symondrake » Archaeology

Hidden tunnels under Albert Park

Symon — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:11:28 +0000

I have always been fascinated by World War 2 history and especially old gun emplacements, tunnels and stuff. A dream I have is to visit France and explore the Axis fortifications along the coast (including the sub-pens). In future posts I will be writing about some of New Zealand’s historic WW2 sites, but first I want to write about the Holy Grail of such sites… Albert Park.

Albert Park is a beautiful and serene park situated in the centre of downtown Auckland, a reprieve from busy city life and frequented by many suit-and-tie guys and students on their lunch-breaks each day.

Albert Park was originally the site of the Albert Barracks, one of Auckland’s early European military fortifications, which was converted into a public park in the 1880s. But it is not Albert Park itself that exudes intrigue… but what lies beneath.What most people don’t know is that underneath Albert Park is over 3.5 kilometres of man-made tunnels built during the war to shelter over 20,000 people in the event of an air-raid. The tunnels consist of a network of shelters, sanitation facilities and first aid posts, all ventilated by air shafts, with a total of nine entrances. Fortunately, the expected air raids did not eventuate, but with the tunnels unused, by the end of 1943 the timber supports were beginning to fail. By February 1945, the tunnels were filled in with unfired clay bricks, the entrances buried and the air shafts and other shafts in-filled.

And so the tunnels remain to this day…

This, my friends is the stuff adventure is made of. I don’t know about you, but the Indiana-Jones-alter-ego in me screams out to throw caution to the wind… to look for an entrance, rediscover long-forgotten places and flee from giant boulders (okay perhaps not flee from giant boulders ). As this site shows, there have been exposed entrances in recent years and intrepid (or insane depending on how you look at it) explorers have ventured inside.

What I am dying to know is:

Are they still accessible today? (One article written in march 2009 said they still are.)
Will my wife let me? (Happy wife happy life.)
If the answer to the above questions is “Yes”, who’s keen for a roadtrip to Albert Park (and beneath)?

Further Albert Park tunnel info: to whet your adventurer’s appetite:

Large image of the Tunnel Plans
Google earth image of Albert Park with with the tunnel system superimposed over top.
Wikipedia’s Albert Park Tunnels entry
The best Albert Park tunnel site in existence.

Please leave a comment if you have any further information, know of exposed entrances… think I’m crazy, etc.

The Tunguska Catastrophe

Symon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:30:00 +0000

I had never ever heard of the name Tunguska before… until I bought a PC game (for the kids) called Secret files: Tunguska. Then I became enlightened to an extremely fascinating and equally mysterious event which occurred 101 years ago in Central Siberia.

In the Tunguska region at 7:17am on 30 June 1908 something of apocalyptic proportions occurred. This ‘happening’ flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,000 square km. The blast (if that was what it was) was 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and generated a shock wave that knocked people unconscious 60km from the epicentre. In the following weeks, night skies over Europe and western Russia glowed brightly enough for people to read by. Mysteriously, there was no crater or any other clear evidence for what exploded.

The first report of the explosion was in the Irkutsk paper dated July 2, 1908, published two days after the explosion:

The peasants saw a body shining very brightly (too bright for the naked eye) with a bluish-white light… The body was in the form of ‘a pipe’, i.e. cylindrical. The sky was cloudless, except that low down on the horizon, in the direction in which this glowing body was observed, a small dark cloud was noticed. It was hot and dry and when the shining body approached the ground (which was covered with forest at this point) it seemed to be pulverized, and in its place a loud crash, not like thunder, but as if from the fall of large stones or from gunfire was heard. All the buildings shook and at the same time a forked tongue of flames broke through the cloud. All the inhabitants of the village ran out into the street in panic. The old women wept, everyone thought that the end of the world was approaching.

S.B. Semenov, an eyewitness in the village of Vanovara about 60 km south of the explosion site, gave the following report…

I was sitting in the porch of the house at the trading station of Vanovara at breakfast time… when suddenly the sky was split in two and high above the forest the whole northern part of the sky appeared to be covered with fire. At that moment I felt great heat as if my shirt had caught fire; this heat came from the north side. I wanted to pull off my shirt and throw it away, but at that moment there was a bang in the sky, and a mighty crash was heard. I was thrown to the ground… and for a moment I lost consciousness… The crash was followed by noise like stones falling from the sky, or guns firing. The earth trembled, and when I lay on the ground I covered my head because I was afraid that stones might hit it.

The most accepted explanations as to what caused the Tunguska event are:

A fragmentary asteroid or meteorite that exploded in the atmosphere.

The nucleus of a comet that likewise exploded in the atmosphere.

But I ask you, could a comet cause the following enigmatic effects that were recorded at the site?

disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field.

a local geomagnetic storm.

a reversal of soil magnetization.

an electromagnetic pulse, similar to what would be created by a nuclear explosion.

aurora displays before and after the event.

unusually bright nights seen before and after the event.

genetic mutations in plants and animals.

accelerated growth of plants afterward.

radiation-like burns and deaths of exposed people.

