3. Prehistoric Mayan Wealth
Found Year: 2019
Est. Value: Incalculable
Under Mexico’s Chichén Itzá, in a once-sealed cave that was unearthed in 2018, archaeologists uncovered a cache of looted artifacts. Part of the Balamku network, the underground chamber holds more than 150 holy objects, such as ornamental plates with the faces of ancient gods and incense burners.
Relic from the Ancient Maya ©Associated Press/Alamy
The jewels, which are thought to have remained undiscovered for more than a millennium, offer insight into the spiritual customs of the Mayan city. When the cave was first found in 1966, villagers shut it off according to archeologist Víctor Segovia Pinto’s instructions, adding to the cave’s mystery and making it a conundrum that took fifty years to solve.
4. Nearly 80,000 Years of Work Experience
Found Year: 2010 Estimated Value: N/A
The Middle Stone Age until the present day have been covered in great detail in the archaeological record found in Kenya’s Panga ya Saidi network of caves. The Max Planck Institute’s Michael Petraglia emphasizes the cave’s importance, pointing out that its main chamber can hold hundreds of people due to its expansive 1,000 square feet of room.
Nearly 80,000 Years of Work Experience ©Shutterstock/IndustryAndTravel
The site’s position in a tropical forest with a stable climate stands in contrast to other drought-stricken regions of Africa. Large stone tools used by prehistoric people to make specialized blades and arrowheads from about 67,000 years ago are just a few examples of the artifacts that shed light on the history of the area’s human occupants.
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