Buzz
Given that Earth is believed to be around 4.5 billion years old, one might assume that scientists, historians, and archaeologists have already uncovered most of its secrets. Yet, despite extensive exploration of both remote lands and oceans, this list proves that this assumption couldn’t be further from reality.
With the help of cutting-edge tools and technological advancements, exploration has become easier than ever before and is now crucial for deepening our understanding of our planet. As a result, Earth’s hidden treasures—whether they lie in its history, wildlife, or natural wonders—continue to emerge before our eyes.
In fact, this year alone has brought a series of groundbreaking discoveries. From the first-ever documentation of unique animal behaviors to unearthing historical relics, finding a new tree species that seems to belong in a fairy tale, and recovering artifacts believed to be lost to the depths of the sea—these incredible findings reveal the untold mysteries of history and nature. They challenge what we thought we knew and remind us that, even after billions of years, there’s still so much left to uncover.
Here are ten amazing discoveries that were made or announced this year.
10. Burial Practices of Asian Elephants
Asian elephants, smaller than their African counterparts with more rounded ears and a twin-domed head, are the largest land mammals remaining in Asia. Despite extensive knowledge about their social behavior, intelligence, and environmental significance, it was not until recently that scientists documented Asian elephants burying their dead. This marks a unique behavior previously unseen in these magnificent creatures.
Both African and Asian elephants have been observed interacting with their deceased companions and showing signs of grief, but a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Threaded Taxa on February 26, 2024, was the first to scientifically document Asian elephants intentionally burying the bodies of their young calves. This discovery has provided valuable new insights into the emotional complexity of these animals.
How were these burial behaviors uncovered? Akashdeep Roy, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, alongside Parveen Kaswan from the Indian Forest Service, were conducting unrelated research in the tea estates of north Bengal, India, when they stumbled upon signs of elephant calf burials. Between September 2022 and October 2023, they found five calves buried in drainage ditches, positioned on their backs with soil covering their heads and torsos. Interestingly, the legs and feet of the calves remained exposed above the earth.
Why were the calves buried in this manner? The bodies of the calves, aged between three months and one year, were later exhumed for study. Bruising on their backs indicated that the adult elephants had likely carried the calves using their trunks or legs, transporting them over great distances to their burial spots. In some instances, the herd traveled for up to 48 hours, carefully choosing remote irrigation channels on the tea estates, far from human settlements, for the final resting place of the young ones.
By observing the elephants through digital photography, field notes, and postmortem reports, researchers have concluded that the calves were positioned on their backs, legs facing upward. The herd members then covered the bodies with soil, leveling the area. The researchers also believe that the elephants deliberately focused on protecting the calves' heads and torsos by covering them first, possibly to shield them from scavengers.
Although some remain doubtful about the deliberate positioning of the calves, with some proposing simpler explanations for the burials, Roy rejects these theories. According to the researchers, the elephants intentionally arranged the bodies in such a way that multiple herd members could take part in the burial. This theory is reinforced by the discovery of footprints and dung from several elephants at the burial sites.
Apart from the unusual burial practices, villagers and tea estate workers reported hearing the elephants vocalizing loudly for up to 30 or 40 minutes before leaving the burial grounds. Researchers believe this suggests the elephants were mourning the calves. They also found that after the burials, Asian elephants avoided the paths where the calves had been placed, even if the route had been frequently used before, suggesting that the elephants may associate the area with negative memories or omens.
9. The Rediscovery of the Statue of Ramses II
In 1930, German archaeologist Dr. Günther Roeder uncovered the lower half of a statue of Ramses II, 150 miles (241 km) south of Cairo in the Minya Governorate, close to the modern city of El Ashmunein. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, is regarded as one of the most renowned pharaohs throughout the entirety of Egypt’s 31 dynasties. His reign as the third pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th dynasty—the second-longest of any Egyptian ruler—ushered in a period of immense power and prosperity for the kingdom.
The discovery of the lower half of the Ramses statue was remarkable, but it took nearly another 100 years before the top half was found. So, how was the other part of the statue finally uncovered?
In 2023, a joint Egyptian-American expedition led by Dr. Bassem Gehad and Prof. Ivonna Trnka-Amrhein from the University of Colorado began investigating the Ashmunein area, hoping to locate a religious complex from Egypt’s New Kingdom period. Though they did not uncover the anticipated complex, in January 2024, the team discovered the top half of the Ramses statue, lying face down.
Because the excavation site was so close to the Nile River, Trnka-Amrhein was initially concerned about the statue’s condition. However, further digging revealed that the statue was not only well-preserved, but also retained traces of blue and yellow pigment. Standing 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) tall, it depicts Ramses II wearing a double crown and a headdress with a royal cobra. The back column of the upper half is inscribed with hieroglyphics that praise the pharaoh. Early scans of the limestone confirmed that this piece is part of the statue first uncovered by Roeder.
