The largest hoard found in recent times. Famous treasures and treasures that have not yet been found
Have you ever wondered what lost treasures are still languishing in the dark and waiting in the wings? It turns out that there are still many stories about legendary treasures in the world that no one has yet found. Throughout history, people have repeatedly hidden their untold wealth, or they simply stole fortunes from them. According to rumors, these were gold bars, jewelry, precious stones and much more, for which billions of dollars could be earned today. Our world is large, and therefore the search for such treasures is still a challenge, but there is always hope. Ahead of you is a list of the 25 most legendary treasures that no one has yet discovered.
25. Oak Island Money Mine
Oak Island is located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the first abandoned mine was rumored to have been discovered by a 16-year-old boy back in 1795. Previously, pirates often swam to these places, and there was a legend that it was on this island that they hid the stolen goods. However, for several hundred years, the attempts of treasure hunters have never been successful. Why did people even decide that treasures were hidden in the old mine? It turns out that in the 19th century, a stone atypical for Nova Scotia was found at a depth of 27 meters underground, and they even could see a very intriguing inscription on it, which said that "2 million pounds sterling was buried 40 feet under this stone." How not to dig here?
24. Dutchman's Forgotten Gold Mine
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
In the southwestern United States, in the Superstition Mountains, there is a mine that was allegedly dug by German immigrant Jacob Waltz, who claimed that he also discovered huge reserves of gold there. As you already understood, the German took the secret of the location of this mine with him to the grave. Every year, 8,000 adventurers try to find this mine, but so far no one has been lucky in this matter. Moreover, some treasure hunters even died during their research. All for gold and glory.
23. Beale Cryptograms
Photo: presumably Historicair
According to legend, an American named Thomas J. Beale and 30 other adventurers found a mine full of gold, silver and other valuables near Santa Fe. They took the treasure and hid it in another place, but where exactly is still a mystery. However, Bale created 3 separate cryptograms in which he encrypted the names of his comrades, a description of the treasure and its coordinates. The main snag is that so far no one has been able to crack this cipher. The text of these mysterious letters was even published so that at least someone could unravel it, but in the end, most treasure hunters questioned not only the existence of the treasure, but the reality of Bale's personality in general.
22. Menorah from the Second Jerusalem Temple
Photo: Steerpike
After Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed the First Temple built by King Solomon in 586 BC, Jerusalem remained without a new temple until 513 BC. Unfortunately, the Second Temple was also destroyed, but by the Romans in 70 AD. Only the western wall of the legendary building remained intact. The Jews are convinced that the Romans stole a huge golden menorah (a ritual candlestick for 7 candles) from this temple as a trophy. No one has seen her since...
21. Treasures of Lima
Photo: Augi Garcia
According to rumors, this is the largest and most expensive lost treasure in the entire history of mankind, and no one in the world knows where to look for this incredible treasure, although it is buried somewhere on the uninhabited island of Cocos (Isla del Coco). Dozens of tons of gold, silver, jewelry and even a 2-meter statue of the Virgin Mary with a baby made of gold have sunk into oblivion, but not a single treasure hunter has found this cache. Have sailed to Cocos Island more than once famous pirates, for example, Benito of the Bloody Sword, and even US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself, but in vain.
20. Golden Owl
Photo: Tim Green / Bradford
This legendary figurine was buried somewhere in France on April 24, 1993. The French writer Regis Hauser, often published under the pseudonym Max Valentin (Regis Hauser, Max Valentin), developed a quest to find the Golden One, and he left 11 clues in his book to help treasure seekers. Each of the clues is a puzzle, presented in the book with its own title, text, and illustration. According to Valentine's preliminary estimates, his readers should have taken from 8 to 14 months to search for the figurine, but to this day no one has been able to find the coveted treasure. The winner of this game of treasure hunters will receive a prize of 1 million francs, but so far even such a serious motivation has not helped anyone.
19. Imperial Seal of China
Photo: Deadkid dk
From 221 BC, the Hereditary Seal of Kingdoms, carved from He Shi Bi jade stone, was passed from one emperor to another, even when the turn of a new dynasty came, because such was the sacred tradition. This was true until about 907-960 AD, when the legendary disk was supposedly lost. No one knows exactly where the Imperial Seal of China went, and many have even decided that it never existed at all. However, there are still treasure hunters who continue to search for the legendary relic.
