Modern prosthetics are madly amazing. Some technologies allow amputees to feel what they’re touching with artificial fingers, and strides are being made in mind-controlled prosthetics.

However, prosthetics are not a new invention. Hundreds and even thousands of years ago, artisans crafted incredible replacements for people who lost a body part. From an eye made of fat to a murdered pharaoh missing a toe, here are 10 notable prosthetics from the past.

Related: Top 10 Disgusting And Unexpected Medical Treatments

10 The Hand of Prêles

In 2017, treasure hunters in Switzerland searched for valuables near the village of Prêles. While doing so, they disturbed an ancient grave. Among the items they found were a rib bone, a bronze dagger, and an unusual metal hand. When the treasure hunters delivered this cache to the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, the hand was the star attraction.

Slightly smaller than a real hand, the artifact was made of bronze and tin and outfitted with a gold cuff. It weighed almost 18 ounces (17 grams) and had a hollow socket at the bottom. The latter feature suggested a few possible uses for this mysterious hand.

Although none can be definitively proven, the hand could’ve been a prosthetic, a ceremonial object once mounted on a scepter, or part of a statue. The fact that it was buried with the man suggested that it was a prosthetic or simply a status symbol. Whatever it was, at 3,500 years old, the unique artifact is the oldest metal sculpture of a human body part discovered in Europe thus far.^[1]

9 A Special Foot

In 2013, archaeologists were digging next to a medieval church in southern Austria when they found a grave. It contained the remains of a man, aged 35 to 50, who’d been buried sometime between AD 536 and 600. Artifacts inside the grave identified him as a member of the Franks, a group of Germanic tribes.

However, it wasn’t until 2016 that researchers published the most interesting details about the discovery. The man had a prosthetic foot. At 1,500 years old, the left foot is one of the oldest prosthetic limbs ever discovered in Europe. It was crafted from wood and the design also included an iron ring. Signs of wear and tear proved that the foot wasn’t a cosmetic funeral touch. The man once used it as a practical walking aid to get around.

The lower part of his leg and foot was missing, but the healed bone showed that he survived the amputation and lived for at least two more years. This was surprising, as, during that time, most people would quickly succumb to an infection after such a traumatic procedure.^[2]

8 A Four-Fingered Hand

In 2023, pipeline workers In Germany accidentally disturbed an ancient grave near Munich. Once the archaeologists arrived, they determined that the man in the grave died at the age of 30 to 50, sometime between 1450 and 1620.

What made the discovery so exceptional was his hand. The bones of his thumb were present, but the rest of his fingers were gone. In the place of the missing digits, he wore an iron glove with four fingers.

The fake fingers were hollow, stiff, and curved slightly to lend a natural look to the prosthetic. Scraps of materials suggested that leather straps fixed the device to the man’s hand while gauze-like fabric was stuffed inside to protect his skin from chafing against the metal.

It’s unknown how the man lost his hand. However, he lived in a time fraught with military activity, and it’s not hard to imagine that he suffered a devastating injury to his hand during combat, potentially leading to the amputation of his four fingers.^[3]

7 A Luxury Toe

West of Luxor, in Egypt, nestles an ancient chapel. Here, important people close to the royal family were buried. In one of the tombs, archaeologists stumbled upon a priest’s daughter with a remarkable prosthetic—a super realistic big toe. Expert hands had carved the appendage from wood, and quality straps attached it to the mummy’s foot. Aged at around 3,000 years, the toe was quickly declared one of the world’s first prosthetics.

In 2017, the artifact was subjected to a battery of tests using technologies such as computer imaging, x-rays, and modern microscopy. The study revealed that the carver was a gifted artisan and well-trained in human anatomy and that a real attempt was made to provide the woman with a natural-looking foot.

The technical expertise was also obvious in the mobility and comfort provided by the prosthetic. Indeed, the tests revealed that the toe was refitted several times to ensure that she could walk as normally and comfortably as possible.^[4]

6 Precursor to Modern Tooth Bridges

In 2016, archaeologists excavated two tombs in Lucca, Italy. Within the jumbled remains of about 100 people was a set of false teeth. Due to the chaos inside the graves, it couldn’t be matched to a single individual nor accurately dated, but experts estimated the device was around 400 years old.

