10 Hidden Treasures You've Probably Never Heard Of
Updated: Apr 6, 2022
There are thousands of hidden treasures and artifacts all around the world, but it seems that the same 15 to 20 are always talked about. For example, you have probably heard about Blackbeard's or Captain Kidd's treasure. Maybe you have heard about Montezuma or The Nazi Gold Train. I know you have heard about Oak Island or The Ark of the Covenant. But what about the hidden treasures below? You may recognize some, but I'm guessing a majority you haven't.
1. Peg-Leg Lost Mine
In 1829, on his way from Yuma to Los Angeles, trapper Thomas "Peg-Leg" Smith, found a gold mine filled with gold nuggets. After he left and tried to return, he could not find it again. It was found again two times, once by a Mexican vaquero who died with the whereabouts of the secret place, and once by a random miner who also fell sick and died. Both gathered the same specimens that Peg-Leg did. The mine has not been found a fourth time, but it is believed to be in the Tule Wash area.
2. Lasseter's Gold
Harold Lasseter, a gold prospector , claimed to have found a "gold reef" if the middle of the outback. In 1929, Lasseter finally came out in claiming that he had indeed found rich gold deposits on the Western edge of the MacDonell Ranges in the Northern Territory of Australia. With conflicting stories on when he found it, Lasseter asked around for interest in funding for him to go back out and excavate the land, but no one believed him. In 1931, he separated from his expedition group and died in the scolding heat of the outback, or so the legend says. The "gold reef" has never been found.
3. Queen Neferiti's Tomb
Another great mystery of Egyptian queens, the search for the tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Queen Nefertiti, who was the step-mother of the great King Tutankhamun, has yet to be found deep in the sands of Egypt. Many expeditions across the country have been attempted some even claim that they are getting close, but nothing has been found. Some think she is buried up near the Pyramids of Giza, while other remain certain she was buried near King Tut in the Valley of the Kings.
4. Robinson Crusoe Island Treasure
Home of 4 years to the marooned Alexander Selkirk, this famously named island is also home to a pirate treasure. According to Bernard Keiser, a $10 billion treasure lies somewhere under the surface. The search for the treasure has brought about a lot of controversy with Keiser and the Chilean government.
5. Roger Touhy Loot
During the prohibition, the bootlegger Roger Touhy and his gang supposedly hid $60,000 near the town of Newport, Tennessee. Touhy was heavily associated with Al Capone and was seeing all over the Midwest and may have stashed his dirty money other areas, although the biggest legend is that of the large stash in Cocke County, Tennessee.
6. Ozark Spanish Gold
There are many tales surround the lost Ozark Spanish Gold, but the most prevalent and reliable story goes to the tale of the mine found in Franklin County, close to Turner Bend. The story goes that a group of Spaniards who were traveling up the Arkansas River and then were attacked by Native Americans. The Natives then decided to hide the treasure in a nearby bluff and set booby traps for anyone to get close to it. Although some gold was found, the large reported stash has not been found. The land is now on private property.
7. The Lost City of Z
Okay, so maybe you ave heard of this one, but just by a different name, El Dorado. Some speculate that The Over a span of about 20 years, explorer and archaeologist, Percy Fawcett, ventured to explore the Bolivian and Western Brazilian Amazon. He became friends with many of the local tribes and claimed to have found ruins to an ancient city he called "Z". On his last expedition to find the lost city again, him, his son, and his son's friend disappeared never to be seen again. The city remains a mystery.
8. Iram of the Pillars
Although assumptions differ across the Middle East, it is widely believed that an ancient city lies under the Rub' al Khali desert. Sometimes nicknamed "Atlantis of the Sands", it is said to have golden pillars and vast treasures on the inside. Made popular by the Playstation game, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
9. Lost Dutch Shipwrecks
Off the coast of Western Australia lay thousands of lost shipwrecks, a lot of them which may be of Dutch origin. Dutch were the first to explore Australia in 1606. Due to some of Australia's treacherous coral reefs, many ships were lost. Some with riches galore.
10. Lemminkainen Hoard
Landowner Ior Bock of Sippo, Finland claims that he is direct descendant of Lemminkäinen, a very popular character of Finnish mythology. On his family's land is a cave which is supposed to hold this treasure worth $20 billion. The team "The Temple Twelve" claim they are close to finding it, but nothing has been found yet.
I hope you enjoyed the quick read of these hidden treasures you may not have heard about. If you are interested in more history and an in-depth interactive map with over 75 lost artifacts, check out Seek Fortuna. It's free to sign up!
If you are interested in Henry Avery's Treasure follow the link!
