Luray Caverns of northern Virginia / Big History, Live Reporting The Luray Caverns in northern Virginia are one of the most touristed cave systems in the world, drawing about a half a million people a year. They are adorned with striking rock formations of stalagmites, stalactites, and columns, all made from white calcium carbonate, red-toned iron oxide, and grey magnesium oxide. These permeate the limestone ceilings and walls. The Luray Caverns formed in the Ordovician Period about 450 million years ago, created when carbonic acid in the soil seeped underground and dissolved the weaker minerals, leaving the limestone. Eventually, the water tables receded enough to create the cave, allowing for the slow accretion of the speleothems — the beautiful carbonate rock formations.The shining white column you see in the upper right corner is called “Pluto’s Ghost,” after the Roman God of the underworld. The lower left image is of the Dream Lake, an area where the water reflects the ceiling with such clarity that the optical illusion of a mirror is created. TagsAncient Egypt (30) ancient greece (74) animals (101) anthropology (87) archaeology (122) architecture (79) art (407) Central/late Middle Ages (84) Central and Late Middle Ages (33) Christian history (174) disease (121) Early Middle Ages (55) economic history (49) environmental history (155) Eurasia/Middle Eastern history (201) evolution (64) fashion history (43) folklore (35) folklore/mythology (102) history of education (54) history of food (41) History of Magic (44) history of race (42) history of sex (59) Islamic history (25) Jewish history (46) literature (242) math (47) medicine (166) medieval (83) military history (104) mythology (29) political history (143) pre-history (57) religion (330) Rome (151) science (63) social history (265) technology (99) U.S. history (105) U.S. natural parks (55) warfare (90) weapons (55) women (26) women's history (213) Categories Africa, Asia and South Asia (133) Ancient History (383) Big History (55) Byzantine History (37) Early Americas (42) Early Modern (213) Fabulous Females (129) History of Science (253) Live Reporting (181) Long 19th- 20th centuries (405) Medieval History (393)
The Poconos “Sunfish Pond” Live Reporting, Long 19th- 20th centuries / September 17, 2024 / environmental history, U.S. natural parks Sitting almost 1,400 feet/430 meters above sea level in the Poconos Mountains is this jewel of a 44-acre lake called Sunfish Pond. No roads lead…
Fire and Evolution Big History / June 11, 2024 / anthropology, archaeology, evolution, folklore, folklore/mythology, history of food, mythology, pre-history, science The Ancient Greeks were right to have the story of how Prometheus brought fire to the human race front-and-center in their mythology. Fire is an…
Belladonna Poison Early Modern, Live Reporting / September 13, 2023 / environment Belladonna was a poison used during the Italian Renaissance. Sean Carroll’s “Mindscape” podcast this week features Raychelle Burks, who discusses poisons, chemical analytic forensics, and…
Cultural Exchange between Ancient Rome and Ancient India Africa, Asia and South Asia, Ancient History, Live Reporting / November 15, 2023 / art, Rome At first glance, these small statuettes seem to have little in common with each other. The one on the left is an Ancient Roman copy…
