Photo. Geir
Moen, an adventurer from Norway admires the
huge canyon. Where is the lost city hiding? © Travel Explorations.
The southwest is home to many ancient ruins from cultures such as the Hopi,
the Chumash and the Anasazi, but the city described in the Gazette article is
clearly different. The article states that the race who once inhabited the
cavern were of "oriental origin, possibly from Egypt."
Kinkaid details finding mummies as well as a shrine containing, "
the
idol, or image, of the peoples god, sitting cross-legged, with a Lotus flower or
Lily in each hand. The cast of the face is Oriental, and the carving shows a
skilful hand, and the entire is remarkably well preserved, as is everything in
this cavern. The idol most resembles Buddha
"
Kinkaid also found what he believed to be hieroglyphic writing similar to
that "found in the peninsula of Yucatan." There are also two
animals depicted on the walls, he adds in a beguiling manner ,"one is of
prehistoric type." He estimated that 50,000 people could once have
lived in the vast complex of tunnels and caves.
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the world's most inspiring national
parks. The huge park is famous for its wonderful viewpoints,
mesmerizing colours, red-rock spires and breathtaking sunsets. Here it's
possible to hike the Rim Trail, view endangered California Condors or raft down
the wild Colorado River. Grand Canyon is a true natural wonder which is
excavated by the Colorado River.
The Grand Canyon is 446 km (277 mi) long, up to 29 kilometres (18 mi) wide,
and more than 1500 metres (5000 ft) deep. The Grand Canyon National Park
receives about four million visitors a year. The Grand Canyon cuts steeply
through an arid plateau region that lies between about 1500 and 2700 metres
(about 5000 and 9000 ft) above sea level.
If the discovery was true, why is it so difficult to find the
site?
According to Grand Canyon National Park Visitor
Information`s website (www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon), the
Grand Canyon National Park receives each year approximately 30,000 requests for
backcountry permits. The park issues 13,000 permits, and close to 40,000 people
camp overnight in the backcountry at Grand Canyon. A spectacular section of the
canyon, together with plateau areas on either side of it, are preserved as the
Grand Canyon National Park, which receives about four million visitors a
year.
With so many people visiting the park, it should be likely that someone found
the ancient site one day, but it`s not so easy. Grand Canyon National Park
encompasses more than 1.2 million acres, and the vast majority of the park is
inaccessible due to the predominance of cliffs, and inhospitable to all but
desert plants and animals. If visitors go to far in the the labyrinth of
corridors, caves and holes, they can loose direction or fall down, so they could
be seriously injured or lost forever.
After all nearly hundred years no
one has been able to find the ancient site again, and many still wonder: is it really an ancient
city hiding in the canyon or was the claim of the discovery just a bluff?
Perhaps it one day will rise up from the unknown?
Stein Morten Lund, 23 May 2005
Additional information
Facts about Grand Canyon:
National Monument - 11
January 1908
National Park - 26 February 1919
World Heritage Site - 26
October 1979
For more information about Grand Canyon:
Grand Canyon
National Park Visitor Information`s website: www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon.
More mysterious ancient sites:
In Arizona there are several ancient sites, for example the Valley of Fire,
just north of Las Vegas. This sacred Indian location has a vast display of some
of the finest examples of Indian Petroglyphs in the southwest. There are
countless pockets of ancient Indian Art in the Valley of Fire. The Aztec
sandstone formations are a photographer's dream come true and a sightseeing
wonder.
The Lost City Museum has one of the most complete collections of the
early Pueblo Indians in the Southwest. This display starts with the Desert
Culture of 10,000 years ago and continues through the Ancient "Basketmaker"
cultures which existed until about 500 A.D.
Interesting in trekking and rafting in Grand Canyon?
Find the
best tour operator on our website!
************************************
Advertising - adventures in Grand Canoyn - rafting, hiking
etc.
Contact: stein@travelexplorations.com
************************************
E-mail this
Print this
