The 8 most amazing (and valuable) treasures found under the sea
The ocean is a vast area covering most of the globe. Long before planes flew around the world, ships were the only means of travel. For many, getting a job on a ship was like playing Russian roulette, but it can be incredibly lucrative for you.
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- The ocean holds countless sunken treasures, from ancient cities to wartime gold, waiting to be discovered beneath its depths.
- An Egyptian sphinx made of basalt, discovered off the Bahamas in 2014, is believed to be worth $
- 2 billion and raises questions about how it ended up underwater.
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- The lost Egyptian city of Heraklion, found in 2000, offered priceless historical artifacts that significantly enriched our knowledge of ancient civilizations.
- Neapolis, a Roman city destroyed by a tsunami 1,700 years ago, was rediscovered in 2010 with significant findings like massive garum production facilities.
- A mysterious, massive underwater pyramid discovered near the Azores in 2021 is speculated to have originated before the last Ice Age.
- The Antikythera shipwreck, unearthed in 1900, contained what many believe to be the world’s first analog computer, igniting global fascination.
- Legends of Nazi gold worth $
- 6 billion allegedly dumped into Lake Toplitz during WWII continue to drive fruitless search efforts due to the lake’s treacherous conditions.
Not every sailing ship was able to return to its homeland, sinking to the bottom of the beautiful salty sea and taking with it all sorts of indescribable treasures. However, lost treasures are not limited to ancient boats and pirates. There are billions of Nazi gold dumped in a lake in the Alps, if we believe the myths, among many other things...
1. Underwater Sphinx
Estimated value: $1.2 billion*
Year of disappearance: 2500 years ago
Discovery Year: 2014
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Divers made a startling discovery a few years ago off the coast of the Bahamas, when they found a large stone statue resembling a sphinx in Egypt, a structure that would have cost more than a billion dollars to build. James Nelson, who was part of the research team that investigated the divers' discovery, said the team was "not entirely sure" what the "discovery" meant.
What Nelson's team was able to determine was that the 3,000-pound basalt monument was of Egyptian origin. Nelson said that although the Sphinx was eroded by coral and other life forms, the "nature of the metal used" suggests it came from Wadi Rahnu, an Egyptian quarry. It remains to be determined how he ended up underwater.
2. Heraklion
Estimated Value Today: Priceless
Year of disappearance: Second century BC
Year of discovery: 2000
It's no secret that the world map has changed over the years. Cities that stood on fixed ground in the ocean have disappeared for thousands of years. Back in 2000, one such place was discovered in Egypt by Frank Godio. It was the ancient city of Heraklion.
As you might imagine, the city was a huge discovery for historians. Archaeologists were able to extract priceless artifacts from the depths, including pottery, coins and standard treasures such as gold and jewelry. It is impossible to set a price for a discovery of this magnitude, because it affects the course of history.
3. Roman city of Neapolis
Estimated value today: unknown
Year of disappearance: 1700 years ago
Discovery year: 2010
Neapolis, the ancient Roman city, was swept away by a massive tsunami that occurred 1,700 years ago. Although tsunamis are known for their destructive power, this tsunami must have been truly violent to destroy an entire city in one fell swoop. Fourteen years ago, an archaeological expedition rediscovered the lost city.
Neapolis yielded a good number of interesting finds, including monuments, streets, and a hundred reservoirs used to make garums. Garum was a fermented fish sauce used by the ancient Romans and Greeks as a popular seasoning. Judging from this unique discovery, garlic production must have been a large part of Neapolis' economy.
4. Portuguese Underwater Pyramid
Estimated value today: unknown
Year of Disappearance: The Last Ice Age (Maybe)
Year of discovery: 2021
This mysterious pyramid, dubbed by some the "sunken pyramid of Atlantis," is one of the most unusual marine treasures on this list. The Portuguese pyramid is 197 feet high and has a base area of 86,111 square feet. The huge hull was discovered by a person sailing off the coast of the Azores in Portugal.
The sailor was looking for good fishing grounds, but instead found a huge pyramid. The Portuguese Navy was called for investigation. The current theory is that it was built before the last ice age in the northern hemisphere. When the glaciers melted, the pyramid was covered. As more exploration and research is made, there are likely to be new discoveries about this strange structure.
5. Antikythera wreck
Estimated Value Today: Priceless
Year of disappearance: Second century BC
Discovery Year: 1900
While finding gold is a good thing, it's not often that explorers can say they've found what could be the world's first analog computer. This huge discovery first appeared in the news in 1900. To this day, no one is quite sure what the ancient Greek apparatus actually does.
There are a lot of theories, including the idea that it is designed to track the sun and moon. The mechanism itself was part of a much larger amount of antikythera shipwreck. A lot of interesting items have been found, from bronze sculptures to ceramics and everything in between. Everyone, from YouTubers to documentary filmmakers, is fascinated by the entire discovery.
6. Golden Lake Toplitz
Estimated value today: $5.6 billion*
Year of disappearance: World War II
Year of discovery: Undiscovered
Needless to say, World War II was a turbulent period for many countries. The Nazis not only invaded countries, but also took treasures from cities and towns alike. Rumor has it that they dumped upwards of $5.6 billion of stolen gold into Lake Toblitz in the Alps in the forties, and were planning to return to it later.
But, as we all know, they did not win the war and the treasure supposedly remained there. Needless to say, countless divers have tried to locate the gold, but because of the 300-foot-deep water that is also lined with layers of logs, nothing has been found. For now.
7. Nostra Señora de las Mercedes (Black Swan)
Estimated value: $500 million*
Year of disappearance: 1804
Year of discovery: 2007
It may be self-evident, but when a ship carries millions of gold, it's a risky task. When the ships didn't reach their destination, it wasn't entirely unusual. Unfortunately, the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes did not reach its final destination in 1804.
The ship sank to the bottom of the ocean after an unfriendly confrontation with the British, and took its treasure with it. In 2007, a transport company found the staggering $500 million wreck off the coast of South America. They called the discovery the Black Swan, before Spain eventually recovered it.
8. SS Republic Ship
Estimated value: $1150 million*
Year of disappearance: 1865
Year of discovery: 2003
The task of the SS Republic was an honorable one. She made her way from Georgia to New Orleans with a structure full of coins, sent to help with the clean-up process in the aftermath of the Civil War. This money could have helped the city get back on its feet, had the ship not sunk like a stone.
The wreck was discovered in 2003, delighting treasure hunters on the Odyssey Marine Exploration journey. More than 51,000 coins were found, making the estimated value of this sunken ship more than $150 million. This is more than the wealth of some famous musicians.