On March 4, 2024, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities officially announced the discovery. Gehad has since put forth a proposal to reunite the two parts, and once restored, the statue is expected to stand at an impressive 23 feet (7 meters).
8. The Discovery of a New Parasitic Wasp Species
Parasitoids begin their life cycle as parasites, residing on or inside their host, but ultimately transform into predators, consuming the host entirely. Some species of flies, a few beetles, moths, lacewings, and even a single caddisfly species have evolved to adopt this parasitic lifestyle. However, wasps make up the majority of parasitoid species.
Female parasitic wasps lay their eggs on or inside a variety of invertebrates, and upon hatching, the larvae feed on their hosts. Around 200 species of parasitic wasps specifically target juvenile fruit flies (Drosophila). Up until now, every known parasitic wasp species that used fruit flies as hosts focused on the larvae and pupae of these flies during their more vulnerable stages.
Adult flies in the eastern United States have unknowingly been experiencing a disturbing situation resembling a body horror film, though no one noticed until a PhD student from Mississippi began studying bugs in his backyard.
In March 2023, a research team led by Logan Moore, a biologist working on his doctorate at Mississippi State University, collected Drosophila affinis fruit flies from local backyards. While screening these flies for parasitic nematodes, they discovered a wasp larva with a spiked tail inside the abdomen of a male fly.
Initially, the team thought the discovery was an isolated incident. However, further research revealed that between 0.5% and 3% of the male flies caught annually in traps were parasitized by wasps. By raising the larvae in a lab and analyzing their DNA, Moore and Matthew Ballinger, an associate professor at Mississippi State University, identified the wasps as a previously unknown species. The surprise of the find was compounded by the fact that Drosophila flies are so well-studied, raising questions about why this new discovery had gone unnoticed for so long.
On September 11, 2024, their research was published in the journal Nature. The new elusive predator, named Syntretus perlmani in honor of prominent University of Victoria fly researcher Steve Perlman, marks the first wasp known to parasitize adult fruit flies. Female S. perlmani use their sharp stingers to pierce the fly’s abdomen, depositing an egg. This egg then hatches into a small wasp larva, which grows for about 18 days before erupting from the fly’s body, reminiscent of a xenomorph from the Alien franchise, leaving the fly lifeless.
7. Rare “Blue Room” in Pompeii
By the early first century, Pompeii had blossomed into a vibrant coastal town on the southwest shores of Italy, frequented by the Roman Empire's elite. The streets, lined with elegant homes and villas, were well-paved with raised sidewalks and stepping stones to keep pedestrians above the mud. The townsfolk spent their leisure time in public baths, attending gladiator and chariot races at the amphitheater, and enjoying theatrical performances. Sadly, this prosperous era was brought to an abrupt end in 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum beneath a thick blanket of volcanic ash and rock.
Even after millennia since Mt. Vesuvius’s eruption devastated the city, the ancient ruins of Pompeii continue to unveil astonishing discoveries. Archaeologists have found a wide range of items, including a pregnant tortoise, children’s graffiti, a painting resembling a flatbread akin to pizza, frescoes illustrating mythological scenes from the Trojan War, a kitchen shrine adorned with serpents, and the chilling remains of over 1,000 victims. Yet, in May 2024, the Archaeological Parks of Pompeii revealed an extraordinary new find.
During recent digs in Regio IX, an area that had never been excavated before and is part of one of the nine districts of Pompeii, archaeologists uncovered a lavish shrine featuring rare blue wall paintings. The artwork, showcasing female figures symbolizing the four seasons and depictions of agriculture and sheep farming, has been interpreted as a ‘sacrarium’—a shrine used for religious rituals and the storage of sacred items.
The room, measuring about 86 square feet (8 square meters), contained various household furnishings, 15 large vases, two bronze jugs, two bronze lamps, construction materials believed to be intended for future renovations, and a pile of empty oyster shells, which may have been kept to grind into powder and mix with mortar and plaster.
The discovery was especially significant due to the rare blue pigment used in the room's decoration, a color that 'rarely appears on Pompeiian frescoes and was typically reserved for intricately designed rooms.' Gabriel Zychtriegel, the site’s director, noted that 'Blue was the most expensive color because it was difficult to produce. It had to be imported from Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean, and beyond.'
6. Le Lyonnais
The Le Lyonnais was a 260-foot (79-meter) transatlantic steamship, built in England in 1855 by Laird & Sons for a French company, Compagnie Franco-Americaine. This ship, designed to carry passengers and mail between England and America, featured sails but also boasted a horizontal steam engine and an iron hull. It was a remarkable vessel for its time, exemplifying the technological breakthroughs that revolutionized maritime shipping in the mid-19th century.
