1. Treasure Trove

Large caches of clay tablets from the Ancient Near East still exist today. They have lain buried in palaces, schools and homes for over two thousand years. In recent centuries, over a million of these relics have been relocated to museum showcases and storage vaults.

Many tablets of the treasure trove deal with astronomy. One series from the ancient city of Babylon - the Diaries - embody the longest-running scientific study on record. They document more than 6 centuries of astronomical observations.