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Life’s full of hidden treasure! Oh, sure, that phrase works metaphorically, too, but we’re being quite literal here. If you’re curious about the world and live for the unexpected, then Bored Panda’s got a treat for you. We’ve collected some of the best photos of interesting finds that people were astonished to discover. So go on, check them out! And though far from everything glitters like gold, you’re likely to admit that most of these finds are valuable in their own right.

Remember to upvote the photos that you loved the most, dear Pandas! Got any interesting finds to share with us? Drop us a comment or a photo in the comment section at the very bottom of this list. And if you’re in the mood for some more unexpectedly awesome finds, check out our most recent earlier posts here, here, as well as here.

While we can find many unexpected things by accident, it’s also important to stay curious as we continue growing older. And that goes for all things in life, not just amateur archeology. After all, keeping that energetic spark alive makes our lives have far more quality. One thing that we value is people keeping their childlike curiosity burning bright no matter how old they might get.

#1

My Husband Passed Away 2 Weeks Ago And In The Garage Behind A Piece Of Paper Hanging On The Wall I Found This

My Husband Passed Away 2 Weeks Ago And In The Garage Behind A Piece Of Paper Hanging On The Wall I Found This

In the months before his passing he was unable to talk due to his brain cancer, so finding this note from him meant the world to me and is something I will cherish forever. We were married for 24 years.

Lacy Summers Report

#2

I Found A Baby Albino Oak In My Garden Some Years Ago And Realized That Plants Can Be Albinos Too, But They Do Not Live Long Since They Cannot Photosynthesize

I Found A Baby Albino Oak In My Garden Some Years Ago And Realized That Plants Can Be Albinos Too, But They Do Not Live Long Since They Cannot Photosynthesize

Lunabora Report

#3

While Tearing Up Their Carpet, My In-Laws Found A Giant Monopoly Board

While Tearing Up Their Carpet, My In-Laws Found A Giant Monopoly Board

Yamaha234 Report

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Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Time to make some giant sized Monopoly pieces, cards and giant dice, and have a game night! And this time, nobody can flip the board!

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When we stare at everything with wonder and can’t wait (!) to find or learn something new, even the biggest problems lose their sting. Instead, they’re but challenges. Challenges that you’re already thinking about how to overcome. But our modern schooling system might not be the best way to keep this sense of curiosity because it tends to take independence away from kids instead of driving them to be self-sufficient learners and daring explorers.

In a previous interview with Bored Panda, the president of the nonprofit organization Let Grow, Lenore Skenazy, shared with us that modern schooling goes against the grain when it comes to how learning and teaching happened through much of human history.

#4

It's A Little Unnerving When You Wake Up In The Morning And Find These Right Outside Your Tent

It's A Little Unnerving When You Wake Up In The Morning And Find These Right Outside Your Tent

Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.

mattymeis Report

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#5

Splitting Firewood And Found A Piece Resembling The Sky In "The Starry Night"

Splitting Firewood And Found A Piece Resembling The Sky In "The Starry Night"

virgilturtle Report

#6

387-Year-Old Shopping List Found Under The Floorboards Of A London Home

387-Year-Old Shopping List Found Under The Floorboards Of A London Home

 The full text reads:
"Mr Bilby, I pray p[ro]vide to be sent too morrow in ye Cart some Greenfish, The Lights from my Lady Cranfeild[es] Cham[ber] 2 dozen of Pewter spoon[es]: one greate fireshovell for ye nursery; and ye o[t]hers which were sent to be exchanged for some of a better fashion, a new frying pan together with a note of ye prises of such Commoditie for ye rest.
Your loving friend
Robert Draper
Octobre 1633
Copthall"

National Trust Report

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Pink Floydian Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! That is remarkable piece of history. It really made me think about our shared humanity and the progression of humans throughout the ages. Thank you for sharing.

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“In the United States, for instance, school only became compulsory a little over 100 years ago. Previously—for hundreds of thousands of years of human history—kids learned simply by watching, copying, helping, and playing. In other words, they’d hang around the adults, see how they made things like baskets and arrowheads, they’d ask questions, noodle around, and try to copy what their elders were doing,” Lenore explained.

According to Lenore, kids would pitch in and help their families and communities as soon as they were able to. “They’d help out as soon as they could—fetching things, tracking animals, whatever—and in between they’d be playing with a group of mixed-age kids. All these activities were fueled by curiosity.”

