Caves have been used by humans for a long time and for a number of reasons. For many they provided shelter, for others they were a source for minerals and economic prosperity. The first mentions of karst landscape date back to the ancient Assyrian King Salmanassar III. As reported on bronze engravings, he was investigating the caves and springs at the source of the Tigris River. There are also mentions of karst topography in the writings of the ancient Greek and Romans ( Jennings, 1971). In Israel there is a cave called the Cave of Letters and inside this cave documents from the second century C.E. describing in detail one woman’s life were found . The woman was named Babatha and it is thought that she used the cave for protection and to store her documents for safekeeping (Tyson, 2004).
The Gudiyam Caves are located at a distance of 17 km from the Poondi Reservoir, which is a prime landmark of Chennai city. Trekkers need to cover a distance of 4 km to reach the caves. The caves are visited by large number of tourists coming from all over India and many parts of the world. Gudiyam Caves are situated in one of the prime locations of Chennai city. The caves are famous for the 16 rock shelters and the stone sculpture of Goddess Banachiamman.
Gudiyam Caves of Chennai city are situated behind the Poondi Reservoir. Being one of the popular Chennai attractions, the caves are visited by huge number of tourists, archeologists and historians. The rugged tracks, tools of pre-historic ages, statues of stone and various bird species are the main attractions of the Gudiyam Caves.
. It wasn’t until the 17 th century, when scientific societies began to emerge that books devoted to karst started to appear. The earliest work was written in 1654 by a Parisian by the name of Jacques Gaffarel, however little of this text remains today ( Jennings 1971). In the mid to late 19th century Vienna, Austria was the center for scientific study and karst was a hot topic. This area was the hub for karst study because there were karst areas, primarily the Dinaric karst, around Vienna which fueled research and discussion ( Herak and Stringfield, 1972). In the late 19 th century Edouard Martel, with his extensive investigation into karst landscapes, however brought France to the front in karst study with Austria where it has remained since ( Jennings, 1971). The following quote from Martel’s first work Les Cevennes published in 1888 speaks of the caves he examined in France,
Here are natural wonders of inconceivable beauty: Kilometre-long caverns, full of huge stalactites and stalagmites. Subterranean rivers and lakes in a shimmering bed of crystal. A dark and mysterious realm, which, cast in the eerie glow of the magnesium lamp, is transfigured into a magical palace. A fantastic spectacle, just waiting to be discovered (Martel,1888).
After World War I institutes devoted to karst and caves emerged along with the world’s first University Professor of speleology in Vienna, Georg Kyrle (Figure 3). After World War II interest is caves spread around the world and Europe was no longer the center for the study of speleology. After the study of karst landscapes was spread worldwide the International congresses of speleology held it’s first meeting in 1953. This has evolved into the International Union of Speleology which still operates and will hold the next congress in Athens, Greece in 2005.
About an hour's drive south of Louisville is Mammoth Caves National Park with its vast array of tourist caves. But it is not alone, there are many other caves in the surrounding towns with their own unique perspectives. And especially for the kids, there are also amusement and wildlife parks and best of all, full-size dinosaurs at Dinosaur World.
Mammoth Caves is the premier site of the area. Designated and protected as a national park in 1926, it was well-known long before that and contains much local history. Tours of the caves and area began in the mid-1800s and one can learn about its history and events that brought it renown. There are some fifteen different cave tours the sightseer can join. The tours vary from easy, well-guided trips to more difficult and rugged treks through the passages with only a lantern to show the way. The adventures can last from a half hour up to six hours. The Historic Tour gives the traveler a lesson about mining in the cave and a human history of the cave system, while other tours such as the Frozen Niagara Tour show off natural wonders: Onyx Colonnade, Golden Fleece, Rainbow Dome, Crystal Lake and more.
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