- HubPages»
- Education and Science»
- History & Archaeology»
- Archaeology
Underground Civilizations: No Myth
Derinkuyu
The City
Derinkuyu is an underground city currently being excavated in Turkey.
This city is said to have eleven stories, capable of housing 50,000 people complete with their livestock, schools, churches and all other infrastructure.
It is thought that although parts of the city date back to the 8th century BC, other parts were added around the 5th century AD.
Although Derinkuyu is possibly the biggest underground city found to date, it is by no means the only one. Approximately 200 other cities have been found underground, just in this area of Turkey alone, many having a minimum of 3 stories.
Tunnels
The Tunnels
These cities are made up of tunnels, many cut by stone tools.
It is now thought that these labyrinths of tunnels could have other tunnels linking each city. These networks of tunnels may stretch 1,800 miles, to as far as Scotland.
The tunnels are carved out of rock, which makes carbon dating very difficult and some are speculating that some of these tunnels could be as much as 12,000 years old.
Nuclear Shelters
Maya
There are supposed legends of civilizations living beneath the ground. The Maya are said to have been led underground by their leader soon after the Conquistadors arrived in the Americas. The Hopi talk of a civilization of “Ant People” living underground. Also there are stories from China and India of possible underground civilizations.
Perhaps the best known of these stories is that of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, whose story about being kidnapped by a civilization living under Antarctica, led to the “Hollow Earth” theory.
Although the discovery of these tunnels and cities does not really show the hollow earth theory to be correct, as we further excavate these finds, we may give more credence to some of these previously thought of myths.
As giant stones could be placed across the entrances to these cities and them being seemingly self sufficient, some have speculated that they could have been built as perfect nuclear shelters.
This of course, would beg the question: who could have told them of the dangers of nuclear energy or had they themselves witnessed them for themselves?