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Ancient Tunnel Systems
Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 (CST) by Thoth
 Strange tunnels that run for hundreds of miles beneath South America, an immense treasure hidden in subterranean vaults, underground gardens artistically crafted from gold and precious jewels, rumors of golden plaques with strange inscriptions engraved on their shining sides...
These are the ingredients of the great mystery connected to a network of subterranean tunnels allegedly existing beneath the valleys and plateaus of South America. Enigmatic stories about these mysterious tunnels sound like something out of Arabian nights. The riddle goes back to the days of the Spanish conquest. Old chroniclers and cleric writers reported on tunnels and subterranean passages beneath many of the old cities and ancient ruins.
Recently, Erick von Daniken reported that he'd had been in a network of tunnels that run for thousands of miles beneath the South American continent. Von Daniken said in the Gold of the Gods that he had been in the tunnels, accompanied by their discoverer, Juan Moricz, a Hungarian immigrant who is now a citizen of Argentina.
Entrance to
the subterranean labyrinth is somewhere in the province of
Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. According to von Daniken, he saw immense
rooms filled with metallic plaques. They constitute a possible record
of the ancient world, according to the Swiss writer.
The first knowledge about
these immense underground tunnels came when the Conquistadores invaded
ancient South America. The ex-swineherd, Don Francisco Pizzaro,
kidnapped the emperor of the Incas and held him for ransom. Don
Francisco drew a red line around the prisoner's room, nine feet above
the floor of the seventeen by twenty-foot room. The Inca stated he
would fill the room with gold in return for his freedom. From his cell
in Caxamarco, emperor Atahualapa ordered his subjects to gather up gold
for his ransom.
Before the emperor could be
freed, he was killed by Pizzaro's soldiers. Learning of the
assassination, the Incas hid their gold. Thousands of llamas loaded
with treasure were diverted away from Caxamarco. It is believed by some
treasure hunters that the llama loads of gold were hidden in these
ancient tunnels. Indian legends say the gold was secreted "in such a
place that even we do not know the location."
Among the artifacts that
vanished were the mummified bodies of thirteen Inca emperors. They had
sat on golden chairs in the Temple of the Sun at Cuzco, the chairs
resting on a huge slab of gold. Realizing the Spaniards were interested
only in riches, the Indians hastened to hide their sacred objects. Polo
de Ondegardo, another of the king's Conquistadores, stumbled across
three mummies of the ancient kings' twenty-six years later. The mummies
were stripped of their jewelry; the bodies were broken into pieces.
The remainder of the
mummies have not been found. They are believed to have been hidden in
the tunnels beneath Cuzco and the fortress of Sacsahuaman. The old
chroniclers say the tunnels were connected with the Ccoricancha, a name
given to the sacred area of old Cuzco. In addition to the Temple of the
Sun, this area contained temples dedicated to the moon, lightening,
thunder, Venus, the rainbow and the Pleiades. The area was considered
to be sacred to the Incas because of the riches in this "enclosure of
gold." Around the Temple of the Sun was a yard-wide strip of gold
embedded into the stone. The temple contained an immense sun disc cast
from pure gold. The golden disc was attached to the altar wall of the
temple in such a way that the morning sun reflected against the great
orb. On each side of the large disc were two smaller plates. Finally,
another large sun disc was situated in the temple so that it reflected
back the rays of the setting sun.
The mummified remains of
Inca rulers were placed around the temple decorated with golden jewelry
and precious stones. Near the mummies were large gold plates engraved
with a picture of the Inca as they appeared during life. These were the
treasures that eluded the rapacious Spaniards.
The Garden of the Sun was
another fantastic hoard that has been lost. Sarmiento (1532-1589)
reported this subterranean garden was located near the Temple of the
Sun. "They had a garden in which the lumps of earth were pieces of fine
gold," he reported. "These were cleverly sown with maize - the stalks,
leaves and ears of which were all pure gold. They were so well planted
that nothing would disturb them. Besides all this, they had more than
twenty sheep with their young. The shepherds who guarded the sheep were
armed with slings and staves made of gold and silver. Pots, vases and
every kind of vessel were cast from fine gold."
