrate the fortress, surrounded by a deep moat, and therefore nothing threatens the treasury of the order. However, no walls saved the knights: by order of the French king Philip the Handsome, who was haunted by the gold of the Templars, the head of the order and his dignitaries were accused of heresy and executed. What was the disappointment of the king when the time came to count the booty: it turned out to be not at all as huge as he wanted. This is because the Templars managed to hide the main wealth somewhere just in case. But where?.. Still a mystery.

Library of Ivan the Terrible. According to historians, the famous library of the formidable king, which has not yet been found, is only a small part of his treasures. The main values ​​of the legendary library are ancient Greek and Latin handwritten books. The last time they were seen in the Kremlin dungeons was Princess Sophia in 1682. In 1997 Moscow government organized headquarters to search for the library. However, there are no results yet.

Treasures of Genghis Khan. All his wealth was delivered to the burial place of the great khan. Presumably, the crypt of the commander with unthinkable conquered wealth lies in the Avraga region in Central Mongolia. Before his death, Genghis Khan asked that his grave should not have any identification marks. His wish was fulfilled: a herd of horses was driven over the burial, and the witnesses and performers of the burial were killed.

Treasure Island. The island described in Stevenson's novel is actually called Cocos, and the treasures buried on it have not been found so far. They say that a human-sized statue of the Mother of God, taken from Peru, made of pure gold, weighing 500 kg, adorned with emeralds and pearls, is buried there. According to some reports, a fantastic treasure of fifty chests with golden church utensils, decorated with six hundred large topazes, two hundred large emeralds and diamonds, as well as 9 thousand gold coins minted in Mexico, is hidden there.

The loudest finds of modern times

2005: On the island of Mas a Tierra, Chile (Robinson Crusoe Island), gold doubloons, piastres and Inca figurines worth $10 billion were found. The find was announced by a group of treasure hunters sponsored by Wagner.

2003: In Florida, treasure hunters stumble upon a dark green emerald weighing over forty carats and worth over a million dollars in the area of ​​the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita that sank almost four centuries ago.

2003: The steamship S.S. is raised from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Republic, sunk in 1865 with $180 million earmarked for the rebuilding of the American South after civil war 1861-1865.

2002: British exploration company Subsea Explorer Ltd. discovered the ships of Oliver Cromwell off the coast of Scotland. The content is valued at $3 billion.

1985: American diver Melvin Fisher salvaged $400 million worth of precious stones, gold and silver from the sunken Spanish galleon Atocha.

What is due to the one who found the treasure?

By Russian according to the law, the found treasure is supposed to be divided in half (unless otherwise agreed) between the owner of the land where it lay and the finder. If the owner was not informed that someone was digging in his land, then the treasure automatically goes to him. If the found belongs to historical monuments or cultural values, then the owner of the land and the treasure hunter can share half of the value of the property that should be given to the state.

France also proposes to divide the found in half - between the owner of the land and the seeker.

British searchers are supervised by the British Archaeological Council: amateur search is possible only within the “disturbed by plowing horizon” and in no case on archaeological sites. Findings should be reported to scientists. The found treasure should be taken to the police station within two weeks, where they must determine whether the find is a treasure or not. The treasure is supposed to be evaluated and offered at this price to museums and collections. If the museums do not express interest, the find can be kept.

IN Germany the right to treasure belongs to the owner of the land. Only a few federal states believe that their property should be given to the local administration.

Congress USA adopted a law on expeditions to ships. The three-mile zone of territorial waters where the sunken ships were found is declared a national park, and the ships themselves are a national treasure. Any work can be carried out only with special permission from the authorities.

According to international law the host country of the sunken ship is entitled to half the value of the treasure. The owners of the waters in which it sank and the search companies agree on the distribution of the remaining wealth.

There are many mysterious secrets about treasures, especially those lost at sea during shipwrecks. Many people dream of finding a treasure, whether they believe in it or not. Majority legendary treasures associated with pirates whose ships were wrecked during battle, or severe storms. How many sunken ships that store huge wealth are actually? Imagination draws boundless pictures of incredible treasures, and many enthusiasts actually spend a lot of time looking for them. Some claim that these are just fairy tales and legends, but others do believe that there are chests of gold waiting in the ocean floor. Fortunately, there are enough volunteers who are willing to help unearth the most big secrets on the planet. In this compilation, a list of 10 legendary ocean treasures that have not yet been discovered.

