Who built the ancient tunnels underneath all of Europe?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-10 19:46

There are hundreds, and possibly thousands, of underground tunnels underneath Europe, the origin of which remains a mystery. This type of tunnel is called "erdstall" and is very narrow. 1 to 1.2 m in height and about 60 cm in width.

There are hundreds, and possibly thousands, of underground tunnels underneath Europe, the origin of which remains a mystery. This type of tunnel is called "erdstall" and is very narrow. 1 to 1.2 m in height and about 60 cm in width.

There are also connecting tunnels, which are even smaller and are unlikely to be passed through by an adult or overweight person. Some tunnel systems are rings, most tunnels in such systems are less than 50 m long.

The tunnels are roughly dated back to the early Middle Ages. Since no historical artifacts have been found in the tunnels, it is difficult to determine the exact age. For the same reason, it is unlikely that these tunnels were ever used as hiding places or as housing. Although this possibility cannot be completely ruled out.

The most common theory is that these are structures of religious significance, and that they may have belonged to some kind of non-Christian cult. Adding to the mystery is the fact that these tunnels have never been mentioned in historical texts. We may never know where they came from.

According to the German archaeologist Dr. Heinrich Kusch, who recently published a book entitled "Secrets of the Underground Door to the Ancient World", tunnels appeared in the Stone Age - 5000 years ago, in the Neolithic period, since they are usually located next to the camps of people of that time. There is also talk of earlier times - 12,000 years ago.

There is data from radiocarbon analysis that the Bavarian tunnels are about 1500 years old, there are also later, medieval ones. Some have been known for a long time, others, like Erdstall, were discovered by accident. A cow nibbled grass on an alpine meadow - and suddenly fell into the ground. This is not to say that they did not know about these tunnels before the book was published, but somehow this was not too advertised, if not to put it bluntly - it was hushed up. Dark tunnels are still largely unknown to scientists. In this respect, the book was a real event.

“We would like to use the help of physicists for radiocarbon dating, expertise; theologians and specialists in prehistoric times,”says one of the Alborn researchers. No dissertation has yet been written on this topic to date.

At least 700 of these tunnels have been found in Bavaria alone, and about 500 in Austria. They have fancy names among the people, such as "Schrazelloch" ("hole of the goblins") or "Alraunenhöhle" ("mandrake cave"). Some sagas say that they were part of the long tunnels connecting the castles.

European tunnels, as a rule, have the same vaulted structure, the height is about 70 centimeters, often the tunnels are connected by passages with a diameter of 40 centimeters, into which a normal person can barely squeeze. Kushch suggests that before the underground network was even larger, but part of it gradually collapsed. Or not found yet.

Some experts believe the web was a way to protect humans from predators, while others think that some of the connected tunnels were used as crossings to travel safely regardless of war, violence, and even weather over land. One thing is true - obviously this method of movement underground was extremely popular. True, it is not very clear to whom.

The book notes that chapels were often built at the entrances to the tunnels, perhaps because the Church feared the pagan heritage, or perhaps in order to thus eliminate its influence. Many tunnels were filled up, their entrances were walled up. Sometimes you come across reliefs in the caves, as, for example, at Bösenreutin near the city of Lindau on Lake Constance.

It depicts a goblin with a tail. Perhaps some galleries were temples for the followers of some pagan rituals, it is quite possible that these people simply used what they did not build. In some chronicles, references to these tunnels have been found as on the way to the underworld.

But looking at these underground passages, and they are clearly artificial, one cannot get rid of the thought that a person must have been clearly uncomfortable and uncomfortable in them. Try to crouch down at least ten meters. And on your knees, you also do not travel for a long time. It is difficult to breathe there and a long siege, hiding from enemies, cannot be sustained.

All this gives the impression that the myths about gnomes (or dwarfs, hobbits, goblins - call it what you want) really have real ground, or rather, have proof of what is underneath.