History textbooks can only tell us so much without artifacts and written accounts to back it up. While some of us slept through history class, others were riveted by the idea of a world that existed centuries prior. And not all history is enough to put a person to sleep - some of it is thrilling, dicey, and sounds more like a Hollywood film than an actual page in a history textbook. Buried treasure, for example, is only one thing that history speaks of, and while it's not often that a treasure is mentioned, the world has seen proof that it exists.

Popular legends surround the most elusive of treasures but the ground holds more secrets than many realize. Each country seems to have had its own experience with a treasure that was buried and hidden away from human eyes, only to be unearthed centuries later and proven true. When it comes to the most valuable discoveries in the world, these treasures have revolutionized the way we view a treasure map.

The Staffordshire Hoard

This unexpected treasure was found in 2009 and was discovered by a man who had no idea what he was about to unearth. While exploring with his metal detector one day, a man by the name of Terry Herbert was waving over a field that had recently been plowed when he was alerted to something under the surface.

His findings were actually part of an Angl0-Saxon treasure which encompassed more than 3,500 different items, most of which had a military origin. The artifacts were determined to be from the 8th century, making this treasure trove extraordinarily valuable while also giving historians even further insight into the era. It's estimated that the entire collection is worth $4.1 million dollars.

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The Środa Treasure

This treasure began as nothing more than a vase but it's what was found inside of the pottery that caught the world's attention. From 1985 to 1988, a building in Środa Śląska, Poland, was facing demolition. It was during this time that the Środa treasure was found buried beneath the building's foundation.

Rather than continuing historical artifacts, the vase was shown to hold roughly 3,000 silver coins. It was determined that the coins dated back to the 14th century and had a value of $120 million dollars. However, that value is still being determined, because as the years went on, more artifacts were soon discovered under nearby buildings, including a gold crown and an intricately-made gold ring. Therefore, no definitive value has been placed on the lot.

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The Cuerdale Hoard

The Cuerdale Hoard consisted of authentic Viking treasure and it was one of the largest discoveries of the period ever found. Many would argue that its cultural significance far outweighs its monetary significance, which is estimated to be somewhere around $3.2 million dollars but, luckily, most of it is on display at the British Museum.

The lead box was found by a group of workmen who were doing construction in the area at the time and it's said that the box contained more than 8,600 items belonging to the Vikings. It held anything from silver coins to elaborate jewelry, making it a remarkable discovery for historians and the world alike. Some of the items were able to be traced back to Italy, Byzantium, and Scandanavia, making it that much more historically valuable. Each of the workmen who made the discovery received one coin and the treasure itself was given to Queen Victoria, who had the items put on display.

The Caesarea Sunken Treasure

Amazingly, the Caesarea Sunken Treasure has no price, as it has been determined 'priceless' based on its historical significance. The treasure was found by divers diving off the coast of Caesarea National Park in Israel and initially, they couldn't believe what they'd found, thinking it had to be fake.

Upon the discovery of the 2,000 coins that littered the seafloor, it was determined that they dated back to the 10th and 12th centuries. To this day, there's no monetary value on the coins because they're far too valuable to even be considered on par with today's money.

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The Bactrian Gold

Discovered in 1978 at Tillya Tepe, the Bactrian Gold is perhaps one of the most valuable treasures ever found in history. Dating back to the 1st century BCE, it contains over 20,000 gold ornaments.

They were recovered from the burial sites of a nomadic prince and his five wives, along with additional treasures from China, Greece, and India. The jewelry, precious jewels, and a tremendous amount of gold have left this treasure without a price. It's now on display at museums all over the world for all to see and observe.

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