The most extravagant treasures ever found -

Stories of treasure hunts and hidden riches have always seemed like fantasy. There have been numerous films and books that have filled our heads with the idea that wild goose chases could somehow lead to an unknown trove full of mysterious and magnificent artifacts.

But some of these tales are far from fiction. Find out more about the historic discoveries of the world's most valuable treasures.

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Bactrian Gold - In 1978, thousands of pieces of intricately-made gold dating between the first century BCE and first century CE were found in Tillia Tepe, Afghanistan.

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Bactrian Gold - More than 20,500 gold ornaments were recovered from six burial mounds by Greek-Russian archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi's team.

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Bactrian Gold - The six burial mounds are believed to be those of a nomadic prince and five women, possibly his wives.

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Bactrian Gold - This hoard of riches became known as the Bactrian Gold, reminiscent of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom dating back to 250 BCE.

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The Staffordshire Hoard - Stumbling across an eighth-century hoard worth over US$4.1 million is uncommon. However, that's exactly what happened to Terry Herbert in 2009, when he used a metal detector on a freshly-plowed field.

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The Staffordshire Hoard - He accidentally came across the largest trove of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, including over 3,500 pieces (mostly military-related).

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The Cuerdale Hoard - The story of the hoard found at the River Ribble in Cuerdale began when workmen were repairing the embankment and dug up a lead box.

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The Cuerdale Hoard - Inside the lead box, they discovered one of the largest hoards of Viking treasure ever found. The majority of these items came from English Viking kingdoms, but some also came from Scandinavia, Italy, and Byzantium.

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The Cuerdale Hoard - Over 8,600 items were documented, including pieces of jewelry, silver coins, and silver ingots worth over US$3.2 million. The workmen who found it were gifted a coin each from the hoard.

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Titanic - The "unsinkable ship" that sunk was not only filled with ornate furniture, artworks, and riches from its passengers, but the shipwreck itself is also a treasure.

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Titanic -

The tragic story of its maiden voyage in 1912 came about when the ship hit an iceberg. Over 1,500 people perished as the ship sunk to the bottom of the North Atlantic.

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Titanic - The location of the wreck was unknown until over seven decades later, when oceanographer Robert Ballard found it in 1985.

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Nuestra Señora de Atocha - In 1622, this ship was loaded with treasure to be sent to Spain from Cuba. Disaster struck when the ship sailed directly into a hurricane, and was lost at sea. It's said that 550 people perished.

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Nuestra Señora de Atocha - The treasure aboard the ship was estimated to be worth over US$450 million today, and for 16 years Mel Fisher searched for its lost treasure until, in 1985, he struck gold.

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Nuestra Señora de Atocha - The mother lode was found off the coast of Key West, Florida in 1985.

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SS Central America -

Also known as the Ship of Gold, the SS Central America embarked on a journey in 1857 loaded with gold from the Gold Rush, but was lost off the coast of South Carolina during a hurricane.

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SS Central America -

Found by treasure hunter Tommy Thompson in 1988, there were heavy legal battles and Thompson ended up going into hiding. Even after authorities caught up to him in 2015, the location of his US$50 million haul is still unknown.

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The Panagyurishte Treasure - Found in 1949, brothers Pavel, Petko, and Michail Deikov were working at a tile factory near Panagyurishte, Bulgaria digging for clay, when one thought they found a whistle.

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The Panagyurishte Treasure - It was presented to the mayor, and instead of being a whistle, it was a pure gold, ceremonial drinking horn. Among other items found were gold decanters, a dish, and a vase.

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The Panagyurishte Treasure - The treasure trove dated back to 4th century BCE, and included 13 lbs (about 5.9 kg) of solid gold, intricately decorated ornaments. This extravagant discovery is deemed priceless.

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The Caesarea Sunken Treasure -

In 2015, scuba divers exploring a seabed near Israel's Caesarea National Park found a child's toy, and their curiosity led them to unearth the first gold coin of many.

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The Caesarea Sunken Treasure - Upon closer inspection, they discovered significant engravings on the immense amount of gold coins they had found.

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The Caesarea Sunken Treasure - After reporting their find to the Israel Antiquities Authority, they returned with metal detectors to recover as much as they could. Nearly 2,000 coins were documented.

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The Caesarea Sunken Treasure - Many of the coins were of several different denominations. Having been minted at different times, the haul was dated between the 10th and 12th centuries, and it's so valuable that it's essentially priceless.

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Queen Anne’s Revenge - Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, that had run aground off the coast of North Carolina in 1718, was found in 1996.

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Queen Anne’s Revenge -

However, it was not until 2011 that the shipwreck was confirmed to be Blackbeard's actual pirate ship. Pictured is a model of the ship.

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Queen Anne’s Revenge - Recovered relics included cannons, an anchor, and a hilt of a sword that Blackbeard may have used himself. Since the recovery, not much jewelry and gold has been found, but the project is still ongoing.

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Belitung shipwreck - In 1998, an Indonesian fisherman found a 9th-century shipwreck off Belitung Island.

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Belitung shipwreck - The shipwreck proved that the Maritime Silk Route, running between China and the Middle East, existed during the 9th century.

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Belitung shipwreck - The collection of priceless Chinese Tang Dynasty artifacts found with the shipwreck was the largest amount ever discovered in one location.

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The Antikythera Wreck - Discovered in 1900, this ancient site off the Greek island Antikythera is still unearthing many treasures. The island is perhaps best known for the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism.

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The Antikythera Wreck - Known as the world's first computer, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, the Antikythera mechanism is a complex device made of gears that track the sun and moon to predict eclipses.

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The Antikythera Wreck - Archaeological treasures found at the wreck also include bronze sculptures and ceramic artifacts, with researchers continuing to discover more in their ongoing recovery.

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The Hoxne Hoard -

The Hoxne Hoard was discovered in Suffolk, England, by farmer Peter Whatling. He found a chest in his field while looking for his lost hammer. Inside the chest was gold jewelry, silver spoons, and coins, all dating back to the 4th or 5th century CE. Believing there was more to be found in the field, Whatling called for help.

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The Hoxne Hoard -

Also found in the same field were other treasures, including Roman ladles and serving bowls, all approximately worth US$3.8 million.

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Tutankhamun's tomb - Ancient Egypt had a strong focus on the afterlife, and Pharaohs were seen as gods. Pyramids were built in preparation for the Pharaoh's death and afterlife, creating a full necropolis in their tombs.

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Tutankhamun's tomb - One of the most famous of the Egyptian Pharaohs was young Tutankhamun. His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The tomb, as well as all it contained, is completely priceless.

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Tutankhamun's tomb - Pharaohs were mummified and their organs kept in ceremonial canopic jars, ready for the afterlife. Tutankhamen's burial mask is one of the best-known artifacts of this discovery, made of solid gold.

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Tutankhamun's tomb - To help with the journey into the afterlife, the tomb contained over 3,000 treasures. There were also scenes painted on the walls of his voyage into the afterlife.

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Tutankhamun's tomb -

There were four gilded shrines encasing a red quartzite sarcophagus that contained three nesting coffins. The innermost coffin that contained the young Pharaoh was made of solid gold.

See also: Fascinating message in a bottle discoveries

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