Many fans of online casino games have a taste for risk, adventure and possibility. Online slot players, in particular, immerse themselves in ancient and mythical worlds in search of treasure and the thrill that comes with discovering it. But have you ever stopped to think about the real treasures, many hidden or lost, that may have existed somewhere on this planet and may remain unfound to this day?
Join us as we explore some ancient hidden treasures that may very well still exist among us now. You never know, it might get you in the mood for some fun online slot action afterward, too!
The Amber Room
The Amber Room – originally located in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the 18th century – mysteriously disappeared during the Second World War. After more than a decade of construction, the room was originally given to Russian emperor Peter the Great, who was known for his collection of unique and unusual objects. Crafted from more than six tons of amber panels backed by gold leaves and mirrors, the Amber Room was a symbol of opulence. It was considered a Russian and German masterpiece and was known at the time as the “eighth wonder of the world” because of its incredible beauty and magnificence. During the war, however, the Nazis looted the chamber and removed its contents to Königsberg in Germany. There, it went missing in the Allied bombing, leaving in its wake much speculation.
While experts value these treasures at $142 million, only two elements of the room were ever recovered – an Italian stone mosaic panel, which was found with the family of a soldier who helped pack up the Amber Room – and more mosaic remains, which were located in the basement of Konigsberg Castle. A German art critic, Alfred Rode, who claimed to have taken care of the Amber Room after it was stolen, confirmed that it was kept in the castle, though Soviet troops found no trace of it after having captured the city.
Between 1979 and 2003, the Amber Room was reconstructed in its original palace at a cost of $11 million. But what became of the majority of the Amber Room’s exquisite adornments? We may never know.
Lost Inca gold
If you like to play at a casino online, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the iconic slot machine casino game, Gonzo’s Quest. The game follows a Spanish conquistador in his search for the legendary city of El Dorado and is, in fact, based on very real history. The Ancient Incas were said to have hidden their treasures from Europeans during their invasions of South America in the lost city of Paititi. It seems they did a very good job.
Researchers have stated that the golden city is located east of the Andes, somewhere in the rainforest jungles of Peru, where many settlements were found to have provided clear information about the existence of Paititi. Much mystery remains around the location and existence of this city and the legends that surround it. With the help of researchers, archeologists and scientists, we can only hope that more will be discovered, or at least understood, in the future.
Captain Kidd’s treasure
Ever played the Adventures of Doubloon Island online casino slot? If so, this one’s for you. Scottish sailor William Kidd famously went from being a pirate-hunting privateer… to a pirate himself! But when he was tried and executed in London 1701, most of his plundered fortunes disappeared.
Legend has it that his treasures were buried at various points across the globe. While some treasure hunters have referred to New England’s Connecticut River as a potential hiding place, others have searched islands off the coasts of Canada, as well as the Dominican Republic, Japan and Vietnam. Astoundingly, in 2015 ingot expected to be silver was found by a team led by marine archaeologist Barry Clifford just off the coast of Île Sainte-Marie (an island now known as Nosy Boraha) in Madagascar. The booty was gifted to the president of Madagascar and was thought to have been part of Captain Kidd’s treasure.
Unfortunately, just a few months after the discovery, a Unesco scientific and technical advisory body reported that the ingot consisted of 95 percent lead, speculating that the wreck was likely to have been part of the Sainte-Marie port constructions. This means that, to this day, none of Kidd’s greatest treasures has ever been recovered.
The Library of the Moscow Tsars
Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia, was believed to have owned a legendary collection of more than 800 ancient books, including unique masterpieces of Greek and Roman literature, many of which he inherited from his grandmother. The collection included 142 volumes of The History of Rome by Titus Livius, the full version of Cicero’s treatises De Re Publica and other rare manuscripts from all over Europe.
Legend has it that the collection was hidden in Moscow, but after Ivan’s death in 1584, it was gone without a trace. The lost library of Moscow Tsars, as it is known, remains a point of incredible interest among historians and archaeologists alike, as the value of this lost treasure is truly immeasurable.
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