The unique dental prosthesis consisted of five real teeth, all from different people. Whoever made the artifact didn’t bother with accuracy, as the three incisors and two canines were arranged in the wrong order. That didn’t mean the “dentist” wasn’t innovative. They removed the tips from each tooth’s root, made a lengthwise cut across the roots, aligned the teeth, and linked them with a golden band. Each tooth was also fixed to the band by two tiny golden pins.

Apart from being the first physical evidence of appliances designed to hold loose teeth, as described in the 16th and 17th centuries, it also resembled the Maryland bridge technique. This advanced method was developed in the 1970s. It produced a bridge with small “wings” on both sides that are attached to adjacent teeth for stability.^[5]

5 A Deadly Prosthetic

The Middle Ages was a dangerous time, and one man fit right in, even though he was an amputee. In 1985, archaeologists found his remains in Italy and noticed that his arm had been cut off at the mid-forearm.

It’s not known how the man lost his arm. However, since his people, a Germanic group called the Longobards, were rather combative, he could’ve lost his arm on the battlefield or required amputation due to a conflict-related injury.

Here’s where things get unusual. The man, who died aged 40 to 50, replaced his hand with an iron knife. While it gave him a pirate-esque look, researchers believe that this peculiar choice wasn’t just for self-defense but also to help him with daily tasks.

The weaponized hand was attached to his arm with straps, which he held and tightened with his teeth during the fastening process (the teeth on the right side of his mouth showed extreme wear, which supported this theory).^[6]

4 A Golden Mouth Plate

Today, children born with cleft palates can correct the condition with surgery. But 300 years ago, there was no such medical intervention. An afflicted person would likely struggle for the rest of their life with speech, swallowing, and breathing. But one man who lived during the 18th century in Poland had it lucky. Someone made him a prosthetic plate to help him live a more normal existence.

Ancient solutions for cleft palates are not unknown, but experts have never seen anything like this artifact. The exceptional prosthesis was forged of copper, gold, and silver. Wool and felt-like materials were also used to make the plate more comfortable and better fitting.

The man’s remains and his device were discovered in 2024, and a close examination showed that the individual was born without a hard palate. This was a serious defect, but the well-crafted plate allowed him to live more comfortably with the condition until he died at around age 50.^[7]

3 A Postmortem Prosthesis

Ancient Egypt is known for many great things, including the pyramids, hieroglyphics, art, and their iconic gods. But when it came to who should rule Egypt, civility often vanished in favor of murder plots. One such assassination occurred in 1155 BC. According to papyrus documents, the drama happened because Queen Tiye wanted to remove Pharaoh Ramesses III and put her son on the throne.

When the mummified body of Ramesses III was examined in 2012, researchers realized that he was indeed murdered by several attackers. One assassin approached the pharaoh from behind and used a blade to cut his trachea and esophagus. Another attacked from the front with an ax or sword. This individual hacked off Ramesses’s big toe.

To replace the missing digit, the embalmers fashioned a “toe” out of linen and placed it on his foot. This just goes to show that not all ancient prostheses were for the living, or grand, for that matter. Not even if you were a king.^[8]

2 The World’s Oldest Prosthetic Eye

In 2006, Iranian archaeologists made a historical find near the city of Zabol. The team was excavating the Burnt City, a human settlement thousands of years old, when they happened upon the 5,000-year-old skeleton of a woman.

She was roughly 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, an unusual height for women of the time. But more intriguing was one of her eyes. The left eye socket contained an artificial eye made of animal fat and natural tar. The artist went to great lengths to make the globe realistic, even recreating tiny blood vessels by using thin golden wires. The artifact was also wrapped in a layer of gold and engraved with a circle to represent the iris.

The prosthetic eye—said to be the world’s oldest—wasn’t a cosmetic touch added after her death. The young woman wore it often during her lifetime of 25 to 30 years. Evidence supporting this included two holes on either side of the eye that likely kept the eye in place during use and the presence of eyelid tissue on the prosthetic’s surface.^[9]

1 A Non-Amputee with A Prosthetic Leg

When thinking about an artificial leg, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t that the person using it still has both legs. Such was the case of a man who lived 2,200 years ago near Turpan, China.

