Finding amazing discoveries may be the job of archaeologists, but every year some people have a day when they get unlucky, or strangely lucky.

Here are some of the most important historical and archaeological discoveries of 2024.

This mysterious object was discovered in England.

A puzzling 12-faced sculpture:

Amateur archaeologists in England have discovered one of the largest Roman dodecahedrons ever found, and its purpose remains a mystery.

The 12-sided figure is one of only 33 found in Roman Britain, and one of around 130 such objects in the world.

The figure is considered "one of the great mysteries of archaeology", according to the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, an amateur group based in Lincolnshire, England, where the piece was found in June.

It is "absolutely unique", and unlike other figures, is undamaged, said Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group.

It was "probably some form of religious or ritual object", Parker said.

This Chopin piece was lost in the archives.


A new piece by Chopin:

A curator at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City has discovered a previously unknown piece of music by Frédéric Chopin, the first time a new work by the Polish composer has been found in nearly 100 years.

The Morgan Library and Museum believes the fact that the manuscript is so small may mean it was a gift intended to be kept in an autograph album.

Chopin was known to sign manuscripts he gave as gifts, but this manuscript is unsigned, suggesting it was probably not a gift after all, the museum says.

            The inscriptions found in the house in England included "Marian                                                                          marks."

Rooms covered in witches' marks:

Ahead of Halloween, English Heritage, a charity that looks after hundreds of historic monuments, buildings and sites, discovered a “staggering collection” of witches’ marks on the walls of a Tudor estate in England. The inscriptions, known formally as “apotropaic marks”, were believed to ward off evil. The inscriptions include a “staggering range” of designs, the charity says, with the servants’ quarters being particularly prominent. The marks found include simple circles that were thought to have six petals inside to trap demons, and are referred to as “hexafoils”.

Overlapping "V"s were also found, known as "Marianne marks."

Experts believe that this painting is by Picasso.

Picasso's mystery has persisted for decades:

In 1962, an Italian junk dealer found a rolled-up canvas inside the basement of a villa in Capri, depicting an asymmetrically painted woman wearing a blue dress.

Now, experts believe it is by Pablo Picasso, and is valued at $6.6 million.

The painting is now believed to be a distorted portrait of French photographer and poet Dora Maar, who was Picasso's lover.

These works by Salvador Dali were sold at auction.


Surrealist Prints:

A London auctioneer has found 10 signed prints by Salvador Dalí during a routine valuation of antiques, after they had been forgotten in the owner’s garage for 50 years. Chris Kirkham, associate director of Hansons Richmond, who discovered the works, said the anonymous owner had bought them during a gallery closing sale in the 1970s.

“It was completely surreal,” Kirkham said. “You can’t estimate what you’re going to find on a routine home visit.” All the pieces exceeded their estimates of £500-700 ($636-891) each when they were auctioned in September, bringing their total to £19,750 ($25,158).


                           ضThis massive diamond was found in Botswana.


huge diamond:

A massive rough diamond has been discovered in Botswana, weighing 2,492 carats. Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. believes it is the second-largest diamond ever found. The massive stone is believed to be the largest since the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905.