The Department of Treasures, burials and antiquities of the Arab world has shared an update on a mysterious place called Shell Grotto, Margate, United Kingdom (UK). A bewildering place in England, an underground world of man-made tunnels and pathways covered entirely with seashells. An estimated 4.6 million shells adorn walls, ceilings and altars in a collection of abstract artwork and symbols.
As per the sources, there is no historical information on the origin of the grotto, its purpose or its age. Not even any local folk but many historians think that what we are looking at could be thousands of years old.
School principal James Newolof and his son Joshua were clearing the ground on the seashore in Margate in Kent, England, in 1835, and when they lifted a stone that turned out to be a cover for his pillow, opening a deep hole in the ground, said sources.
After finding a giant hole in the ground, armed with a lamp and tied with a rope, the story tells that young Joshua has been dropped down by his father for a closer look. And so goes the first known novel of what will soon be known as Shell Grotto.
The reports stated that the site was gaining popularity, becoming a tourist attraction in the Victorian era. But as so often with ancient discoveries, these first visitors inadvertently caused grave damage. The chemical residue from their lamps would make the history of radiocarbon very difficult.
Furthermore, similarly disappointing is the damage caused by soot which is so black from multicoloured spots that, when washed off, turned normal white after soaking. Additionally, there are many 8ft high snake passages, small chambers and arched tunnels. There is an ornate altar above a giant dome that opens up to Heaven.
In addition, while most of these shells could have been easily obtained from the local area, others, such as Queen Concheese, have come from the Caribbean, indicating that the Shell Grotto was probably a large project stretching to different countries and was the work of many contributors.
It is generally agreed that the project would have taken a lot of time and, in all likelihood, would have taken many generations. Digging out the chalk tunnels and removing the land would have taken a long time. Collecting the same shells from everywhere could take decades.
But the most time-consuming of all is the time spent producing glue and placing each piece of the 4.6 million coincidental shells into a myriad collection of similar patterns, intricate designs, and decorative mosaics. Some designs are Egyptian or Indian in style, while some are mysterious enough to allow for a variety of interpretations; stars, skeleton, crocodile, owl.
“Some historians believe that the whole cave symbolizes the journey from birth to death and to the afterlife.” As you walk through the halls, you walk on that journey through the accompanying mosaic symbols and end in Heaven’s altar chamber. ”
There are some who believe that the Shell Grotto is a very ancient artisan work before the Roman Empire, dating back to 3000 years. It could be in honour of a Greek Sea god, a Phoenician temple, or a place of pagan worship or ritual—it contains an altar surrounded by celestial crimes and some mosaics believed to form symbols of life, death, and love. Others are convinced that it was a secret location for the knights of the Chalk, Masons, Sufis, or other secret societies in the eighteenth century.
It was long suspected that the altar was in line with celestial activity and could function as a solar calendar. And so this was accomplished by the giant dome opening team during the Summer Coup. As the sun shone directly through the dome, people were able to use reflectors to divert sunlight through the passageway and, in turn, illuminate the altar.
