Anything Lost Can Be Found Again
Every day, we get out our wallets on coffee shop counters, forget our phones in Lyfts, and dump out the contents of our bags before realizing, yes, the automobile keys were in our pockets the whole time. Only some things that take been lost over the years aren't so mundane—or replaceable. From stolen artworks and disappeared writings to destroyed places, we're counting down 30 of history's most devastating losses.
The Amber Room
Fabricated from several tons of the titular gemstone, the Amber Room has been dubbed the "8th Wonder of the World." Six tons of amber, precious stones and gold leafage made this 180-square-human foot room worth an estimated $142 million. Originally built in 1701, the Prussian-built Amber Room was somewhen installed at Catherine Palace in Pushkin by Czarina Elizabeth.
Just false wallpaper wasn't enough to hide the room from the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Marriage in 1941. Nazis packed it into 27 crates and shipped information technology to a castle museum in Königsberg, Federal republic of germany. Two years later, the Amber Room was packed away again, simply before a series of bombings. And that'south where the trail goes cold.
No one has seen it since. For now, the curious can visit an $11 meg replica but outside Leningrad.
Born in 1855, Ned Kelly became Commonwealth of australia'south near famous bushranger. Known to many every bit an Aussie Robin Hood, he became a bonafide legend just before his decease and, in doing so, the perfect subject for the earth's first feature-length film.
Infamously, Kelly and his gang ended up in a collision with the constabulary in 1880. Kelly fashioned himself a suit of armor and snuck up on the police surrounding the town he'd taken earnest.
In 1906, director Charles Tait shot the silent picture show The Story of the Kelly Gang in Melbourne. The end result? A reel that measured four,000 feet and a motion picture that clocked in at a little over an hr. This made information technology the longest narrative—and first feature-length—picture show in the earth. Over the years, bits of the lost film have been cobbled together into a 17-minute fragment.
Library of Alexandria
Alexandria'due south library was the greatest archive of knowledge in the world—until it vanished. Historians gauge the library housed over half a million documents from Assyria, Arab republic of egypt, Greece, India, and Persia. Though many attribute the Library'south devastation to a fire, the truth is shrouded in mystery.
Some pin the offense on Julius Caesar, while others blame violence that bankrupt out betwixt the Christians, Pagans, and Jewish people inhabiting the city. Some don't think there was a catastrophic burn at all—but deadening dissolution over time.
Stranger nevertheless, no architectural remains that can exist definitively attributed to the Library have ever been found.
FIFA's Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy
Yous'd exist hard pressed to find an accolade with a better Hollywood backstory than the original Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy. Get-go handed out in 1930, the Jules Rimet Trophy was fabricated of aureate-plated sterling silver and lapis lazuli. And more than simply footballers were eager to claim it.
During World War II, Ottorino Barassi, the president of the Italian Football Federation, smuggled the bays from a bank and into his apartment. Nazi soldiers tracked the trophy to Barassi's home, but failed to open the maximum security shoebox stashed under his bed.
Years after, the trophy was stolen while on display in England, but an intrepid domestic dog named Pickles discovered information technology in some bushes within days of the theft.
After Brazil won the trophy for a third fourth dimension in 1970, it was displayed in Rio de Janeiro behind bullet-proof glass. Despite these precautions, it was stolen on Dec xix, 1983. Well-nigh people believe information technology was melted down into gold bars.
Honjō Masamune
The nigh respected Japanese swordsmith was Goro Nyudo Masamune. He saw the rise of the samurai class's power during what's known as the Kamakura Period (the late 13th and early 14th centuries). Even today, his blades are highly sought after for their quality and rich history. Just peradventure none is more than renowned than the lost Honjō Masamune.
The Honjō Masamune received its name from i of its kickoff owners, Honjō Shigenaga, a full general who fought another ranking officer during a battle in 1561. Shigenaga'southward helmet was crevice in two past his opponent, but the general withstood the blow and killed his foe.