18 The Lost Crown Jewels Of England
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
After the signing of the Magna Carta, King John the Landless, whom everyone hated, went on the run to save his life. In 1216, during an attempt to cross the tidal river Nene (Nene), the wagon with the wealth of John the Landless was washed away by stormy torrents. dirty water, and with it the ancient royal regalia of Great Britain were lost. Since then, more than once, treasure hunters have tried to find the lost treasures, but so far no one has succeeded.
17. Nazi Gold
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
Second World War ended with the defeat of the troops of the Third Reich, and the defeated allies of Hitler tried with all their might to hide the looted wealth, including flooding them in a mountain lake in southeastern Austria. It is said that gold and other valuables worth a total of $45 billion lie at the bottom of Lake Toplitz. For many years, treasure hunters have tried to find sunken Nazi trophies, but quite often such attempts ended in death.
16. Diamond "Florentine"
Photo: Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons
Approximately 500 years ago, a unique diamond was discovered in one of the mines in India, and after cutting it became a yellow diamond weighing 137.27 carats and with 126 facets (facets). This diamond was passed from one wealthy ruler to another until it finally settled in the hands of the Austrian royal family. After the First World War, the deposed imperial family was exiled to Switzerland, where the legendary pebble supposedly flew. Since then, no one else has seen this diamond, and there are a lot of theories about its fate. Only one thing is known for sure - the one who finds the Florentine will become a fabulously rich man.
15. Confederate Gold
Photo: Pixabay.com
In April 1865, Union troops marched into the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, frightening off President Jefferson Davis and his followers who were there. Northerners believed that the Southern president had taken great wealth out of Richmond by fleeing, but when Union soldiers apprehended Davis, only a few dollars were found on him. The President of the Confederacy and his henchmen were very rich people, and the northerners were simply sure that their opponents hid from them gold reserves for as many as millions of dollars. But where did these treasures go? No one really knows, but a lot of films and books are devoted to the search for this treasure.
14. Gold Leon Trabuco (Leon Trabuco)
Photo: Thomas Shahan
During the Great Depression, wealthy Mexican businessman Leon Trabuco and 4 of his partners tried to illegally take out of the country about 16 tons of gold. Fearing that they would be caught and imprisoned, the smugglers buried their treasure somewhere in the New Mexico desert. Trabuco and his allies realized it was too risky to sell the gold, so they never dug it back up. Within 5 years, 3 of 4 of Leon's partners died, and he himself took the location of the cache with him to the grave. Since then, the search for the treasure has not stopped.
13. Patiala necklace
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
In 1928, the masters of the Cartier jewelry house (Cartier) created a masterpiece necklace, which was adorned with 2930 diamonds, including one of the largest diamonds in the world called "De Beers" (De Beers). The necklace was made for the Maharaja of the Indian state of Patiala, but in 1948 it was stolen directly from the royal treasury. It is said that in subsequent years, its individual parts appeared at auctions and in jewelry stores around the world, but most of the unique diamonds have not been found.
12. Treasures of the Dutch Schultz (Dutch Schultz)
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
During Prohibition, the famous New York mobster, nicknamed the Dutch Schultz, made a fortune on his scams, but this could not last forever, and one day prosecutor Thomas Dewey came for him. It is said that Schultz was so afraid of losing all his money that he buried about $7 million somewhere in Catskill. Nobody knows the exact location of this cache, because the gangster took this secret with him to the grave. The search for the legendary treasure continues to this day.
11. Seven missing Faberge eggs
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
Between 1885 and 1916, Peter Carl Faberge worked on the creation of 50 imperial Easter eggs especially for Russian royal family including Nicholas II. Of all these eggs, 8 pieces disappeared without a trace. However, in 2014, the Third Imperial Egg was discovered at a simple flea market, and in fact its value was estimated at as much as 33 million dollars! Next time you go to a flea market, be careful and your friend will be lucky...