In 2016, an ancient tomb revealed a man with a deformed leg. The knee and leg bones were fused in such a way that it prevented him from straightening his left leg, keeping it fixed at an 80-degree angle. To help the man walk, a prosthetic leg was placed under and against the knee and fastened to the thigh with straps. Unusually, at the bottom of the wooden leg was a real horse hoof, which acted like a foot.

It’s unclear why the man’s knee fused at such an odd angle. Among several possible causes of bone fusion is inflammation. Evidence suggested that the man suffered from tuberculosis in the past. This infection might have caused sufficient inflammation to encourage abnormal bone growth, which eventually fused his knee.^[10]

The 1970s are now recognized as “Hollywood’s Second Golden Age,” and it’s hard to argue with it. The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, and hundreds of other fine films came out in that decade. But there are some films from notable directors starring famous actors that are more or less unknown today.

These movies were well-regarded in their day but, for one reason or another, are not a part of our conversations about ’70s cinema today. This list looks at 10 of these neglected works that have sadly faded into obscurity, with the hopes of gaining them some new fans.

Related: Top 10 Movies That Changed Film-Making Forever

10 An Early Richard Pryor Film with Steely Dan Music

You’ve Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You’ll Lose That Beat has one of the more unwieldy film titles of all time and has rarely been seen since it came out in 1971. That seems like a shame, considering the talent involved. It stars Zalman King, who went on to become a producer known for erotica like 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) and the TV series Red Shoe Diaries (1992). And the supporting cast is even more intriguing, featuring Robert Downey Sr. and Richard Pryor in one of his earliest roles.

Little is known about the film today, and it might have been totally forgotten if it weren’t for the film’s soundtrack. The music was written and performed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen right before they formed Steely Dan. Denny Dias, the guitarist on the first six Steely Dan albums, is also a member of the makeshift band, which was credited as “The Original Sound Track.” Fans of the Dan have sought out copies of the soundtrack album for decades now, keeping memories of the film alive.

The film’s director, Peter Locke, might prefer if that were not the case, saying the film is not very good and implying he’s happy with its current obscurity. But critics who saw it did praise the early Pryor performance. And music fans seem to like the peek at the origins of Steely Dan, so many are still curious to see this early ’70s oddity.^[1]

9 Playboy’s First Film Production

Zoologist Desmond Morris’s book The Naked Ape was first published in October 1967 and immediately became a pop culture sensation. A look at human evolution, Morris contended that we became who we are because our sexuality evolved into something different than other animals. A work that was both serious and fun, it was a pop culture smash perfect for some sort of adaptation—maybe a BBC documentary? Instead, Hugh Hefner came calling in 1973 with the intention of turning The Naked Ape into Playboy’s first Hollywood production.

Starring former TV child star Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman) and a pre-Dallas Victoria Principal, the film version of The Naked Ape is, as one might expect, very loosely based on Morris’s work. Animated segments somewhat relay the sociological themes in the book, while Crawford and Principal portray a college co-ed couple going through all the typical human mating rituals. Crawford is eventually drafted to Vietnam and—spoiler alert—killed in action for some reason. It was a bizarre concoction, to say the least, and very dated to the early ’70s. It left theaters as soon as it had arrived and was almost immediately forgotten.

Interest in the two leads (who both appear nude in some very tame love scenes), fans of the Playboy brand, and connoisseurs of ’70s cinema have made sure the film hasn’t been totally lost. Despite its unavailability on home video or streaming, a copy sourced from TV broadcasts can be found in the underground collector community.^[2]

8 A Critical Favorite Gone Missing

Diary of a Mad Housewife was a well-received 1967 novel by Sue Kaufman about a young New York wife and mother overwhelmed by an insufferable husband and ungrateful kids. Sharp and funny, Kaufman’s book was an ideal choice for the big screen during the rise of second-wave feminism. The husband-and-wife team of writer Eleanor and director Frank Perry created a faithful adaptation that hit theaters in August 1970. It was one of the critical hits of the year, as newcomer Carrie Snodgress was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the lead role. It was also the big-screen debut of Frank Langella, who would go on to play Dracula in 1979 and Richard Nixon in 2008’s Frost/Nixon.