Not surprisingly there are many learned people who disagree with the ‘accepted’ explanation. Among the more ‘exotic’ theories are…

An unusual tectonic event.

A massive methane gas explosion.

A black hole that entered the Earth’s atmosphere from outer space and imploded.

A chunk of antimatter that reacted with the matter of our planet.

A crashed UFO.

A deliberate attack by extraterrestrials.

The result of a test of Nikola Tesla’s wireless power transmitter.

I agree that most of the theories listed above sound utterly ridiculous… but the event itself simply cannot be adequately explained using natural reasoning. Even now, 101 years later Russian scientists are still struggling to get a clearer understanding of what really happened that day.

What is disturbing is that if the Tunguska event occurred 4 hours and 47 seconds later, it would have hit the Russian Capitol.

(For an intriguing look at the Nikola Tesla hypothesis click here.)

Tomb of the Seven Sleepers

Symon — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:23:00 +0000

I came across an extremely interesting account while researching the city of Ephesus last week. The legend goes like this…

Around 250AD, when Christians were being fiercely persecuted, seven young men refusing to recant their faith, gave their worldly goods to the poor and retreated to a mountain cave to pray (and await capture, followed by execution I presume), where they fell asleep. The emperor, seeing that their attitude towards Christ had not improved, ordered the mouth of the cave to be sealed, and effectively sealed their fate.

Two centuries passed and the landowner decided to re-open the cave, thinking to use it as a cattle pen. He did so, and to his astonishment, found seven men sleeping inside. They awoke and believed they had only slept one day. They wandered into the city of Ephesus, and were utterly bewildered at the many churches and the freedom of worship for Christians. The Sleepers later died naturally (and this time permanently) and were buried in the cave in which they had slept.

The ‘Cave of the Seven Sleepers’ became a major place of pilgrimage from the 5th to 15th centuries, and as often happened with venerated sites, a church was built above the seven original tombs. The site was excavated in 1927, and brought to light many hundreds of graves which were dated to the 5th and 6th centuries. Inscriptions dedicated to the Seven Sleepers were found on the walls of the church and in the graves.

And so ends my history lesson for today.

The story reminds me of the Templar Knight in Indiana Jones 3. The Last Crusade was a fictional story… The Seven Sleepers possibly isn’t. Although seemingly impossible, early Christian documents are strewn with this legend (a similar story even appears in the Quaran), and may I remind you, that stranger things than this have been known to have happened…

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. Matthew 27:50-53 Holy Bible (NLT)

Once again, the truth is quite possibly stranger than fiction.

The Seven Sleepers at Wikipedia here.

Kali, Thugees & the Temple of Doom

Symon — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Those of us raised on a regular media diet in the 80′s will remember well Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I was all nostalgic the other day, and watched it on DVD (the first time in nearly twenty years). I must say that I was appalled by the human-sacrifice-to-Kali-goddess-of-death-by-thugge-cult-fanatics-in-temple-under-palace scene. The ‘Fast Forward’ button was used fuequently. Perhaps, I’ve become resensitised (opposite of desentitised) in my old age, which is a very good thing.

The disturbing part is that the Temple of Doom and corresponding cult is based on fact.

Thugee (from the Hindi verb ‘thaglana’ meaning ‘to deceive’) was a secret society based in India with followers who regarded murder as a legitimate sport and a very important part of their faith. The Thugees used scarves to strangle unsuspecting travellers whom they would befriend on the high roads of India during the pre-British era. At its prime, the Thugee cult was responsible for about 30,000 killings per year.

Thugees worshipped ‘Kali’, the Hindu goddess of death and destruction. They believed Kali had ordered them to destroy all men who were not of their kindred. Hence, every murder carried out was considered an offering to Kali. Surprisingly, Kali’s followers were normally good citizens (many were influential in Indian society) who were also devoted to their families.

The cult was eventually eradicated by the British colonists, led by Sir William Henry Sleeman during the second quarter of the 19th century.

A few concluding questions…

- Do Thugees still exist? Who really knows for sure that they were completely eradicated?

- Would Sir William Henry Sleeman be tried for War crimes if he was alive today? Thugee extermination does not sound very PC to me.

- Killing was considered crucial to the Thugee’s religious practices. If they were active in New Zealand today, would they get away with murder? After all, a former NZ polititian frequently (and flauntingly) broke the law during his days in parliment. His excuse? Religious practice.

- Just how authentic did Lucas and Speilberg make the Temple of Doom? The freaky chanting and sacrifice rituals… I shudder to think. I know that during the sacrifice scene, Mola Ram chants in Hindi, imploring “Kali Ma Shakti de,” asking for the “Spiritual power of Mother Kali.” It is very disturbing actually. Where does acting become reality? Where does ‘being entertained’ become ‘being defiled’?

