One ordinary day, Mike Smith set out doing what he loved most: using his metal detector. Ever since he was a little boy, Smith had dreamed of finding buried treasure with his metal detector. After years of searching, it finally became his lucky day! Smith could not believe his luck when his detector loudly beeped, and he discovered what looked like an ancient, buried chain sticking out of the ground.
Adrenaline pumped through Smith’s veins as he slowly began to dig out the buried chain. While he knew he had found something, Smith had no idea the magnitude of the incredible discovery he had just made. Soon enough, the press and authorities got involved, and Smith’s life turned upside down…
1. A Childhood Dream
Since the age of 12, Mike Smith, a native of Wales in the United Kingdom, has enjoyed metal detecting. It all started when his dad gifted him a metal detector for Christmas. Ever since then, Smith had made it a point to go out whenever he has a chance. For him, there’s nothing quite like that special feeling when the detector bings with a finding!
A curious man by nature, as he grew up, Smith retained his love for his hobby. One rainy day a few years ago, he was out and about with his trusty metal detector. Suddenly, he heard a loud bing from his machine, meaning it had found something! As Smith found himself in a large pasture, he had no idea what could possibly be lying underneath the land…
2. Something’s Here
After Smith’s metal detector binged in the middle of the field, he walked a few feet and began making wide circles over the area where it had beeped. You see, he wanted to narrow down the exact location of the buried object. As he did, Smith tried to calm himself, reminding himself that he had likely found a simple, worthless piece of metal, like usual.
Then, something extraordinary happened. As Smith walked away from the area where the detector first beeped, it did so again, but this time even louder. At first, Smith figured that his machine was malfunctioning. Little did he know that he was heading towards the biggest surprise of his life…
3. Dig Deeper
Smith decided to trust his instincts and dig in the locations where his metal detector gave off the loudest beeps. After a few minutes of digging in the moist soil, he managed to make a hole about a foot wide and two feet deep. As he dug, Smith began to feel something in the hole.
Now excited by the possibility of a real find, Smith began digging even faster to find out what lay beneath the ground. As he did, his mind started racing at the possibilities of what hid underneath the soil. Ancient treasure? A mineral deposit? Mob money? Soon enough, all of Smith’s wildest dreams – and nightmares – would come true…
4. It’s Wasn’t A Rock
This wasn’t Smith’s first time in this particular pasture. In fact, in another section of the vast farmland, he had found some old, but worthless, pennies. However, what he pulled out of the hole did not look like a coin, or any other object he had found before. With shaking fingers, Smith lifted the item up to his eyes and began removing the mud.
Smith’s metal detector had found what looked like an ancient ring, with engravings on the side. Furthermore, the ring seemed to be attached to the top of a chain that went deeper into the mud. As Smith began digging deeper with his hands, Smith found the first pieces of a historical puzzle…
5. Going Deeper Still
Realizing that his finds were likely important, Mike Smith ditched his trowel and started digging with his hands. As he cleared more soil from his discovery, Smith realized he had been right: it was a large ring attached to a metal chain. However, no matter how hard he tugged, the rusty, buried chain wouldn’t budge an inch. Smith was surprised! What could it possibly be connected to?
Smith then decided to try something different. He got down on his knees and tried to shift the soil around the mysterious object, hoping to loosen it within the earth. Still, no matter what he tried, the chain would not come free. But Smith had come much too far to simply give up!
6. A Mystery Unfolding
Not a man to give up easily, Smith ignored the rain and mud and kept digging out the chain. However, as he did, it seemed to just go on forever! Smith uncovered ring after ring as he dug out the chain. Then, the end finally came…
After hours, Smith finally made it to the end of the iron chain. There, though, he realized his problems were only beginning. It seemed that whatever the links were attached to was much larger than the chain. Furthermore, even with the entire chain unstuck from the mud, Smith could still not pull out whatever it was attached to. Worse still, what little light remained started to fade…
7. The Light Faded
In his obsession with his intriguing find, Smith had failed to notice that the sun had started to set outside. Unfortunately, as he had never intended to stay out in the field for long, Smith had failed to pack even a flashlight.