As was customary, he took his fallen opponent's weapon—a Masamune blade. The Honjō Masamune was sold and passed down for years, until the Tokugawa family claimed it as a symbol for their shogunate.
But, in the wake of World State of war Two, Tokugawa Iemasa handed over his family's prized swords in 1945 to the US Army, including the Honjō Masamune. Since then, the blade's whereabouts have been unknown.
Roanoke
Aside from its starring role in American Horror Story's sixth season, Roanoke is best known as the outset attempt to set up a permanent English colony in North America. Also called the "Lost Colony," the settlement was established on Roanoke Island in 1585. But the state, which is in present-day Northward Carolina, shows no traces of this former colony.
Afterwards establishing the settlement, well-nigh of those involved with the initial settlement returned to England for more supplies, but a pocket-size detachment stayed behind. When the settlers returned with supplies, they plant that the contingent they had left behind was gone.
Leader John White left the 115 new settlers in Roanoke and headed back to England for assist. Upon his return in 1590, the entire Roanoke Colony had vanished—no artifacts, no bodies. The simply clue? The proper noun of a nearby tribe, "CROATOAN," was carved into a tree.
Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was erected in the metropolis of—surprise—Rhodes to gloat the city's victory over Cyprus. Historians believe that the statue was 108 feet tall, making information technology the tallest (known) statue in the ancient world. And, in today's terms, roughly the same meridian as the Statue of Liberty.
One of the 7 Wonders of the Aboriginal World, the Colossus was meant to exist the Greek sun god Helios. It was constructed around 280 BCE, just toppled around 226 BCE when a massive earthquake struck Rhodes. Dissimilar the remnants of other lost treasures from antiquity, parts of the statue were preserved.
As of 2015, there are plans to build a new Colossus at the archway to Rhodes Harbor.
Mahogany Transport
Though fishermen and traders from Republic of indonesia, India and Communist china visited the aboriginals of what is now known as Australia for thousands of years, Europeans didn't prepare foot on the continent until a 17th century Dutch expedition. Or and so information technology was thought. The discovery of a shipwreck in 1836, merely off the south-western coast of Victoria, near Warrnambool, challenged this ordinarily-held belief.
The whalers who discovered the wreck, half buried in sand dunes, claimed it was made of dark wood. Hence the nickname the "Mahogany Ship." But, most significantly, the ship seemed to be of Portugese origin.
Because the shipwreck'south location was uncertain, there haven't been many large-scale expeditions for the Mahogany Send. Nevertheless, the Land Government of Victoria offered wreck-hunters a $250,000 reward in 1992 for the send's recovery. Why? Well, if the transport is Portugese information technology could rewrite Australia's colonial history equally we know it.
Parliamentary Mace (Victoria)
Despite its intimidating proper noun, parliamentary mace isn't a weapon. (Anymore.) Instead, it's a symbol of the Office of the Speaker and the constitutional rights of the people. That's why the theft of the parliamentary mace from Victoria's Parliament marks ane of Australia's greatest unsolved mysteries.
Made of silver, plated with gold, and decorated with roses, shamrocks, and eucalyptus leaves, the mace was taken but after midnight on Friday, October 9, 1891. The suspects? Many think the members of the house responsible for locking the mace upwards that dark nabbed information technology. And then brought it to a nearby brothel for kicks.
To this day, anyone who finds and returns the mace will earn a lofty $50,000 advantage. That's a lot of vegemite.
The Complete Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer'southward The Canterbury Tales—the blight of many a high schoolhouse English form—contains 24 stories. Improve yet, the 17,000 lines of text are all written in Middle English language. (Me thynketh, no thanks.) Believe it or not, Chaucer merely wrote most a quarter of the tales he wanted to include before his death.
That'south right: The Canterbury Tales were substantially the Game of Thrones (or, more accurately, A Vocal of Burn down and Ice series) of the late 1300s. The volume alternates between the points of view of various pilgrims, contains a lot of walking from place to place, and its author couldn't seem to write quickly plenty to close out the serial.