Treasures of Blackbeard

In 1966, off the coast of North Carolina, archaeologists discovered the remains of a shipwreck, linking it to the ship of the famous pirate, nicknamed Blackbeard. But the catch is that not a single ounce of treasure was found anywhere around the ship. Blackbeard is the most infamous of all pirates, having amassed vast amounts of gold and other riches. Many assume that the treasure still rests somewhere off the coast of the Carolinas, but it is very difficult to determine its location. Even Beard himself once said that “only I and the devil know” where it is. According to rough estimates, the value of gold could be about $2.5 million.

Fortune Jean Lafitte

French pirate Jean Lafitte made his fortune by attacking merchant ships in the Gulf of Mexico and then selling the stolen goods in one of the many ports he owned. Lafitte's accomplice was his brother Pierre. These two were so good at stealing and robbery that they amassed a lot of wealth and jewelry. As a result, the brothers had to hide their treasures somewhere, which gave rise to many secrets and legends. They had over 50 ships under their command, suggesting just how big the fortune was. After Lafitte's death in 1830, legends about his treasures began to spread around the world. It was said that part of his treasure was buried in "Lake Bourne", on the coast of New Orleans. Others said the possible site was about three miles east of the "Old Spanish Way", on the Sabine River. On this moment no one has ever discovered the wealth, valued at about $2 million.

Wealth of Captain Kidd

Late 17th century pirate William "Captain" Kidd is the cause of many lost treasure myths. The Kid began plundering in 1698, attacking ships and amassing great wealth. But when he himself began to be hunted, Kidd decided to protect his treasures and began to hide them on various North American islands. Captain Kid was eventually captured and hanged, and his treasure is still buried in an unknown location. To add some realism to this myth, in the 1920s, four treasure maps hidden by "Captain" Kid were found in pieces of furniture believed to be his.

Money Pit Oak Island

The Money Pit, located in Nova Scotia, Canada, has spawned one of the longest treasure hunts in the world. For hundreds of years, hunters have come to Nova Scotia to try and find treasure, but come back empty-handed. In 1795, teenager Daniel McGinnis found a strange place on Oak Island where all the trees had been uprooted. Intrigued, he began earthworks in secret from the rest of the treasure seekers. He managed to find a message with a cipher message that two million pounds were buried in this place, at a depth of 40 feet. Unfortunately, due to many obstacles and strong water currents, no treasure could be found. There are several popular theories that are associated with the "Money Pit": The pit contains the treasures of pirates, or the missing priceless jewels of Marie Antoinette. There is also a version that the English professor Francis Bacon used the pit to hide documents proving that he was the author of Shakespeare's plays.

Treasures of Lima

During the revolt of Peru against Spain in 1820, the captain of a large British ship had to deliver treasures that belonged to the city of Lima. The shipment was estimated to be worth $60 million and included two life-size statues of the Holy Virgin, executed in solid gold, and 273 jeweled swords and candlesticks. Captain Thomas was quite greedy and killed all the passengers, after which he sailed to Cocos Island and hid the treasure in a cave, hoping to keep it all for himself. On his deathbed, he spoke a little about the location of his treasure, which has still not been found.

Treasures of John the Landless

In 1216 King John the Landless, also known as "The Bad One", was on his way to Lynn in Norfolk. Along the way, he fell ill with dysentery and decided he must return to his Newark Castle. He decided to make his way along the route around Walsh, with its dangerous mud traps and swamps. King John and his soldiers were making their way through the swamps with carts full of his royal regalia when they got into a deadly swamp. Carts full of treasure worth an estimated $70 million, including jewels, gold goblets, swords and coins, were lost and never found.