10. Treasure of Lake Guatavita
Photo: Masanalv
Locals believe that this lake is located on the territory of the legendary city of El Dorado. According to the ancient tradition of the Muisca (South American people), a ritual was regularly held here to wash off the gold dust from the skin of the ruler of the Indians, and as a worship to their gods, this civilization threw gold jewelry and other valuables into the lake. Subsequently, in Guatavite, indeed, several gold artifacts were found, but no more.
9. Treasures of the Battle of the Little Bighorn (Little Bighorn)
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
Most Americans are familiar with the story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also sometimes referred to as George Custer's last stand, because the general then recklessly deployed a small regiment of cavalry against several thousand Indians. However, few people know that two large treasures are associated with this battle. With them, Custer's people had an impressive bag of gold and money, and after losing them, the Native Americans buried these valuables in a secret place. Cheyenne Chief Two Moons drew a map showing the location of the treasure, but it was lost, and no one ever found the treasure of Custer's company. The second treasure is associated with Captain Grant Marsh, who operated a riverboat on the Bighorn River. In an attempt to save his people, the captain was forced to dump cargo into the water, which also included gold bars worth 350 thousand dollars. Presumably, this treasure is still hiding somewhere at the bottom of the river.
8. Treasure of Forrest Fenn (Forrest Fenn)
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
Former Vietnam War military pilot, art dealer, collector and self-taught archaeologist, millionaire Forrest Fenn, aged 87, hid great wealth somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. The clue to the location where the veteran's treasure is hidden is a poem written by Fenn himself. According to him, the treasure will certainly go to the one who can correctly use all the clues from the old man's poem.
7. The Treasure of the Cahuenga Mountain Pass
Photo: Downtowngal
This pass is located in California, and according to rumors, untold riches are buried somewhere there. Trick? The treasure is said to be cursed because many treasure hunters died under mysterious circumstances. In addition, no one still knows where exactly to look for this cache.
6. The Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls and the Copper Scroll Treasure
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
The discovery of the Qumran scrolls is in itself almost the largest archaeological discovery in the entire world. modern history. Like a cherry on a cake, archaeologists have also discovered a treasure map among them. This manuscript has been called the Copper Scroll, and it lists 64 different places where you can find incredible treasures. All together, these treasures are believed to be worth almost a billion dollars, according to the descriptions in the ancient artifact. The problem is that only a very narrow circle of people who understand the very specific instructions of the author of the manuscript could understand what was written in the Copper List. In addition, there is a theory that the Romans discovered these treasures many centuries ago, but for some reason it does not deprive modern treasure hunters of the hope of finding the Qumran treasures.
5. Secret Tomb of Emperor Nguyen Zuc-tong
Photo: Nowic
Nguyen Zuc-tong ruled Vietnam longer than any emperor in the history of this people, and during his time on the throne he managed to accumulate an incredible amount of wealth. The emperor had no heirs, so he ordered the construction of a huge mausoleum. The construction lasted from 1864 to 1867, but in the end, Nguyen Zyk-tong was so afraid that the tomb with him and the treasures would be robbed that he ordered to arrange a place for a secret burial. After the death of the emperor, on his own orders, 200 servants who buried their master were beheaded so that later they could not give out the location of the secret tomb full of gold and other jewelry. The treasury of Nguyen Zyk-tong has not yet been found.
4. Royal box
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
The royal box once belonged to the Polish rulers. The box was made in 1800, and its purpose was to store 72 relics of the royal family. During the Second World War, the box was stolen by the Nazis, and since then no one has heard anything about it.
3. Treasure of Mount Victorio (Victorio)
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
In 1937, a man named Doc Noss of White Sands, New Mexico found a large stash of gold and silver in the area of Victorio Peak, which supposedly could cost almost 1.7 billion dollars. In those years, ordinary citizens by law did not have the right to own gold, so Noss could not use the treasure, and instead of selling the treasure, he hid the ingots throughout the district. It is said that the man became very distant from family and friends, trying to save the treasure he found. However, he later acquired a partner named Charlie Ryan (Charlie Ryan), with whom Noss tried to sell gold on the black market. However, Noss's paranoia nevertheless prevented this enterprise, because it seemed to him that his partner would betray him, and therefore the ingots were again hidden. It turned out that Doc was right about Ryan, because he ended up shooting him. Where the victim hid the gold is still unknown.
