Mysterious caves built with high technology over 2000 years ago
A strange underground world that continues to cause intrigue and unanswered questions is the Longyou Caves in China. Near the city of Shiyan Beicun in Zhejiang Province, you can find some of the most mysterious underground constructions on Earth. It is so surprising that in China it is known as the ninth wonder of the world. Let’s take a look at the mysterious Longyou Caves
As with many of the great mysteries present on the planet, the Longyou Caves were discovered by accident. In the city of Shiyan Beicun , where they are located, there has been talk of bottomless underground wells and lakes for years. Residents take advantage of the huge amount of fish present in these underground waters and keep the myth of bottomless ponds alive. Now one day a man decided to test the veracity of this local legend in order to test whether or not the underground formations had an end point. With the support of other members of the community, a large hydraulic pump was acquired, with which all the groundwater was pumped for 17 consecutive days. In this fortuitous way, some amazing caves dug by hand were discovered, which, apparently, were the reason for the lack of water depth. Huge, intricate design full of unknowns After its discovery in 1992, exploration inside these caves has brought to light around 30,000 square meters of caves and tunnels. More than that, the researchers watched in awe of beautifully crafted passages, rooms, bridges, pools, and hallways. As expected, doubts began to arise about this artificial cave. Who or what did this? To what end? Immediately, the search began for written records of a Chinese emperor, detailing the purpose of the construction of this monumental cave and how this work was carried out. But, to date, no related documentation has been found, at any time under the tenure of any emperor. Also no traces of the presence of workers, tools, food or even fish were found. In fact, the biggest mystery that emerges from this underground formation is how it was built. There are no traces of construction
There are no records of the creation of these caves. Experts who study artificial caves calculate that the investment of time and human labor must have been enormous to shape such an intricate design. For example, the amount of rock extracted is equal to 1 million cubic meters. But in the surroundings, let alone inside the caves, stone deposits and excavation remains were found. To carry out such a monumental project, it is estimated the presence of more than 1,000 workers, chiseling and excavating for 6 consecutive years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is without considering the time spent outlining and delineating sculptures, engravings and reliefs, which abound on cave walls. Precision carved walls… by hand
The walls of the different caves reach, in some places, 30 meters high. It contains separate rooms, corridors and gutters, and on every wall, a very particular chisel engraving. From top to bottom, the walls have a series of parallel lines, all etched with hammer and chisel. These markings are similar to those found on pottery at a nearby museum, dated to between 500 and 800 BC. The accuracy of its location, the carvings, and the thickness of its walls remain a mystery that today’s archaeologists and scholars have been unable to resolve. Yang Hongxun, from the Archaeological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said: “Deep in each cave, ancient builders would not have been able to see what others were doing in the adjacent cave. But the inside of each cave had to be parallel to the other, or else the wall would have been drilled when it was built. So the measuring devices must have been very advanced. There must have been some provision on the size, location and distances between the caves beforehand.” How did these caves remain intact for so long? The geographic area where the Longyou Caves are located is very prone to earthquakes. However, inside them there are no signs of collapse, piles of rubble or damage to walls or columns. In the surroundings, over the centuries, the mountains and reliefs have changed shape and size. But inside the caves, everything continues as if it had been built the day before. Currently the caves can be visited by tourists and the entrance fee is approximately 8 dollars. How did builders work in the dark of caves? Who built them and for what purpose? How did they achieve such incredible precision, at a time when there was no technology or industrial machinery? These are just a few of the many questions the Longyou Caves raise in the minds of those who have studied them for years.
