This is bit of
odd geology to add to locales worth seeing just for its oddity. The hosting limestone has eroded away leaving
all this behind. Had the intruding
fluids been hot, the limestone would have been replaced. As it was it formed molds.
This generated
tree trunk like structures to walk among.
All good stuff
to add to our list of geological surprises.
Pobiti Kamani:
Bulgaria’s Ancient Stone Forest
The rock formation known as Pobiti Kamani is
situated close to the city of Varna, on the eastern coast of Bulgaria. Rising
out of the sand roughly 20km from the Black Sea in an area known as Pashovi,
the stone columns of Pobiti Kamani have looked out
over the landscape for as long as humans have occupied this area… and longer
still.
The name ‘Pobiti Kamani’ translates into English as
‘Hammered Stones’; a literal description of these pillars which seem to have
been driven into the ground as if with a hammer. More often though, the name
will be transliterated as the ‘Stone Forest’.
The stones are hollow cylinders clustered together
in groups, many reaching five, six, even seven metres in height. In width they
range from one third of a metre to three metres across. The site known as
Pobiti Kamani covers an area of desert measuring seven square kilometres, with
the most notable formations grouped together over a space of one kilometre.
In the early days of the Bulgarian Empire, the
stones were believed to be a sacred place, imbued with powerful supernatural
forces. The arrangement of the pillars seems far from natural, some of them
lined up in rows that almost give the appearance of a temple, or acropolis. The
shape of these hollow pillars seems so deliberate as to suggest a purpose or
design of some kind – and so early settlers here attributed the work to powerful
gods or giants.
Numerous legends have arisen over time to explain
the stone forest. One tells of giants who were employed to build the city of
Pliska, which stood as the capital of the Bulgar Kingdom from 681 to 893 AD.
The giants carried the massive stones from far and wide, until the king
declared the city complete, ordering his labourers to cease their work. The
giants simply dropped the stones where they stood, forming Pobiti Kamani in the
process. Another myth suggests that these pillars had formed the colonnades of
Poseidon’s temple in Atlantis, itself once located here on the Black Sea Coast.
A range of simulacra appear around the site,
seemingly human faces peering down from stone pillars or gazing impassively
from the rock walls that border the area. Individual stones were given names,
often describing their appearance in terms of human characteristics. The
‘Soldier’, for example, stands tall above the rest and keeps guard over Pobiti
Kamani.
One of the stones leans against its neighbour, creating
a natural archway. An ancient tradition tells that ducking through this arch as
you pass around the stone will bring good fortune… and many visitors to the
site, even today, will still enact this ritual.
It wasn’t until 1828 that the first scientific study
was made of Pobiti Kamani, commissioned by the Russian General Dibich. Later,
in 1854, Pobiti Kamani was visited by the British geologist William Hamilton.
Hamilton was the first to hypothesise a marine origin for the stones;
suggesting that perhaps they were in fact, “the work of the sea.” In 1855 a
geological survey of the area reinforced this theory, showing that the whole
region had once been covered by the Black Sea. It was the first step towards
answering a riddle that had remained unsolved since the earliest civilizations
settled in Europe.
A full explanation would come later on, courtesy of
two brothers – the Bulgarian geologists Peter and Stefan Bonchev Gochev. They
dated the columns at 50 million years old, formed in the Cenozoic Era. At this
stage much of Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania had been at the bottom of the
sea, and over long periods of time the sediment on the seabed was compressed to
form limestone layers. Gases were released during the process, and these would
rise through the layers of sludge as bubbles. As the sludge hardened to a crust
these bubbles would force their way up through flues in the layers of sediment,
and over a period of millions of years these eventually created a series of
stone ‘chimneys’.
Many ages later the surrounding area would break the
surface, in time drying to form a barren, sandy landscape. Much of the
limestone was eroded away, leaving only the appearance of solitary stone
chimneys rising out of the desert.
As the stones became better known in Europe there
were numerous challengers to the mineral theory laid down by the Gochev
brothers; some experts choosing instead to explain the stones by way of organic
coral activity, or as the result of Eocene bubbling reefs.
