Buzz
From unimaginable riches and priceless works of art to hidden troves of ancient wisdom, the allure of treasure fascinates almost everyone on the planet. Throughout history, fortunes have been discarded in the pursuit of lost treasure, promising both fame and vast financial rewards. Here are 10 of the most iconic treasures lost to time.
10. The Copper Scroll
The Copper Scroll is among the 981 manuscripts discovered at Khirbet Qumran between 1946 and 1956, which are collectively known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Its unique value lies in its claim to be a treasure map, making it especially intriguing for Indiana Jones fans. Unlike other scrolls made of parchment or papyrus, this one is crafted from rolled copper sheets. Additionally, the Hebrew written on it differs from the others, resembling a script that became more widely used centuries later.
The Copper Scroll lists over 60 distinct locations, each said to hold varying quantities of gold and silver hidden or buried. Its instructions are often very detailed, including directions like 'in the gutter at the bottom of the rain-water tank...'
Despite the scroll itself being the only source of information, no other evidence has ever surfaced to confirm the existence of these treasures. Nevertheless, this hasn’t deterred adventurers from launching expeditions to uncover them. Some scholars argue that the Romans may have already discovered all of the treasure, as they were known for torturing captives to reveal hidden riches.
9. The History Of Cardenio
While many know about Shakespeare’s famously lost play, Love’s Labour’s Won, another equally sought-after work is The History of Cardenio. Co-written by Shakespeare and John Fletcher—his collaborator on Henry VIII and Two Noble Kinsmen—this play was based on a character from Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece Don Quixote. Evidence of the play’s existence comes from various sources, including a list of performances by the King's Men, Shakespeare’s acting troupe, in May 1613.
Sadly, the manuscript for the play was lost and was never seen again. In the 18th century, Lewis Theobald, an editor of Shakespeare’s works and a playwright, claimed to have discovered a copy of it and 'enhanced' it, transforming it into a play titled Double Falsehood. Theobald supposedly placed the manuscript at the Covent Garden Playhouse in London, which tragically burned down in the early 19th century. While some scholars believe Theobald’s claims, the original version of the play remains lost, and we still don't have the pure work of the greatest playwright in history.
8 On Sphere-Making
Often hailed as the Leonardo da Vinci of ancient Greece, Archimedes was not just a brilliant inventor but also the man famous for shouting 'Eureka!' while running through the streets of Syracuse. Beyond his streak of public nudity, Archimedes invented a device known as a 'planetarium.' This sphere demonstrated the movements of the sun, moon, and planets from an Earthly perspective, and its mechanical complexity was unparalleled. Though none of his planetariums survived, the Antikythera mechanism is thought to be closely related.
Very few details of how Archimedes’ inventions were made were ever written down, as he preferred not to waste time documenting mundane matters. However, he made an exception for his planetarium, believing it to be a tool that would help people understand the cosmos and, by extension, the divine. The mechanical sophistication of the planetarium’s design, with gears that would rival modern clockwork and not be seen again for over a thousand years, was carefully described in his work On Sphere-Making. Sadly, all that remains of the book is references from other writers, including the Greek mathematician Pappus.
7 Treasure Of Lima
What list of lost treasures would be complete without a little piracy? The Treasure of Lima, hidden on the remote Cocos Island off the coast of Costa Rica, is said to be worth almost US$300 million. This fortune includes '113 gold religious statues, a life-sized Virgin Mary, 200 chests of jewels, 273 swords with jeweled hilts, 1,000 diamonds, solid gold crowns, 150 chalices, and hundreds of gold and silver bars,' according to the original inventory—all treasures accumulated by the Catholic Church during its rule in South America. The treasure was entrusted to British trader William Thompson for safekeeping while political unrest in Spain’s colonies settled down.
Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, the treasure proved too tempting for Thompson and his crew, who murdered the guard tasked with protecting it and sailed to Cocos Island. They buried the riches, planning to return later when things calmed down. However, their ship was intercepted by Spanish authorities—the crew, except for Thompson and his first mate, were executed for piracy. In exchange for his life, Thompson agreed to lead the officials to the treasure, but upon arrival, he fled into the jungle, and both he and the treasure disappeared, never to be seen again.
6 The Maxberg Specimen
Archaeopteryx, one of the earliest known transitional fossils between dinosaurs and birds, has long been celebrated for its significance in both paleontology and ornithology. With only 11 relatively complete specimens ever discovered, each fossil is considered incredibly valuable. The Maxberg Specimen, found in 1956 by two quarry workers in Germany at the site owned by Eduard Opitsch, was only the third Archaeopteryx specimen unearthed. Opitsch later lent it to the nearby Maxberg Museum for further study.
Opitsch, initially planning to sell the specimen, changed his mind when he realized it would be subject to taxes. He took the fossil back from the museum and kept it hidden in his home until his death. Afterward, his nephew attempted to locate the specimen but was unsuccessful. It is widely believed to have been stolen after Opitsch passed away. If it ever resurfaces, scientists hope that modern technology may provide further insights into the fossil, which was never fully cleaned during its time in the museum.
(The photo above depicts the Munich Specimen, likely a juvenile, discovered in 1992.)
