With three-quarters of the planet covered in water, treasured relics from a bygone era can be found just below the ocean’s surface. These real-life shipwrecks reveal a world of mystery and intrigue.
In this virtual reality experience, you can explore a variety of different underwater scenes in search of treasure. You can find buried treasure chests in various ocean biomes, but the chances of finding them are low.
Shipwrecks
Whether they’re A-list shipwrecks like the Titanic or lesser-known vessels that sank in less-heralded battles, these sea monsters have been immortalized in movies and TV shows, books and consumer products. But shipwrecks are also home to a variety of amazing creatures.
From lophelia coral to flytrap anemones, these sunken treasures offer all the things sessile deep-sea creatures crave most: hard substrate on which to settle and a steady supply of nutrients. And since most wrecks were created from steel, they can be a particularly tempting habitat for metal-loving marine microbes that would normally be found on rocky outcrops on the seafloor.
There are around 3 million sunken ships in Earth’s oceans, lakes and waterways. But only a small fraction have been explored. From King Henry VIII’s Tudor Mary Rose to the Spanish Armada fleet, explorers and researchers are drawn to these mysterious watersy graveyards for all they hold.
Ancient Artifacts
An artifact is any object that shows evidence of human activity, such as a piece of jewelry or an ancient tool. Archaeologists use them to learn more about the past. Because many ancient cultures didn’t actively record their history, these objects often serve as the only clues about how they lived.
One of the most interesting artifacts is the Tollund Man, an actual preserved body that lived about 2,300 years ago in northern Europe. He was found in a bog, and scientists haven’t been able to determine his cause of death.
Another intriguing artifact is the Terracotta Army, which consists of over 8,000 life-size statues of soldiers, statesmen, and horses that were buried beside a Xi’an tomb in China. The tomb’s owner was probably a powerful military leader, and the statues were meant to keep his spirit in the afterlife.
Other fascinating artifacts include the Lydenburg Heads, which consist of seven carefully crafted terracotta heads that represent humans. These historical artifacts were discovered by Karl-Ludwig von Benzig while exploring his father’s farm in South Africa, and they inspired him to pursue a career in archaeology.
Sculptures
With three-quarters of our planet covered in water, the ocean has been home to countless historic feats since humans began sailing more than 60,000 years ago. It has also seen some fabled ships sink with their precious cargos, bringing their treasures to the ocean’s depths and inspiring dreams of treasure hunters.
Sculpture is one of the main forms of visual art, involving the transformation of hard or plastic materials into three-dimensional objects. From classics like Michelangelo’s ‘David’ to modern pieces like Warhol’s Brillo Box, sculpture has long been a way to express culture and tell a story.
Traditionally, sculpture has been defined by two key aspects: mass and space. The former refers to the solid, material, space-occupying bulk of a three-dimensional sculpture; while the latter refers to the way in which a sculpture is situated and relates to the surrounding environment. However, today’s sculptors no longer have to adhere to the two traditional forming processes (carving and modeling), nor can they be confined to a particular type of natural material. This is a symptom of the evolution of the genre: modern sculpture often jumps between dimensions, qualities, and colors.
Creepy Creatures
The ocean has some eerie creatures with spine-tingling adaptations. While some of these animals might look like Halloween monsters, they all have their own unique ways to survive in the deep blue.
For example, the snakehead fish can float on the surface for short periods thanks to a primitive lung near its gills. But this fish is really a hunter that stalks its prey by hovering in calm eddies and chasing them into turbulent waters for the kill.
There’s also the blobfish, which looks like a slimy, flesh-eating jellyfish that can produce light to deceive its prey. But while a blobfish’s light show may be mesmerizing, it doesn’t taste good.
Another fish that uses its light to trick its prey is the stargazer. This fish hides in the sand and waits for its prey to come by, then bursts out of the sand with its mouth open, ready to consume it. Like a bioluminescent snake, the mamlambo is a creature from South African and Zulu mythology that has been described as a hybrid of a snake, crocodile, and a horse with four stubby legs. This sea creature can squirt out a poisonous venom that has killed humans.
Jewelry
When ships sink in the sea they often take precious treasures with them. Some of these treasures are gold jewellery and coins, marble and bronze statues, and even the world’s first analogue computer! These treasures can be found underneath the ocean and are sure to inspire dreams of treasure hunters everywhere.
Jewellery (UK) or jewelry (US), is a form of personal adornment that contains or is made from a valuable metal such as gold and may be decorated with gemstones. Jewelry is worn by both men and women and can be purely decorative or express a sentiment like a wedding ring. Jewelry is thought to have existed as far back as 100,000 years ago with beads made from Nassarius shells being the oldest known pieces of jewellery.
Discover your new treasures at Net-a-Porter, which has a huge selection of fashion, semi-fine and fine jewelry for all aesthetics and price points. From Roxanne Assoulin and Jennifer Fisher Pomellato to simple yet timeless options, the brand has everything you need to add a little sparkle to your outfit.
