There are still many mysteries in the world to be solved, and it is quite possible that some will remain under the cover of secrecy. One of them is the underground labyrinth of Ecuador, which was opened to the world by the South American ethnologist of Hungarian origin Juan Moritz in 1965. Although the cave was known before (the first written mention of the cave dates back to 1860), a detailed study began only in the second half of the 20th century, at the suggestion of Moritz.
There are several known entrances to the Cueva de los Tayos dungeon (this is the name of the cave). One of them is located in the jungle at an altitude of 539 meters above sea level and is a mine, 65 meters deep and 2 meters in diameter. The total area of the cave is about 4 sq. km. - this is a whole network of tunnels and cameras (the largest is 90x240 meters).
Man or nature?
The polished walls and ceiling, well-adjusted 90 ° bends, carved steps, small (just over a meter) pyramids and the burial chamber testify to the partially artificial origin of the labyrinth. At least, this is what the discoverers of those places argued, one of whom was Erich von Daniken, who noted that underground rooms in Ecuador were natural formations "modified" by man.
In 1976, an extensive expedition was organized, which managed to explore part of the underground premises. Astronaut Neil Armstrong and Scottish civil engineer Stan Hall took part in the expedition. Not everyone supported the version about the miracles of engineering of the past, believing that the underground labyrinth is exclusively the work of nature. There is no doubt that people lived in the cave and arranged it. But as for the very origin of underground passages and chambers, opinions differ.
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Scientists, inclined to consider the object a creation of man, believe that the cave appeared long before the Incas, because the latter did not find any evidence that they had the necessary knowledge and tools to create such an object.
Dating from the 1970s showed that the tomb of the cave was built in 1800-1500. BC. Other researchers, relying on archaeological finds, make the assumption that the cave was inhabited from 800 to 400 years. BC.
The secret of the underground library
There are many similar objects around the world that leave open the question of the origin and technologies of their construction (if we talk about clearly man-made structures). However, Los Tayos is fraught with other mysteries.
For example, Moritz, who discovered the labyrinth, claimed to have found an entire library in the dungeon with metal plates containing unfamiliar symbols. According to the discoverer, there were more than a thousand such plates in the room, and they were "sewn" like books, some of which weighed about 20 kg. He showed some of the finds to von Daniken, with whom he again descended into the cave in 1972, but the latter did not manage to see the library. And from some of the letters allegedly found underground, only photographs remained. Subsequent researchers also found nothing of the kind. Since 1976, such large-scale expeditions have no longer been equipped, but the cave continues to be explored today.
You can read in many sources, including Wikipedia, that the problem in the more frequent exploration of the cave arises from the Shuara tribe, in whose territory the dungeon is located. According to the rules, permission to visit those places must be obtained not only from the authorities of Ecuador, having paid a fee, but also from the Indians, who still consider themselves the main keepers of the secrets of the Taios Cave.
However, some foreign cavers note that, in reality, the Ecuadorian authorities freely allow visits to those places, subject to receiving verbal consent from the Shuar, who, in turn, are quite benevolent and friendly.
The Indians of South America have widespread legends about a mysterious people who inhabited such dungeons (labyrinths are found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile …). Opinions were expressed both about the aliens (which is natural) and about the Atlanteans … But who the builders of Cueva de los Tayos really were and whether they were at all remains a mystery.