However, during its maiden return voyage from the United States to Le Havre, disaster struck the ship.
On November 2, 1856, the ship collided with the Maine-built Adriatic, which was traveling from Belfast, Maine, to Savannah, Georgia. Although the Adriatic was able to return to New England for repairs, the crash left a massive hole in Le Lyonnais’s hull, ultimately sinking the ship. Out of the 132 people aboard, 114 perished. For the past 168 years, the exact location of Le Lyonnais's final resting spot in the Atlantic Ocean remained unknown—until now.
In the late 2000s, shipwreck explorer Eric Takakjian began searching for Le Lyonnais. By 2016, Jennifer Sellitti and Joe Mazraani—owners of Atlantic Wreck Salvage—reignited the search, partnering with Takakjian and using their dive vessel, the D/V Tenacious. Through a combination of historical research and sonar technology, the team successfully identified the ship’s final location eight years later.
In late August 2024, the wreck of Le Lyonnais was discovered about 200 miles (322 km) off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The team was able to confirm the identity of the wreck thanks to several distinct features, including the ship’s stem engine, sail system, iron hull plates, and screw propeller.
While the exact location of the wreck remains undisclosed, the team did reveal that Le Lyonnais is 'heavily buried' in the sand, situated in 'very deep water' with poor visibility. They plan to return to the site to further catalog the artifacts found there.
5. Sanfordiacaulis densifolia
On February 2, 2024, a groundbreaking study was published in the journal Current Biology, revealing the discovery of a 350-million-year-old tree fossil that closely resembles something straight out of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. While it may not be a living truffula tree, this fossil is the most complete tree specimen from the Mississippian time period ever found, and one of the rarest fossils of its kind across all geological eras.
How was this remarkable discovery made? In 2017, Olivia King and Matthew Stimson, graduate students from St. Mary’s University in Halifax and part of the New Brunswick Museum team, were conducting fieldwork at Sanford quarry in Norton, New Brunswick. They stumbled upon a tree trunk embedded in a boulder, but as they began to excavate, they were astonished to find that the trunk was still attached to its branches and leaves. Realizing this was unlike anything they had encountered, they shared photographs with fossil plant experts in an effort to identify it.
The fossil, which was encased in a sandstone boulder and roughly the size of a small car, was later removed by the quarry staff and taken to the New Brunswick Museum. Over the course of seven years, five specimens have been discovered. The newly identified tree species was named Sanfordiacaulis, in honor of the quarry owner, Laure Sanford, and his significant contributions to the discovery.
Much like the truffula tree, Sanfordiacaulis densifolia stood just a bit taller than a human at around 8.5 feet (2.6 meters). Its slender trunk measured only 0.5 feet (16 cm) in diameter, while its dense canopy boasted over 200 leaves that extended at least 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length. Researchers believe that S. densifolia could be the earliest evidence of a subcanopy tree, possibly creating a layered forest environment 350 million years ago, with its large leaves—each one reaching up to 5.5 feet (1.7 meters)—contributing to this ancient forest structure.
4. Secret Chess Pieces under Floorboards at Auschwitz
Originally established in 1940 to house Polish prisoners during Nazi Germany's invasion, Auschwitz transformed into one of the most notorious killing centers in history by the time it was liberated in 1945. Prisoners were tortured, beaten, and executed for the most minor offenses as part of the camp’s horrific operations.
In an effort to momentarily escape the grim reality of Auschwitz, many prisoners turned to card games and chess for comfort. However, possessing such items was considered a severe offense, with punishments ranging from death to severe beatings. A recent discovery sheds light on the prisoners' hidden attempts to connect with each other in defiance of isolation, choosing courage over fear and solidarity over solitude, risking their lives for the simple act of playing chess.
On March 20, 2024, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum revealed a surprising find during renovations of Block 8 at the Auschwitz I Camp, a discovery that would soon captivate the world.
Beneath the floorboards, a set of handmade chess pieces was uncovered. The pieces—35 cardboard squares with hand-drawn images of rooks, pawns, bishops, and knights—were surprisingly well-preserved despite being over 80 years old, even though some of the drawings were a little faded.
The museum’s exhibition, 'Sport and Sportspeople at KL Auschwitz,' already features two sets of wooden miniature chess pieces and bread-made chess figures. Elżbieta Cajzer, the head of the Museum's Collections, commented, 'What sets these newly discovered pieces apart is their construction from prefabricated cardboard, made in a rudimentary fashion. The creator focused more on practicality, portability, and the ability to conceal the pieces quickly from Nazi guards, rather than on aesthetics.'
The partially preserved chess set has been carefully maintained and will eventually be included in the museum's permanent exhibition.
3. Diana of Versailles
In July 2024, RMS Titanic Inc.—the sole company with legal permission to recover artifacts from the Titanic wreck site—assembled a team of videographers, photographers, scientists, and historians to document the condition of the ship's remains.
