Top 16 Tales of Unexpected Discoveries That'll Leave You in Awe!

11. A Dog and Four Teens Discover a Prehistoric Cave

Location: France's Montignac, the Vezer River Valley Year Found: 1940 Estimated Value: Not Known In a story that sounds like it belongs in a Goonies sequel, four teens and a dog find previously undiscovered ancient, priceless cave drawings. Four teenage guys in the Vezere River Valley of Montignac, France, in 1940 pursued their dog into a small cave mouth.

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A Dog and Four Teens Discover a Prehistoric Cave ©Wikimedia/Prof. Saxx It was there that they discovered Paleolithic-era cave paintings. The cave's walls were adorned with 1,500 engravings that depicted numerous myths about prehistoric peoples and 600 animals that were thought to have been used for religious ceremonies and hunting. Aurochs—wild oxen that were extinct but formerly roamed Europe—and a spooky painting of a person with a bird's head were among the artworks.

12. An 8th-Century York Helmet Found During the Construction of a Shopping Mall

Place: 1982 Year Found: England's York Estimated Value: $6,298* There are only six Anglo-Saxon helmets that have survived to this day, and the York helmet—also called the Coppergate helmet—is the best preserved. In York, England, the war gear was discovered in 1982 while doing excavations. It was found at the bottom of what may have been a well during the Anglo-Saxon era.

8th-century York Helmet Found During the Construction of a Shopping Mall @JorvikViking | @NorwichCastle/Twitter The helmet with a crest was one of several that were discovered in England and Scandinavia between 600 and 1100 A.D. This specific headdress comes from approximately 700 A.D. The Yorkshire Museum now houses the York Helmet.