from Phys.Org 12/4/2012 (Phys.org)—An international research team led by the Planetary Science Institute has found evidence that indicates that approximately 2 billion years ago enormous volumes of catastrophic flood discharges may have been captured by extensive systems of caverns on Mars, said PSI research scientist J. Alexis Palmero Rodriguez. . . Read Complete Report ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watch and make up your own mind as to what you are seeing. . . EDITOR
Archeologists discover that cave and artifacts inside are actually much more extensive and abundant than previously thought.
A giant cave that might have helped serve as the inspiration for the mythic ancient Greek underworld Hades once housed hundreds of people, potentially making it one of the oldest and most important prehistoric villages in Europe before it collapsed and killed everyone inside, researchers say.
The complex settlement seen in this cave suggests, along with other sites from about the same time, that early prehistoric Europe may have been more complex than previously thought.
The cave, located in southern Greece and discovered in 1958, is called Alepotrypa, which means “foxhole.” . . . Read Complete Report
The cave of Alepotrypa is very famous in neolithic circles for having caved in after thousands of years of use, trapping the last inhabitants inside. We had the opportunity to visit at the weekend of 6-7 October 2007. Things to look out for are the FN figurines, the big lump of obsidian and the stal on the skull.
Photo: Caves near the Mexican city of Tulum: In recent years, specialist divers have explored and mapped out thousands of kilometer of these caves. The yellow line here indicates caves discoved by German diver Robert Schmittner. SOURCE Google Earth/ TerraMetrics/ Robert Schmittner
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is dotted with thousands of caves that once housed prehistoric people and later became sacred to the Mayans. German archaeologists and filmmakers are currently involved in a project to explore with modern imaging technology and make a 3-D film of this underwater labyrinth.
A person died here hundreds of years ago. His body fell into the flooded cave and sank into the water. His flesh gradually separated from his bones. Today, he stares at divers out of empty eye sockets. His skull seems to be pushing its way out of the soil, as if he were trying to rise from the dead, to rise up from the sand, shake the tiresome sediment from his bones and escape from the silent darkness. . . . Read Complete Report
Until you notice the orange-suited men clambering around, it’s hard to grasp the extraordinary scale of this underground crystal forest.
Nearly 1,000ft below the Chihuahua Desert in Mexico, this cave was discovered by two brothers drilling in the Naica lead and silver mine. It is an eerie sight.
Up to 170 giant, luminous obelisks – the biggest is 37.4ft long and the equivalent height of six men – jut across the grotto like tangled pillars of light; and the damp rock of their walls is covered with yet more flawless clusters of blade-sharp crystal. . . . Read Complete Report w/National Geographic photos
Photograph by Carsten Peter, Speleoresearch & Films
In a nearly empty cantina in a dark desert town, the short, drunk man makes his pitch. Beside him on the billiards table sits a chunk of rock the size of home plate. Dozens of purple and white crystals push up from it like shards of glass. “Yours for $300,” he says. “No? One hundred. A steal!” The three or four other patrons glance past their beers, thinking it over: Should they offer their crystals too? Rock dust on the green felt, cowboy ballads on the jukebox. Above the bar, a sign reads, “Happy Hour: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.” . . . Read Complete Report w/ photos
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Elephanta Caves, situated on the Elephanta Island is home to 1,200 year old rock cut temple of Lord Shiva. Ancient carvings and sculptures adorn the temple. The specialty of the temple is that it was built out of a single rock with space for columns and shrines. There are over 10 caves here but it’s the main cave that has the privilege of being the most preserved.
This section of the cave is replete with gigantic structures that tell stories of Lord Shiva from the puranas.An astonishing fact is that even though the site was used for target practice in the 17th century by the Portuguese, the caves retained their charm and still attract loads of visitors everyday. The Elephanta Caves are now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An added incentive to go check them out, isn’t it? . . . Read Complete Report
The ‘City of Caves’, on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Bombay, contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.