Later on a decade of writing, Chaucer penned 24 of his 100 planned stories. And, when he died, some of those tales were notwithstanding fragmentary. At present, several versions of item stories exist. And we'll never know the outcome of the pilgrims' trek.
Several of Disney's Oswald Shorts
Earlier Walt Disney'south Mickey Mouse debuted in Steamboat Willie (1928), the homo backside the mouse worked on some other blithe series starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In total, 27 i-reel "Oswalds" were produced at the Walt Disney Studio before Disney lost the rights to the graphic symbol to Universal Pictures. And while things improved for Disney afterwards the dispute, Oswald's situation worsened.
For years, it was thought that only xix of the Disney-produced Oswald shorts survived. In 2015, the British Motion picture Plant discovered a missing Oswald curt in its archives. A 2d "lost" Oswald cartoon surfaced in Japan in 2018. Yasushi Watanabe, now 84, had purchased the five-minute film Neck 'northward' Neck (1928) decades agone for a mere 500 yen.
While these discoveries are exciting, movie buffs notwithstanding mourn the fact that the other missing "Oswalds" may remain lost.
Leonardo Da Vinci's Manuscripts
Leonardo Da Vinci is the Renaissance Human—artist, inventor, writer, and full general overachiever. While his Mona Lisa draws hordes of visitors to the Louvre in Paris every twenty-four hour period, he's too known for several "ahead-of-his-fourth dimension" inventions, including a paradigm for a helicopter-like flying motorcar. And although a great deal is known about Da Vinci, a great bargain of his immense torso of work has also been lost.
After his expiry, Da Vinci'southward manuscripts were inherited past his educatee, Francesco Melzi. Merely when Melzi passed, the manuscripts were scattered—some were stolen, while others were given abroad or lost by Melzi'southward son Orazio. Now, the existing manuscripts comprise only one fifth or so of Da Vinci'due south total body of piece of work.
While fragments have resurfaced, the works are often difficult to decipher: Da Vinci famously wrote in code and skilful "mirror writing."
Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
Treasure-hunters and thrillseekers still set out to discover a treasure near Apache Junction, Arizona that was allegedly buried somewhere dorsum in 1891. Some of these treasure-hunters don't get in back at all. What's worth risking life and limb in the Superstition Mountains? The "Dutchman'south" gold.
German immigrant Jacob Waltz, "the Dutchman" in question, took the underground of where he hid his gold with him when he died. And why has no one come close to digging upward the mine? The Superstitions are treacherously steep and the magnetic rock messes with compasses. Worse still, summers are fatally hot; winters are fatally cold. And cell phones oft fail.
And so, why try? George Johnston, who worked at a local museum on the bailiwick, said, "If a mine produces two and a half ounces of gold per ton of rock, it is a bonanza. Well, the Dutchman's gilt ore that made that matchbook case assayed out to 50 ounces per ton."
For some, this potential prize outweighs the risk.
Isabella Stewart Gardner's Art
If yous head to the Boston-based museum's website, y'all'll see that the investigation into the 1990 theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is agile and ongoing. In fact, if you take any tips that atomic number 82 to the safe return of all 13 stolen works they'll advantage yous with a absurd $10 million.
Well-nigh thirty years ago, 2 thieves disguised as police officers bankrupt into the museum and grabbed the 13 paintings from the walls. That'south right: $500 million—gone just like that. Among the stolen works were pieces past Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Edgar Degas.
The heist is still known every bit the largest individual property theft in American history. And, in a nod to its history, the Gardner Museum displays empty frames where the stolen works one time hung.
Sappho'due south Poems
The poet Sappho was dubbed "the tenth Muse" past Plato and known in the ancient world for her achieved poesy. During the third century BCE, her poems were collected into a whopping nine volumes, which were subsequently lost or damaged.
Subsequently a parody characterized Sappho equally a promiscuous lesbian, Pope Gregory burned much of her work in 1073. For awhile, it was idea that only one twenty-eight-line poem had survived. Merely in 1898 that changed.
