There are many stories about strange objects found on a construction site, we have compiled a list of our favourite stories.
1.The Skeleton of a Whale
250 miles inland from the nearest access to water, the skeleton of a white whale was unearthed by workers who were digging a new rail bed in Vermont in 1849. After discovering the creature was over 20 feet long, they alerted geologists. The mystery perplexed geologists as the town where it was found had no waterways connected to the ocean. They determined the whale skeleton to be 11,000 years old and presumed that it swam in shallow water that covered the area long ago.
2. A Live WWII Bomb
This bomb stood the test of time when workers in Belgrade found a WWII era one-ton German bomb. It had 620 kilograms of live explosives, prompting officials to evacuate the site and 1,200 nearby people living in the area. The bomb has so much destruction power it could have blown up the entire 400 metres of land where it was found. Bomb detonation experts had to build a bunker around it to extract it in case it exploded. Residents were allowed to return after spending a night at a leisure centre. Luckily, they were provided with hot tea and coffee while they patiently waited for officials to extract and defuse the bomb.
3. A Viking Burial Pit
In 2010, a burial pit for more than 50 executed vikings was found on a road construction site in Dorset, UK. Archaeologists removed the 51 skulls placed in one area of the pit, with the bodies tossed on the other side, and analyzed the teeth and bones. The findings determined that they came from Scandinavian countries. Archaeologists found that they were most likely vikings executed between 910 and 1030AD.
From 11,000 year-old whale skeletons to human burial pits, there is so much more to discover about our world. If you’re in the construction industry, keep your eyes peeled. You could just be uncovering history!
4. A 33ft Anaconda
A giant snake measuring 10m long was discovered on a construction site in Altamira, Para, in northern Brazil. Workers on the Belo Monte Dam site found the anaconda after they carried out a controlled explosion in a cave on site. The Belo Monte Dam is a hydroelectric dam complex under construction on the Xingu River. The snake body measures a whopping one metre in diameter.
5. An old 18th century Ship
In Alexandria, Virginia, construction workers were working on a new hotel when they discovered an old war-era ship. It is believed to have been deliberately sunken between 1775 and 1798.