As the light faded, Smith realized he had no choice but to pack up his metal detector and head home. Whatever lay in the ground would have to wait until the next morning. Then, in just a few hours, he could return at first light and continue digging out the buried chain. However, it would turn out to be one of the longer nights in Smith’s life…
8. Is It Dangerous?
At home, as he lay in bed, Smith found it impossible to fall asleep. He simply could not stop thinking about the buried chain! Plus, while Smith had only told his close friends and metal detector buddies about his find, he could not help but worry someone else would stumble upon it before he could get another look.
The more he thought about the buried chain, the more a sinking feeling began to overwhelm Smith. You see, he started wondering if what he had discovered was actually something terrible! After all, someone would need a really good reason to bury the chain in the remote field. Meanwhile, Smith had also read about ancient burial sites in the area. What if had disturbed some historical grave?
9. The Next Morning
As soon as the morning broke the next day, Smith returned to the site of the buried chain. The entire drive there, he worried that he would find the chain missing or archeologists hovering over his find. Fortunately, when Smith reached the site, he felt a rush of relief as the buried chain remained undisturbed.
In the light of the morning, Smith began digging out the chain once again. However, as he started pulling away mud, Smith noticed something strange. Unnoticed in the dusk of the previous night, he now saw a small hold beneath the chain, in the groud. Smith plunged his spade into the opening and gasped when it hit a pocket of empty air. Then, the earth gave way below him, and Smith fell into the hole!
10. A Bizarre Cavern
In a terrifying turn of events, the earth opened up and swallowed Mike Smith whole. Thankfully, Smith only fell a couple of feet before landing on hard stone. He now found himself in complete darkness, with no idea of where he was. Fortunately, unlike the day before, he had remembered to bring a flashlight! Lighting it, Smith realized he had landed in a chamber of some kind!
As Smith looked around the walls of the underground chamber, his heart filled with fear. He noticed layers and layers of scratches and odd, cult-like symbols all over the stone walls. Then, something else caught Smith’s attention…
11. Unusual Markings
The scratches covered almost every inch of the chamber’s walls. As Smith looked at them longer and longer, he realized that they weren’t scratches at all, but some type of writing! And there was something strangely familiar about the scratches, as if he had seen them before.
Smith moved to the far walls, where the writing was deepest and most prominent. There, he started to run his fingers over the etchings, in an attempt to better understand them. As he did, Smith realized that the markings formed the letters “V V” over and over again. However, he still could not figure out what it could possibly mean…
12. Seeing It Over and Over
As Smith continued to explore the small cavern, he discovered that the ominous “V V” symbols followed a path of sorts. Whoever had carved these letters had done so dozens upon dozens of times, with a trembling hand. Meanwhile, as he followed the letters, Smith began to feel like he wasn’t supposed to be in the cavern in the first place.
Eventually, the eerie markings led Smith to a four-foot hole in the ground of the cave. Here, the scratched letters abruptly ended. Then, looking up from the hole in the ground, Smith noticed something caked in mud, just beside the entrance he had fallen through…
13. A Terrifying Discovery
Just a few feet from the hole in the bottom of the cave, Smith saw a small object caked in mud. Even though it was only a little bit bigger than a coin, years of using his metal detector had also helped him develop keen eyesight. So, Smith walked over and picked up the small, white object, brushing the mud off. At first, he could not believe what he was holding in his hands!
In his hands, Smith held a piece of skeletal human remains. As a metal detecting hobbyist, he knew the laws regarding findings by heart. Now, for the first time in his life, Smith would have to call the authorities because of something he found…
14. In Need of Help
In the darkness of the cavern, Mike Smith terrifyingly realized that he held a human tooth in his hand! As the authorities would later tell him, he had found a molar within the cavern. Smith could not believe that this had all started because he had simply found a buried chain. Now, however, he needed to find a way out of the dark cave and contact the police.
Thankfully, Smith had remembered his phone when he left the house that morning. Soon enough, his friends arrived and helped him out of the dark cavern. However, Smith’s hands continued to shake as he made his next urgent call to the authorities. Unfortunately, Smith would not receive the reaction he hoped for…
15. Involving The Authorities
At first, Smith called the officials at the National Museum of Wales. Surprisingly, they simply laughed at him when Smith tried to explain what he had found in the pasture. They did not believe a word that came out of his mouth. To be fair, Smith must have sounded pretty odd! After all, he called them, saying he had found an ancient cavern after pulling on a buried chain.
