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A MYSTERIOUS SHELL GROTTO ...... Buried deep underground in small English town of Margate, Kent, in UK, is a grotto shrouded in complete mystery. Adorned with about 4.6 million shells and 70 ft of winding underground passages leading to a rectangular chamber, this shell grotto is undoubtedly a remarkable site to behold. Story has it that in 1835, a laborer was going about his usual field work, but when he struck the soil with his spade, it sank into the earth. The farmer realized that he was standing on something hollow, but was unable to see anything from the surface. Word spread around town, and a local school teacher volunteered his young , Joshua, to be lowered into the hole with a candle. Upon emerging from the mysterious cavern, Joshua described rooms filled with hundreds of thousands of carefully arranged shells. A theory holds that the grotto was created as an aristocrat's folly, specially among the wealthy. The only catch to this theory, though, is that the grotto's location was on farmland - a land that had never been part of a large estate where follies would have been satisfied. Others believe that it may have been used as an astrological calendar in the past. There are those also, who say that the grotto must somehow be connected with the Freemasons or the Knights Templar. Others believe that the grotto may date as far back as 12,000 years ago, maintaining that it is connected to a mysterious Mexican culture. Its mystery has left people completely stumped, so much so that in the 1930s, some had held séances, in the hopes of contacting the spirits of whoever built the grotto. Right now, it seems, we will not discover the truth behind this mysterious shell grotto. The age of the shells could be determined through carbon dating according but it's a pricey process and other conservation issues are currently being prioritized. One thing is clear though, the arrangement of the shells must have taken countless hours of painstaking work. Unfortunately, many of the shells in the grotto have faded over time, losing their luster through water damage. In its early days, it would have been full of dazzling color. This recreation shows what they might have looked like at the time, and with over 4.6 million shells, it surely must have looked astonishing! Researchers have dated the grotto everywhere from prehistoric to Roman and Ancient Phoenician! There have been several different samples taken of the mortar with which the shells are mounted on the wall. It showed that several compounds had been used, mostly based fish-based glue, material known as Roman cement. At first glance the Grotto’s design only adds to the confusion, with humble cockles, whelks, mussels and oysters creating a swirling profusion of patterns and symbols. There are trees of life, phalluses, gods, goddesses and something that looks very like an altar. The claim that the cave originates from the Phoenician period would seem far-fetched. The Phoenicians were known as excellent sailors and are responsible for our use of the alphabet. Archeology announced that at Pegwell Bay an old cemetery was found with bodies dating from the early Bronze Age (ca. 1500 BC). In those days, the deceased were usually cremated and it was not customary to bury them. Could this be a cemetery of the Phoenician navigators?. Was the grotto used as a temple by old pagan religions or as a meeting place for a secret society? Oriental motifs found on the walls of the grotto have led to speculations about Phoenicians, Romans, Knights Templar, mystics and magicians. The fact is that no one really knows why the shells grotto was built. Some obvious statements however can easily be refuted. But despite the multiple theories going around, no one has been able to solve the mystery of this Shell Grotto. However, there’s only one fact about the Grotto that is indisputable: that it is a unique work of art that should be valued and preserved, whatever its age or origins. Some photos I've posted below show us the exact structure of that grotto, with all the designs done by those millions of shells fixed by a complicated fish glue. I hope my above blog would please you. Thank you for your read and views. Sincerely, Lisa.               |
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3/8/2016 4:23 pm |
Truly amazing. And I thought I was doing so well making a shell covered trinket box. Spiritwoman ^i^
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I can only appreciate the talents of the people who were entrusted to do the job! You are no less talented than these people! You have discovered them and shared their great eye catching works with us! Thank you so much Lisa, my MLD. Take care of yourself and be happy and cheerful always!
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Tom hi, Great and meaningful are your comments, which I appreciate so much. Am glad for your usual visit as well and thanks for your pleasing compliments too. I agree with you about the considerable time and pain-taking those skillful artists have taken to build and decorate such a jewel really. Pondering on how each of these shells has been fixed in such a way to design each feature on the walls and the dome as well!!. It's so fantastic really. To cover all these surfaces, I believe it must have taken them years eventually for this magnificent work. The questions are: Who, When and for Whom this Grotto was done??. It is still unknown up till now. This is the real great mystery in it. Thanks again Tom, enjoy your time. Kind regards, Lisa.