The important buildings in
the Ccoriancha were connected by underground tunnels with the fortress
of Sascahuaman. Entrances to these tunnels started at the Chincana,
"the place where one gets lost." As we mention in another chapter of
this book, all of the entrances have been sealed. Too many adventurous
treasure hunters were going in to the caverns and disappearing.
After they conquered Peru,
the Spaniards destroyed the temples in Cuzco and the church of Santo
Domingo was erected on the site. There is an old legend in Cuzco that a
treasure hunter slipped into the tunnels. In his search for riches, the
man became lost and wandered through the maze of tunnels for several
days. One morning, about a week after the adventurer had vanished, a
priest was conducting mass in the church of Santo Domingo.
The priest and his
congregation were suddenly astonished to hear sharp rapping on the
stone floor of the church. Several worshippers crossed themselves and
murmured about the devil's demons. The priest quieted his congregation
and directed that a large stone slab be removed form the ancient floor.
The group was astonished to see the treasure hunter come up out of the
tunnels carrying a gold bar in each hand.
Dr. A.M. Renwick, dean of
the Anglo-Peruvian College in Lima, tells of another temple with
immense subterranean passages. Writing in Wanderings in the Peruvian
Andes, Dr Renwick told his readers of visiting the ancient temple of
Chavin in the isolated regions of the Andean mountains. The temple
covers some 30,000 square yards and is fortified. The ruins are
situated across a valley from a stone fortress. Dr. Renwick believed
underground tunnels connected these two structures.
The temple of Chavi is
pyramidal in shape, consisting of four stories. The uppermost parts of
the structure have been destroyed. Renwick reported that after
considerable effort, his expedition located the entrance to the ancient
tunnels. While the entrance was quite narrow, the tunnels themselves
were large and "commodious."
"These subterranean
corridors are in almost perfect condition," Dr. Renwick explained. "The
masonry is for the most part, as solid as if built only a few years
ago, and the passages are so extensive that we were able to spend the
whole day exploring the recesses of this building which must have been
reared three thousand years ago. No such walls are built in that region
today. The whole is liberally supplied with air. In a place where four
corridors meet stands the famous idol of Chavin, a granite obelisk
thirteen and a half feet in height with a diameter of over two feet at
its widest. It represents a fanged monster, partly jaguar and partly
human. Here for at least three thousand years must have stood this idol.
The figure is most carefully engraved in high relief and is adorned with serpents and other symbolic figures."
Dr. Renwick said that other
commitments prevented a complete investigation of these subterranean
passages. He felt a survey of the tunnels would require at least two
years.
Rumors of these massive
tunnels were so persistent during the 1850's that a viceroy of Peru
decided to find the entrance. An expedition was outfitted and sent to
find an entrance into the subterranean passages. They were guided by a
roughly sketched Inca map that had been obtained from an unknown source
by a Jesuit missionary. The map led the gold hunters into the rugged
terrain of the Huatanay region of Peru. This was the area where the
last of the Incas resisted the Spanish invaders for almost a hundred
years. The Spaniards were under fire by savage Indians. They lost their
supplies during a battle in which huge boulders were sent crashing down
from high mountains by the outraged Indians. Disgusted with the
savagery of the country and the hostility of the Indians, the group
gave up their quest and returned to Lima.
Several of the early
priests in South America reported hearing deathbed confessions from
converted Inca Christians. Father Pedro del Sancho in a Relacion told
of a dying Quichua Indian who claimed to have been a witness to the
ceremonial closing of the tunnels. Father del Sancho wrote:
"...My informant was a
subject of the Inca emperor. He was held in high esteem by those in
power at Cuzco. He had been a chieftain of his tribe and made a yearly
pilgrimage to Cuzco to worship his idolistic gods. It was a custom of
the Incas to conquer a tribe or nation and take their idols to Cuzco.