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#7

This Silver Pendant I Found Metal Detecting Is Dated 227 Years Ago Today

This Silver Pendant I Found Metal Detecting Is Dated 227 Years Ago Today

Silver_Winged Report

#8

Found A Stargate In The Middle Of Nowhere Near Linz, Austria

Found A Stargate In The Middle Of Nowhere Near Linz, Austria

zodd1981 Report

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#9

This Swirly Dandelion I Found

This Swirly Dandelion I Found

Golden_Snail_DK Report

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Karin Gibson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That grew in the dark. The stem is pale and the circular growth is the plant trying to find light

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“You were motivated to learn what the bigger kids in your group knew, too, because they were so cool. Your entire day consisted of observing and practicing the stuff you needed to know— skills and games. If you weren’t curious, you weren’t going to enjoy life, or succeed at it,” Lenore said that curiosity really was (and, in truth, still is) more important than we give it credit for.

“One reason kids might seem less curious today is because most of their education, inside and outside of school, doesn’t require self-motivation, it requires compliance. The drive is extrinsic, not intrinsic. Kids fill out worksheets because they have to, not because these seem interesting, or have any immediate connection to the ‘real’ world,” the expert noted that obedience alone won’t raise people who are full of the joys of discovery.

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#11

While Hiking An Isolated Jungle Trail In The Amazon, We Came Across This Post Marking The Equator

While Hiking An Isolated Jungle Trail In The Amazon, We Came Across This Post Marking The Equator

Intagvalley Report

#12

Osperlioceras Bicarinatum Golden Pyrite. Found In France

Osperlioceras Bicarinatum Golden Pyrite. Found In France

Browndog888 Report

Meanwhile, extracurricular activities also appear to have fallen prey to the demands for compliance instead of encouraging kids to be curious. “Learning soccer means doing the drills the coach assigns, as opposed to tagging along with the older kids and working hard to get good enough so that they’d start letting you play. The key to curiosity, then, is giving kids enough free, unstructured time for them to find something they love to do for its own sake—not for a grade, or coach.”

In other words, we need to uncover in ourselves an inner drive to go out into the world and learn and find new and fascinating things. Some of which we’ll be more than happy to share with all the Pandas on the internet.

#14

Perfectly Round Rock I Found At The Beach

Perfectly Round Rock I Found At The Beach

Fudgemnky Report

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#16

I Found A Cyclops Moth And It Was Huge. Bigger Than Half My Hand

I Found A Cyclops Moth And It Was Huge. Bigger Than Half My Hand

JustAMemeBeingADude Report

#17

We Were Digging Up Virgin Ground For A Garden And As I Was Tilling, We Found A Class Ring From 1954-1955

We Were Digging Up Virgin Ground For A Garden And As I Was Tilling, We Found A Class Ring From 1954-1955

It only had initials and the school was closed, took me 3 months to find the owner's daughter and was happy to reunite it with her family.

maxxim565 Report

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Lydia Dean-Melchior
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is very touching. How kind of you to go to all the effort to find who it originally belong to, and how much it meant to her daughter. You're a wonderfully nice person. Kindness. Pay it forward.

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#19

10-Carat Australian Sapphire I Found In A Creek

10-Carat Australian Sapphire I Found In A Creek

Numerous_Sport_2774 Report

#20

I Found This Gravestone For Someone's Beloved Dog In A Wooded Area Just Outside An Old Cemetary

I Found This Gravestone For Someone's Beloved Dog In A Wooded Area Just Outside An Old Cemetary

James_Fennell Report

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Bobert Robertson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How do they know it's a dog? Could be a cat, fish, kid, velociraptor, etc.

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Alonso Victoria
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yes!!! My grandma always told us about, seeing big packs of wild velociraptors on the 1880's, so sad they were killed by Godzilla, in early 1900's.

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lara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still cry over Patches, who died in 1956. She was only five months old and she was my first pup.

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'Glad you figured out that was an animal. I assumed a kid with a weird nickname, which was much more disturbing.

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Jeffrey Teston
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is no one going to acknowledge the name "PUNCH" and how awesome it is?

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KC Lancaster
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like from Punch the magazine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(magazine) or Punch and Judy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_and_Judy)

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In San Francisco nearby Crissy Field is a pet cemetery that was put in for all the service people originally stationed in the area.

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#21

Frozen Flower I Found In Austin During The Texas Winter Storm

Frozen Flower I Found In Austin During The Texas Winter Storm

Syllabub-Temporary Report

#22

Look At This Crazy Icicle I Found This Morning (There Is A Small Hole In The Metal Handrail)

Look At This Crazy Icicle I Found This Morning (There Is A Small Hole In The Metal Handrail)

merz-person Report

#23

Found A Steam Room And Hot Tub In My Basement, Behind A Wall During Demo

Found A Steam Room And Hot Tub In My Basement, Behind A Wall During Demo

FeedtheFat Report

#24

This Morning I Found A Young Frog That Still Had Its Tail

This Morning I Found A Young Frog That Still Had Its Tail

MinisterOfVulgarity Report

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Brian Bennett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sweet little thing, amazing how nature makes things so independent so young and so vulnerable.