The Stone Forest has now been subjected to countless
field observations, in addition to petrographic and stable isotope geochemical
studies. In general, the results support the above theory of ‘paleo-hydrocarbon
seep.’ It’s a rare phenomenon, and only a handful of examples have been noted
in the world. For that reason the stones at Pobiti Kamani pose a site of great
interest amongst European geologists, and remain the subject of an ongoing
research project at the Varna Institute of Oceanology… in association with
researchers from the Geobiology Lab of the University of Goettingen, the
Catholic University of Leuven and the University of Bologna. Some of Europe’s
top geological researchers are now working towards a dynamic reconstruction of
the process: the final piece in the puzzle of Pobiti Kamani.
In 1937, the site was recognised as a natural
landmark, receiving protection from the state on account of its unique status.
The surrounding area is largely uninhabited and attracts a wealth of wildlife,
including some 21 bird species and more than 240 varieties of plant – numbering
amongst them some very rare specimens. The stones themselves have also provided
numerous unusual fossil discoveries, including petrified mussels, giant snails
and nummulite.
Pobiti Kamani is easy to visit if you’re in
Bulgaria, located 18km from the coastal city of Varna on the old road to the
capital, Sofia. There’s a certain unnatural stillness about the site which,
combined with the appearance of the imposing stone pillars, imbues the area
with an otherworldly, somehow alien atmosphere… it isn’t hard to see
why early settlers attributed supernatural energies to this peculiar forest of
stones.
We did not find results for: Pobiti Kamani:
Bulgaria’s Ancient Stone Forest 0 Comments November 29, 2013 Darmon
Richter The rock formation known as Pobiti Kamani is situated close to
the city of Varna, on the eastern coast of Bulgaria. Rising out of the sand
roughly 20km from the Black Sea in an area known as Pashovi, the stone columns
of Pobiti Kamani have looked out over the landscape for as long as humans have
occupied this area… and longer still. The name ‘Pobiti Kamani’ translates into
English as ‘Hammered Stones’; a literal description of these pillars which seem
to have been driven into the ground as if with a hammer. More often though, the
name will be transliterated as the ‘Stone Forest’. The stones are hollow
cylinders clustered together in groups, many reaching five, six, even seven metres
in height. In width they range from one third of a metre to three metres
across. The site known as Pobiti Kamani covers an area of desert measuring
seven square kilometres, with the most notable formations grouped together over
a space of one kilometre. In the early days of the Bulgarian Empire, the stones
were believed to be a sacred place, imbued with powerful supernatural forces.
The arrangement of the pillars seems far from natural, some of them lined up in
rows that almost give the appearance of a temple, or acropolis. The shape of
these hollow pillars seems so deliberate as to suggest a purpose or design of
some kind – and so early settlers here attributed the work to powerful gods or
giants. Numerous legends have arisen over time to explain the stone forest. One
tells of giants who were employed to build the city of Pliska, which stood as
the capital of the Bulgar Kingdom from 681 to 893 AD. The giants carried the
massive stones from far and wide, until the king declared the city complete,
ordering his labourers to cease their work. The giants simply dropped the
stones where they stood, forming Pobiti Kamani in the process. Another myth
suggests that these pillars had formed the colonnades of Poseidon’s temple in
Atlantis, itself once located here on the Black Sea Coast. A range of simulacra
appear around the site, seemingly human faces peering down from stone pillars
or gazing impassively from the rock walls that border the area. Individual
stones were given names, often describing their appearance in terms of human
characteristics. The ‘Soldier’, for example, stands tall above the rest and
keeps guard over Pobiti Kamani. One of the stones leans against its neighbour,
creating a natural archway. An ancient tradition tells that ducking through this
arch as you pass around the stone will bring good fortune… and many visitors to
the site, even today, will still enact this ritual. It wasn’t until 1828 that
the first scientific study was made of Pobiti Kamani, commissioned by the
Russian General Dibich. Later, in 1854, Pobiti Kamani was visited by the
British geologist William Hamilton. Hamilton was the first to hypothesise a
marine origin for the stones; suggesting that perhaps they were in fact, “the
work of the sea.” In 1855 a geological survey of the area reinforced this
theory, showing that the whole region had once been covered by the Black Sea.