Those who wished to worship their ancient idols were forced to travel
to the Inca capital. They brought gifts to their heathen idols. They
were also expected to pay homage to the Inca emperor during these
journeys".
"As he lay dying, the man
told me that he was revealing that which no other white man had ever
been told. When it became apparent that the empire was falling to the
"white devils" from across the sea, the high priest of the Temple of
the Sun called a meeting. The men who came together were the highest
priests of the land. They met with the sorcerers and magicians from
Cuzco and other outlying towns. Also in attendance were other noble
consorts from the court of Atahualapa, the last emperor.
"It had reached the ears of
these men that my countrymen were interested in gold and silver. Their
hatred for the emissaries of his majesty, the king, was beyond
description. They agreed at this meeting to spirit away as much of
their riches as could be handled. These treasures were placed in
ancient tunnels that were in the land when the Incas arrived.
"Also Placed in these
subterranean repositories were artifacts and statues deemed sacred to
the Incas. When the hoard had been placed in the tunnels, there was a
ceremony conducted by the high priest. Following these rites, the
entrance to the tunnel was sealed. The opening was concealed in such a
manner that one could walk within a few feet and never be aware of the
entrance.
"My informant said that the
entrance lay in his land, the territory which he ruled. It was under
his direction and with his subjects that the openings were sealed. All
who were in attendance were sworn to silence under the penalty of
death. Although I requested more information on the exact location of
the entrance, my informant refused to divulge more than what has been
written down here."
The Russian-born mystic and
occultist, Madame Helene H.P. Blavatsky, was travelling in Peru in 1848
when she heard rumors of these ancient tunnels. The founder of
Theosophy, Madame Blavatsky was always interested in unusual events.
After leaving Lima, where she heard about the tunnels, Madame Blavatsky
went on to Arica on the frontier between Chile and Peru. She questioned
everyone she met about the tunnels. Her report reads:
"We reached Arica, near
sunset, and at a certain point on the lonely coast we were struck by
the appearance of an enormous rock, nearly perpendicular, which stood
in mournful solitude on that shore, and apart from the cordillera of
the Andes. As the last rays of the sun strike the face of the rock, one
can make out, with an ordinary opera glass, curious hieroglyphics
inscribed on the volcanic surface.
"When Cuzco was the capital
of old Peru, it contained the Temple of the Sun, famed far and near for
its magnificence. It was roofed with thick plates of gold and its walls
were covered with the same precious metal. The eaves troughs, carrying
off the rainwater, were also made of pure gold. In the west wall, the
architects had contrived an aperture, in such a way that, when the
sunbeams reached it, it caught and focused them inside the temple's
nave and sanctuary. Stretching inside the temple like a golden chain
from one sparkling point to another, the rays encircled the walls,
illuminating the grim idols, and disclosing certain mystic signs that
were at other times invisible."
By interpreting these
mystic signs, according to Madame Blavatsky, the location of the
tunnels, their entrance and how they might be entered could be
discerned. She reported these signs were invisible except on certain
days when the sun's rays were focused directly on the inscriptions.
Madame Blavatsky reported
the tunnels started at Cuzco and ran underground to Lima, a distance of
around 380 miles by air. At Lima the tunnels turn southward into what
is now modern Bolivia. This is a distance of some thousand miles! She
also reported that within the tunnels is a point where a royal tomb has
been constructed. The ancient tomb has been protected by a couple of
enormous slabs of stone that form a door. The huge stone door is
constructed in such a way that no cracks or joints can be seen. Only by
reading certain signs can the secret location of the royal tomb be
ascertained.
Exactly where she obtained
her information was not mentioned by Madame Blavatsky, However, she
mentioned a secret society of custodians who protect the tunnels. This
secret society is believed by many investigators to exist today,
carefully guarding the treasures of the ancients. However entrance
could be obtained to the subterranean labyrinth provided the seeker can
interpret symbols carved on rocks and visible only when the sun hits
the stone at a certain angle.
Even if an adventurous
person were to find the entrance, the tunnels would be extremely
dangerous to explore. If the Inca's tomb is flanked by huge stone doors
that pivot, there must be a method gaining entrance. The doors may be
operated by a hidden mechanism. They might open when a certain word is
spoken, reminiscent of the "open sesame" of the Arabian nights.
We can assume that the
ancient builders of the tunnels anticipated possible grave robbers.
They probably created a deadly trap for unwary ghouls. Madame Blavatsky
was told during her South American trip that a thousand soldiers
couldn't penetrate into the treasure-laden tomb. Her informant said:
"... A thousand soldiers,
were they in the tunnel, would be forevermore one with the dead, did
they attempt to force their way into the treasure tomb of the dead
Inca. There is no other access to the Arica chamber, but through the
hidden door in the mountains near the Rio Payquina. Along the entire
length of the main corridor, from Bolivia to Lima and royal Cuzco, are
smaller hiding places filled with treasures of gold and gems and
jewels, that are the accumulation of many generations of Incas. The
aggregate value of the treasures is beyond the power of man to
estimate."
Nearly a hundred years ago,
Madame Blavatsky claimed to have an accurate map of the tunnels. "We
had in our possession an accurate map of the tunnels, the sepulcher,
the great treasure chamber and the hidden, pivoted rock doors," she
stated. "It was given to us by an old Peruvian; but if we had ever
thought of profiting from the secret it would have required the
co-operation of the Peruvian and Bolivian governments on an extensive
scale. To say nothing of physical obstacles, no one individual or small
party could undertake such an exploration without encountering an army
of brigands and smugglers with which the coast is infested, and which,
in fact, includes nearly the entire population. The mere task of
purifying the mephitic air of the tunnel not entered for centuries
would also be a serious one. There the treasure lies, and tradition
says it will lie until the last vestige of the Spanish rule disappears
from the whole of North and South America."
When Christopher Columbus
landed on the island of Martinique, a story of similar tunnels was
brought to his attention. The Carib Indians told the Spanish about the
Amazon women who lived without men. Columbus and his crew were informed
that these women would hide in ancient subterranean tunnels if they
were bothered by men. If their persistent suitors followed them into
the tunnels, the Amazons cooled their passions with a flurry of arrows
from their strong bows.
The concept of vast
underground passages is enough to boggle the mind. That such tunnels
could be constructed indicates a science in pre-Inca or Inca days. It
means there was a technology capable of building a labyrinth beneath
the earth.
And for what purpose? It is
one thing to construct an underground shelter in the event of a
catastrophe. Such a cavern, man-made or naturally formed, would provide
safe refuge against an impending disaster. To construct tunnels that
run for a hundred or a thousand miles beneath the South American
continent is beyond the boundaries of present knowledge.
But many people persist in
hunting for the caverns. I have corresponded with and met several
people who search for the tunnel entrance. Some are wild-eyed
visionaries with a fanatical gleam in their eyes. A few are mentally
disturbed individuals. Others are quick-buck opportunists out to fleece
anyone who will put up funds for the funds for an expedition.
A sampling of the
correspondence includes this letter from a Brazilian physician who
spends his vacation time hunting for the tunnels. He writes:
"... English Explorer,
Colonel Fawcett, disappeared in the jungles several years ago. He was
searching for a tunnel entrance into the subterranean world in the
Rancador mountains when he vanished. Reports from that part of Brazil
indicate that Fawcett and his son, Jack and their companion were living
in a cavern city beneath the mountains. They were well treated,
according to these reports, but they were not allowed to return to the
surface because they might reveal the location of the entrance.
"The entrance to the cavern
city is carefully guarded by the Murcego Indians. They are a ferocious,
dark-skinned tribe with a highly developed sense of smell. You must
obtain their approval before you enter the caverns. However, should
they decide you are not worthy to share the secret, you will not be
allowed to return to civilization.
