A legend began that art dealer Forrest Fenn had hidden a treasure chest filled with gold and precious stones in the Rocky Mountains. Fenn had written a semi-cryptic message about the treasure’s location, but many speculated where it was exactly.
The treasure was estimated to be worth about 2 million, and many searched for it, some even perishing in pursuit of the supposed treasure. It was finally discovered by a medical student named Jack Steuf. The finding of the treasure has been met with controversy, however — others claim that they had located it first but were simply unable to reach the location before Steuf.
Ancient Chinese Art
Bird-like sculptures dating back to c1500 B.C were discovered in China. The sculptures are thought to be birds and have tiny measurements.
What impressed archaeologists most was the craftsmanship of the sculpture for the time period. In fact, archaeologists believe the birds were created using six different sculpture techniques.
Luwian Inscription
An inscription found on an ancient mound site in Southern Turkey is thought to be a recording of the military victories of Anatolian King Hartapu. Archaeologists from the University of Chicago unearthed the inscription, but little is known of the enigmatic ruler.
The inscription does confirm, however, that Hartapu was a Neo-Hittite ruler. The region where the inscription was discovered, Turkmen-Karahoyuk, was once a sparsely populated area that, during the time of Hartapu, grew into a much larger, bustling town spanning over 300 acres.
Oldest Mayan Temple
The largest and oldest Mayan ceremonial structure was found on a Mexican cattle ranch close to Guatemala. The temple is estimated to have been built between 1,000 and 800 B.C. This makes it older than the Mayan pyramids!
Now called Aguada Fenix, the platform-like structure was hidden in plain sight as it appeared to be a natural part of the surrounding ranchland. The Mayans were known for their advancements in technology, but their civilization was extinct by 800 A.D.
Gato Nazca
Peru is well-known for the Nazca lines or pre-Colombian geoglyphs that have been etched into the sands. One of the most recent geoglyphs discovered is in the shape of a cat which has been named the Gato Nazca.
The Gato Nazca is estimated to have been built between 200 and 100 B.C. Though it was severely eroded when it was first discovered, careful work by archaeologists has helped reveal the details of the impressive geoglyph. The Gato Nazca may look like a simple drawing, but it is an important finding that can reveal much about an ancient civilization.