“What the archaeologists said at the time was that because there had never been a find down here before, they didn’t believe it,” Smith recounted during an interview. However, the metal detector enthusiast felt determined to prove to them that he wasn’t lying.
16. He Was Telling The Truth
Smith needed to make the archeologists believe his story. He felt sure there was some way to convince them he was actually telling the truth. So, Smith decided to inform the archeologists that he had reason to believe that the cavern contained human remains inside. As soon as he said those words, the officials quickly changed their attitude towards his case.
Soon enough, they asked Smith for his location and sent out a team to investigate. “The look on their faces when they saw it said it all,” he recalled later. Meanwhile, he was just thankful that they took him seriously!
17. The Discovery
The excavation process on the cavern and buried chain began the very next day. As the archeologists started digging around the site, they discovered what the buried chain had been connected to: an ancient chariot! Believe it or not, the spot Smith had found was an ancient Celtic chariot burial site!
“My first find was a Celtic horse harness junction piece,” Smith informed reporters later on. “When I found it, my friends said I would never top it, but the next day I went back and found the rest.” However, one question still remained unanswered: what was the purpose of the markings in the cavern had discovered beneath the chariot?
18. Protection Marks
Archeologist Allison Fearn revealed that the “V V” markings are occasionally found in ancient Celtic places of worship or the doorframes of homes. According to Fearn, these are references to the Virgin Mary that 14th and 15th-century villagers used to protect against witches and demons. However, to painstakingly carve them onto the walls of a cave is a sign of immense fear.
“The marks are incredible. I did actually swear when I first saw them, I had never seen anything like them. They probably acted as protection, from spirits, demons fairies, and witches. We know that witches were feared and witch hunts were happening all over Europe. They definitely seem to have some kind of fearful context,” Fearn said.
19. “In Plain Sight”
What’s more, Fearn believes that the markings indicate that something strange must have been going on in the town to make villagers so afraid. “You could think of the witch marks as worry lines that demonstrate the anxieties of the time. These marks are a kind of folk magic, and the hole in the ground may have represented some kind of Pandora’s Box,” she added.
“These witches’ marks were in plain sight all the time. Being present at the moment that their true significance was revealed will stay with me forever.” However, some others believe that the markings could have a much more rational explanation…
20. A Different Time
Duncan Wilson, the Chief Executive of Historic England, believes that the scratchings are only a sign of a different era, not abnormal levels of fear. “200 years ago, the English countryside was a very different place, death and disease were everyday companions, and evil forces could readily be imagined in the dark,” he said.
Meanwhile, historian John Charlesworth believes that natural occurrences, like famine, may have led to such superstition among the villagers. “These are places where supernatural forces in an untamed non-human environment could be at work. Local people are in the jaws of this monstrous landscape,” Charlesworth explained. Regardless of the reason they were created, the witch marks are an important historical find! Of course, the cavern also provided other findings…
21. More Discoveries
The archeologists also found a host of other historical items in the cavern Smith discovered, including a brooch, bronze bridle fittings, and some tool handles. However, Smith had no idea what they could have been used for. When they found them, the items had all turned green from the corrosion, though the bronze bits were still wrapped in bright red enamel.
Unsurprisingly, Smith felt quite satisfied with his incredible find. “This is unprecedented,” he said, “and underneath the chariot, there is still the three-meter [cavern]. If you go by other chariot finds there could be weapons or it could even be treasure.”
22. Making His Dream Come True
Believe it or not, it is not unusual to find a burial chariot dating from the period all over Europe. However, what made this one so special was the fact that it was the first one they found in the United Kingdom. “I still can’t believe it,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve read other people’s finds. I’ve watched them on the telly, and I’ve always thought, I wouldn’t mind finding that, it’s still surreal, and life-changing.” Smith thought he was day-dreaming!
