In Europe, in particular in France and England, there are many ancient roads that look like they have gone underground. They are called "Holloway".
These ancient roads look like tunnels without an upper vault, ravines or military trenches. The base of the roads is 5-9 meters below the surface of the earth.
Slides 1-2: Wadhurst Road, England. Photo 3 - Mill Lane, Halnaker, England.
Promotional video:
Currently, some of these roads are asphalted: a side street in Clovelli, England and a road near Washford, West Somerset, also in England.
The official explanation of historians: for hundreds of years (and some roads date back to the times of the Roman Empire), the ground was broken from carts, hooves, the canvas was worn out and went deeper and deeper.
Part of the road to Eil-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France. Such sunken roads are observed only in areas where the soil is soft: sandy loam, clay with sand.
I propose to think and reflect, is it possible the formation of such a visible picture from the point of view of the physics of processes? I believe that in principle it will not be possible to knock out the soil to a depth of many meters with hooves, carts and feet, even in hundreds of years.
The soil above the road is not cultural layers. Although, this is also a logical assumption that the level of black soil is growing on the sides, humus is washed out by rains, leaving inorganic residues. But this does not happen in other parts of these roads. Conclusion: this explanation does not fit.
Imagine that similar carts, like this one from the 18th century, were rubbing a dirt cloth. But the sand, dust raised by them must move somewhere? Those. the dust should be blown out by the wind. But the sand will remain. Even if this happens 0.5-1 meters deep into the ground. But from such deep tunnels, dust will no longer fly out and settle again on the road.
Federal road * Lena * in 2006
Even if the soil softens in muddy roads, only part of it will be squeezed out to the sides. In muddy roads, the wheels of carriages and carts will simply knead this clay. Such a tunnel will not form.
The road will not sink entirely - only a track is formed.
If the ancient roads were with a stone base (like Roman ones), then the maximum that could happen to them is the layer of stone will be erased or a rut will be formed from indentation (again into muddy roads). But such a road cannot be completely immersed in meters. The ground has too much support reaction. This is not a jelly-like substance! And the pressure of the base of the road on the ground per 1 cm2 is too low.
What alternative version can be proposed to replace the absurd official? Thoughts are:
It is known that these tunnel sections of ancient roads are not along their entire path. It can be assumed that the clay masses were brought here from outside. Like mudflows from mud masses coming out of the hills. Now there are springs as a residual phenomenon (or they have already dried up).
These streams covered road sections like "tongues" of mud. They had to be cleared later, because it was difficult to move through them on carts or even a simple horse.
Another explanation: dust (clay) fell from above and was carried by the winds. In some places the winds blew up dust dunes (like snowdrifts in a blizzard). After the rains, clay was compacted and roads were cut in these dunes (or already existing ones were cleared). The dust was transferred because very large areas were without forests and even without field vegetation. Or dust fell to Earth from space. When a dust cloud passes by the Solar System or from a nearby cloud of a destroyed comet.
The picture was similar to this one. Probably many railway tracks had to be dug out even at the end of the 19th century. Or they were older than the official dates for the construction of railways. Or winds with dust brought in many infrastructure objects in the recent past.
Author: sibved