In the 1980s, rare shells linked to Captain Cook were thrown into a university dumpster; 40 years later, the forgotten collection returned to England's heritage archives

Rare shells linked to Captain James Cook nearly vanished in the 1980s. The collection was thrown into a university dumpster, apparently forgotten and overlooked. For almost 40 years, its historical value remained hidden. Now, the shells have returned to England and entered heritage archives.