The first of her poetry fragments, written on papyrus, were discovered. Several years subsequently, in 1914, archeologists working in Arab republic of egypt found coffins made from paper scraps—and on them? More fragmented verses that appeared to be authored by Sappho.
Tree of Ténéré
Northeastern Niger was one time home to a woods of copse. Afterwards desertification took hold, a lone acacia, known as the Tree of Ténéré, remained. Known as the nigh isolated tree in the world, the closest trees prevarication nigh 250 miles away.
Dubbed a "living lighthouse" by Michel Lesourd in the 1930s, the Tree of Ténéré was considered sacred for decades by the nomadic Tuareg people. When Europeans drew armed forces maps of the expanse, the acacia became a landmark. Merely in 1973 this changed when a reportedly drunk driver struck the tree, uprooting it.
To honour the tree, a metal sculpture has been constructed where it once stood. And Niger'southward National Museum relocated the remnants of the Tree of Ténéré to Niamey for a display.
Crown Jewels of Republic of ireland
If you're anything like usa, the phrase "crown jewels" immediately conjures up a moving picture of a fancy majestic, all decked out in furs and gemstones. But the Irish Crown Jewels are a tad different. They don't accept links to the monarchy, but to an aristocratic group called the Society of St. Patrick. And the order'due south "Thou Master" would article of clothing the jewels—well, until the infamous theft in 1907.
Sir Arthur Vicars, who was charged with protecting the Crown Jewels, held two keys to the safe. He kept ane of those keys at his domicile.
Only Vicars wasn't the most trustworthy. One time a night of drinking led to his friends stealing his keys and pulling a prank on him. He'd also misplaced his keys a few times. All of this to say, his negligence led to the theft of jewels worth $twenty million.
Amelia Earhart'southward Aeroplane
Amelia Earhart famously became the kickoff woman to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean—as well as the starting time person to fly solo to Hawaii from the mainland United States. Her next challenge? Unfortunately, circumnavigating the globe in her twin-engine Lockheed 10E Electra didn't become too.
In July of 1937, Earhart just… vanished. Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, near a refueling end on Howland Island. Just vii,000 miles from Oakland, California—where she'd initially taken off. Stranger still, her aeroplane wreckage has never been recovered.
Many theories—and conspiracies—have cropped up around this lost-at-sea pilot. Some believe Earhart survived for a time on Nikumaroro (formerly Gardner Island), where a piece of Plexiglas potentially from the Electra's window was plant.
Holy Chalice
From Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) to The Da Vinci Code (2006), the Holy Chalice has been the subject of innumerable pop civilization quests. The chalice is and so coveted because it's the cup Jesus drank from, or served wine from, at the Terminal Supper. Others believe information technology was also the vessel used to collect Jesus'due south blood at his Crucifixion.
Despite its ties to Christianity, the chalice became so sought-after due to its clan with a magical item from Arthurian literature—the Holy Grail.
The interwoven stories of the Holy Chalice and Grail inspired several claims that medieval relics, such as the Valencia Chalice and the Genoa Chalice, are The vessels in question. Nonetheless, the location—and existence—of the Holy Beaker is still up for fence amidst scholars.
Peking Human
The "Peking human being" is a name given to an extinct hominin of a species you may know—Homo erectus. Back in 1927, an anthropologist identified the Peking man as part of human lineage, thanks to findings from a single tooth found well-nigh Beijing. According to the mandibles, limb bones, and teeth uncovered by researchers, these characters walked the earth nearly 770,000 to 230,000 years ago. Then the fossils walked out, too.
Well, sort of. Almost seventy years ago, the Peking man fossils vanished. The fossils were kept at Peking Union Medical College, but in 1941 researchers feared that the Japanese invasion would put the fossils in danger.
They did what whatsoever responsible scientist would do: they tried to smuggle the fossils out of People's republic of china and to the presumably safer United States. But the boxes of basic never made their connecting flight. One small step for man—and one giant setback for human evolution research.