And finally, yes… the english word ‘thug’ originated from ‘thugee’.

Treasure, death and a severed hand

Symon — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:54:00 +0000

I was reminded today of the ‘Money Pit’ of Oak Island, probably the longest running treasure hunt in history, and the most mysterious…

For all you archaeologically-challenged readers out there, prepare to be enlightened.

Oak Island is a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. While exploring the island (1765), 16-year-old Daniel McGinnis discovered an old oak tree bearing marks caused by a rope and tackle system. Beneath the tree was a depression in the ground and Daniel believed he had stumbled across the location of buried pirate’s treasure. Young Daniel had discovered what is now known as the money pit, and to this day, whatever lies at the bottom of the pit continues to elude discovery… and six people have died trying to recover it.

In a nutshell… the money pit is 200 foot deep manmade shaft, constructed centuries ago in such a way that recovering its contents would be an impossible feat. What lies at the bottom was never meant to be retrieved, buried in a shroud of mystery and death.

I have previously written about ancient booby traps, and the money pit is extraodinary in this regard. Whoever designed it, dug sloping tunnels from the vertical shaft which joined the ocean. When the digging got deep enough, the shaft was flooded by ocean water, and has been so ever since.

The existence of this flood trap was confirmed by the discovery that the beach of Smith’s Cove, located some 500 feet away from the pit, was completely artificial. Ingeniously designed for the sole purpose of flooding the pit if anyone ever got close to its contents.

How many men would it take to create an artificial beach? I dare to ask. What could possibly be so valuable? Experts can only surmise.

In 1970 one group bored a hole 90-metres from the site and found several artificial cavities. They lowered a camera down the borehole and saw three chests a severed hand, and a body.

The plot thickens, the death-toll mounts, the facts provide more questions than answers, and no one is really that much closer to discovering the treasure than young Daniel McGinnis was over 200 years ago.

Double-click the clip below for doco about the money pit

Click here for Unmuseum’s excellent Oak Island article (with pictures!).
Click here for Wikipedia’s Oak Island entry.

Now that you’re ‘Indiana Jones alter-ego’ appetite has been whett, feel free to peruse my other posts on crazy archaleogical finds…

The real Temple of Doom
Giant boulder booby traps
Cave of the giant crystals

The real ‘Temple of Doom’

Symon — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:02:00 +0000

Are there real booby traps protecting the long deceased occupants of ancient tombs thousands of years old? Most scholars would say no, that there is no evidence to suggest there were any such traps, and if there were, they would long have become useless through time and dust. Imagine the Indiana Jones movies with no booby traps… boring. Is everything I ever believed about giant boulders and crossbows triggered-by-light just a fairy tale? Perhaps not.

‘Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ has been showing recently. I haven’t seen the film, but the historical truth behind it is perhaps stranger than fiction.

Ever heard of the Terricotta Army? The 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses (all life-sized and unique) were made to protect the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China.

According to historical record, Qin’s subterranean chambers are protected by huge underground ramparts. There are rivers of mercury and a jewel-encrusted domed ceiling representing the universe. Booby traps are set to trigger mechanically, firing a volley of arrows toward any unsuspecting graverobber. It is rumoured that 100 of the Emporer’s favorite concubines were entombed alive (so as to start a new imperial family in the next world). It has also long been decided that hundreds more (the designers, architects, engineers, builders etc.) were sealed inside the mausoleum… anyone who knew the way in would be forced to stay forever.

The tomb has never been escavated, and although it would unlock great mysteries and reveal great treasures, it may never be opened.

It’s stuff like that that makes me believe again, like I did when I was 10 (Indiana Jones theme starts now).

Giant boulder booby traps!

Symon — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:29:00 +0000

One of the most memorable opening scenes in movie history has got to be the boulder scene in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Of course, undiscovered tombs, ancient booby traps and giant rolling boulders are the stuff of make-believe, aren’t they? Well, perhaps not. I came across the following photos recently while doing some random surfing.

As I viewed these pictures, my mind immediatley went back to the classic Indy boulder scene. My ‘need-to-know-almost-verging-on-obsession’ tendancy got the better of me, so I did some digging. (heh)

Apparently in the 1930′s, workers from the United Fruit Company, while clearing land in the Diquis Valley of Costa Rica, began unearthing large numbers of almost perfectly round stone spheres. The largest of these apparently man-made balls is over six feet in diameter and weighs over sixteen tons. No one knows exactly when or how they were made, or by whom, or for what reason. Today, virtually all of the spheres have been taken from their original locations. Many are now prized lawn ornaments across Costa Rica.

Could the original purpose of these boulders have been for elaborate booby traps to squash graverobbers? We may never know, but I kind of like to hope so!