10 mysterious finds found in the most unexpected places (16 photos)

Interesting things of unknown purpose are found not only among old things of ancestors or in secluded corners of a recently acquired house.





Unexpected oddities can be found on the beach, discovered on a bike path or stumbled upon at the airport or hotel room. Not everything can be identified immediately, but all-knowing virtual erudites come to the rescue, easily revealing the secrets of even the most intricate objects.

1. A small metal cylinder in the wall of a 19th-century house with a small lever and valve.



A speaking tube was a device used in Victorian England. There were metal tubes in the walls. To call a person in another room, you had to blow into the tube, then a whistle would be heard in the other room. To answer, you had to pull a lever.

2. Flashing cylinders under the bed in a hotel room





These are smart bed legs and insect and rodent detectors in the form of small cylinders with indicators, usually installed on beds in hotels.

3. An object that resembles a small gun at an airport



A device for safely unloading a gun, or a bullet catcher. After removing the magazine and inspecting it, people insert the barrel of the gun into a small hole in this device and pull the trigger. The device catches the bullet in case someone unloads the gun incorrectly. It is used in gun rooms, shooting ranges, and police stations to prevent accidental discharges due to errors in checking.

4. A small sealed flask on the beach



British A.C. Delay Fuze ampoules (WW2) - an artifact of the Second World War. Chemical detonators with a delay for magnetic mines, used by saboteurs. An ampoule with acetone is inserted into the detonator, when closed it is crushed, acetone dissolves the celluloid, releasing the striker.

The time before the explosion depends on the color of the ampoule and varies from 6.5 hours for red to 8.5 days for purple. Such things can be found on beaches where they are thrown out by the sea.



5. Large square and round objects floating in the water near the power plant



Spray nozzles. These shoot water into the air like a fountain to quickly cool it, instead of dumping it directly into the river, which can lead to increased water temperatures in the river and disrupt the aquatic ecosystem.

6. Interesting golden thing with a small handle



Toothpaste dispenser.



7. Wooden high post on the bike path



A device for counting passing people and cyclists.



8. A screwdriver-like object with serrations on the end



A tool for cleaning stones from tire treads.



9. Two-piece brass design with engraved image



Antique opium pipe.

10. Metal object with a figured tip



Holder for window shutters.