18. WWII Plane Found in Jungle with Coffee Still in Thermoses
Location: Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Year Discovered: 1972
Est. Value: $9 million*
The “Swamp Ghost” was a Boeing B-17E bomber that no doubt wreaked havoc in World War II. That is until the plane went down in 1942 in the jungles of Papua New Guinea after being hit by enemy fire. The downing of the Swamp Ghost occurred during a raid on Japanese forces in Rabaul, New Britain.
The plane was left untouched for decades. When it was discovered in 1972, it was well-preserved by the kunai grass and mire. The Swamp Ghost was so intact that there was still coffee in thermoses in the cockpit when it was found. According to some sources, the value of such a well-preserved WWII plane is around $9 million.
19. A Shocking Discovery from 2000-year-old Shipwreck: The Antikythera Mechanism
Location: Antikythera, Greece
Year Discovered: 1900
Est. Value: Priceless
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient, two-thousand-year-old astronomical calculator that consists of thirty hand-cut, precise bronze gears. The advanced tool was made by ancient Greeks, and it has taken scientists years to unravel the mystery behind this device, which Cardiff University’s Mike Edmunds described as pricier “than the Mona Lisa.”
The machine was discovered in 1900 by sponge divers looking through an ancient shipwreck near Antikythera, a small Greek island. Using radiocarbon data, scientists were able to date this clock to 65 B.C. When it comes to its total value, its historical nature makes it nearly priceless. Who can put a number to discovering how ancient civilizations read the skies?
