Back in November, the archeologist for Great Basin National Park, Eva Jensen, made an amazing discovery: she spotted an old rifle set against a juniper tree. She was able to read the serial number, which allowed her and her colleagues to find out that the rifle was made in 1882 by the Winchester Corporation.

Last week, this information and some photos were put on the park's Facebook page, and it went viral. It was interesting to see how the news spread so quickly to major newspapers and networks. It didn't even stay in the U.S., I had it come up on BBC News feed, and as you can see on the list below, the Irish Independent deemed it worthy to include.

The park's Facebook page gained 3,000 likes in a week, and hundreds of people speculated on how the rifle had come to be left there. We may never know, but it sure is fun to think about.

[Image] 1882 Winchester rifle found in remote area of Nevada national park The Seattle Times-15 hours ago The Winchester rifle manufactured in 1882 was found leaning against a juniper tree on a rocky outcrop in Great Basin National Park during an ... Researchers puzzled by discovery of 1882 Winchester rifle
SFGate-2 hours ago 1882 Winchester rifle found leaning on tree in Nevada mountains
New Haven Register-13 minutes ago Prized 1882 rifle blended into tree
Irish Independent-13 hours ago Mysterious rifle may have been propped against tree for over 100 ...
CTV News-25 minutes ago 1873 Winchester rifle found leaning against tree in Nevada's Great ...
Blog-Sacramento Bee (blog)-Jan 16, 2015 [Image] Irish Independent [Image] Sacramento Bee (blog) [Image] CTV News [Image] National Post [Image] Chattanooga Times Free Press [Image] Deseret News Explore in depth  (194 more articles) [Image] Researchers puzzled by discovery of 1882 Winchester rifle in ... WXYZ-13 hours ago RENO, Nev. (AP) - Researchers are trying to crack the mystery surrounding the discovery of a weathered, rusted Winchester rifle in the ... [Image] Abandoned 1882 rifle sparks archaeological quest in Nevada Los Angeles Times-Jan 17, 2015 There it was, abandoned for the ages, propped up against a juniper tree in far-eastern Nevada's Snake Mountains, a Winchester Model 1873 ... 132-year-old rifle found leaning against tree in Nevada 'where it was ...
In-Depth-Telegraph.co.uk-Jan 16, 2015 Explore in depth  (165 more articles) [Image] Researchers Puzzled by 1882 Winchester Rifle Found in Nevada ... CNSNews.com-17 hours ago This image provided by the Great Basin National Park shows a Winchester Model 1873 rifle found in Nevada. The gun made in 1882 was found ... [Image] 1882 Winchester rifle found in Great Basin National Park KSL.com-Jan 15, 2015 1882 Winchester rifle found in Great Basin National Park ... The rifle was found and recovered by park archaeologists in November, according ... [Image] Winchester rifle made in 1882 found propped up against tree KVAL-Jan 16, 2015 Winchester rifle made in 1882 found propped up against tree. By News ... Great Basin National Park workers found a 132-year-old Winchester ... [Image] Discovery of Winchester rifle from 1882 puzzles experts The Columbian-12 hours ago A Winchester rifle made in 1882 was found in November propped against a juniper tree in Great Basin National Park, Nev., during an ... [Image] Researchers puzzled by discovery of 1882 Winchester rifle in Terrific ... USA DAILY NEWS-12 hours ago National Park Service This image shows a Winchester Model 1873 rifle located in Nevada. The gun produced in 1882 was found propped ... [Image] Winchester 1882 Rifle Discovered Montana Standard-Jan 16, 2015 We provide this community forum for readers to exchange ideas and opinions on the news of the day. Passionate views, pointed criticism and ... [Image] 132-Year-Old Winchester Rifle Found At Great Basin National Park National Parks Traveler-Jan 13, 2015 Winchester Model 1873 rifles hold a prominent place in Western ... price to $25 in 1882 and were accessible and popular as “everyman's” rifle.