Despite the critical praise and a strong audience reaction, Diary of a Mad Housewife disappeared over the years. The issue seems to be that the Perrys were an independent production team, and the film elements required for a remastering are not in a studio archive. In 2021, a Blu-ray was finally released, sourced from a well-preserved print of the film. Hopefully, at some point, the original materials for Diary of a Mad Housewife—along with those of other works by the Perrys—will resurface, allowing for a proper restoration of this neglected classic.^[3]

7 The Film Debut of Samuel L. Jackson

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

There’s no doubt that Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most popular actors of his time. His career took off after his turn as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic Pulp Fiction. As Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s endeared himself to a new generation of fans. Surely no one could have predicted all this when he made his screen debut, all the way back in 1972 in a curio called Together for Days.

With a plot concerning a Black activist and a White woman who find themselves “drawn to one another during the politically and racially-charged atmosphere of early 1970s America,” Together for Days featured Jackson in the role of “Stan.” That’s about all that’s known about this movie, as it has been missing for years. For his part, Jackson says he lucked into the small role as he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where the movie was being filmed.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno told Jackson he had been looking for a copy of Together for Days—also known as Black Cream—but couldn’t find it anywhere. Jackson replied that he was glad for that, so make of that what you will. Perhaps it’s not a great film, but Jackson’s many fans would still like to see it. Hopefully, someday, it will be rediscovered and make its way to home video or streaming.^[4]

6 A Popular Documentary Narrated by Orson Welles

Alvin Toffler’s 1970 book Future Shock was a smash hit, selling millions of copies throughout its first few years in print. The title comes from the idea that modern life is putting humans through too much change in too short a period of time. Toffler noticed that trend and made some predictions that, over 50 years later, seem pretty on-target. He said that technology would play a bigger and bigger role in our lives. He saw an increase in disposable goods, with a fixed period of usability built-in. And he saw the rise of what we now know as the internet, with instant celebrities popping up from there.

Cashing in on the popularity of Future Shock, director Alex Grasshof created a 1972 documentary adaptation narrated by none other than Orson Welles. The legendary figure of stage, radio, and screen lends an air of gravitas to this retro look into the future. Given the cultural phenomenon that was Future Shock at the time, it’s a little surprising that it’s not remembered more today. Then again, it does come across as a little dated, even if we live in a lot of the predictions today.

The film is not currently available on any home media format. However, it is pretty easily seen via fan-restored versions that pop up on YouTube (video above). It’s worth checking out—if only to see what anxieties people had 50 years ago about our current times.^[5]

5 A Notable Early Directorial Effort

John G. Avildsen is best remembered for two things: Rocky and The Karate Kid. He won the Best Director Oscar for the first Rocky film, then returned to direct Rocky V in addition to the first three Karate Kid films. His earliest success came with 1970’s Joe, starring Peter Boyle in the title role of a working-class man driven to extremism by the societal changes happening around him. He followed up Joe with another critical favorite in 1971, Okay, Bill.

Variety magazine called Okay, Bill “creative and inventive.” Audiences that saw it reacted favorably, too, but apparently, it didn’t get a wide release, having been distributed by the small studio Four Star-Excelsior. And what happened to it after that is unknown because Okay, Bill has been on many “most wanted” lists of lost films ever since. A few fansites have dug up all the information they can on the film in hopes of it re-emerging one day. Until then, we can only wonder how a fairly modern film from a notable director that was well-received can just disappear.^[6]

4 An Acclaimed George Segal/Robert De Niro Film

From the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, the late actor George Segal had quite a run of great roles. He was able to project an everyman-style relatability while still radiating star power. Unfortunately, one of his most acclaimed roles in this era is also one that is more or less forgotten today—1971’s Born to Win. With a stellar supporting cast that includes Karen Black, Hector Elizondo, and a very young Robert De Niro, Born to Win is a gritty comedy-drama about a heroin addict trying to both have a life and maintain his habit. As you might imagine, complications ensue.

It’s unclear what happened with Born to Win, as critical notices were strong, especially for Segal, with Paste Magazine calling his work “one of the great unsung performances of the ’70s.” Segal was at the height of his popularity in 1971, as was Black, so it’s kind of puzzling how this movie slipped through the cracks. Today, Born to Win is a staple of $1 DVD bins—and it’s well worth that tiny investment if you happen to run across it.^[7]

3 A Dennis Hopper Western

One of the more intriguing film trends of the early 1970s was the “revisionist Western.” Taking that old faithful Hollywood genre and turning it on its head, films like Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969), Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Peter Fonda’s The Hired Hand (1971) appealed to counterculture audiences of the time. One of the best of this trend is 1973’s Kid Blue, which is hardly remembered today.