“It was just instinct. I’d read all about chariot burials and just wished it could have been me, so finding this has been a privilege.” As of today, though, the site has since come under legal protection…
23. Seeking Answers
After making his childhood dreams come true, Smith also managed to make a little bit of money after his find. After all, he was able to sell all 34 uncovered items to the museum, as he had found the buried chain and site originally. In the end, Smith won’t say how much he made, he did say that he earned quite a chunk of money off them. Of course, he also split the money with the man who owned the land he discovered the buried chain on.
After all these years, Smith’s hobby of using a metal detector on the weekends had paid off! In fact, his findings were so important that museums quickly started fighting over who would get to use them first…
24. In Demand Findings
Since his discovery, Smith’s treasure has become quite the sought-after prize. In fact, the National Museum of Wales was not the only one who wanted to purchase them for their archives. Meanwhile, Smith couldn’t believe that what started as an ordinary day had become something he would remember forever.
After the purchase, a National Museum of Wales spokesman said that the site was a very exciting Iron Age discovery. Not only that, but he said that it could be developed into a bigger project in the future. “Full excavation of the site and analysis of the find will need to be carried out before we can fully understand its importance.” Because of this, the site now enjoys full legal protection.
25. The Importance of His Discovery
The Museum of Wales already has big plans for Smith’s site. “A preliminary excavation of the site where the artifacts were found was carried out jointly by Amgueddfa Cymru and Dyfed Archaeological Trust over the summer, partly funded by Cadw,” the museum spokesperson said.
“Amgueddfa Cymru is working with its partners on this continuing treasure case and in developing a detailed and fully funded proposal for further investigation. It is intended that a wider museum project will be developed, to offer opportunities for local communities to become involved in revealing new stories about their prehistoric past.” Of course, these are just the beginning of the museum’s plans…
26. What’s Next
Adam Gwilt, the principal curator of the museum, explained: “These chariot pieces may have been witness to some of the historical events of the time, as Iron Age peoples defended their ways of life and identities in the face of an expanding Roman empire. Something like this takes a lot of organization and funding as well, so we’ve been working with a number of partners to put together what’s needed to do a continuing investigation.”
Meanwhile, Mike Smith is proud of his discovery and plans to continue metal detecting. “It’s the biggest ever metal detecting find, as in there’s never been a chariot ever discovered by a metal detectorist. There have been hoards found, but never anything like this.” While no one else has ever found an ancient chariot attached to a buried chain, Smith isn’t the only one to make an incredible discovery while doing ordinary work…
27. A Man in Lecce
Mr. Luciano Faggiano, a 60-year-old, grew up and lived his entire life in Lecce, Italy. Leece lacks the tourism draw of cities like Rome, instead relying on olive oil and ceramics production. As Faggiano grew older, he didn’t want to work in agriculture or ceramics. Instead, Faggiano had a very particular business in mind, one that might actually help bring tourists to the area!
You see, ever since Faggiano was a little boy, he dreamed of running his own business: an Italian restaurant. While he had to wait some time, Faggiano finally started to realize his ambitions. Little did he know that his dream would lead to the greatest adventure of his life!
28. Searching For a Broken Pipe
After years of waiting, Faggiano finally managed to achieve his dream: he purchased a building and started constructing his restaurant. However, while redoing the bathroom before opening, he started having serious issues with the water. Upon closer inspection, Faggiano realized that a leaking pipe in the toilet was causing the problem. As such, the new restaurant owner, along with his sons, started digging up the pipe.
Faggiano felt confident that he could fix the pipe himself. However, in the process of attempting this, Faggiano and his sons would find something rather extraordinary. Something that they couldn’t have imagined, not in a million years…
29. Trying To Remove It
While following the pipe to find the leak, Fagginao and his sons found something peculiar: a false floor. More curious than ever, they started to dismantle the floor, piece by piece. While removing the floor, the Faggiano team had to remove bags and bags of rubble and dirt from the bathroom. Clearly, they had underestimated the amount of material that stood between them and the pipe.
Still, the Faggiano team stayed determined to reach the problem. They couldn’t wait to discover all the secrets hiding beneath the mysterious building. Soon, the team cracked through the false floor. With this layer out of the way, Faggiano and his sons made a jaw-dropping discovery. As it turns out, Faggiano’s new building was built on top of an ancient treasure stashed away for centuries. To find out just what they discovered, click “Next Post” below…