The concept of sunken treasure has captivated the imagination of pirates, divers, and the general public for likely as long as ships have sunk to the bottom of the sea.
Part of the draw is that there are purportedly still a plethora of famous lost shipwrecks out there, such as the undiscovered Portuguese Flor do Mar, a treasure ship that was sunk in 1511 off the coast of Indonesia bearing dozens of chests of gold, precious gems and perfumes that might be worth billions today.
But other lost treasures and artifacts have been found below the surface of oceans, lakes or sinkholes, whether they were tossed into water as a kind of offering or went down with entire ships. Take a dive into five of these notable discoveries throughout history.
1. The Antikythera Mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism’s interlocking gears perplexed scientists for over a century. Historians now believe it was an elaborate conversation piece that tracked celestial movements and kept time. (Credit: National Archaeological Museum, Athens/Antikythera Mechanism Research Project/Kostas Xenikakis)