Dennis Hopper stars as the title character, a train robber at the beginning of the 20th century. He can’t help but notice that the Old West is fading into history, so he tries to go straight. Kid Blue quickly finds out that leaving your criminal past behind is not so easy.

Kid Blue is another example of a quality film that just seemed to gain no traction upon its release, despite positive reviews. As Los Angeles revival theater The New Beverly noted in 2017, “The movie made some money but did not linger in the public’s imagination. Though friends in Texas have steadfastly maintained over the years that Kid Blue is a cult classic, in truth, the film has all but disappeared.” Thankfully, 20th Century Fox does now make it available via DVDs created on-demand in their Archive Collection.^[8]

2 Sci-Fi from a Young Spielberg

Everyone has to start somewhere, and for Steven Spielberg, that was TV. A lot of film buffs know that his 1971 TV movie Duel later got a theatrical release, and that led to the opportunity to make big-screen films. However, he made another feature-length film for TV earlier in the year.

“L.A. 2017” was an episode of the NBC TV series The Name of the Game, a show that ran for 90 minutes each week. Spielberg used the plot device of one of the main characters having a dream to insert a sci-fi story into the series. The story is a real dystopian nightmare. Everyone lives underground due to pollution, and America has turned into a fascist state. The dream concept allows Spielberg to experiment with his camera and narrative, showing off his talents at the tender age of 24.

As The Name of the Game is not well-remembered today, Spielberg’s “L.A. 2017” is generally only known by his most devoted fans. It’s never been officially released, but fan restorations from TV airings can be found online by those willing to look for it.^[9]

1 A Star-Studded Cast in a Family Drama

Following the counterculture revolution of the 1960s, it’s no surprise that quite a few movies of the ’60s and ’70s touched on the topic of parents dealing with their kids’ drug use. 1970’s The People Next Door was a sterling example of this trend. As Roger Ebert said in his original review, “It’s the best movie so far about parents, kids, and drugs, and probably the best we’re likely to get.”

The People Next Door has an excellent cast of beloved actors, including Eli Wallach, Julie Harris, Hal Holbrook, and Cloris Leachman. And it certainly seems like it was well-received by critics and audiences at the time. So why did it fade from the public consciousness? It’s hard to say, but perhaps it just got lumped in with lesser movies about hippie kids and their worried parents and just got discarded.

Fortunately, The People Next Door is now getting its due as a standout in its genre. In 2021, it got a 4K restoration on Blu-Ray in the UK and is also available for rental on many streaming services. It’s well worth a look today, not just as a time capsule of an era gone by, but as a fine drama.^[10]

The world is full of unexplored and lesser-travelled destinations just waiting to be fully discovered. Whether it be an historic site, hidden beach, unusual museum or half-buried ruins, these places make for unforgettable holidays, day trips and memories.

Related: 10 Beautiful Images Of Abandoned Structures

10 Huacachina

Peru is a very popular tourist destination because it is the location of Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, the Sacred Valley, Sillustani and many other stunning attractions. Before the pandemic hit, the country received on average between 3 and 4 million foreign visitors each year.

These numbers drop to the low thousands, however, when it comes to the small village of Huacachina that sits surrounded by sand dunes in southwestern Peru. The village is built around a small but breath-taking oasis and is inhabited by only 100 people. Legend has it that the oasis, which is a natural desert lake, was created when a native princess was in the process of getting ready to take a bath but then saw a hunter approaching her. Dropping the mirror she was holding, she ran, and the mirror turned into a lake. Today there are still rumors of a mermaid living in the waters of the lake, with many locals believing it is the very same princess.

The water is also said to be therapeutic, and locals bathe in it to relieve symptoms of rheumatic diseases and asthma.

9 Cosmosphere

The concept of space and what may or may not be out there, has long since fascinated humankind. For those who are interested in space travel, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas makes for a fantastic tourist attraction. This museum houses more than 13,000 spaceflight artifacts and offers acclaimed educational programs.

