Atari Games Buried in 1983 Dump Unearthed; One Sells for Over $1,500

Hindustan Times · interesting

In 1983, Atari buried thousands of surplus video game cartridges, including the infamous "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," in a New Mexico landfill. Decades later, in 2014, archaeologists excavated the site, recovering over 1,300 cartridges. This event, documented for a film, marked the first archaeological excavation of video game artifacts. Many of the unearthed games were later sold at auction, generating significant revenue for the city of Alamogordo, with one "E.T." copy fetching over $1,500.