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The desert can often be seen as a vast, empty wasteland. But sometimes fortune favors the brave. Tread through this arid terrain and you could lay your hands on some truly remarkable treasures - ones that carry with them an immense price tag!
Who knows, maybe you'll find the next Copper Scroll! Read on to discover what lost artifacts have been discovered in the desert and how much they were worth.
A Town In The Namib Desert Became A Hotspot After The Discovery of Diamonds
Kolmanskop was a rather unmentionable town in the Namib Desert in Namibia until 1908, when Zacharias Lewala came across a diamond lying in the sand.
From then on, the town exploded in population, with an endless stream of people flooding into the area of hoping to find their own fortune lying in the desert sands. The town of Kolmanskop was wealthy for over 40 years until the early 1950s, but by 1954 was no more than a ghost town.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
While this discovery may not be treasure or precious gems, the Dead Sea Scrolls are considered to be one of the most valuable pieces of information ever found in the desert.
Found in a cave system in Israel, the Dead Sea Scrolls are a series of parchments that are thousands of years old, that contain some of the earliest passages of texts that are found in the Hebrew Bible and other major religious texts. They are a priceless piece of history that you can't put a number on.
The Rosetta Stone Is One Of History's Greatest Discoveries
In 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered by a member of Napoleon Bonaparte's army during his campaign in Egypt. The stele is inscribed with three different translations of a decree that were issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC on behalf of Ptolemy V Epiphanes.
The top and middle texts are in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Demotic scripts, with the bottom being ancient Greek. The stone became the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, therefore beginning the real study of Egyptology.
A Rare Meteorite From Mars
A 75-ounce meteorite was discovered in the Western Sahara near the Moroccan city of Smara. Its official designation is Northwest Africa 7397, usually shortened to NWA 7397.
While meteorites aren't all that uncommon, what makes this particular one special is that it comprises 75 ounces of the total 300 pounds of Martian meteorites that have ever been found on Earth. You can buy pieces of the meteorite on the Internet in small amounts for around $500.
Microorganisms That Can Cure Deadly Diseases
While finding jewels, treasures, and lost information is incredible, there are other things found in the desert that can save lives. One example of this was in Chile's Atacama desert, where some potential life-saving organisms were discovered.
One of the strains of the microorganisms has potential use to treat the human immunodeficiency virus. This particular strain contains a specific enzyme that could allow for it to reproduce itself inside the human body.
Ancient Greek Treasure Found In Israel
A group of Israeli cave explorers came across a small collection of ancient Greek treasures. They found two silver coins, jewelry, and a necklace. The items proved to be over 2,000 years old and would fetch a pretty penny if they weren't considered to be priceless artifacts.
The silver coins have the image of the Greek god Zeus and are assumed to be from Alexander the Great. Another incredible aspect of this find is the great condition the treasures were in.
A Precious Mineral Can Be Extremely Valuable
One of the lesser-known minerals that can be found in the desert and is worth a lot of money is borax. This is the chemical compound that is used to extract boron, which is a significant component for a number of manufactured goods ranging from glass to pharmaceuticals to cosmetics.
One place that has an abundance of borax is around California's Searles Lake. Since its discovery, miners have extracted more than $1 billion worth of borax, with some claiming it's more valuable than gold.
The Tomb Of The Silver Pharoah
In 1939, the grave of Pharaoh Psusennes I was discovered, who is assumed to have ruled the kingdom of Egypt around 3,000 years ago. He reigned for more than half a century.
Unsurprisingly, the former pharaoh's tomb was also packed with gold artifacts such as his death mask, sandals, rings, and other clothing all made from gold. Considering the amount of precious gold and jewels found, some argue that his tomb is even more lavish than Tutankhamun's.
An Egyptian Goldsmith's Tomb Had More Than Just Gold
In 2017, archaeologists discovered the ancient tomb of an Egyptian goldsmith named Amenemhat. His grave was located in the Dra' Abu el-Naga' burial ground, an area not far away from the iconic Valley of Kings.
Being a gold worker, Amenemhat would have been a man held in high regard both for his skill and for working with such precious metals around 3,500 years ago. His grave consisted of elaborate jewelry, as well as 150 small statues to watch over him in death.
A Lucky Prospector Found A Massive Gold Nugget In Australia
While out exploring with his metal detector, Australian prospector Kevin Hillier discovered an enormous gold nugget. The giant piece of gold weighed in at a whopping 960 ounces, and was uncovered in a desert gold field near the town of Kingower, Victoria.
After discovering the massive lump of gold in 1980, he was quick to sell it to the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas for $1 million. Of course, a casino with that name couldn't pass up the opportunity!
The Death Mask of Tutankhamun Is Worth $2 Million
In 1922, the burial chamber of the young Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun (King Tut) was found in the Valley of the Kings. It wouldn't be until a year later when archaeologists would open the chamber and another two for the sarcophagus. It was on October 28, 1925, when Howard Carter, an English archaeologist, opened the coffin and revealed the golden death mask.
The mask is composed of high-karat gold, lapis lazuli, quartz, obsidian, as well as other precious stones, and weighs 22.6 pounds. As of 1925, the mask has found a permanent home in the Egyptian Museum in Cario. The Death Mask of Tutankhamun is worth $2 million.
A Can Full Of Valuable Coins
In 2013, a couple, whose names still remain unknown, were walking their dog on land they owned in Saddle Ridge in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. While walking, they spotted an old can. Upon picking it up, they discovered that the can contained gold coins.
They continued to find even more of these cans with the total number of coins found being 1,427. The coins dated from 1847 to 1894, and in 2014 were estimated to be worth $10 million in total.
