Not all treasures are recognized for their historical significance or great value, especially when discovered by the untrained eye. Such was the case with the Bronze Age ceremonial dagger used as a doorstop, the engraved Chinese sword used as a kitchen knife, and the ancient Roman sarcophagus used as a flower pot. Everyone dreams of finding a priceless treasure and for some, this dream has come true. From dusty attics, to garden decorations, local markets and even eBay, ancient relics have been found in the most unexpected places.
Pensioner found 2,300-year-old pure gold crown under his bed
An elderly man was stunned when he discovered in the jewelery box he inherited from his grandfather an ancient Greek crown made of pure gold that an auction house said was worth at least £100,000 Older brother. The pensioner saw the crown nearly a decade ago but did not realize its value or importance, so he kept it in a shabby cardboard box under his bed. Finally, only when he decided to take the box containing the items prized by the Duke of Dorchester did he discover the crown was an authentic Greek myrtle wreath dating to around 300 BC .
A rare 3,500-year-old ceremonial knife was used as a doorstop
An object pulled up in a field by a plow and used to open an office door has been identified by archaeologists as an extremely rare and valuable Bronze Age ceremonial dagger, known as a dagger dirk, one of only six found across Europe. This artifact was first dug up by a landowner in East Rudham, Norfolk more than a decade ago, but not realizing its importance, he used the relic as a doorstop. It was even almost thrown into the trash.
Grandma’s Ming Dynasty style plate sold for almost a quarter of a million pounds
An ancient Chinese plate dating from the 1700s has been sold in the UK for almost a quarter of a million pounds. The plate, bearing the royal seal of Emperor Yongzheng, was sold by three South Derbyshire siblings who inherited it from their grandmother, but never realized how valuable it was. This precious relic was purchased by a Scottish businessman named Alexander Robertson in the early 20th century in America. After his death in 1922, the antique plate as well as the rest of his belongings were moved to Edinburgh, where they were divided among his relatives and passed down through the generations. The disc sat in its dusty box until the brothers decided to value it.
Ancient stones with strange carvings, possibly Anglo-Saxon, turned up in the garden shop
A stone with mysterious carvings, which may date back to Anglo-Saxon or Viking times, was sold as a garden decoration when TV presenter and archaeologist James Balme bought it, clean it and reveal an intricately designed carving. It is believed to date from the Anglo-Saxon period, from 410 to 1066 AD.
Chinese man found an old sword on the ground and used it as a kitchen knife
A 60-year-old Chinese farmer found an old sword dug in the ground and used it as a kitchen knife for several years before realizing its value and historical importance. Experts believe the sword dates back to the Qing Dynasty because the characters for Qing Lang Jian, meaning Green Dragon Sword, are engraved into it. Farmer Yi Shouxiang found the knife blade without handle and sharp tip five years ago while digging in Chengkou County, Chongqing Province.
Amazing discovery found in the sand could rewrite Australian history
In 1944, a soldier patrolling the strategically important Wessel Islands off the northern coast of Australia accidentally discovered five coins buried in the sand. Maurie Isenberg, who was manning a radar station on the uninhabited islands, kept the coins in a tin box and when he came across them again in 1979, he sent them to a museum. The coins gathered dust for more than two decades until Australian anthropologist Ian McIntosh happened upon them and immediately realized the significance of their discovery. This discovery suggests Australia may have been visited by explorers from East Africa or the Middle East long before the Dutch set foot on Australian soil in the 17th century.
Religious Artifacts Found with Bones in the Attic Could Be Relics of a Saint
A resident of New Brunswick in Canada found religious relics dating back 200 to 500 years in his attic. The man’s daughter contacted a museum, an archaeologist, several nuns, a jeweler, and a Catholic priest to help determine what they were. Williston archaeologist Chelsea Colwell-Pasch contacted the Vatican and Interpol to identify decorated objects, called reliquaries, that contained bones. The bones themselves are called relics. When a person is canonized, the church usually collects the body parts and places them in the reliquary and underneath the altar.
Priceless ancient papyrus with excerpts from the Gospel of John found on eBay for $99
A scholar of early Christianity at the University of Texas has discovered a priceless New Testament passage written in ancient Greek – for sale on eBay with prices starting at just $99. The ancient papyrus fragment was discovered by Dr. Geoffrey Smith, who convinced the seller to pull the item from eBay and allow him to study it. It was fortunate that Dr. Smith persuaded the seller to allow him to study the item, as Greek New Testament papyri are extremely rare – only about 130 such papyri are known and they are considered earliest witness to the original text of the New Testament. Testament. Additionally, only about 3% of the Christian Bible texts that survive from the first three centuries AD come from scrolls, with the rest being codices.
The cartouche purchased for £12 may have been a valuable seal of Ramesses II
Some people have all the luck. First, James Balme found what may have been Anglo-Saxon or Viking stone artefacts sold as garden stones. He then made it big by purchasing a 3,000 year old object or seal of Ramesses II. A personal seal of one of Egypt’s most famous pharaohs, sold for £12 (about $19) on a charity website. James Balme, a lucky archaeologist, is asking experts to analyze the stone carvings to determine whether they are real or not. If so, it could be incredibly valuable.
Could this be the most expensive flower vase in Britain? The Roman sarcophagus worth $364,000 is a garden decoration
An ancient Roman sarcophagus worth up to 345,000 Euros ($364,000) was found in England in the grounds of a grand country house located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, where it was used as a flower pot for nearly a year. century. In what can be described as an unfortunate case of mistaken identity, the newly recognized Roman artifact is of great historical and archaeological significance, serving as a modest flower pot in the rock garden where Born of Sir Winston Churchill in Oxfordshire. After conservators removed the marble front and conducted a detailed examination, they were shocked to identify the basin as a white marble sarcophagus depicting vibrant Dionysian festivals and noisy, dating from 300 AD.
