Ancient Underground Tunnels Secretly Connect All of Europe

Bright Side

Did you know there’s a theory that ancient underground tunnels secretly connect Europe? Archaeologists have found mysterious passageways under places like Scotland, Germany, and Turkey, some dating back over 12,000 years! These tunnels aren’t massive—just wide enough for a person to crawl through—which has sparked wild guesses about their purpose. Some think they were secret escape routes, while others believe they were used for trade, protection, or even religious rituals. Nobody knows for sure, but it’s fascinating to think about ancient people digging these tunnels with primitive tools.

Transcript

00:00Tunnels, metro, underground systems, and even secret passageways to the houses of the rich and famous.

00:06Why else do we need tunnels, you may wonder?

00:09To hide.

00:10Many cities have underground tunnels and even underground doppelgangers.

00:15Now let's make it clear.

00:16Those passages are normally not connected,

00:19contrary to the popular rumor claiming that it was possible to get from Scotland to Turkey

00:24using underground passageways built around 5,000 years ago.

00:28I mean, it sounds insane even today.

00:32Imagine building it back in the day.

00:36These tunnels have an official name, the Erdstahl Tunnels,

00:40and they were most likely built in the Middle Ages.

00:42However, we still don't have the exact information about the date.

00:47The highest concentration of those tunnels are in Bavaria, Germany,

00:51but there are many of them in Great Britain and France too.

00:54Erdstahl Tunnels, a unique type of earthen passage found globally,

01:00are characterized by their narrow, oval-shaped corridors and tight choke points,

01:04known as schluss, or slip-outs.

01:08Despite speculation, their purpose remains a mystery.

01:12However, some of those tunnels have fireplaces and even vents,

01:16which might mean those were used primarily for shelter.

01:19Dating back to the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century,

01:25Erdstahl Tunnels lack archaeological signs and historical records,

01:29so it's not a surprise that there are many rumors about their use.

01:35Some scientists are sure those were storage spaces,

01:39though their narrowness makes this impractical.

01:41Another idea is that they provided hiding spots for farmers during tribal raids.

01:47However, their single entry point raises doubts about their effectiveness in evading threats.

01:54Now, if you're feeling like Indiana Jones and want to venture into those tunnels,

01:58you're in luck.

01:59A few structures, like the Erdstahl-Ratkobluchen in Austria,

02:03welcome visitors to explore these enigmatic structures.

02:06Most of them are close to the public eye, though.

02:09The origins of Erdstahl Tunnels remain largely unknown,

02:14just like their real functions.

02:16And if you think,

02:17hey, it's the 21st century here, we can study pretty much everything.

02:21Well, you're wrong.

02:23What makes these tunnels hard to study are the tight confines.

02:27Traditional surveying methods often prove inadequate in such spaces.

02:31To solve this problem, scientists use a handheld device that integrates an RGB camera,

02:38a gyroscope, and high-resolution depth sensors,

02:42allowing them to capture intricate details of the tunnels.

02:45They also use modern techniques like 3D surveying

02:49in hopes of uncovering the true origins and purposes of those tunnels.

02:53One hypothesis even suggests they may have been poorly conceived dwellings,

02:59abandoned when their inadequacies became apparent.

03:02Still, not everyone quite agrees with this idea.

03:06Other theories suggest they served spiritual purposes,

03:09while the most intriguing idea speculates that those tunnels

03:13may be remnants of extraterrestrial civilizations.

03:17Experts believe they may have been used for practical matters,

03:21such as granaries or hiding spots from looters.

03:24As we don't have exact info on who built it and when,

03:28it may be pretty much anyone, even a sloth.

03:32Nope, I'm not a lunatic.

03:34Sloths can build giant tunnels.

03:37Check this out.

03:38In 2009, a farmer in southern Brazil

03:41was driving his tractor through a cornfield

03:44when it suddenly sank into the ground.

03:47He quickly discovered he had broken through the top of an underground tunnel.

03:51When researchers came to investigate,

03:53they found a tunnel around 6.5 feet high

03:56and the same 6.5 feet wide,

03:59extending about 50 feet long,

04:01right beneath the farmer's house.

04:04When they looked closer,

04:05they instantly saw deep claw marks on the walls.

04:09That was the proof the tunnel wasn't human-made.

04:13So that thing the farmer uncovered

04:15was a megafauna paleoborough,

04:18a prehistoric tunnel dug by ancient creatures,

04:21like giant ground sloths or giant armadillos

04:24from over 10,000 years ago.

04:27I know, it's hard to imagine those beasts,

04:29but let me help you.

04:31Take a hamster.

04:33Now, increase it to the size of an elephant.

04:35Ah, don't forget,

04:37this 13-foot-tall hamster could also walk on two legs.

04:42During their time,

04:43around 15 million to 10,000 years ago,

04:46many species of sloths and giant armadillos

04:49roamed the Americas,

04:50some even digging similar tunnels.

