Top 16 Hidden Treasures: Surprising Discoveries That Inspired Netflix Documentaries!

4. 200 miles from the ocean, whale fossils were found on a farm

Location: Vermont's Charlotte Year Found: 1849 Estimated Value: $38,488* One would naturally assume that the bottom of an ocean, lake, or other huge body of water is where one would expect to locate sea creature fossils. That is why the discovery of whale fossils in the ground by railway workers excavating beneath a Vermont farm took them completely by surprise.

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200 miles from the ocean, whale fossils were found on a farm (twabian/Shutterstock). The bones were embedded in blue-gray clay, while the property itself was situated 200 miles from the coast. Later, the proprietors of the land received $1,000 ($38,488 now) from a history museum for the bones. The whale was probably buried there thousands of years ago, when the earth's topography was very different and numerous landmasses were formerly covered in water.