James Penca, a researcher at RMS Titanic Inc., explained that the main goal was to locate the Diana of Versailles—a two-foot-tall (60-cm) bronze statue of the Roman goddess of wild animals that once adorned the fireplace in the Titanic’s first-class lounge. Finding the statue, however, proved to be a difficult challenge. Though it was visible in photographs from a 1986 expedition led by Robert Ballard, it had not been seen since and was thought to be lost forever.
During the 20-day expedition, two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) captured over two million images and 24 hours of high-definition video footage, documenting both the wreck itself and the surrounding debris field.
On August 9, 2024, with only a few hours remaining on the final day of the expedition, the team made an extraordinary discovery. Two-and-a-half miles (3.2 km) beneath the ocean's surface, in total darkness, the Diana statue, which had been resting on the ocean floor for 112 years, was finally located and photographed.
Over the years, RMS Titanic has recovered thousands of artifacts from the surrounding debris field, and plans are already in place to return next year to continue their efforts, including retrieving the Diana statue.
2. First Case of Active Wound Treatment in a Wild Animal
While scientists knew that great apes sometimes used plants as medicine, they had never observed a wild animal actively applying a plant to treat a wound—until a groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports on May 2, 2024, documented what is now considered the first known case of a wild animal using a medicinal plant for wound treatment.
On June 22, 2022, Rakus, a male Sumatran orangutan residing in the Suaq Balimbing research area in Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park, was seen with a pink wound beneath his right eyelid. Not only did Rakus have a piece of flesh missing that resembled the shape of a puzzle piece, but he also had another wound inside his mouth. These injuries were believed to be the result of a confrontation with a rival male orangutan. However, it wasn’t the injuries themselves that astounded the researchers—it was Rakus’s remarkable behavior as he attempted to care for his own wounds that caught their attention.
Over the next several days, researchers followed Rakus at a distance and noticed that he began eating the stem and leaves of a liana vine plant called Akar Kuning. While the climbing vine is an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial plant used locally to treat malaria and diabetes, it is rarely eaten by the orangutan population in the area. From there, Rakus’s behavior grew increasingly intentional and specific.
Rakus spent 13 minutes eating the plant and then spent seven minutes chewing the leaves. However, rather than swallowing, Rakus then smeared the juices of the chewed leaves onto his wound. More interesting, even when flies began landing on Rakus’s wound, he fully covered it with leaf material and then went back to eating the plant, feeding for over 30 minutes. Rakus repeated the treatment the next day and was also observed resting for much longer than usual, suggesting that he was trying to recuperate from the injury.
The paste and leaves seemingly appeared to have done their magic. Rakus’s wound never showed signs of becoming infected, and within five days, the wound had closed. By July 19, 2022, approximately one month after Rakus sustained the injury, “the wound appeared to have fully healed, and only a faint scar remained.”
1. Amelia Earhart’s Plane?
The disappearance of Amelia Earheart remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century if not all time. While there have been countless theories as to what may have happened, we may now be on the verge of discovering the truth behind the disappearance of Earhart and her plane.
In 2022, Tony Romeo, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and pilot, sold off his real estate company to launch an ocean exploration business, stepping into the shoes of countless oceanic investigators who had long sought answers to the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance.
In September 2023, Romeo’s company, Deep Sea Vision, commenced their search for the wreckage. The team set out from Tarawa, Kiribati, in the South Pacific aboard a research vessel. Working in shifts of 36 hours, the 16-person crew deployed the Kongsberg Discovery HUGIN 6000, an advanced unmanned underwater drone, to scan the ocean floor, covering approximately 5,200 square miles (13,468 square kilometers) from September to December.
It wasn’t until the final day of their expedition that the team noticed something unusual in the sonar data and images collected 60 days earlier. Around 16,400 feet (4,998 meters) beneath the surface, a plane-shaped object appeared in the sonar images between Australia and Hawaii, about 100 miles (160 km) off Howland Island. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, had planned to refuel at Howland Island but never arrived. Unfortunately, by the time the team realized the discovery, the underwater drone’s camera was damaged, making it impossible to revisit the site for a closer inspection.
On January 27, 2024, Romeo revealed the discovery and shared the sonar images via Deep Sea Vision’s social media. The company claimed that not only was the image taken in the area where Earhart is thought to have crashed, but that the dimensions of the object closely match those of Earhart’s Lockheed Electra 10-E plane.
While the sonar image isn’t clear enough for experts to make definitive conclusions, Romeo, who invested $11 million in the search, remains confident. He asserts that the wreckage is connected to Earhart, noting that 'there are no other known crashes in the area, and certainly not from that era or of a plane with the design and tail seen in the image.' The crew intends to return to the site soon to investigate the potential wreckage further.
