69. Austrian man finds fairy-tale treasure while digging in yard
Location: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Discovered Year: 2011
Est. Value: Unknown
This will not inspire you to dig in your backyard. One Austrian discovered a hidden treasure in his backyard while digging dirt. The trove contained hundreds of pieces, including 200 rings and ornate buckles. It also included brooches, silverplates, and other jewelry.
The fragments contained fossilized corals, pearls and other valuable materials. When the objects were evaluated, they were estimated to be around 600 years old. The Austrian government did not assign a monetary amount to the treasure but it called the discovery one of “the most significant” Middle Age treasure discoveries in Austrian History.
70. Mastodon bones found in New York backyard pond
Location: 2000
Year Discovered: Hyde Park, New York
Est. Value: $6,000*
Dinosaurs once ruled the Earth. We still find old, massive bones of these giant creatures, even millions of years after they lived. Larry Lozier, of Hyde Park in New York, was digging his backyard pond and stumbled across what he believed to be a large log covered with mud.
Lozier noticed a knobby part when he removed some of the mud. He immediately knew there was “something unusual” there. And he was correct. Scientists from all over America congregated in Lozier’s back yard to discover a well-preserved mastodon skeleton hidden beneath his pond.