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Lulu, hello, You are always welcome to my blog, thank you for your visit and you nice comments as well. You are so right, it's really an amazing treasure found by chance under the ground but till now it remains mysterious. Everyone is trying to find answers to those above questions but in vain. Thank you again Lulu, I do appreciate so much your read and views, Have a pleasant day. My kind regards to you. Lisa.
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Dan hi, How pleased I am, reading from you on this blog of mine. You are welcome at any time and thank you so much for your visit and your wonderful comments. The Margate Shell Grotto exists in Kent, UK, it had been found by mere chance on a farm land. That's why I have keenly posted this blog for all the readers to be aware if it. Am glad it pleased all of you on here. Thanks again Dan. I wish you a fine day. Kind regards, Lisa.
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Spiritwoman, my dear friend, hello, I appreciate your visit and your nice comments as usual. We may do little things using shells but it would be really impossible for us to do this great artistic work of those unknown skill workers of that time. Hats off to them really. But till now the question of who did it and for whom, remains unknowns. It's a mystery. Thanks once more Spirit. Have a beautiful. Lisa.
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Dear Prisci, hello, How pleasant to see you on my blog again, am so glad reading from you after a considerable time. However, you are and will be always welcome dear. Thanks so much for your appreciation and I hope reading from you again in the future. My kind regards to you, Lisa.
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Hello Looklook MBN, Great is my pleasure reading you again on this blog of mine. Thank you so much for your kind visit and your delightful comments which I appreciate too. This Grotto should really be one of the wonders of the world among the existing ones. People are wondering, pondering and admiring this great work of those unknown skill artists. I found it necessary to post this blog about it, for those who didn't know about it till now. Am glad it has pleased them on here as I appreciate so much all their nice comments as well. Thank you also for your kind compliments too. Each one has his own talent eventually but the work of those ancient people who built and decorated that Grotto, are definitely incredible. Thank you once more MBN Looklook, I wish you a wonderful day, keep well and take much care much of your health. My best wishes to you. Lisa.
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Mary Ann dear, hello, Great is my joy reading from you again. Your presence was missing for some sometime. I hope you are keeping well. Thank you for your visit and your nice comments dear. Am happy that this blog has pleased all of you on here. Yes Mary Ann, I believe also that it might have been done by a group of skill workers, one person only couldn't do all these. Thanks again dear and keep well and happy always. My kind regards to you. Lisa.
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Amazing and beautiful
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Amazing! Great work! A place worth visiting, for sure. Something new to me. Every day I learn a bit more. Thanks for the blog, Lisa.  Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.(Khalil Gibran)
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Maudie my dear friend, hello, Your visit and comments are always welcome as usual and for which I thank you so much. Thanks also for your appreciation of this blog. I hope one day when I go to UK again, I'll try to go and visit this grotto. It is so fascinating really. Thanks again Maudie, have a nice day. My kind regards to you. Lisa. 
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Cammie dear Lady, hi, I am so happy reading from you for the first time on my blog. You are warmly welcome and I thank you so much for your visit and your nice comments. This grotto is really so well done and decorated with all these shells and it is said to have been fixed by a sort of cement or glue made from the fish by that time. It's eventually a wonderful place to visit if one gets the chance. Thank you again dear Lady, I hope reading from you again on my future blogs. I wish you a pleasant day. With my best regards, Lisa.
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Lucy, my charming Lady, hello, Your wonderful smile always brings a kind of light to my blogs. Am always so happy reading from you. Thank you for your usual presence on my blogs dear Lady and for your kind appreciation too. You are quite right Lucy, this grotto is a worth place to visit. Its structure and its entire decoration with all these millions of shells are such a wonder really. Thanks again my dear Lucy. I wish you all my best for a joyful day. God bless. Lisa.
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