Down here, far from the light of the sun, are organisms whose energy source comes from the air around them. They use the hydrogen sulphide gas bubbling up through these springs. The same gas that could be fatally poisonous to me. Brian Cox, Wonders of the Solar System: Aliens, BBC 2010
1993: I first came to Ukraine ... I was travelling through the second longest of the gypsum caves ... I turned the corner and stumbled over some objects. The Cave: Hiding From the Nazis, Channel 5 2013
Western Ukraine was one of the worst places for the Jews during the War. ibid.
May 5th 1943 five extended families descend into Priest’s Grotto Cave. ibid.
An unexplored labyrinth … Giant holes in the ground hundreds of metres wide and big enough to contain unexplored subterranean forests. Earth’s Giant Hole, National Geographic 2013
Tiankeng: there are more here than anywhere else on Earth. ibid.
Deep in the jungle of south Vietnam there’s a wonder of the world – a lost universe that hides a unique ecosystem. And a team of scientists and explorers with a mission – to discover what makes this the world’s biggest cave. World's Biggest Cave, National Geographic 2015
‘Dear Scott ... While hiking in the Mustang Mountains my friends and I came across a cave – there’s native American rock art ... There’s a stone with a mysterious inscription outside the cave – I think it’s a message written in runes.’ America Unearthed: Medieval Desert Mystery s1e2, letter, History 2012
This is La Vezere in the south of France; it was huge during the last ice age that modern humans created some of the most extraordinary works of art the world has ever seen … Images in this cave were made between 14 and 16,000 years ago. Antony Gormley: How Art Began, BBC 2019
In the last ten years new evidence has come to light that suggest that there is that there is art much much older than this … If it’s true that Neanderthals were making art, it changes all our ideas of how art began. ibid.
Escalating bombardment has cost countless human lives transforming the streets into battlefields. Moving from place to place is a deadly act. Millions have already fled, desperate to survive. But 400,000 people remain trapped in eastern al-Ghouta. There is no way out. The Cave, captions, National Geographic 2020
‘The idea of moving underground was simple. As simple as the death lurking on the surface. The cause of that death is clear and simple too. As simple as the urge to survive. As a doctor I have witnessed many tragedies. So much suffering. So many lies. It made us search for a way to survive.’ ibid.
A chance for these prisoners to reach the last bastion of hope: an underground hospital called The Cave. ibid.
‘Let’s keep smiling for the children. That is the least we can do.’ ibid.
Beneath the Yucatan region of Mexico are over 5,000 underwater caves ... The skull is so old it did not interest the police ... Around 600 skeletons have been discovered. Ancient X Files s2e7: Mayan Underworld, National Geographic 2012
Almost 80% of the bones ... belong to children aged between three and twelve. ibid.
An incredible rescue that took place under the Brecon Beacons told by the volunteers who pulled it off. The Rescue: 54 Hours Under the Ground, BBC 2022
A rescue operation is under way after a man fell and was injured while caving in the Brecon Beacons today. ibid. BBC news
An iconic landmark in sight of two continents – Europe and Africa. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s1e3: Gibraltar
From Neanderthal discoveries, to Admiral Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, great Islamic citadels and the top-secret tunnels that inspired James Bond. ibid.
The lost world of the Neanderthals who lived in the 200 caves which honeycomb the Rock. Ever since a groundbreaking discovery was made here back in 1848, Gibraltar has offered a rare glimpse into the lives of our prehistoric forebears. ibid.
A brand-new discovery hidden away within a cave inside the great Rock of Gibraltar itself … Gorham’s Cave … This is a shrine … This is a Medusa … A 2,500 sign saying watch out. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s1e4: Mediterranean Islands
Kitum Cave, Mount Elgon, Uganda: ‘You’re pretty much guaranteed to encounter wildlife’ … Marburg virus … The mysterious killer at Kitum is bat pooh. The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd I: Strange Places, History 2024
Now we have this discovery of at least 15 individuals. 1,500 individual bone fragments. They’re everywhere. It’s amazing. Unknown: Cave of Bones, Netflix 2023
They aren’t human. They aren’t us. ibid.
Why is it of just one species? ibid.
In 2013, in the Rise Star Cave system in South Africa, we discovered a new species. And the species is primitive in every way. It’s got a very small brain, just a little bit larger than a chimpanzee. ibid.
These were graves in the caves. ibid.
The naledi burials are between 236-335,000 years old. ibid.
Burial: It’s been done by a non-human species [Homo naledi]. That’s the big deal. ibid.
They had to have fire. ibid.
They had to crawl dragging the body with them. ibid.
And there’s carvings on the wall. ibid.