2. Amber room
Photo: WikipediaCommons.com
It's hard to believe, but the whole room is gone! This is exactly what happened after the Nazis invaded St. Petersburg and dismantled this legendary office literally piece by piece. Originally, this amazing room was a gift from the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm to Peter the Great as a sign of reconciliation. The soldiers of the Third Reich packed all the contents of the office in 36 hours and sent the trophies to an unknown destination. Among the versions about the location of the amber panels and other works of art from this room, the most popular theory is that the collection was destroyed during the bombing, although there is a theory that it is still in someone's hiding place.
1. Treasure of the gunsmith Masamune
Photo: Christoph Waghubinger
This Japanese sword, cast by the legendary swordsmith Masamune, is considered the most famous artifact in the history of Japan and is listed as a national heritage. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, the sword disappeared. According to one version, the ancient weapon, after the loss of Japan, was transported abroad into the hands of representatives anti-Hitler coalition. Where this Japanese relic is hidden today is still unknown.
Probably, in childhood, each of us dreamed of being Indiana Jones. It would be great to go in search of adventure and lost treasures, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, it should be noted right away that archeology is not such an exciting activity. Moreover, most likely, there are practically no lost treasures left, especially today, when most of the world has already been explored and inhabited. But what if there are treasures out there somewhere, just waiting to be discovered? Below is a list of ten long-lost treasures that could still be found today, as their fate is still unknown.
10 Alamo Treasures
The Alamo is known for many things, most notably for its famous war cry shouted by Texans during the Battle of the Alamo: "Remember the Alamo!" The old Franciscan mission in San Antonio was the site of one of the most famous battles in American history, when 188 men, including Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett, tried to fight back against the powerful Mexican army of Santa Ana ( Santa Ana). However, few people know the legend of a massive hoard of silver and gold, which, according to stories, was buried somewhere in the Alamo region.
Many people, such as historian-explorer and fortune hunter Frank Buschbacher, believe that in an attempt to start a revolution against Mexico and declare Texas independent, people like Bowie and Crockett actually brought wealth worth millions to the Alamo. US dollars. The money was intended to form an army and to finance the upcoming war. The treasure was called San Saba and was lost when all 188 Americans died in that famous battle. Those who believe that this treasure exists believe that the fighters buried it under the Alamo complex. Bushbacher personally dug up the land around the Alamo, but never found a trace of silver or gold.
9. Treasures of the Dutch Schultz (Dutch Schultz) 
Dutch Schultz is one of the most famous gangsters in American history. He was a Prohibition era gangster who moved in the same circles as Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. According to legend, he made a fortune for himself with his dark deeds. His condition vanished without a trace after he felt federal prosecution loomed over him. It is believed that he decided to hide his treasure somewhere in the Catskill mountain range. When Schultz was shot in 1935, the location of his vast fortune perished with him.
There are many different versions about what happened to his treasure and how much money he actually hid. Most believe that his fortune fluctuates between five and ten million dollars, which he hid in an iron box somewhere in a village surrounded by dense forests called Phoenicia, New York. Some believe that his treasure was hidden closer to the Esopus Creek River, which explains the fact that it has not yet been found. In the decades since Schultz hid his treasure, the area has been flooded many times, which in all likelihood should have washed away his treasure. Still, it's nice to think that a leisurely stroll through Catskill could make you a millionaire.
8. Treasures of Mount Victorio
Mount Victorio is part of the southern part of the Rocky Mountains, which are located in the state of New Mexico. For many years, this place has been widely used by the US government: for example, the White Sands Missile Range is located nearby, where the government once tested nuclear weapons. Before the place was closed by the government, it was open to the general public - just when Doc and Babe Noss showed up here.