Nuestra Señora de Atocha

In 1622, the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha was returning to Spain full of gold, precious stones and rare silver when it was overtaken by a hurricane. The impact of the storm was so severe that the galleon was thrown into coral reef and he instantly sank under the weight of the treasure. An immediate attempt was made to salvage the treasure, which included 17 tons of silver bars, 27 kilograms of emeralds, 35 boxes of gold and 128,000 coins. Other ships were sent to the place where Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank. Unfortunately, a second hurricane struck and destroyed any attempt to save the treasure. The crash site was never found again, until recently. In 1985, treasure hunter Mel Fisher found a $500 million piece of treasure less than 100 miles off the coast of Key West. However, experts believe that approximately $200 million worth of treasure is still at the bottom somewhere.

Legend of the Golden Man

There has long been a myth surrounding Lake Guatavita in the Colombian Andes. He talked about Inca gold hidden at the bottom. The most popular theory is that the Golden Man, known as "Eldorado", once dived into the sacred lake and his followers brought gold and jewels here as a show of devotion. As a result, many have visited the area in an attempt to discover the treasure. Since the arrival of the Spanish in 1536, 100 kilograms of gold artifacts have been mined from the muddy bottom of Lake Guatavita. In 1968, a gold bar was discovered in a cave, once again resurrecting the legend of El Dorado, or the "Golden Man".

Treasures of San Miguel

In 1715 Spain assembled a fleet of ships brimming with pearls, silver, gold and jewelry worth about $2 billion. The ships were sent out of Cuba just before the hurricane season to prevent a pirate takeover attempt. This turned out to be a bad idea, as the entire fleet of 11 ships was sunk just six days after leaving. As a result, $2 billion is still at the bottom of the sea. After this catastrophic event, 7 of the ships were discovered, but only a small amount of valuable treasure was recovered. It is believed that the Treasures of San Miguel may be close to the eastern shores of Florida.

Gold Flor de Mar

A 400-ton Portuguese ship called the Flor De Mar (Flower of the Sea) was caught off guard in a violent storm in 1511. It was shipwrecked on the reefs of Sumatra, split in two, and all the treasure was lost at sea. The story goes that the Flor De Mar was carrying around 60 tons of gold, the largest treasure ever collected in the history of the Portuguese Navy. No wonder the Flor De Mar has become one of the most wanted treasures in history.

Probably every second inhabitant of the planet dreams of finding a treasure. And some, I must say, succeed. In our article, we will tell you which treasures found have the highest value and how they were discovered. You will also learn what mysterious artifacts have been searched for centuries by treasure hunters and archaeologists, who still have not achieved success.

Finds that brought their owners millions

Sunken ships with treasures on board, hidden fortunes of noble families and buried pirate treasures exist in real life. We have compiled a list of the five most valuable finds found in Lately. The treasures found in each case were worth tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gold "Atocha"

The Spanish galleon "Atocha", loaded to the brim with gold, sank off the coast of Florida in 1622, never reaching the shores of the metropolis. Attempts to find and raise the ship from the seabed were made repeatedly, but luck smiled only at Mel Fisher, who spent 15 years searching and eventually discovered the ship's sinking site in 1985 and raised its cargo to the surface.

Since the Spanish government initiated this campaign, all the treasures found, valued at $450 million, went to the state treasury. However, Fischer, most likely, did not remain in the loser. Experts believe that there was twice as much gold on board the galleon. Where the rest of the jewels went, one can only guess.

lend-lease gold

At the beginning of this century, off the coast of Guyana ( South America) a ship was found at the bottom of the ocean with holds filled with gold, platinum and precious stones, the cost of which was estimated at three billion dollars. Most likely, it was a British ship, the valuable cargo of which was supposed to be payment for ammunition and weapons received by the USSR from the allies in World War II.

Lend-lease (from the English "lend" - "to lend" and "lease" - "to rent, hire") - a state program under which the United States of America supplied its allies in World War II with ammunition, equipment, food , medical equipment and medicines (supplies of medicines to the USSR since 1942 accounted for 50 to 80% of the needs of the Red Army), strategic raw materials, including petroleum products. Wikipedia

The ship was torpedoed in 1942 and never arrived at the port of destination. Who eventually became the owner of a valuable find, the press did not report.