Here visitors can explore The Hall of Space Museum, The Carey Digital Dome Theatre that brings space documentaries to life, The Justice Planetarium that takes you on a journey through the night sky, and Dr. Goddard’s Lab where you can watch an interactive show on the history of rockets. The artifacts on display in the Hall of Space include the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury spacecraft, a Moon rock from Apollo 11 and the Gemini 10 space capsule.

8 Bazaruto Archipelago

Mozambique is well-known for its beautiful beaches, traditional music, and excellent seafood. It is also the location of the Gorongosa National Park when you can have the ultimate immersive wilderness experience.

Not quite as trodden, are the paths that run through the Bazaruto Archipelago. The archipelago consists of six islands and became a national park in 1971. Its beauty remains protected and because of this there are still wild horses that play in the surf, intact coral reefs, and a population of around 180 sea cows to be spotted. In addition, 141 bird species, 18 reptile species, 21 mammal species and 5 dolphin species also inhabit the area.

7 Heaven Lake

In China, there are temples where you can learn kung fu, famous restaurants that offer unforgettable cuisine, giant pandas, fragrant teahouses, and many impressive tourist destinations including the dramatic Yellow River, The Great Wall, and the Forbidden City. On the lesser-known side of the scale, China is also home to the Dongchuan Red Lands, the Zhangye Rainbow Mountains, and the historic Fujian earthen buildings.

Nestled in a mountain range on the border between North Korea and China, lies the magical Heaven Lake. The lake lies within a caldera on top of the Paektu Mountain and is the highest volcanic lake in the world. Heaven Lake boasts its very own mythical monster, known as the Lake Tianchi Monster. It is also rumored that Kim Jong-iI was born near the lake and that the ice covering it cracked loudly after his death.

6 Penghu

Penghu in Taiwan consists of 90 small islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait that offer a host of activities, great beaches, and a glimpse into ancient history.

Walking around on the islands, you will see many beautiful temples, basalt cliffs, and the Chixi Rock Waterfall which is said to resemble a galloping horse. An old ship port is now known as the Penghu Paradise Road, which is a narrow footpath that leads out into the ocean.

Then there is Duxinghsi Village which is the oldest military housing in Taiwan and used to house the Japanese army during WWII. Many Japanese-styled homes can still be found here. On the southwest side of the West Island stands the Sitai Ancient Fortress which was built in the Qing Dynasty and hidden in a basalt.

5 Southern Namib Desert

The desert isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when planning a vacation, but the Southern Namib Desert in Namibia not only provides one of the best spots for nightly stargazing, but the sweeping desert views are truly mesmerizing. The Namib Desert is believed to be the oldest desert in the world, dating back around 55 million years and is home to springbok, ostriches, zebras, cheetahs and even lions, despite the harsh environment and minimal rainfall.

Often, thick rolling mists obscure the view of the nearby ocean, as the cold air from the Benguela Current clashes with the hot desert air. The Namib Desert is also the place where desert-adapted elephants roam, but sightings are rare because poaching has caused their numbers to dwindle dramatically.

4 Tohoku

In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 18,000 people in Tohoku alone and caused great damage to infrastructure. In addition to this the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was also severely damaged, with the meltdown of three nuclear reactors which led to the release of radioactive materials into the environment.

The resilience of the people of the Tohoku region has seen the area bounce back, however, and today it is again a beautiful place with so much to offer visitors. This includes the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the archaeological sites in Hiraizumi, and the Hakkoda Mountains. There is even a bright yellow train called Pokemon with You that was designed and built with the idea to bring smiles back to the faces of children whose families and homes were impacted by the tsunami. The train is decorated with Pikachu’s and Poke balls and includes a Playroom car.

3 New Caledonia

New Caledonia lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, around 900 miles east of Australia. The Isle of Pines forms part of its archipelago and it is here where you will find the magnificent Upi Bay. Turtles and dolphins frolic in the clear aquamarine water and huge rocks seemingly float on its surface.

Tourists can sail around in a traditional outrigger while taking in the stunning sight of Upi Bay, go for a swim or go sightseeing in the adjacent rain forest. Turtle Bay boasts clear waters, reef sharks, stingrays, and turtles, while Brush Island has a deserted beach just begging to be explored.

On the mainland of New Caledonia there are Melanesian dishes to be enjoyed, lakes to visit and waterfalls to take in.

