“In a shocking twist, the archaeologist discovered his own tomb!”

Yet, this very event actually happened to a real archaeologist, read on...

In the 1920s, Gustav Stormsvik was serving as a sailor on a merchant vessel, but had grown tired of the profession.

When his boat was docked at the port of Progresso, in Yucatan, Mexico, he decided to literally jump ship and start a new life.

Stromsvik worked odd jobs around Yucatan, eventually making his way to the ruins of Chichen Itza, an ancient Maya city.

The site was being excavated under the direction of Sylvanus Morley and they needed all the manual labor they could get.

At the end of the season, Morley needed someone to watch the camp until work started up again next year. Stromsvik volunteered!

Living alone amongst the ancient ruins, he had little to do, so... he read the entire research library left at the camp by the archaeologists.

When work resumed next year, Stromsvik knew more about the site then many of the senior archaeologists, and he was quickly promoted to leading excavations!

Over the years, Stromsvik went on to become a pivotal figure in the emerging field of Maya archaeology.

But, the tomb...

Years later Stromsvik learned that the day he jumped ship, his captain reported him “Lost Overboard.” And, strangely enough, a body washed up on shore a few days later. So, the Mexican officials buried the body under the name Gustav Stromsvik.

From then on, Stromsvik would celebrate his arrival in Yucatan each year by getting rip roaring drunk and going out to place flowers on his own grave!