According to legend, they were hunting deer with their friends when Doc discovered an old mine, located in one of the slopes of Mount Victorio. He and Babe later returned to explore the cave and found skeletons, gold, jewelry, and historical artifacts. In 1938, the Nosses obtained ownership of the find and after that, rumors began to circulate that Doc had found either the Casa del Cueva de Oro or the Don Juan de Onate treasure. ), the man who founded New Mexico as a Spanish colony. In 1939, Doc tried to widen the passage into the mine, and was advised to use dynamite, which, as usual in such cases, went sideways for him: the mine completely collapsed. Noss was never able to gain access to the mine. He was killed in 1949 by his fiancee after he divorced Babe. The Noss family is still trying to excavate the entrance to the mine, but so far no gold has been found there. Rumor has it that the government expanded the missile range to include Mount Victorio and moved the gold to Fort Knox, but no documentation has been found to support this theory.
7. Treasures of Montezuma (Montezuma)
Apparently, if you want to find lost treasures in the US, then you should probably look for them in the Rocky Mountains or the US Southwest. The treasures of Montezuma are said to be buried somewhere in the city of Kanab, Utah. Montezuma, the legendary leader of the Aztecs, was a man who had an incredible fortune at his disposal. It was captured after he was killed during a battle with the Spanish led by Cortes. Gold and jewelry worth several million dollars were seized from Montezuma's treasury by his own people in order to hide them from Cortes.
6The Lufthansa Robbery
Anyone who has watched the movie Goodfellas (1990) is familiar with the Lufthansa robbery, which is considered the biggest money theft in US history. The theft took place on December 11, 1978 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where approximately $5 million in cash was stolen, as well as jewelry totaling $875,000. today, then it would have amounted to more than twenty million US dollars. The theft was carried out by gangsters, including Henry Hill, later played by Ray Liotta. So far, no money or jewelry has been found.
One of the reasons why this money was never found is the many violent and sad deaths of many guys who took part in the theft. These deaths were ordered by Jimmy Burke, who planned the crime and realized that such a theft would trigger a massive federal investigation. As part of the cleanup plan, he ordered the killing of almost every member of his team so that they could not spill the beans. It is believed that some of the money from the theft was used for drug deals, but much of it has never been found.
5. Amber room
When you hear about the Amber Room for the first time, you might think that this is the name of a high-class men's club. But in fact, this is one of the most sought after treasures in history. The room, which is a small space made entirely of amber panels, gold sheets and mirrors, was built in the 18th century for the first king of Prussia, Frederick the First. Subsequently, it was presented to Peter the Great and remained in the ownership of Russia until the Second World War. People who managed to see the Amber Room said that this room is the Eighth Wonder of the World.
And then she disappeared. It turns out that the curators who were responsible for guarding the Amber Room during the war had covered it with wallpaper in an attempt to hide it and protect it, as it was very fragile. However, this did not stop the Nazis from plundering this priceless treasure. Then it was moved to Konigsberg Castle in Germany, but in 1944 the Allied forces destroyed the city and left the castle in ruins. The Amber Room was lost forever. Until now, no one can say with certainty what happened to the room, although complete destruction seems to be the most likely explanation. However, the Amber Room has become the object of folk myths. It is also believed that the Amber Room is cursed, as several people who owned or hunted for this room died prematurely under very strange circumstances.
4. Flower of the Sea (Flor do Mar)
In 1502, a Portuguese ship called Flor do Mar (Flower of the Sea) was built. The ship was part of the Portuguese expedition to India launched in 1505. It was under the control of Vasco da Gama's brother (Vasco de Gamma) - Estavo (Estavao). In the next six years, the ship participated in several naval battles, until in 1511 she was lost in a storm.
Even the very idea of a warship with such a history already makes the search for its lost treasures quite intriguing, but that's certainly not the whole story. Most important is the fact that Flor do Mar was carrying a full load of trophies after a recent victory. According to legend, the treasures that were on this ship were innumerable, which makes the "Flor do Mar" the most sought after shipwreck in history. According to legend, the ship was carrying the treasures of the kingdom of Malacca (Melaka), located in modern Malaysia, which, according to various sources, consisted of more than sixty tons of gold.
3. Gold Leon Trabuco (Leon Trabuco)
In the early 1930s, a Mexican millionaire named Leon Trabuco organized several secret and mysterious flights into the New Mexico desert. At this time, the United States was going through a period of great depression and the value of the dollar was about to fall, but the value of gold was to increase many times over. So Trabuco and a few of his business associates bought up as much gold as they could and smuggled it into the US in the expectation that the price of gold would skyrocket so they could sell it for an incredible profit. big score.
