18 Major Discoveries (Stumbled Upon By Total Randos)

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Entire fields of study are dedicated to finding important, priceless discoveries. So it's got to be exasperating to a professional treasure finder with a degree in fancy valuableness finds out that some random nimrod bumbled into the discovery of the century. But that happens all the time, apparently.

For example:

18

A KID PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK LITERALLY STUMBLED OVER A STEGOMASTODON SKULL. CGRA Nine-year-old Jude Sparks tripped over the 1.2-million-year-old fossil

17

AN INCREDIBLY RARE CHESS PIECE WAS FOUND IN A DRAWER IN SCOTLAND. The medieval chess piece, one of the long-lost Lewis Chessmen, had been gathering du

16

AN EGYPTIAN MAN DIGGING IN HIS YARD FOUND A SECRET PASSAGE TO THE GREAT PYRAMID. CRAG The man came across a corridor made of stone blocks while doing

15

A CALIFORNIA WOMAN BOUGHT A JACKSON POLLOCK PAINTING FOR $5 AT A THRIFT STORE. A forensic art specialist helped determine that the painting Teri Horto

14

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS DIGGING A SEWER FOUND AN ANCIENT TEMPLE. CRAUA The workers were drilling a sewage drain in an Egyptian city when they unearthed a

13

A MICHIGAN FARMER TRYING TO INSTALL A WATER PIPE FOUND WOOLY MAMMOTH BONES. CRAGA James Bristle was mid-construction when his digger hit something har

12

A COUPLE RENOVATING THEIR HOUSE FOUND A CACHE OF VAN GOGH'S PAPERS STASHED UNDER GRAU THE FLOORBOARDS. UNION ASSURANCE OFFICE, A.D. I714, FIRE U L& No

11

A TURKISH MAN REMODELING HIS HOME FOUND AN UNDERGROUND CITY. CRA A man In the Cappadocia region knocked down a wall in his basement, only to discover

10

A CHINESE BOY LOOKING FOR A NUTCRACKER FOUND A DINOSAUR NEST. CRAGN Ten-year-old Zhang Yangzhe was wandering around near the Dong River trying to find

9

A COUPLE LOOKING FOR A HAWAIIAN SUNSET FOUND ANCIENT PETROGLYPHS ON THE BEACH. CRAG Lonnie Watson and Mark Louviere were in Honolulu when they stumble

8

A NEW YORK WOMAN FOUND A MILLION-DOLLAR PAINTING IN THE GARBAGE. CRA Elizabeth Gibson was out for a walk in Manhattan in 2003 when she spotted a brigh

7

A GERMAN STUDENT FOUND A 17TH-CENTURY PAINTING INSIDE A COUCH FROM A FLEA MARKET. GRA The student purchased the pull-out sofa for about $215. When she

6

A GALILEE GARDENER PULLING WEEDS FOUND A MEDIEVAL RING. CRACKED COM YUOOM Dekel Ben-Shitrit dug the ring out of the dirt and posted it on Facebook, wh

5

A WOMAN FOUND A LOCK OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE'S HAIR HIDDEN IN A RING. CRAUN Mupil 14:4 The woman says she found the ring in an attic in Wales, and that it

4

A BADGER DIGGING ITS DEN FOUND A BUNCH OF MEDIEVAL SLAVIC CHIEFTAINS. CRAGA TWo residents of Stolpe, Germany were on a walk when they spotted a bone t

3

AN ARGENTINIAN MAN OUT WALKING ON HIS FARM FOUND A 10,000-YEAR-OLD9 SHELL. GRAOI OCA Jose Antonio Nievas was out walking by a stream when he spotted a

2

AN AUSTRIAN MAN DIGGING IN THE DIRT FOUND A LITERAL TREASURE. CRAUN The man was trying to expand his backyard pond when he dug up more than 200 pieces

1

A GREEK FARMER PARKED HIS VEHICLE UNDER A TREE, AND IT ALMOST SANK INTO A HIDDEN TOMB. CRAUN He was able to back it out before it sank into the ground