Ancient Cave Painters Starved Themselves of Oxygen to Hallucinate
Did pre-historic man communicate with non-human entities? An exciting new archeological study may have just found an answer.
Caves have always been a source of fascination, as have the paintings drawn in them by the earliest humans. There’s been much debate among archeologists over the meaning of the paintings as well as why so many were made in the deepest, hard-to-reach parts of the caves.
A team from Tel Aviv University set out in search of the answer.
Archeologist Ron Barkai led the study which focused on caves painted in Spain and France some 40,000 years ago.
“We were wondering about human relationships with caves. Caves are not only shelters from the elements. We believe that caves had much more deeper meanings for early humans. And the riddle why people entered deep, dark caves was always on the table. “Barkai said.
“And then we came to realize that the use of torches must have reduced the level of oxygen inside the caves, which brings a well-known phenomenon which is called hypoxia. And one of the consequences of hypoxia is an altered state of consciousness,” he said.
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Chaco Canyon: The Key to Space Travel?
Today, Chaco Canyon is one of the best places in the U.S. to view the stars. Modern-day visitors can stargaze in the same place where ancient peoples once lived and thrived for hundreds of years, without light pollution interfering with the view.
The ability to see the stars so clearly from this 10-mile canyon also fascinated the Anasazi people long ago. An elaborate civilization flourished here between the years 850 and 1250 AD, consisting of numerous, multi-storied stone buildings that were carefully constructed in alignment with the cosmos and cardinal directions.
Although the canyon was inhabited for roughly 400 years by a highly intelligent and sophisticated tribe, its residents vanished without a trace. To this day, no burial grounds or grave yards have been discovered in this isolated canyon and researchers remain puzzled by the sudden disappearance of the ancient society.
Archeologists aren’t the only ones who are interested in this prehistoric civilization and its ancient observatories. NASA has been investigating Chaco Canyon for roughly 40 years. Why would a government agency that’s focused on space exploration have such a vested interest in these ancient ruins? Is it possible that they believe there’s a connection between Chaco Canyon and space travel?
What is Chaco Canyon?
Located in the Four Corners region of New Mexico, Chaco Canyon is a shallow canyon that was once home to ancient Native American peoples about a thousand years ago. What remains of the civilization indicates a highly sophisticated infrastructure that appears to have been constructed in alignment with various celestial bodies. Enormous, elaborate stone buildings housing roughly 700 rooms and numerous underground ceremonial halls (known as “kivas”) are just some of the features that make Chaco Canyon such an extraordinary place.
In addition to its complex construction, one of the great mysteries of the Chaco Canyon society is the rationale for its establishment in the first place. The canyon resides in one of the harshest places on the planet — scorching 100+ degree summers and frigid winters with limited rainfall in between make it extremely impractical for settlement. Why did the ancient Native Americans decide to build such an elaborate community there?
Due to their aptitude for astronomy, it’s possible that the Chacoan people settled in the canyon for the sole purpose of reading the stars — and that’s potentially why NASA is so fascinated by this prehistoric civilization. Perhaps our ancestors were more advanced than once thought.