2 Tsitsikamma National Park

Visitors to South Africa seem to prefer the well-known locations such as Cape Town and Johannesburg over the lesser-explored destinations to be found here, of which there are an abundance.

One of these underappreciated attractions is the Tsitsikamma National Park which forms part of the Garden Route National Park. It is the largest marine reserve in SA and harbors the giant Outenique yellowwood trees. It is also the location of the 42km hiking trail known as the Otter Trail.

Through the Tsitsikamma Mountain Range, the powerful Storms River winds its way to the Indian Ocean. It is one of the best places in the country to go diving or snorkeling and the Storms River area is home to the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.

1 Extremadura

Extremadura is often referred to as ‘Spain’s best kept secret.’ The area is bordered by Andalucía and Portugal and was an important part of the Iberian Peninsula during Roman times as it lays astride a major trade route for the trading of copper and tin. It is the poorest region in Spain and the least populated but has a wealth of historic heritage and majestic open spaces to offer.

Merida is the capital of Extremadura and lies at the point where Ruta de la Plata crosses the river Guadiana. The Roman bridge that spans across the river is the longest of its kind in the world. Merida also boasts a Roman theatre, stadium, three aqueducts and an amphitheatre.

There are also two historic monasteries in Extremadura, including the Santa Maria de Guadalupe where Christopher Columbus thanked God for the discovery of the New World, and the monastery of Yuste where the emperor Charles V lived for the last two years of his life.

National parks are one of America’s greatest and environmentally worthwhile achievements. As many know, the first national park to be established—likely one of the first in the world—was Yellowstone National Park in 1872. This amazing park lies mostly in Wyoming and covers over 2.2 million acres. After its creation, President Theodore Roosevelt would build on this and establish five more national parks and 18 national monuments.

Today, the U.S. is home to 63 national parks for visitors to enjoy. However, there are many other sites and natural wonders that are deserving of federal park status but, for one reason or another, have not been protected under the National Park System. Since there are so many amazing natural wonders in the U.S. and not enough space to list them all, we’ll focus on states that currently do not have a national park but definitely have a contender.

Related: 10 Weirdest Life Cycles In Nature

10 Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Alabama

One of the least talked about but most biologically diverse places in the U.S. is the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. It has been called America’s Amazon. The area is the second-largest delta in the U.S.—after the Mississippi. It contains one of the highest densities of different turtle species in the world, and scientists suspect that there is still flora and fauna in the area waiting to be discovered.

Apart from its natural wonders, the area also contains many historical sites that have been lost to time and swallowed up by the vast swampland. For example, it was the site of the last major battle of the Civil War, fought at Fort Blakely after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. It also contains one of the largest discovered Native American mounds on the Gulf Coast. Unfortunately, the area is unlikely to become a national park anytime soon, as a 2016 push to fold the area into the National Park System stalled.^[1]

9 Smoky Hills, Kansas

Many might think of flat prairies when thinking of Kansas, but the state is also home to canyons, rivers, and streams. The Smoky Hills region in the north-central part of the state was formed during the Cretaceous Period and includes craggy canyons and streams made up of sandstone, limestone, and chalk.

With so much geological history, the area also sports some strange rock formations, such as mushroom rock near Kanopolis State Park. The area’s rolling hills, canyons, and wetlands are definitely usually overlooked when one thinks about Kansas. Still, if the state was to be approved for a national park, this area would definitely be in contention.^[2]

8 Natchez Trace, Mississippi and Tennessee

Though administered by the National Park Service, the 444-mile Natchez Trace Trail that meanders through Mississippi and north into Tennessee is technically considered a “parkway.” Visitors can drive, bike, or hike along the road and the surrounding forests, which follow a trail used for centuries by Native Americans and then early settlers.

Former President Thomas Jefferson widened the corridor in order to link Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville and encourage expansion. The original trail even contains a marker for the grave of Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame). If it so wanted, the state of Mississippi would probably have no problem convincing the National Park Service to create a national park around the historic parkway and surrounding forests.^[3]

7 The Adirondacks, New York

Located in upstate New York, the Adirondacks is a region containing over 30,000 square miles of rivers and streams. The park itself is administered by the state of New York, and while you might have heard of the area, did you know that the park is larger than Yellowstone, Glacier, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon National Parks combined?