Treasures of Somerset

Englishman Dave Kript, who loved to roam with a mine detector, looking for items that could be of historical value, suddenly became the owner of a treasure worth five million dollars. While exploring a farmer's field in Somerset, Krypt came across old coins buried in the ground dating back to the 3rd century. How the treasure hunter disposed of his find, the media kept silent.

Wealth Ubilla

At the beginning of the 18th century, on one of the islands on the coast of Chile, the Spanish navigator Juan Ubill buried countless treasures, the search for which until the beginning of this century did not give any results. For example, the American Bernard Kaiser even sold his business, which made him a millionaire, to find this treasure, but failed.

The lucky ones who were lucky enough to dig up 600 barrels full of gold and jewelry were employees of the private Chilean company Wagner. They were testing a robot capable of performing molecular analysis of soil at depths of up to 50 meters, and unexpectedly stumbled upon a treasure. The found treasures, estimated at 10 billion dollars, were divided equally between the company and the state.

Jewels of Sri Padmanambhaswami Temple

The largest treasure in the world today is considered to be the treasure found in the crypts of the Indian temple of Sri Padmanambhaswami. When India was under the yoke of Great Britain, the local population took their money and jewelry to this temple, donating them to Vishnu.

The vaults were not opened for a long time, and only in our century the state won the court and opened several rooms. The treasures found, among which was a 1.2-meter-high statue of the god Vishnu cast in pure gold, were estimated by experts at $22 billion. .

However, millions of their owners bring not only gold and diamonds raised from the bottom and dug into the ground. Ordinary, randomly discovered items can also be valuable finds. Watch about it in the video:

Treasures that all archaeologists dream of

There are treasures and artifacts in the world that have kept the secret of their location for centuries. Every archaeologist and treasure hunter dreams of finding them, but so far no one has succeeded.

Ark of the Covenant

Made of wood and inlaid with gold, the Ark of the Revelation before 607 BC. e. kept in Jerusalem. When the city was captured by the Babylonians, the locals could not take the shrine out of the temple. After 70 years, when Jerusalem was liberated, the Ark of the Covenant was gone.

Treasures of the Templars

Knightly order, as right hand church participated in the crusades, collected a huge amount of treasures and shrines. When the church declared the Templars enemies of the faith and brutally cracked down on the order, the knight's treasury was empty.

Tomb of Genghis Khan

Having captured almost all of Asia and part of Europe and taking tribute from the enslaved peoples, Genghis Khan was one of the richest rulers of his time. Dying, he bequeathed to bury all the treasures with him, kill all the soldiers who participated in the burial, and let the river flow back over his grave.

the Amber Room

There are many legends about this masterpiece of the 18th century. Some scientists believe that the man-made miracle of amber was hidden on the orders of Stalin. Another version says: the room was bombed in Koenigsberg and was destroyed. Some researchers admit that the Germans hid the masterpiece, and it can still be found.

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While some only dream of finding valuable artifacts, others, armed with tools, go to excavations. Finding ancient treasures is always an exciting experience. It is difficult to count how many treasures have been found in Russia today, but it is worth highlighting the five most famous.

The largest treasures in Russia

Scythian Gold

The vast space between the Danube and the Don is strewn with many burial mounds left after the disappearance of the Scythian tribes. Raids on burial mounds began in the Middle Ages, and today's collection of the Hermitage and other museums is replete with a huge amount of gold items from the burials of the Scythians.

Vladimir Golden Gate

According to legend, oak doors were upholstered with copper sheets with a thick layer of gilding. Disappeared in 1238, during the offensive of the Tatar-Mongolian troops. Legend has it that at the moment they rest at the bottom of the river. Klyazma.

Kolchak's gold

Over 1600 tons of gold. Kolchak bought weapons for part of the gold. The second part was found by the Red Army after his arrest. And there are conflicting rumors about the third part of the gold reserve, but all traces lead to Tyumen.

Napoleonic treasure

The looted riches of Moscow were placed on two hundred carts. With the onset of winter, Napoleon's troops returned to France, but the difficulties of movement forced them to get rid of a certain amount of booty along the way. On the route from Moscow in the direction of Smolensk, many valuables were found, but the fate of the main part is unknown to our time.