It is believed that in total they collected more than sixteen tons of gold and hid it in the New Mexico desert. Instead of taking advantage and selling their gold, Trabuco and his partners held on to it, expecting prices to continue to rise. However, they seriously miscalculated, as the Gold Law was introduced, according to which the private ownership of gold was illegal. Therefore, Trambuco and company found themselves in an unenviable position with their gold. Like many other treasures, according to legend, Trabuco's gold carries a curse. Three of Trabuco's five partners died within five years, and when Trabuco died, the location of the gold disappeared with him.
2. Treasures of Blackbeard
In 1996, archaeologists discovered a shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina, less than two kilometers from the coast and just 7.6 meters below sea level. Finding a shipwreck is not unheard of, but it is arguably one of the largest and most astounding finds in the history of treasure hunting. This is because many believe that this ship was a ship called the Queen Anne's Revenge, also known as the flagship of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. In 1718, the Queen Anne's Revenge blocked the port of Charleston and ran aground on the spit shortly thereafter.
So what's the deal? What's wrong with that? Well, to begin with, Blackbeard was a wildly successful and wealthy pirate, and the location of his largest and most valuable ship indicates that his fortune must be nearby - somewhere on the coast of North Carolina. Since this ship was discovered, not a single gram of gold has yet been found on the shore near it, and it is worth noting that rumors that this is exactly Blackbeard's ship have not yet been confirmed. Before his death, he was asked where the gold was, to which he replied: "Only I and the devil know that."
1. Treasures of the Knights Templar
In recent years, the Knights Templar and its treasures have become a popular topic in Hollywood movies, books, and even games. This is one of the most famous and mysterious treasures in history. The Order of the Knights Templar was founded in 1114 AD, and over the years it amassed incredible wealth that has never been found.
At the beginning of the 14th century, the Templars were arrested, and those who escaped arrest and torture collected the remaining treasures and loaded them onto ships and sent them to an unknown destination. According to rumors, they sent the treasure to Scotland, and from there they subsequently ended up in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. There are still rumors about a huge cellar full of money located on Oak Island in this Canadian province, where the Templars are said to have hidden their money among traps. Searches on Oak Island continued for years, and it was initially believed that the cellar with money belonged to the infamous Captain Kidd (Captain Kidd). However, based on the fact that most of Kidd's treasures were found, it is now believed that the treasures of the Knights Templar are stored in this cellar.
Treasures worth billions of dollars are hidden underground and in the depths of the ocean. Where to look for them?
According to scientists, treasures worth $900 billion or more are hidden and forgotten on our planet. Treasures of ancient civilizations, jewels from sunken ships, treasures of sea pirates, lost world masterpieces and religious relics - where to look for them and is it worth the candle? We have collected seven greatest treasures that haunt treasure hunters around the world. Read with caution: Gold Rush is highly contagious!
Tomb of Genghis Khan
The burial place of the founder and first Khan of the Mongol Empire has not yet been found, despite the efforts of many people. Treasure hunters are convinced that in the grave, in addition to the body of the great conqueror, there are untold riches: precious stones, gold coins, expensive dishes, an exquisite weapon - a treasure worth several billion dollars. Unfortunately for them, Genghis Khan was secretly buried in a remote area and his grave was deliberately devoid of identification marks. Some scientists believe that it is necessary to look for the grave in Russia: in the forests of Altai, in the region of the Ridder depression. Others believe the legend, according to which Genghis Khan is buried in the same places where he was born: in the vicinity of Mount Burkhan-Khaldun in Mongolia. This mountain, sacred to the Mongols, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July this year as the birthplace and possibly burial place of Genghis Khan.