It was the first step towards answering a riddle that had remained unsolved
since the earliest civilizations settled in Europe. A full explanation would come
later on, courtesy of two brothers – the Bulgarian geologists Peter and Stefan
Bonchev Gochev. They dated the columns at 50 million years old, formed in the
Cenozoic Era. At this stage much of Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania had been
at the bottom of the sea, and over long periods of time the sediment on the
seabed was compressed to form limestone layers. Gases were released during the
process, and these would rise through the layers of sludge as bubbles. As the
sludge hardened to a crust these bubbles would force their way up through flues
in the layers of sediment, and over a period of millions of years these
eventually created a series of stone ‘chimneys’. Many ages later the
surrounding area would break the surface, in time drying to form a barren, sandy
landscape. Much of the limestone was eroded away, leaving only the appearance
of solitary stone chimneys rising out of the desert. As the stones became
better known in Europe there were numerous challengers to the mineral theory
laid down by the Gochev brothers; some experts choosing instead to explain the
stones by way of organic coral activity, or as the result of Eocene bubbling
reefs. The Stone Forest has now been subjected to countless field observations,
in addition to petrographic and stable isotope geochemical studies. In general,
the results support the above theory of ‘paleo-hydrocarbon seep.’ It’s a rare
phenomenon, and only a handful of examples have been noted in the world. For
that reason the stones at Pobiti Kamani pose a site of great interest amongst
European geologists, and remain the subject of an ongoing research project at
the Varna Institute of Oceanology… in association with researchers from the
Geobiology Lab of the University of Goettingen, the Catholic University of
Leuven and the University of Bologna. Some of Europe’s top geological
researchers are now working towards a dynamic reconstruction of the process:
the final piece in the puzzle of Pobiti Kamani. In 1937, the site was
recognised as a natural landmark, receiving protection from the state on
account of its unique status. The surrounding area is largely uninhabited and
attracts a wealth of wildlife, including some 21 bird species and more than 240
varieties of plant – numbering amongst them some very rare specimens. The stones
themselves have also provided numerous unusual fossil discoveries, including
petrified mussels, giant snails and nummulite. Pobiti Kamani is easy to visit
if you’re in Bulgaria, located 18km from the coastal city of Varna on the old
road to the capital, Sofia. There’s a certain unnatural stillness about the
site which, combined with the appearance of the imposing stone pillars, imbues
the area with an otherworldly, somehow alien atmosphere… it isn’t hard to
see why early settlers attributed supernatural energies to this peculiar forest
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Pobiti Kamani: Bulgaria’s Ancient Stone
Forest 0 Comments November 29, 2013 Darmon Richter The rock
formation known as Pobiti Kamani is situated close to the city of Varna, on the
eastern coast of Bulgaria. Rising out of the sand roughly 20km from the Black
Sea in an area known as Pashovi, the stone columns of Pobiti Kamani have looked
out over the landscape for as long as humans have occupied this area… and
longer still. The name ‘Pobiti Kamani’ translates into English as ‘Hammered
Stones’; a literal description of these pillars which seem to have been driven
into the ground as if with a hammer. More often though, the name will be transliterated
as the ‘Stone Forest’. The stones are hollow cylinders clustered together in
groups, many reaching five, six, even seven metres in height. In width they
range from one third of a metre to three metres across. The site known as
Pobiti Kamani covers an area of desert measuring seven square kilometres, with
the most notable formations grouped together over a space of one kilometre. In
the early days of the Bulgarian Empire, the stones were believed to be a sacred
place, imbued with powerful supernatural forces. The arrangement of the pillars
seems far from natural, some of them lined up in rows that almost give the
appearance of a temple, or acropolis. The shape of these hollow pillars seems
so deliberate as to suggest a purpose or design of some kind – and so early
settlers here attributed the work to powerful gods or giants. Numerous legends
have arisen over time to explain the stone forest. One tells of giants who were
employed to build the city of Pliska, which stood as the capital of the Bulgar
