Scientists managed to reach an inaccessible point in an underground cave with the help of high-tech equipment, but they were surprised to see that people had already lived there. They came to know that thousands of years ago people had not only reached here but had also done some construction on it.
1. There is a cave system, a part of which scientists were trying to reach for many years. Ultimately he got success, but it did not provide answers to the questions, but definitely gave rise to many more surprising questions. They came to know that humans had discovered this mysterious 40 mile long underground cave system 8000 years ago. But how they got there in the first place is baffling scientists. They are trying to find the reason for this.
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The area around the entrance to the Saint-Marcel Cave in France has been occupied by people since the Middle Palaeolithic, but there is now evidence that people have also explored deeper parts of the caves, blocked by harsh terrain. Researchers led by geomorphologist Jean-Jacques Delannoy of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) found broken stalagmites about a mile east of the entrance, pointing to the presence of people.
3. Powerful lights, high-tech safety equipment and sophisticated gear were all available to the team but none of this was available to those who had made the trek in the past. how did they get there? And then how did they get out? This puzzle was now troubling the scientists.
4. Speaking to PNAS, Delanoy said the fact that the structures are nearly 8,000 years old is extraordinary. This raises questions about their knowledge of caves in that prehistoric period, their ability to explore and traverse shafts, and their mastery of lighting. The team was surprised by the broken mineral deposits on the floor.
5. As Science Alert reports, broken cave fragments are often treated as trophies for cave explorers. Especially in the 19th century, and it was believed that these broken stalagmites were the work of such people. But additional evidence of ancient presence found by Delanoy and his team raises questions about how the site might have been entered.
6. The researchers also analyzed the proportions of uranium and thorium using a technique called uranium-thorium dating. Uranium is soluble but one of its decay products, thorium, is not. The decay rate is precise and known so that scientists can determine when the uranium was removed.
7. The oldest broken top was 10,000 years ago and the most recent 3,000 years ago. But it appears that a large number of broken pieces were deliberately laid down to form a structure. Scientists believe that this structure was built 8,000 years ago, which means that people were present there long before it was thought possible.
8. The researchers wrote in their paper that the evidence of prehistoric human activity in the cave of Saint-Marcel is conclusive. The results of the study are changing the way we look at the Saint-Marcel cave network, giving them a cultural dimension linked to prehistoric use ... The results of the Saint-Marcel cave give us a new look at the use of caves by these societies, invite a closer look at what has so far been limited to entry areas, their connection with deep subterranean landscapes and related symbolic dimensions.
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