04:55Today, many of these tunnels are filled with sediment,

04:58though some remain clear,

04:59similar to the one the farmer discovered.

05:01This 2009 find sparked significant interest,

05:07leading to the discovery of over 1,500 paleoboroughs

05:10across southern Brazil,

05:12making it the era with the highest concentration

05:14of such sites worldwide.

05:17But no one knows exactly why there are so many of them

05:20in southern Brazil.

05:21While some paleoboroughs exist throughout South America,

05:25none have been found in North America,

05:27which is weird,

05:29since those huge sloths roamed the entire continent.

05:33The exact purpose of these large tunnels remains a mystery,

05:37but scientists believe they may have served as nursing spaces,

05:41temperature regulation, or hibernation areas.

05:45Tunnels likely developed over centuries

05:47as successive generations of sloths and armadillos

05:50expanded them.

05:51Now, let's take a look at fugu's.

05:55No, not the Japanese fatal delicacy,

05:58and no, not a town in New Guinea.

06:00To see them, we got to travel to the UK.

06:03So fugu's are underground structures too,

06:06but they don't look exactly like tunnels.

06:08They are dry stone structures.

06:12They look as if a cave had been decorated with stones

06:15from the inside.

06:16There are only around 15 of them found so far,

06:20and most of them are located in Cornwall.

06:24According to the estimates,

06:25those tunnels were built about 2,400 years ago,

06:29and they're still in pristine condition,

06:31which is truly fascinating.

06:34I mean, back in the day,

06:36people had no cool machinery whatsoever,

06:38yet their structures still last.

06:40And if you dare to buy an apartment today,

06:44well, chances are you won't be too happy about the quality.

06:49Going back to our fugu's,

06:51there's nothing extraordinary about their supposed purpose.

06:54They could be used for spiritual purposes,

06:57as a place to hide,

06:58or a food storage.

07:01The latest application, though, is a bit weird.

07:04I guess it's not a secret for anyone

07:05that England is famous for its excessive humidity.

07:08And if you want to store your food properly,

07:11you gotta avoid the humidity at all costs.

07:14Otherwise, say,

07:15welcome to mold and fungi.

07:18But ancient people weren't dull-witted at all,

07:20or they wouldn't have survived,

07:22and you and I wouldn't be around now.

07:25So they might have adapted those fugu's

07:27to store just some products,

07:29those that already had natural molds in them,

07:32assisting in the preservation of perishable food,

07:34like milk, butter, and cheese.

07:36But hey, those are just speculations.

07:40The true reason why they were built remains unknown.

07:44What makes fugu's unique

07:46is that they are intentionally built tunnels,

07:48not just excavated mines like those in Wales.

07:52They were crafted by digging deep trenches,

07:54lining them with stone slabs,

07:56covering them with capstones,

07:58and then filling over them,

07:59all of which took significant time and effort.

08:03Still, no matter how hard those were to construct,

08:07cities around the globe are often built

08:09over intricate tunnel systems,

08:11each unique to its location.

08:14For instance,

08:15Paris is famous for its extensive underground quarries,

08:19which were abandoned years ago,

08:21but still pose a risk of collapse

08:23in certain areas above.

08:24London boasts one of the largest tunnel networks

08:29in the world,

08:30including many that were specifically created

08:32for military purposes.

08:34In New York City,

08:35there are rumors of secret tunnels,

08:38while Los Angeles has old tunnels

08:40from the Prohibition era

08:41used for speakeasies.

08:43Many other cities also have their share

08:45of enigmatic tunnels,

08:47and surprisingly,

08:48Florida is no exception.

08:49It happened in the year 2011,

08:52in Ybor City.

08:54Near a former post office,

08:56flooding uncovered something weird,

08:58a section of an unknown structure.

09:01Back then,

09:01people didn't pay much attention to that,

09:03so it took another seven years

09:05to discover something truly fascinating.

09:08This historic neighborhood

09:10was founded in the 1880s,

09:12but it remained unknown until 2018

09:14that it also has a hidden tunnel network.

09:17We only learned of it

09:19because of renovation work.

09:21The exact purpose,

09:23of course,

09:24is unknown,

09:25but most scientists

09:26are pretty sure

09:27that they serve to connect

09:28to early gaming spots

09:30and the Port of Tampa.

09:32Figuring out how extensive

09:33the tunnel network is

09:34is tricky.

09:36In 2018,

09:37a historic home

09:38in Seminole Heights

09:39revealed locked doors

09:40leading to tunnels

09:41from the 1920s.

09:43One local even said

09:45he traveled through a tunnel

09:46for 20 minutes.

09:48Rumors suggest

09:49some tunnels connect

09:50to the Hillsborough River

09:51and Yvore City.

09:53Research is ongoing,

09:55but no new info

09:56has emerged yet.

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