5 ms·

An interesting observation from the photos is that you can see evidence of light vandalization (mostly "names" carved into the rock). This implies these caves a

by frikk 10y ago

An interesting observation from the photos is that you can see evidence of light vandalization (mostly "names" carved into the rock). This implies these caves are part of some hyper local knowledge (at least as a party room for teenagers). - I wonder what the oldest vandalization is? - Could it be that there are many others in the area, which is why this hasn't been formally discovered before? How many times has it been "rediscovered" in the last 700 years? - Is it actually a rabbit hole (as in: a hole used by rabbits) or just a "door"? Seems likely that it "looks" like a rabbit hole, but is actually a (perhaps maintained) door into the cave.

pera 10y ago
> In 2012, it was reported that the owners of the caves closed them to people wanting to visit after they found they had been filled with candles, graffiti and rubbish. The entrance to the caves was sealed up in attempt to keep the trespassers at bay. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/03/07/in-pictures-secret-knights-templar-caves-beneath-a-shropshire-field/knights-templar-cave-5/ http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/03/07/in-pictures-se...
- frikk 10y ago
  Cool. The original article was lacking on details. Thanks for the context.
- iamben 10y ago
  I posted the link to this (as in the original article everyone is referencing) hours ago, before the BBC post linked here. One of those times HN suffers if you post something that doesn't have a linkbait headline.
mrspeaker 10y ago
About the "oldest vandalization" - I remember seeing an exhibition on Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius (79AD), and there was a bunch of examples of preserved graffiti. There seemed to be lots of "Mr Speaker was 'ere", even then! [edit: oh, article about it... https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/adrienne-was-here/475719/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/adrie...) [edit 2: http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%2... - lots of examples of texts they found: "Daphnus was here with his Felicla", "Restitutus has deceived many girls", "O walls, you have held up so much tedious graffiti that I am amazed that you have not already collapsed in ruin"!]
- sandworm101 10y ago
  I can better that by a few thousand years. Egyption pyramids have graffiti tucked into corners, graffiti left by builders. I doubt there is any structure that doesnt have some improper mark left by someone during construction.
  - PJDK 10y ago
    A nice example of this can be seen in the British Museum where one of the Assyrian Statues has a board game scratched into it's base, presumably by bored guards. There's a picture of it in this article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35669056 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35669056
  - Baeocystin 10y ago
    I used to work as a welder in a shipyard. Deep in the hold, ribs never to be seen- dicks everywhere. It was almost poetic.
- irrational 10y ago
  "If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend" Reading these just emphasizes to me that these are people just like us. We might wear different clothes and speak different languages, but we really are just the same as people were thousands of years ago. "If anyone sits here, let him read this first of all: if anyone wants a screw, he should look for Attice; she costs 4 sestertii." Seriously, I'm pretty sure I saw this same graffiti in a truck stop restroom stall once.
  - Baeocystin 10y ago
    According to the link below, Attice's going rate is ~$24. More seriously, I agree with your sentiment. There is something oddly comforting, seeing just how prosaic the graffiti of ancient civilizations are. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-value-of-1-Roman-Sesterces-in-todays-United-States-Dollar https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-value-of-1-Roman-Sesterces...
  - lighandlight 10y ago
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
adriancooney 10y ago
Newgrange[1] in Ireland has a bunch of extremely old graffiti and it's amazing. You can clearly see dates carved into the rock from the 1800s alongside people's names. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange

by frikk 10y ago

pera 10y ago

> In 2012, it was reported that the owners of the caves closed them to people wanting to visit after they found they had been filled with candles, graffiti and rubbish. The entrance to the caves was sealed up in attempt to keep the trespassers at bay. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/03/07/in-pictures-secret-knights-templar-caves-beneath-a-shropshire-field/knights-templar-cave-5/ http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/03/07/in-pictures-se...

frikk 10y ago
Cool. The original article was lacking on details. Thanks for the context.
iamben 10y ago
I posted the link to this (as in the original article everyone is referencing) hours ago, before the BBC post linked here. One of those times HN suffers if you post something that doesn't have a linkbait headline.

mrspeaker 10y ago

About the "oldest vandalization" - I remember seeing an exhibition on Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius (79AD), and there was a bunch of examples of preserved graffiti. There seemed to be lots of "Mr Speaker was 'ere", even then! [edit: oh, article about it... https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/adrienne-was-here/475719/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/adrie...) [edit 2: http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%20Pompeii.htm http://www.pompeiana.org/Resources/Ancient/Graffiti%20from%2... - lots of examples of texts they found: "Daphnus was here with his Felicla", "Restitutus has deceived many girls", "O walls, you have held up so much tedious graffiti that I am amazed that you have not already collapsed in ruin"!]

sandworm101 10y ago
I can better that by a few thousand years. Egyption pyramids have graffiti tucked into corners, graffiti left by builders. I doubt there is any structure that doesnt have some improper mark left by someone during construction.
- PJDK 10y ago
  A nice example of this can be seen in the British Museum where one of the Assyrian Statues has a board game scratched into it's base, presumably by bored guards. There's a picture of it in this article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35669056 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35669056
- Baeocystin 10y ago
  I used to work as a welder in a shipyard. Deep in the hold, ribs never to be seen- dicks everywhere. It was almost poetic.
irrational 10y ago
"If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend" Reading these just emphasizes to me that these are people just like us. We might wear different clothes and speak different languages, but we really are just the same as people were thousands of years ago. "If anyone sits here, let him read this first of all: if anyone wants a screw, he should look for Attice; she costs 4 sestertii." Seriously, I'm pretty sure I saw this same graffiti in a truck stop restroom stall once.
- Baeocystin 10y ago
  According to the link below, Attice's going rate is ~$24. More seriously, I agree with your sentiment. There is something oddly comforting, seeing just how prosaic the graffiti of ancient civilizations are. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-value-of-1-Roman-Sesterces-in-todays-United-States-Dollar https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-value-of-1-Roman-Sesterces...
- lighandlight 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

adriancooney 10y ago

Newgrange[1] in Ireland has a bunch of extremely old graffiti and it's amazing. You can clearly see dates carved into the rock from the 1800s alongside people's names. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange