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| Submitted by | h_fenton |
| Added | Jan 16 2011 |
| Hits | 1308 |
| Votes | 0 |
Description
Here are views at the bottom of the shaft/tunnel at Arsameia.
The tunnel descends 158metres into the hillside, as the tunnel goes down it turns slightly and the angle of decent varies. In the top photo you can see a light far off in the tunnel, that is not daylight but the camera flash bouncing back off something reflective.
Most of the way down the tunnel there are steps although in places these have been completely worn away. At times water flows down the floor of the tunnel carrying any debris with it, in the top photo you can see the floor of the tunnel is wet.
The lower photo shows what is currently the end of the tunnel, in the 1950s the tunnel was excavated, I'm not too sure whether they got right to the bottom but at the present time the bottom of the tunnel is choked with all the debris that gets washed down with the water in the tunnel - so the debris consists of rock fragments, soil, ancient pottery, chocolate wrappers and plastic bottles.
If you do visit this site and are thinking about going down the tunnel, beyond about 50metres the tunnel gets steeper (and lower - so watch your head!), in places there are no steps, it gets muddy, it can get very slippy - where there are no steps there is just a worn smooth steep rock slope instead. On my decent I slipped a couple of times and on the way back up I went most of the way on all fours, in some places I was taking two steps forwards then sliding one step backwards. so all in all if you decend this tunnel you are exposing yourself to a certain amount of danger.
I would suggest you take a torch, it is dark down there.
12 May 2003
The tunnel descends 158metres into the hillside, as the tunnel goes down it turns slightly and the angle of decent varies. In the top photo you can see a light far off in the tunnel, that is not daylight but the camera flash bouncing back off something reflective.
Most of the way down the tunnel there are steps although in places these have been completely worn away. At times water flows down the floor of the tunnel carrying any debris with it, in the top photo you can see the floor of the tunnel is wet.
The lower photo shows what is currently the end of the tunnel, in the 1950s the tunnel was excavated, I'm not too sure whether they got right to the bottom but at the present time the bottom of the tunnel is choked with all the debris that gets washed down with the water in the tunnel - so the debris consists of rock fragments, soil, ancient pottery, chocolate wrappers and plastic bottles.
If you do visit this site and are thinking about going down the tunnel, beyond about 50metres the tunnel gets steeper (and lower - so watch your head!), in places there are no steps, it gets muddy, it can get very slippy - where there are no steps there is just a worn smooth steep rock slope instead. On my decent I slipped a couple of times and on the way back up I went most of the way on all fours, in some places I was taking two steps forwards then sliding one step backwards. so all in all if you decend this tunnel you are exposing yourself to a certain amount of danger.
I would suggest you take a torch, it is dark down there.
12 May 2003
Posted Comments:
Martin L (2011-01-17)
The small light spot in the dark of the tunnel visible in the upper picture is the entrance?
And thanks for the instructive photos and descriptions of this site.
And thanks for the instructive photos and descriptions of this site.
h fenton (2011-01-17)
My picture description (a little long) has been moved to the Site Page, I am pretty certain that the light you see in the top photo is not daylight I think it is either the camera flash bouncing back off something reflective or a headtorch as a couple of other people I was with stopped about halfway down the tunnel.
photos above were taken 12 May 2003
photos above were taken 12 May 2003
Martin L (2011-01-18)
Thanks for answering my question, Hamish. And yes, I noticed your description before. I usually read the site info first ;) And yours are always very instructive.
ivanjohnson (2011-12-01)
Hamish, you are bloody amazing. I hope my continued praise isn't unwelcome but I'm not fawning - I've been wondering what was down this tunnel for years. You are unique in repeatedly getting the more difficult POV's that I want to see, and now we must add "intrepid" to your profile. Thanks for your wonderful work!
Andy B (2011-12-02)
Despite my virtually living on here sometimes, it never fails to amaze when things like this come up that I've never seen before. This has got to go on the front page
AngieLake (2011-12-02)
That certainly IS "intrepid", Hamish! Welll done. I'd started reading 'Netherworld' by Robert Temple a few months ago and in Discovery of the Underworld, and Descent Into Hell, he describes exploring the rather scary tunnel of the Baian Oracle of the Dead, in southern Italy, that leads to the underground River Styx. Looks similar to this one.
AngieLake (2011-12-02)
There's a good link to a description of the Antrum of Initiation at Baia here: http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A1035127
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