Treasure hidden by Sonya Golden Handle on Khitrovka

Feeding a weakness for jewelry, the cheat skillfully appropriated them to herself. It is believed that in the center of Moscow, she hid a huge diamond. The exact location is not known. According to legend, the swindler hid it in a samovar buried next to the Khitrov market.

Top most famous treasures in world history

But not only in Russia, all over the world it is possible to find hidden treasures. There are legends about them, films are made, books are written. Every year, thousands of people from all over the world try their luck in search of sunken ships, pirate caches, caves, grottoes, excavations in the most various parts the globe. Here is a list of just a few of them:

Treasure on the island of Java (Indonesia)

More recently, an amazing find was discovered, consisting of 14,000 pearls, 4,000 rubies, 400 dark red sapphires, and 2,200 garnets. They were found on a ship that sank over 1000 years ago. Also, treasure hunters found small flasks for perfumes, jars of baked clay, dishes, vases of the Fatimid dynasty, which once ruled in Ancient Egypt. Such 10th-century wreck finds are extremely rare, and this one will fill a large gap in knowledge about those times.

Treasures of Tillya Tepe in Afghanistan

In northern Afghanistan near Shibargan in 1979 (a year before the introduction Soviet troops) were produced archaeological excavations under the leadership of V. Sarianidi. In six graves, a treasure was found, which is a set of approximately 20,000 gold jewelry. The find consisted of coins, belts, necklaces inlaid with precious stones, medallions and a crown.

Treasure discovered in Staffordshire

In 2009, archaeologist Terry Herbert discovered a treasure dating from the Anglo-Saxon era. The weight of the treasure was 10 kg, and consisted of gold, precious stones, and silver. Among the items were armor, swords, dishes, religious items.

Pirate Treasure - Florida Beach

In 1984, treasure hunter Barry Clifford discovered a treasure that once belonged to pirates on the coast of Florida. From the shipwreck, about five tons of various valuables were raised. The treasure was valued at $15,000.

Treasure of Tutankhamun (Egypt)

In 1922, Howard Carter discovered a golden coffin in the tomb of Tutankhamen, made in an unsurpassed manner, as well as a throne, masks and many other treasures. The tomb was the first that had not been looted before. The find was hailed as a huge discovery.

Pereshchepinskoe treasure (Bulgaria)

The treasure was discovered by chance in 1912 in the village. Small Pereshchepino in Ukraine, 13 km from Poltava. The shepherd boy literally fell into the Kuvrat tomb, which belongs to the founder of Great Bulgaria, the father of Asparuh. More than 800 items, weighing 25 kg of gold items, 50 kg of silver items. Amphorae, dishes, goblets, 12 gold and 11 silver bowls, stirrups, a blade in a gold sheath, a saddle, etc. were found.

The largest treasure found

History keeps many legends about treasures and the lucky ones who managed to find them. But there are treasures that take the breath away from the most notorious skeptics. In the dungeons located in the temple of Sri Padmanabhaswami (India), the researchers managed to discover countless treasures that amazed the whole world.

In the temple of Sri Padmanabhaswami, built in honor of the god Vishnu, five hidden vaults were opened. According to experts, their price is $ 25 billion, and this gives reason to consider it the largest treasure to date.

To date, research continues in 2 more secret chambers and, perhaps, new caches will be discovered.

The largest treasure in the world included gold coins, ingots, weighing about 2 tons, a diamond necklace 5.5 meters long, and several bags of diamonds. And the most outstanding find is the statue of the god Vishu, made of gold, 1.2 m high.

Very often there are problems with the right to own the discovered treasure. For example, the treasures found by the American company Odyssey near Portugal, from a sunken Spanish military frigate. 500,000 coins, ornaments and jewels were raised to the surface. Until now, the fate of these artifacts has not been determined. The Spanish government put forward its right, but the company defends its rights, since the treasure was found on neutral territory.

The frigate Nuestra Señora las Mercedes was transporting coins from the Spanish colony to Peru in 1804, and was scuttled by the British near Cape St. Mary. About 200 sailors of the frigate died from the explosion.

Treasures often contain not only jewelry, but also money. .
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