Post by Azurerana on Nov 28, 2006 10:16:44 GMT -5
Springs chock full of unique features
NORTH PORT -- Wilburn "Sonny" Cockrell of Florida State University reported that stainless steel wires and bolts, placed in Warm Mineral Springs to denote archaeological study areas, deteriorated to nothing in a matter of months. Gar and catfish that live near the surface, where there is enough oxygen to support them, have markedly shorter life spans than the norm. One mystery of this place is why organic material like bones and pollen is so well-preserved.
The lack of oxygen seems to be key. Picture a thick hourglass and you will have an idea how the Springs looks underground in cross section. Just where it pinches in is where the water level was some 12,000 years ago. About 50 feet above that is the cavern where the burial was found.
About 19 million gallons of water shoot into the sinkhole every day from its lowest point - some 70 meters below ground surface. The water comes in at about 97¼ F from an aquifer more than 1,000 to 5,000 feet deep where it is geothermally heated. The water has a high mineral content but no oxygen.
Several smaller springs, the cool-water variety, also discharge into the cenote, but they are overwhelmed by the hot-water spring. For that reason, the Springs are 87¼ year-round.
The water level must have risen not long after the burial when the ice age ended, covering the remains. With the high mineral content and no oxygen, the bacteria and microbes that normally break down organic matter were stymied. That's why the skeletal remains, bones, pollen, wood and other organic materials were so well preserved.
Although 19 million gallons of water enter the sinkhole every day, only about 9 million gallons are discharged through a narrow channel, eventually reaching Myakkahatchee Creek. Scientists believe the discrepancy is because much of the water soaks back into the ground. In other words, the Springs leak.
Old and new
On-site archaeologist Steve Koski said that in the deepest reaches of the sinkhole, where the hot water emerges, the water is so crystal clear you cannot even see it.
Near the surface, however, where there is oxygen and sunlight, the water looks cloudy. Koski said bacteria reacts in sunlight and sulfate to make the water cloudy. Indeed, after nightfall the surface waters clear up again.
Warm Mineral Springs was once thought to be the elusive Fountain of Youth for which Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon sought in vain. Merkher said there is no evidence that he ever visited the site, although he might have heard about it.
But with so many unique features, it's no surprise that Warm Mineral Springs attracted the attention of a new-age sort.
For instance, Carl Munck of West Virginia, who called himself an "archaeocryptographer," claims that secret codes embedded in the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge and the Nazca Lines of Peru somehow point to the Springs. Through a convoluted series of calculations using factors such as the longitude of the Nazca triangle and the number of monuments at Stonehenge, Munck claims to show how ancient people calculated the precise location of Warm Mineral Springs.
Back to the future
Warm Mineral Springs opened to the public in the 1950s and for half a century was owned and operated by members of the Daley family. In later years, Sam Herron also became an owner, until it was sold to Ed Ullman of Golden Springs LLC in 1999.
Ullman recognized its potential. After being in a more traditional health career for many years, he grew disillusioned, and was drawn to "alternative" healing systems. Spas like Warm Mineral Springs, although not highly regarded in the United States, were sought by Europeans and Asians. He also saw the tide turning slightly, with more homeopathic methods being used.
"My dream," Ullman said, "is to build an Institute for Natural Healing and Wellness Center." He pictures it in tasteful Mediterranean-style architecture, with facilities for lectures, teaching and conventions.
Article
NORTH PORT -- Wilburn "Sonny" Cockrell of Florida State University reported that stainless steel wires and bolts, placed in Warm Mineral Springs to denote archaeological study areas, deteriorated to nothing in a matter of months. Gar and catfish that live near the surface, where there is enough oxygen to support them, have markedly shorter life spans than the norm. One mystery of this place is why organic material like bones and pollen is so well-preserved.
The lack of oxygen seems to be key. Picture a thick hourglass and you will have an idea how the Springs looks underground in cross section. Just where it pinches in is where the water level was some 12,000 years ago. About 50 feet above that is the cavern where the burial was found.
About 19 million gallons of water shoot into the sinkhole every day from its lowest point - some 70 meters below ground surface. The water comes in at about 97¼ F from an aquifer more than 1,000 to 5,000 feet deep where it is geothermally heated. The water has a high mineral content but no oxygen.
Several smaller springs, the cool-water variety, also discharge into the cenote, but they are overwhelmed by the hot-water spring. For that reason, the Springs are 87¼ year-round.
The water level must have risen not long after the burial when the ice age ended, covering the remains. With the high mineral content and no oxygen, the bacteria and microbes that normally break down organic matter were stymied. That's why the skeletal remains, bones, pollen, wood and other organic materials were so well preserved.
Although 19 million gallons of water enter the sinkhole every day, only about 9 million gallons are discharged through a narrow channel, eventually reaching Myakkahatchee Creek. Scientists believe the discrepancy is because much of the water soaks back into the ground. In other words, the Springs leak.
Old and new
On-site archaeologist Steve Koski said that in the deepest reaches of the sinkhole, where the hot water emerges, the water is so crystal clear you cannot even see it.
Near the surface, however, where there is oxygen and sunlight, the water looks cloudy. Koski said bacteria reacts in sunlight and sulfate to make the water cloudy. Indeed, after nightfall the surface waters clear up again.
Warm Mineral Springs was once thought to be the elusive Fountain of Youth for which Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon sought in vain. Merkher said there is no evidence that he ever visited the site, although he might have heard about it.
But with so many unique features, it's no surprise that Warm Mineral Springs attracted the attention of a new-age sort.
For instance, Carl Munck of West Virginia, who called himself an "archaeocryptographer," claims that secret codes embedded in the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge and the Nazca Lines of Peru somehow point to the Springs. Through a convoluted series of calculations using factors such as the longitude of the Nazca triangle and the number of monuments at Stonehenge, Munck claims to show how ancient people calculated the precise location of Warm Mineral Springs.
Back to the future
Warm Mineral Springs opened to the public in the 1950s and for half a century was owned and operated by members of the Daley family. In later years, Sam Herron also became an owner, until it was sold to Ed Ullman of Golden Springs LLC in 1999.
Ullman recognized its potential. After being in a more traditional health career for many years, he grew disillusioned, and was drawn to "alternative" healing systems. Spas like Warm Mineral Springs, although not highly regarded in the United States, were sought by Europeans and Asians. He also saw the tide turning slightly, with more homeopathic methods being used.
"My dream," Ullman said, "is to build an Institute for Natural Healing and Wellness Center." He pictures it in tasteful Mediterranean-style architecture, with facilities for lectures, teaching and conventions.
Article