Kingdom from 681 to 893 AD. The giants carried the massive stones from far and
wide, until the king declared the city complete, ordering his labourers to
cease their work. The giants simply dropped the stones where they stood,
forming Pobiti Kamani in the process. Another myth suggests that these pillars
had formed the colonnades of Poseidon’s temple in Atlantis, itself once located
here on the Black Sea Coast. A range of simulacra appear around the site,
seemingly human faces peering down from stone pillars or gazing impassively
from the rock walls that border the area. Individual stones were given names,
often describing their appearance in terms of human characteristics. The
‘Soldier’, for example, stands tall above the rest and keeps guard over Pobiti
Kamani. One of the stones leans against its neighbour, creating a natural
archway. An ancient tradition tells that ducking through this arch as you pass
around the stone will bring good fortune… and many visitors to the site, even
today, will still enact this ritual. It wasn’t until 1828 that the first
scientific study was made of Pobiti Kamani, commissioned by the Russian General
Dibich. Later, in 1854, Pobiti Kamani was visited by the British geologist
William Hamilton. Hamilton was the first to hypothesise a marine origin for the
stones; suggesting that perhaps they were in fact, the work of the sea. In 1855
a geological survey of the area reinforced this theory, showing that the whole
region had once been covered by the Black Sea. It was the first step towards
answering a riddle that had remained unsolved since the earliest civilizations
settled in Europe. A full explanation would come later on, courtesy of two
brothers – the Bulgarian geologists Peter and Stefan Bonchev Gochev. They dated
the columns at 50 million years old, formed in the Cenozoic Era. At this stage
much of Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania had been at the bottom of the sea,
and over long periods of time the sediment on the seabed was compressed to form
limestone layers. Gases were released during the process, and these would rise
through the layers of sludge as bubbles. As the sludge hardened to a crust
these bubbles would force their way up through flues in the layers of sediment,
and over a period of millions of years these eventually created a series of
stone ‘chimneys’. Many ages later the surrounding area would break the surface,
in time drying to form a barren, sandy landscape. Much of the limestone was
eroded away, leaving only the appearance of solitary stone chimneys rising out
of the desert. As the stones became better known in Europe there were numerous
challengers to the mineral theory laid down by the Gochev brothers; some
experts choosing instead to explain the stones by way of organic coral
activity, or as the result of Eocene bubbling reefs. The Stone Forest has now
been subjected to countless field observations, in addition to petrographic and
stable isotope geochemical studies. In general, the results support the above
theory of ‘paleo-hydrocarbon seep.’ It’s a rare phenomenon, and only a handful
of examples have been noted in the world. For that reason the stones at Pobiti
Kamani pose a site of great interest amongst European geologists, and remain
the subject of an ongoing research project at the Varna Institute of Oceanology…
in association with researchers from the Geobiology Lab of the University of
Goettingen, the Catholic University of Leuven and the University of Bologna.
Some of Europe’s top geological researchers are now working towards a dynamic
reconstruction of the process: the final piece in the puzzle of Pobiti Kamani.
In 1937, the site was recognised as a natural landmark, receiving protection
from the state on account of its unique status. The surrounding area is largely
uninhabited and attracts a wealth of wildlife, including some 21 bird species
and more than 240 varieties of plant – numbering amongst them some very rare
specimens. The stones themselves have also provided numerous unusual fossil
discoveries, including petrified mussels, giant snails and nummulite. Pobiti
Kamani is easy to visit if you’re in Bulgaria, located 18km from the coastal
city of Varna on the old road to the capital, Sofia. There’s a certain
unnatural stillness about the site which, combined with the appearance of the
imposing stone pillars, imbues the area with an otherworldly,
somehow alien atmosphere… it isn’t hard to see why early settlers
attributed supernatural energies to this peculiar forest of
stones. (quotes removed)
One MIGHT have thought to include photographs such as :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/pobiti-kamani.html