"There is a legend in
Brazil that the subterranean cities were constructed by the survivors
of Atlantis. We don't know if the present inhabitants are the
descendants of the Atlanteans, or whether they died and another race
wandered into the tunnels and settled in the city."
Don Francisco Pizarro found
tunnel entrances that had been closed with gigantic slabs of stone
during the campaign against the Incas. Pizarro located these entrances
at a height of 22,000 feet on Huascaran, the sacred mountain of the
Incas. History doesn't tell if he succeeded in entering the cavern or
what he found there.
These caves were forgotten
until 1971 when a group of South American spelunkers organized an
expedition to explore the caverns. They arrived at the Peruvian village
of Otuzco. The group was equipped with winches, miners lamps, ropes,
cables, and battery-powered flashlights. Two hundred feet below the
surface, the group found their progress blocked by several huge slabs
of stone. It took the efforts of four men to push these doors open,
pivoting the slabs on stone balls that acted as guides.
A report on what they discovered indicates history may need to be revised. A Peruvian periodical said:
"The tunnels found behind
the stone slab doors would test the ingenuity of today's largest and
best equipped contractors. These tunnels lead toward the seacoast
angling away at a slope of 14 degrees. The floor of the tunnel is made
from stone slabs. These stones have been mortised and grooved to fit
together. They have been marked in such a manner that they are
slip-proof.
"The tunnels extend for an
estimated sixty miles and end some eighty feet below sea level where
they are flooded with seawater. It is believed that the tunnel may have
run beyond the coast, under the ocean, and onto an island off the
coast. To date, the speleologists have not ventured beyond the spot
where the tunnels are flooded."
"Scholars point out that
the skills needed to construct these tunnels was beyond the knowledge
of the natives of ancient Peru. Exactly who built the tunnel and why,
remains a mystery."
Perhaps the mystery of the
tunnels will be solved someday in the future. Until then, we might
consider that these structures were probably in South America prior to
the reign of the Incas. Some scholars have suggested that the tunnels
were built by the Atlaneans. Others have speculated that an unknown
race that existed before the flood constructed the tunnels. Still
others debate the possibility that the tunnels were made by the unknown
builders of Tiahuanaco and other megalithic stoneworks. It is rumored,
but not proven, that subterranean tunnels can be found under the ruins
of Tiahuanaco, that the passages spread out from those ruins to other
points on the continent.
Peter Cristobal de Molina,
a Spanish chronicler in the 15th century, tried to penetrate the
mystery of the Inca tunnels. In Ritos y Fabulos de los Incan, Molina
reported a South American legend about the creator of mankind leaving
the surface and going into an underground paradise. The father of
humanity did this after his work was complete. This secret retreat for
the "God" or "gods" of old South America was the origin of many culture
bearers and teachers who pop up periodically throughout history.
To learn more about the
Mysteries of the Ancient Tunnels, the Cueva de los Tayos, Juan Moricz,
the Metallic Library and much more click here.
Article Source
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Re: Ancient Tunnel Systems
by Poppy on Saturday, February 25, 2006 (CST)
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Although von Daniken was disgraced by falsefying photographs, I wonder if much of his stories are true. These stories of tunnels seem to pop up over too long a time to not have a thread of truth. Perhaps someday we'll know! |
Re: Ancient Tunnel Systems (Score: 1)
by Myrna on Sunday, February 26, 2006 (CST)
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Some of these stories of tunnels are actualy true, not everything is simply a mystery, take the Cueva de los Tayos for example, this cave really exists and many people have already been there, there are also many artifacts found in South America that belong to an ancient civilization still classified as "unknown". |
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Re: Ancient Tunnel Systems (Score: 1)
by Poppy on Monday, February 27, 2006 (CST)
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Thanks, Myrna. All of this is so interesting. ThothWeb certainly seems to be the place to go for knowledge. |
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