The Hidden Library Of Timbuktu
Timbuktu sits on the edge of the Sahara Desert and was home to the University of Sankoré for 30 years. At that time, university founder Mohammed abu Bakr al-Wangari built a library with books on African and Islamic history, religion, sciences, as well as literature. Unfortunately, after his death in 1594, the works were split among his family and lost.
It's just been in the last decade that some of the manuscripts have been uncovered. While some are destroyed due to water and termites, others are still willfully intact thanks to the desert heat. Like many artifacts, this book collection is said to be priceless.
250 Mummies Discovered In Just A Few Digs
In 1996, while excavating at the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert, a team of researchers stumbled upon something incredible. After a series of digs, they had managed to uncover around 250 mummies from the Greco-Roman era around 2,000 years ago.
While not all of the mummies were buried with riches, many of them had decorated death masks, waistcoats, and more. On top of that, many of the mummies were in excellent condition. The site was given the name the Valley of the Golden Mummies.
Iraqi Fighter Jets Found Buried In The Sand
In 2003, US troops discovered multiple Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat fighters and SU-25 Frog Foot fighter-bombers buried in the sand at the al-Taqqadum Air Base in Iraq. Porter Goss, the former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Porter Goss, said, "Our guys have found 30-something brand new aircraft buried in the sand to deny us access to them."
It's believed that Saddam Hussein wanted to hide the jets from the United States military, coming back to unbury them at a later time when he could attack. That day never came. The Iraqi fighter jets are estimated to be worth around $300 million or more.
There's More Than Buried Treasure In The Desert
When most people think of treasure, they imagine gold, silver, and jewels, but that's not always the most valuable. Uranium can be found in the desert, and in modern society is an incredibly precious commodity.
The radioactive element can be used to make devastating weapons, among other things, and can even be used for power. One of the world's largest uranium mines is located in the Namib desert, which runs along the coast of Namibia for over 1,200 miles.
Incriminating Shell Documents Were Buried In A 40-Foot Hole
In 1992, the Shell Oil-owned Texas-New Mexico Pipeline Co. had a massive oil spill underneath a development. Not wanting to be associated with the spill, Shell sold their rights to the pipeline and buried the documents in a 45-foot hole in the New Mexico desert. EOTT then bought the rights to the pipeline, unaware of the spill.
In 2003, 190 boxes full of documents and records were found regarding the incident. Considering the files were in a hole meant to cover up criminal activities, they were worth a substantial amount of money — more than $60 million, to be exact.
Ancient Cylinder Seals Were Used By Ancient Kings
Back in the time of the Mesopotamians, around 3,500 years ago, cylinder seals were used. They were about an inch in length and would be rolled across clay to create impressions with symbols and figures.
Typically, they were used as royal or official signatures, and at times were even worn as pieces of jewelry. Although many of the cylinders in the best condition can be found in museums, they can be sold for quite a bit of money either to collectors, researchers, and even on the black market.
The Ten Commandments Film Set Found In Sand Dunes
The film The Ten Commandments was groundbreaking in 1956. Hollywood's use of special effects and props in the movie were never before seen on the big screen. So, when it was time to wrap up filming, director Cecil B. DeMille's ordered the 12 stories high 800-foot wide set designed by Paul Iribe to be buried.
Then, in 2017, one of the 21 sphinx heads buried in the Guadalupe-Nipomo sand dunes was uncovered by archaeologists. The Hollywood artifacts were able to stay intact even though they were buried for decades, speaking to the designer's craftsmanship. The Ten Commandments film set is estimated to be worth around $1 million.
Spanish Coins Unexplainably Found In Utah
In May 2019, a man hiking in the desert of Utah's Glen Canyon National Recreational Area came across a peculiar pair of coins. Understanding that there was something unique about them, he brought them to experts who identified them as being of Spanish origin, with one dating from the 1660s and the other the 13th century.
However, there is no record of the Spanish reaching that part of the United States until the 1700s, so where could the coins have come from?
The James Ossuary May Or May Not Be A Hoax
In 2002, The James Ossuary was found in a cave in the Silwan region of Jerusalem. In its entirety, the ossuary is a limestone box that is meant to hold the bones of the deceased. This particular box is of significant importance because of the Aramaic inscription in the Hebrew alphabet cut into the side that says, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus."
Unfortunately, there was widespread skepticism regarding the authenticity of the ossuary. While it is an artifact of the time, there is a chance the finder, Oded Golan, forged the inscription. Because the authenticity couldn't be proven, the ossuary is only worth $50,000.
Don't Forget About Silver!
If you're on the hunt for silver, look no further than the deserts of the U.S. America has been known for its quantity of silver coming from the deserts dating back to 1859.
That was the year when miners found mass amounts of the metal in Nevada, giving it its name, the "Silver State." During the mid-19th century, the mines in the Nevada deserts alone yielded $225 million worth of silver. If you're lucky, you can probably still find some out there!
The Gibeon Meteorite Is Prehistoric And Worth Thousands
First discovered in Great Namaqualand, Namibia, Africa, in 1836, the Gibeon Meteorite is thought the be an assortment of asteroid fragments of an exploded star that dates back four billion years. The prehistoric meteorite is composed of iron, small amounts of cobalt, and nickel, weighing between 200 and 1,100 pounds!
Because of the hard exterior of the space rock, natives would use it to construct tools and various weapons. Since then, around 100-150 various fragments have been discovered, some of which are displayed in Post Street Mall in Namibia. Today, the fragments are worth around $383,806.