Florentine Diamond
Weighing in at 137 carats, this side by side contender gives the (fictional) Heart of the Sea a run for its money. This nine-sided 126-facet double rose cut diamond is pale yellow in color and hails from India. But despite researchers' noesis of its origins, its path through history is only as nebulous as its electric current whereabouts.
The first reported sighting of the Florentine Diamond dates back to the late 1400s when the Duke of Burgundy brutal in battle while wearing it. Subsequently that, the diamond made its way to Italian republic: its alleged owners included Pope Julius II and the Medici family.
In 1736, Maria Theresa of Austria acquired it when she married the Duke of Tuscany, making the Florentine Diamond part of the Austrian crown jewels.
During World State of war I, the ownership records get messy: some say the Germans stole it. Others say the royal family fled with it, merely to have information technology stolen and sent to South America where it was presumably sold and recut.
Buddhas of Bamyan
Hewn from sandstone cliffs, the Buddhas of Bayman were two statues—one 115 feet and the other 174 feet tall—of Gautam Buddha. Located in the Hazarajat region of Afghanistan, these monuments dated back to the 6th century. These impressive Silk Road statues survived the campaign of Genghis Khan to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But, in 2001, the statues met a harrowing fate.
On orders from Mullah Mohammed Omar, members of the Taliban destroyed the statues in a dynamite nail. Since they were Buddha statues, the Taliban considered them "idols" and shot at them with anti-aircraft artillery. The resilient statues withstood explosives and rocket launchers, earlier eventually falling victim to the Taliban's iconoclasm.
Pyramid at Nohmul, Belize
Located on the Yucatán Peninsula, Nohmul (or Noh Mul) is a Maya archeological site in what is now modern-24-hour interval Belize. The country is known for its lush rainforests and beautiful coral reefs, only what really put it on the map was that it is home to one of the xv ancient Maya sites in the globe. Unfortunately, the site changed dramatically in 2013.
The main pyramid (similar to the one pictured in a higher place) once towered over the site, coming in at roughly 60 feet tall. Simply a construction company responsible for building nearby roads bulldozed the pyramid and other mounds in order to use the gravel. At present, the primary pyramid is gone.
SInce Maya sites are protected by law, officials in Belize programme to those responsible for the destruction to court. Nonetheless, the losses are irreparable.
Plato's Hermocrates
Like every business-savvy author, Plato was in it for a three-book deal. Or, that is, his hypothetical dialogue Hermocrates was meant to round out the trilogy he started with Timaeus and the unfinished Critias. So, what exactly are these dialogues?
They're sort of like monologues delivered by the titular characters. For case, Timaeus is a potentially invented figure who speculates about the nature of the concrete world. Critias is a fleck more heady: Information technology recounts how the kingdom of Atlantis tried to conquer Athens.
Historians can only speculate most Hermocrates. The speaker might accept been the Syracusan politician and general of the same name. Information technology might've shed light on naval powers and strategy.
Though we prefer the interpretation establish in Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis video game, wherein Hermocrates details the location and culture of Atlantis.
The Complete Bayeux Tapestry
This impressive tapestry dates back to the 11th century and measures in at 230 feet long and 165 feet tall. And information technology uses all that surface area to depict the Norman conquest of England. For seven centuries the tapestry remained safely in the Bayeux Cathedral. In 1792, it was almost cut into pieces and used every bit coverings for soldier'due south carts. Luckily, it escaped that dire fate—for a fourth dimension.
Since it's removal from the cathedral, the last console(s) appears to exist missing. Though it transferred hands several times during Globe War Two—from underground shelters to High german research facilities and, finally, to the Louvre in Paris—information technology remained relatively unscathed. Still, the question of how the tapestry's narrative ended has puzzled historians.
A squad of embroiders worked tirelessly to fill in the gaps. In 2014, they completed panels that depicted what happened subsequently William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. And though the replica panels match the manner of the tapestry, we'll never know what the originals illustrated.