Almost half of the land in the park is owned by the state, while just over 55% is privately owned. However, all of the land within, including private land, must adhere to a strict set of development rules that are meant to protect the park. With rivers and forests, you can enjoy nearly 2,000 miles of hiking trails and other outdoor adventures. Paired with small towns and farmland, the area also boasts numerous historic sites, including forts, museums, and even the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.^[4]

6 The Apostle Islands, Wisconsin

There are 22 islands near Bayfield Peninsula in Lake Superior. Twenty-one of those islands belong to a national lakeshore in Wisconsin. These islands encompass an area of 720 square miles (Link 11), offering adventurers caves to explore, miles of coastline to kayak, and 108 square miles of land and forest to hike.

The shores of these jewel-like islands also mark the northwestern limits of hardwood-white pine. The area hosts bald eagles, black bears, the endangered American marten, and numerous aquatic life and migratory birds. But no matter the season, the islands always offer spectacular views of one of the most pristine Great Lakes.^[5]

5 Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands

What is essentially a collection of two national forests and three national grasslands starting in Nebraska and spanning into South Dakota make up the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.

One area of forest inside this vast expanse makes up some 90,000 acres and is actually the largest hand-planted forest in the world. Yeah, that’s right, much of this forest was planted by humans. In 1890, a member of the University of Nebraska suggested that the federal government plant trees in order to stem erosion and provide sanctuary for wildlife and a source of lumber for locals.

The federal government apparently thought it was a good idea and a year later established an experimental plot of land that has grown into the forest that exists today. While not technically “natural,” it makes one wonder what kind of positive precedent for the future it would set to elevate this area into national park status.^[6]

4 Hammersley Wild Area, Pennsylvania

Spanning an area of almost 30,000 acres, this wild area is some of the most pristine forested regions in the state of Pennsylvania, if not the most. The brochure even warns those looking to hike the area to carry topographic maps as getting lost here could “have serious consequences.”

The region contains old-growth and hardwood forests, but it is perhaps more notable for what is absent. There are no roads inside Hammersley, meaning the only thing you are likely to hear while camping or hiking is the sweet, sweet sound of the wilderness.^[7]

3 Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana

Located in north-central Louisiana, Kisatchie National Forest is over 600,000 acres and contains old-growth pine—the type that used to cover most of the southeast U.S. It was even featured on the America the Beautiful quarter series that highlighted various national parks and other natural resources in the U.S.

The forest contains over 100 bird species year-round, Louisiana black bears, and escaped wild horses. Almost logged completely in the early twentieth century, the area is named after a local tribe of Kichai Native Americans, who called themselves “Kitsatchie.” The park offer camping (both in camps and more primitive), fishing, hunting, hiking, and numerous other outdoor adventures to keep everyone busy.^[8]

2 The Green Mountains, Vermont

Green Mountains National Forest is another forest on this list that could easily be elevated to National Park status. The forest spans some 400,000 acres and 550 square miles, with the park established in 1932.

The area the forest gets its name from—the Green Mountains—is part of the Appalachian Mountain chain. They run north-south through the center of Vermont and include peaks rising over 3,000 feet in height. The national forest was established to protect many of these verdant peaks and their hardwoods. With its diverse vegetation and focus on forest stewardship, the park—along with its sister park, the Finger Lakes National Park in New York—functions as a research and educational center. It also has various recreational activities along its many trails.^[9]

1 Atchafalaya, Louisiana

The last area on our list, the Atchafalaya Basin, is the country’s largest swamp. It spans an area of almost one million acres and stretches 140 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Located in Louisiana, the basin is larger than the Florida Everglades and is home to the largest nesting population of bald eagles in the southern U.S.

The basin contains the largest contiguous hardwood forest in the U.S. and an abundance of wildlife. Situated west of New Orleans, the basin would probably be covered by the ever-changing Mississippi River by now if it weren’t for controls put in place along the northern edge of the basin. However, the basin takes in about 30% of the water from the Mississippi Rivers as it flows into the Gulf. The waters provide essential habitat for more than 300 species of wildlife and 100 different aquatic species, as well as a rich diversity of native plants.

You can enjoy various activities while visiting this bayou, including paddling, biking, golfing, birding, and camping. Oh, and don’t forget a swamp tour!^[10]