Comments on: Secret Tunnels

Secret Tunnels

dhruva — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 21:33:17 -0800

Urban Myth Confirmed True as Archaeologists Discover Hidden Tunnels in Mexico "Talk of a maze of underground tunnels beneath the Colonial city of Puebla in Mexico have long been disregarded as mere urban legend. However, city authorities have now confirmed that their existence is no myth. Believed to date back as early as 1531, when the city was founded, the subterranean tunnels are believed to extend as far as 10 kilometers beneath the historic center of the city." (more here (in spanish))

By: ph00dz

ph00dz — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 22:11:03 -0800

Those are the Halls of Montezuma.

By: Segundus

Segundus — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 22:57:55 -0800

How can they have been unknown for so long?

By: Chocolate Pickle

Chocolate Pickle — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 22:58:38 -0800

I assume they mean "10 kilometers horizontally, beneath the city".

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 23:05:54 -0800

Segundus: "How can they have been unknown for so long?" No one was actively looking.

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 23:08:06 -0800

Ancient Origins is a website for kooks. The Spanish report on this is more sober, but the only image shows someone walking through a modern-looking tunnel with what appears to be electric lighting and a concrete base. So I have no idea what these tunnels are like, how "unknown" they really are, or whether there's any substance to this.

By: MeghanC

MeghanC — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 01:30:27 -0800

The Spanish report is more somber, but there are quite a lot of photos, including several of people crouching and standing in both fully and partially excavated tunnels, illuminated by what looks to be a run-in light source. (For example, in case your computer's loading the page oddly.) The photo captions support some of the claims of the Ancient Origins article, as well, including the size and age of the tunnels. Which seems pretty legit to me, and also totally awesome. I super love tunnels under cities and am delighted to have seen this.

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 03:49:45 -0800

Thanks MeghanC. I'm not seeing the other photos at all, but that does make the excitement make more sense.

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 04:53:56 -0800

I assume they mean "10 kilometers horizontally, beneath the city". Nope, vertically. Mexico has a substantial minority mole people population. They're poor, but very rich culturally. (They shouldn't be confused with the molé people, who are also poor, but very rich and chocolatey.)

By: Fizz

Fizz — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 07:12:09 -0800

So now we know what 'El Chapo' has been up to....

By: pt68

pt68 — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 08:51:14 -0800

I can't help it... I love when this sort of thing, some benign but long-cherished urban myth (especially a myth about the urban place itself) turns out to be true.. Cool.

By: mrbigmuscles

mrbigmuscles — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 16:32:11 -0800

How can they have been unknown for so long? They weren't "unknown," they've never been unknown. People have known about them ever since they were built, the phrase "urban myth" is a white American scientist construction to describe/denigrate the organic knowledge of native people about their own land.

By: Twang

Twang — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 21:09:44 -0800

Nope, vertically. Mexico has a substantial minority mole people population.(They shouldn't be confused with the molé people, who are also poor, but very rich and chocolatey.) And they should not be confused with the Mole people of Summa Nulla ... particularly chief Molière, his brother Molet and Moleena.

By: Joakim Ziegler

Joakim Ziegler — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 11:12:56 -0800

Mr. Bad Example: "(They shouldn't be confused with the molé people, who are also poor, but very rich and chocolatey.)" Nice try, but there is no accent on the e in mole, neither in English nor in Spanish.

By: ethnomethodologist

ethnomethodologist — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 19:05:11 -0800

Legend, not "urban legend." Not all legends are "urban legends."

By: Joe in Australia

Joe in Australia — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 19:23:27 -0800

Stories about hidden tunnels are common, and they almost necessarily are set in built-up areas. I think if anything counts as an urban legend, these do.