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Explore the States 阿拉巴馬
 
Photo of the DeSoto Caverns
DeSoto巨穴中的縞瑪瑙室(Onyx Room)


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DeSoto 巨穴
地方性遺產

您想要來一趟
洞穴探勘嗎?您知道什麼是洞穴探 勘嗎?洞穴探勘是一項嗜好,即為探索、勘查洞穴,內容包括測量及繪製洞穴圖,並記錄洞穴內的植物或其他的生物。

位於阿拉巴馬中北部的DeSoto巨穴是一個絕佳的洞穴探察處,.其為美國境內少數生有令人驚嘆的石筍及鐘乳石洞穴之一;因礦物沈澱而成的圓錐狀石筍由下 向上增高;而鐘乳石則由上而下延伸。

DeSoto巨穴擁有長遠的歷史。最早的居住者為古體人 (Archaic manArchaic Period, 8,0001,000 B.C.)其為穴居人,以小型獵物、魚及 堅果維生。經過幾個世紀後,1796年時,一個經喬治華盛頓任命的美國探員霍金斯 (Benjamin Hawkins) ,寫了一篇闡述DeSoto巨穴是多麼宏偉、美麗的報告,使其成為美國境內第一份正式報導洞穴的報告。在內戰期間, 美國南部邦聯軍隊的火藥來源即是DeSoto巨穴中的硝酸鉀。

1965年,巨穴正式開放給一般民眾。有了高 功率燈光,人們能真正體會到巨穴的五彩繽紛之美。現在,DeSoto巨穴每年都會舉辦一些重要的週末慶祝活動。


Would you like to go spelunking? Do you know what it is? Spelunking is the exploration of caves as a hobby, including measuring and mapping caves and reporting on the plants or other things that grow in them.

The DeSoto Caverns in north central Alabama are a great place to go spelunking. They have one of the most awe-inspiring collections of stalagmites and stalactites found in the United States. A stalagmite is a cone-shaped mineral deposit that forms upward; a stalactite forms downward.

The caves have a long history. The earliest inhabitant was Archaic man (Archaic Period, 8,000 to 1,000 B.C.), a cave-dweller who lived on small game, fish and nuts. Many centuries later, in 1796, Benjamin Hawkins, a U.S. agent appointed by George Washington, wrote about the magnificent beauty of the DeSoto Caverns in a report, making it the first officially reported cave in the United States. During the Civil War, the DeSoto Caverns became a site for mining saltpeter, used in making gunpowder for the Confederate Army.

In 1965, the caverns were officially opened to the public. With high-power electric lights the caverns' colorful beauty could be fully appreciated. Today, DeSoto Caverns hosts several major weekend festivals each year.  

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