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#25

We Tore Up Some Carpeting In Our House Expecting Concrete But Instead Found This 70’s Masterpiece

We Tore Up Some Carpeting In Our House Expecting Concrete But Instead Found This 70’s Masterpiece

CallistoChemical Report

#26

Found A Perfect Salt Crystal In My Sea Salt Packet

Found A Perfect Salt Crystal In My Sea Salt Packet

c3r3n1ty Report

#27

My Uncle Found A Bag Of Volcano Ash From Mount St. Helens With A Note Tucked In The Back Of One Of His Cupboards

My Uncle Found A Bag Of Volcano Ash From Mount St. Helens With A Note Tucked In The Back Of One Of His Cupboards

blachat Report

#28

Found Original Homeowner In The Walls Of A Teardown

Found Original Homeowner In The Walls Of A Teardown

widewhiskers Report

#29

Found This Very Old Holy Bible In My Parents' Garage. Dated 1881. Thought Maybe You Guys Might Find It Interesting As Well

Found This Very Old Holy Bible In My Parents' Garage. Dated 1881. Thought Maybe You Guys Might Find It Interesting As Well

strange_days12 Report

#30

35 Rings Found On The Beach

35 Rings Found On The Beach

Meprado Report

#31

Digging Through Old Boxes At 4am And Found A 200+ Page Novel That I Hand Wrote In 2009 When I Was 12 Years Old

Digging Through Old Boxes At 4am And Found A 200+ Page Novel That I Hand Wrote In 2009 When I Was 12 Years Old

blueskyn01se Report

#32

Ordered Fried Oysters From A Takeout Restaurant And Found A Pearl In One

Ordered Fried Oysters From A Takeout Restaurant And Found A Pearl In One

ehhhidowhatican Report

#33

Found This Fish Was Frozen In Piece Of Ice, Texas 2021

Found This Fish Was Frozen In Piece Of Ice, Texas 2021

Daddywithguns Report

#34

Found This Arrowhead While Digging A Hole In My Backyard

Found This Arrowhead While Digging A Hole In My Backyard

Jonahw8 Report

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#35

A Wall Was Removed In A Victorian House We Are Working At Which Revealed An Old Cast Iron Fireplace

A Wall Was Removed In A Victorian House We Are Working At Which Revealed An Old Cast Iron Fireplace

blu_skydive Report

#37

My Mom And Uncle Found An USAF Target Drone On The Beach

My Mom And Uncle Found An USAF Target Drone On The Beach

coolmanjack Report

#39

I Found This Print From Where A Gray Wolf Slept In The Snow. You Can Even See Her Ribs

I Found This Print From Where A Gray Wolf Slept In The Snow. You Can Even See Her Ribs

savannahrosewildlife Report

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Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's doing that optical illusion thing to me, where it looks like it's popping out instead of indented

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#40

This Fossilized Imprint Of A Fern I Found In North Dakota

This Fossilized Imprint Of A Fern I Found In North Dakota

SissyHypno24 Report

#42

My Dad Found This Old Pamphlet Advertising Tourism To The World Trade Centre

My Dad Found This Old Pamphlet Advertising Tourism To The World Trade Centre

Demiil Report

#43

I Found A Book Autographed By Bill Nye At The Thrift Store

I Found A Book Autographed By Bill Nye At The Thrift Store

nothingeatsyou Report

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KombatBunni
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I found a copy of Salem’s Lot signed by Stephen King at a charity store. Bought it and took it home of course. It’s signed to a girl named Karen…

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#44

Found A Nice Honeycomb Amber Brooch Today. Amber Is Quite Hard To Find, Such An Interesting Material

Found A Nice Honeycomb Amber Brooch Today. Amber Is Quite Hard To Find, Such An Interesting Material

SAPSANA Report

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lara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, amber is not hard to find. In the Baltics you can find it laying on the beach.

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#47

A Humpback Whale Jaw I Found This Weekend In New England

A Humpback Whale Jaw I Found This Weekend In New England

scrambl3d33gs Report

#48

This Piece Of Wall That Got Rounded By The Sea

This Piece Of Wall That Got Rounded By The Sea

TheCorpseOfMarx Report

#49

Bought A Vintage Stove And Found A Newspaper From 1954 In It

Bought A Vintage Stove And Found A Newspaper From 1954 In It

wcs2 Report

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*me*
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a section of newspaper from sometime during WW2 edit: it’s the Fort Devens Digest, a military newspaper from 1942.

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#50

This Old Color Pencil Box After Termites Ate All The Wood

This Old Color Pencil Box After Termites Ate All The Wood

Drship Report

Note: this post originally had 143 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.