Treasures from the ship Flor de la Mar
Treasure hunters call the treasure from the ship Flor de la Mar (“Flower of the Sea”) the largest treasure in the world, and the ship itself is the most valuable ever sunken ship. On it, the Portuguese carried a significant part of the trophies obtained during the capture of the Malacca Sultanate. However, the battered sailing ship never brought the trophies to the king: it sank in 1511 and has been lying at the bottom of the Strait of Malacca in an unknown place for 300 years. Treasure hunters from all over the world are ready to rush to search for treasures in Indonesia at any moment. Thus, the American Robert Marks, who specializes in treasures from sunken ships, stated that he was ready to spend $ 20 million to find and raise the Flor de la Mar cargo to the surface. However, the Indonesian authorities reject all proposals, hoping to find the treasure without the help of strangers. In July of this year, an archaeological underwater expedition was announced off the coast of the island of Sumatra. According to archaeologist Ali Akbar, finding the "Flower of the Sea" in the Strait of Malacca will not be easy, as it is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world - it may contain about 400 ships that sank between 1500 and 1800: go figure out where lies the same, golden ...
Gold 11 Spanish galleons
300 years ago, in 1715, 11 ships of the Spanish fleet sank off the coast of Florida, carrying treasures from the New World, which were supposed to replenish the treasury of the Spanish King Philip V. On board were goods and jewelry worth up to 14 million pesos. Only on one ship - Nuestra Senora de la Regla - there were 300 chests of coins and ingots, 23 chests of processed silver and 62 chests of gifts to the king and his retinue, not counting the chest with gold items, doubloons and pearls. On another ship - Santo Cristo de San Roman - according to the inventory, they carried 684 chests and sacks of pesos, 53 chests of processed silver, 14 chests of Chinese porcelain and much more ... On the same fleet, destroyed by a severe hurricane, a dowry and gifts for the newly-made Queen of Portugal were traveling Isabella Farnese, the young wife of Philip V, never received her jewels. After the galleons sank, the Spaniards searched for cargo under water for four years, attracting Indians to them: under the threat of death, divers went into the water with heavy stones tied to their feet. Managed to pick up 30% of the treasures. However, due to attacks by pirates, sharks and Indian uprisings, the search had to be abandoned. They were continued only 250 years later, after the builder Kip Wagner accidentally found a Spanish silver coin on the shore. At the moment, Brent Brisbane's company and local treasure hunters are engaged in searches. Six ships still remain undiscovered, and those that have been discovered are hidden under a layer of sand, making it difficult to access untold riches. But here and there divers manage to catch gold coins. More recently, an American family of treasure hunters.
Relics of the Jerusalem Temple
For centuries, treasure hunters, historians and archaeologists have been looking for the treasures of the Jerusalem Temple, which stood on the Temple Mount and was the center of the religious life of the Jewish people from the 10th to the 6th century BC. e. First of all, everyone is interested in the fate of the Ark of the Covenant - the Jewish shrine, which symbolized the union of God with the people of Israel. In this box, received by Moses from God on Mount Sinai, according to beliefs, the tablets of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments, a vessel with manna and Aaron's staff are kept. His detailed descriptions eat in Old Testament, and, among other things, it is said to be trimmed with pure gold. It is believed that the Ark of the Covenant was taken out during the destruction of the Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar, after which it was securely hidden, but where is a mystery. Hundreds of tons of gold, silver and other valuables from the temple vault also disappeared without a trace. A clue to their discovery, according to many scientists, may be the Copper Scroll - one of the legendary Qumran manuscripts, also known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. This ancient document, found in a Qumran cave in 1953, is an inventory of hidden treasures with indications of places to look for - though rather abstract. More than 60 caches are mentioned, in which a total of 65 tons of silver and 26 tons of gold are stored. The text from the fragile Copper Scroll with the risk to the artifact was deciphered in 1955, and since then the debate about the reality of the existence of the described riches has not subsided. Many believe that there were no treasures, pointing out that the Essenes of the Qumran community, who compiled this text in 50-100 AD. e., could not have such values, and strict views would not allow them to hide the treasures of the Jerusalem Temple.