5 Treasure Of La Noche Triste
On June 30, 1520, Hernán Cortés and his forces found themselves cornered in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, surrounded by a furious population who had just witnessed the death of their ruler. (Spanish accounts suggest the Aztecs were responsible for his death.) In the dead of night, Cortés and his men tried to flee the city, weighed down by vast amounts of treasure they had looted during their time in Tenochtitlan. However, they were spotted by guards, and a fierce battle ensued. As many as half of the Spanish soldiers perished during the escape.
What became known as La Noche Triste, or 'The Night of Sorrows,' cost Cortés not just men and weaponry, but also a substantial portion of the stolen treasure. It is believed that the treasure was later recovered by the Aztecs, who buried it in the surrounding hills to hide it from the Spanish. When Cortés and his men returned to the city, with the help of native volunteers, they questioned refugees but never managed to locate any of the treasure. To this day, some believe that up to half of the greatest treasure hoard ever amassed in the Americas could still be hidden, waiting to be discovered.
4. Duchamp’s Fountain
Marcel Duchamp, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, is perhaps best recognized for his iconic work Fountain, created in 1917. Aiming to challenge the conventional definitions of art and its value, Duchamp introduced the concept of 'readymades'—artworks made from everyday objects that he found. Fountain became the pinnacle of this artistic approach. It was an ordinary urinal, placed sideways, and signed with the pseudonym R. Mutt. By this time, Duchamp was already well-known, and he intentionally wanted to avoid the influence of public expectations on how the piece would be perceived.
Fountain was submitted for the 1917 Society of Independent Artists exhibition, but it was rejected by the committee, despite their stated policy of accepting all submissions. In protest, Duchamp resigned from the committee. To rally support for his piece, Duchamp had friends take photographs and write articles about it, but the original work ended up being lost and has never been seen again. It's widely believed that it was discarded by Duchamp’s photographer friend, Alfred Stieglitz. Any remaining examples of Fountain, including the one pictured here, are reproductions authorized by Duchamp, commissioned at later dates for various purposes.
3. The Battle Of Anghiari
Often referred to as ‘The Lost Leonardo,’ The Battle of Anghiari is a painting that portrays four horsemen engaged in battle during the historic conflict of the same name in 1440. Initially intended for the Hall of the Five Hundred, a meeting space for the victorious Florentine leaders, Leonardo da Vinci began the massive work in 1505. This was set to be his largest painting ever. Unfortunately, the same technical challenges that had troubled his earlier masterpiece, The Last Supper, eventually caused him to abandon this ambitious project.
In the subsequent years, another artist, Giorgio Vasari, was commissioned to create a new mural (The Battle of Marciano, as shown here) for the same location. As a result, da Vinci’s The Battle of Anghiari was lost to history.
However, recent investigations have uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that the lost masterpiece may still be preserved beneath Vasari’s mural, potentially saved intentionally by Vasari himself. Some scholars even speculate that the work was completed, but Vasari fabricated the story of it being unfinished in order to cover it up with his own painting. Present-day efforts to confirm this theory have come to a halt, with both local politicians and art historians reluctant to risk damaging Vasari’s own masterpiece, leaving the fate of da Vinci’s painting uncertain.
2. The Kusanagi Sword
The full title of the sword is Kusanagi no Tsurugi, which means ‘Grass-Cutting Sword,’ and it is part of a trio of sacred objects known as the Imperial Regalia of Japan. This sword is traditionally used in a semi-religious ceremony during the coronation of each new emperor, symbolizing the ruler’s legitimacy. It has reportedly been bestowed upon each emperor for over a thousand years.
The original sword is thought to be housed in Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, with a replica being used for ceremonial purposes. However, the authentic sword is believed to have been lost, sinking to the bottom of the sea during a battle in the 12th century. Thus, the sword used today is essentially ‘a copy of a copy.’ The sword is deeply woven into Japanese mythology, said to have been discovered within the body of an eight-headed serpent slain by the storm god Susanoo.
Kusanagi no Tsurugi embodies the virtue of valor. The other two sacred items in the Imperial Regalia are the Yata no Kagami mirror, symbolizing wisdom, and the Yasakani no Magatama jewel, which represents benevolence.
1. Remains Of Peking Man
One of the most significant paleontological discoveries in human history occurred in China during the 1920s when several skulls were uncovered. These skulls are believed to belong to a species of early humans, Homo erectus pekinensis, also known as Peking Man. These early hominids lived over 500,000 years ago and were likely preyed upon by massive, lion-sized hyenas, as the skulls were found in what appears to have been the hyenas' den. After their discovery, the skulls were housed in Peking (modern-day Beijing), but they unfortunately became one of the many losses during World War II.
In September 1941, as China’s situation grew increasingly dire, Hu Chengzhi, the lead researcher, placed the skulls aboard a ship bound for the United States. Tragically, the skulls are believed to have been lost at sea when either the Chinese or American vessel carrying them was sunk by Japanese forces. Some more speculative theories suggest the skulls were destroyed for use in traditional Chinese medicine, though no evidence supports this. Despite several efforts to recover them, the remains of Peking Man have never been found.