Gospel of Eve
Though there are thought to be around 20 "Lost Gospels," the Gospel of Eve is past far the near intriguing—and controversial. Though fragments of some Lost Gospels exist, others were either completely lost to the ages or purposely destroyed past the Catholic Church. So, why weren't these gospels added to the Bible?
According to the church, they were excluded for either A) beingness of unknown origin, or B) being authored past heretics. Desire to know all about Eve? Well, that's a bit tricky. It'south unclear if a re-create of Eve'south gospel exists these days.
The quotes we do have from the Gospel of Eve indicate that the text advocated for tenants of "free beloved"—from polyamory to birth control—and mentioned (gasp) the menstrual bike.
Bayt al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom)
The Bayt al-Hikmah, or House of Wisdom, could certainly challenge the Library of Alexandria for the championship of "Greatest Repository of Knowledge" (Working Title). Established in Baghdad during the 8th century, this impressive library was too a cultural centre for astronomers, philosophers, mathematicians, translators and inventors.
Byzantine researchers were sent to study at this renowned institution. Several languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Greek, and Latin, were spoken at the facility. The House of Wisdom truly embodied the merging of intellect, traditions, and cultures from many nations.
But Bayt al-Hikmah met a tragic end when the Mongols invaded during the 13th century, killing the scholars and dumping the books in the Tigris River. It is said that the river flowed red and black for days from all the blood and ink.
Yongle Encyclopedia
The Yongle Encyclopedia, or Yongle Dadian, was China's—and the world'south—largest encyclopedia when it was finished in 1408. Arranged by bailiwick into 22,877 juan (sections), the text was leap into a whopping 11,095 volumes. But this beautifully illustrated drove went the way of the rest of the objects on our list.
During the 1500s, information technology was moved to the Forbidden Metropolis for protection. The emperor ordered information technology copied and, not long afterwards, the original was lost, or scattered. Some historians believe the Yongle Encyclopedia was destroyed in a burn down that swept through the Forbidden City during a rebellion. Others posit it was buried with an emperor. A tertiary theory suggest it burned in the Qianqing Palace fire.
At present, only 400 volumes remain. And its "World's Largest Encyclopedia" title has been claimed by Wikipedia.
Ur-Hamlet
This to a higher place all: to thine ain cocky be truthful—unless you can observe a wealth of inspiration in someone else. In that example, soak in their work and style your own in its footsteps. You heard that right. William Shakespeare's Hamlet is not equally original as your English teacher may take claimed. First of all, Village is based on a Norse legend. But, more than importantly, it's based on another play.
Most researchers agree that Shakespeare based his famous tragedy on a play by Thomas Kyd, known as Ur-Hamlet. Of course, as fate would take information technology, no copy of Ur-Hamlet exists. All we really know is that it was performed in London, pregnant Shakespeare was (more than likely) in the know most it.
This OG-Hamlet was also a tragedy that independent a line shouted by a ghost. That line? "Hamlet, revenge!" Very "brevity is the soul of summary," if yous enquire u.s.a..
Jack the Ripper'south "From Hell" Letter
Jack the Ripper is London'due south almost infamous—and unidentified—serial killer. He had a disturbing penchant for murdering sexual activity workers with anatomical percision, leading to his nickname. The "Jack the Ripper" title really originated in a alphabetic character from someone claiming to be the series killer, though it was after deemed a hoax. The "From Hell" letter, however, is thought to be authentic.
Why? When George Lusk, chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, received the letter on October 15, 1888 information technology didn't come with chocolates or flowers. Instead, it arrived with half a human being kidney. For this reason, of the thousands of letters allegedly sent from Jack the Ripper to the constabulary, "From Hell" was believed to exist the real deal.
Decades after, fingerprints on the alphabetic character might've helped experts scissure the case. Simply some poor record-keeping procedures ruined that notion. The letter—and kidney—are lost, so don't look the cast of Criminal Minds to solve this one anytime shortly.
Source: https://www.reference.com/history/lost-things-history?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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