The eighth wonder of the world
The famous Amber Room, presented to Peter I by the Prussian king, was taken by the Germans from the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo during the Great Patriotic War. She was last seen in 1945 at the Königsberg Castle three days before the city was stormed. Despite the versions about the death of the Amber Room as a result of a fire or decomposition, they continue to persistently search for it in different parts light: not only in Europe, but even in America. Two years ago, 90-year-old Wilhelm Kraft, a former Wehrmacht soldier, made a statement that the masterpiece was buried in the ground in the Danish village of Asaa. And this year, Russian historian Sergei Trifonov announced that he had practically found the Amber Room in Kaliningrad under the secret bunker of the last commandant of Koenigsberg, Otto von Lyash. The bunker led to the now defunct Königsberg Castle and was found quite recently. In February, Trifonov had already made the first studies: with the help of a probe lowered into the dungeon, he made out a large metal box under the bunker and the entrances to the tunnels. Further work is planned for autumn 2015. The episode about the search for the Amber Room was included in the new documentary film of the My Planet TV channel about Kaliningrad-Koenigsberg.
Treasure of Baikal and gold of Kolchak
In 1918, a significant part of the treasury of imperial Russia was at the disposal of Admiral Kolchak, who was proclaimed the supreme ruler of Russia. These 490.5 kg of gold began to be called "Kolchak's gold", despite the fact that already in 1920 the admiral was shot, and the money went to the Bolsheviks. Kolchak managed to spend part of the reserve on strengthening his power and buying weapons, part was plundered, and another part disappeared without a trace. Many believe that the boxes with the surviving gold fell into Baikal during transportation and still lie at the bottom of the deepest lake in the world. One of the ardent supporters of this version, archaeologist Alexei Tivanenko, claims that he saw witnesses to the railway accident. “When I was still a youngster, I lived on the shores of Lake Baikal and traveled a lot. locals showed exactly where the military train cars fell into the lake. About 40 boxes of gold went to the bottom,” says Aleksey. In 2008-2010, Kolchak's treasures were searched at the bottom of Lake Baikal with the help of Mir deep-sea submersibles. The expedition managed to find the wreckage of a railway car and a box of cartridges from civil war. Tivanenko, who took part in the dives, claimed that four gold bars of 16 kg each were also found, but since they were clamped by stones, all attempts to capture them with a probe ended in nothing. Another participant and sponsor of the expedition, multimillionaire Mikhail Slipenchuk, recently admitted to Forbes that he revived the legend of Kolchak's gold in Baikal specifically to draw attention to the scientific expedition, but in fact, part of the imperial treasury cannot be found in Baikal a priori, since the thick loose sediment , formed in the lake, absorbs everything that falls to the bottom.
Pirate treasure
According to one American banker, all together the pirates hid treasures worth several billion dollars, and to date no more than 7% of these treasures have been found. They are searched for by researchers and lone treasure hunters everywhere and everywhere where famous pirates hunted, not only on land, but also in water. So, this year off the coast of Madagascar, archaeologists from the ship of the Scottish pirate William Kidd. The ingot was recovered from the frigate Adventure, which sank over 300 years ago. In total, 13 sunken ships have been found off the coast of Madagascar, and we will certainly hear about new pirate treasures. Scientists search for buried treasures, as a rule, guided by maps, drawings, diaries of pirates and their associates. “Those who hid the treasure almost always left a record of it. The whole point is to understand in what form these records were left or how to decipher their contents, ”says American researcher Richard Wilborn. This scientist managed to guess where the treasure of the pirate Drake is hidden - 40 tons of silver. The diary of one of the team members, Drake's old nautical charts stored in the Bancroft library, and the drawings on one of them allowed him to decipher the "Drake code" and establish the exact location of the treasure: it is buried on Mount Livermore on Angel Island (Angel) at a depth of 6 feet , or 72 inches. True, this conjecture has not yet been verified: officials do not give permission to work on the island, which has the status of a federal nature reserve and is part of the California National Park.
While you are reading this material, treasure hunters are pulling gold coins from the oceans, digging the ground in search of Napoleon's Moscow trophies and dreaming of discovering the library of Ivan the Terrible. But not all treasures are destined to be found: some are hidden too well, while others never existed, being only a disturbing legend.
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 - legendary treasures that no one has yet found, the greatest finds of recent years, as well as 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 former empire Inca treasure hunters dig. 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 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. Core Values legendary library- Ancient Greek and Latin manuscripts. The last time they were seen in the Kremlin dungeons was Princess Sophia in 1682. In 1997, the Moscow government organized a 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 the Civil War of 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.
AT 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.
