Latest news with #ancientcity
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Inside ‘gateway to underworld' underneath 1,800-year-old city which holds ‘toxic' secret that scientists ‘can't explain'
AN ANCIENT pyramid thought to be a 'gateway to underworld' was discovered to contain a hidden secret. The historic site, located in an ancient city, is thought to house a supernatural secret. 6 6 6 Quetzalcoatl Temple in Mexico, also known as the Feathered Serpent Pyramid is thought to have been built around 1,800 to 1,900 years ago. During an excavation project researchers discovered large amounts of liquid mercury in 2015. Its something experts believe means the structure was used to 'look into the supernatural world.' They also believe its presence could indicate that a king's tomb or ritual chamber could be lying underneath the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The pyramid was originally unsealed in 2003, allowing researchers like Dr Sergio Gómez to spend six years excavating the tunnel. During this excavation, researchers uncovered three chambers at the end of a 300 foot tunnel. In addition to the liquid mercury, they also found artefacts like jade status, jaguar remains, and a box of carved shells and rubber balls. The tunnels and adjoining structures lie 60 feet below the temple. In their 16 years excavating the temple, the research team uncovered over 3,000 ceremonial and ritual artefacts. They have used their discoveries to create a comprehensive survey of the pyramid and tunnel using LiDAR scanners and photogrammetry. Liquid mercury is not an uncommon discovery - with Dr Rosemary Joyce saying that archaeologists had found the substance in three other sites around Central America. Its believed that mercury symbolises an underworld river or lake. Dr Annabeth Headrick agreed with this interpretation, telling the Guardian that the the qualities of liquid mercury might appear to resemble "an underworld river, not that different from the river Styx. "Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future. "It could be a sort of river, albeit a pretty spectacular one," Dr Headrick added. The Quetzalcoatl Temple is located around 12 miles northeast of Mexico City in Teotihuacán - the heart of the Mesoamerican Teotihuacan universe. Around 4.5 million people visit the temple - which is the third largest in the city - every year. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and was listed on the World Monuments Watch in 2004 as tourist visitation led to the site's deterioration. More than a hundred human remains, which may have been sacrificial victims, were found under the structure in the 1980s. The Aztecs believed it was the place where Gods were created, with sacrifices being made as tributes. 6 6 6
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scientist reconstructs sounds of ancient underground city with 3D virtual soundscape
Modern cities teem with diverse sounds, from the roar of vehicles to the melodies of music, and everything in between. Ever wondered what an ancient city sounded like? What whispers, daily routines, and echoes filled its very air? Sezin Nas, a researcher in interior architecture and acoustics at Istanbul Galata University, is exploring the soundscape of Derinkuyu, an ancient underground city in Turkey. The ancient engineers of Derinkuyu demonstrated incredible skill and foresight, constructing a city that was a masterwork of defense and self-sufficiency. Its primary purpose was defense against invaders, providing a secure refuge. Beyond military protection, Derinkuyu also offered a sanctuary from the harsh weather conditions prevalent on the surface. At times, it was even utilized to protect agricultural yields from natural calamities. At its zenith, Derinkuyu was a bustling underground hub, capable of accommodating as many as 20,000 people. Derinkuyu's vast population resided across seven interconnected underground levels, each designed for specific purposes. Crucial to the city's functionality was an intricate network of ventilation channels, vital for air circulation and remarkably, also used for communication. As Sezin Nas points out, there's a significant gap in our understanding of the acoustic environments of underground cities. Her research aims to fill that void. 'The integration of ventilation and communication functions within the same architectural elements is considered one of Derinkuyu's most unique features,' Nas said. 'This multifunctional use of the ventilation system strongly highlights the exceptional construction process of the site and plays a central role in shaping its soundscape.' BBC reported that Elengubu, now Derinkuyu, is the world's largest excavated underground city. It burrows over 85m deep, and consists of 18 levels of tunnels. Used almost continuously for millennia by various civilizations, including Phrygians, Persians, and Byzantine Christians, it was finally abandoned by Cappadocian Greeks in the 1920s during the Greco-Turkish War. To recreate the ancient auditory world of Derinkuyu, the researcher looked into the city's history and its architecture. She focused her analysis on three distinct spaces: a church, a living area, and a kitchen — considering room functions, sound sources, and reverberations to create a truly immersive 3D virtual soundscape. 'Derinkuyu underground city is considered an interior environment on an urban scale, which distinguishes it from the open-space urban soundscapes,' Nas said. 'Listening to the reconstructed soundscape provides insights into how sound influenced spatial experience, communication practices, and social organization within the underground city,' Nas explained. Nas envisions a dual impact for her research on Derinkuyu's soundscape. First, she believes the ancient city's unique acoustic environment can serve as a source of inspiration for the design of future underground urban developments. Beyond this practical application, Nas holds a broader ambition: she hopes that soundscapes, in general, will evolve into systematic tools for historical study. 'This research also highlights the role of historical sound environments as an important and often overlooked component of cultural heritage,' Nas said. Nas presented her research on the soundscape of Derinkuyu on Wednesday, May 21st. This presentation was part of the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 25th International Congress on Acoustics, an event that ran from May 18th to May 23rd.
