The buildings and structures left behind from ages past have shocked history buffs for a considerable length of time. From the Parthenon to the Great Pyramid, there never seems to be an end to the huge number of data we can pick up from them. But often, that can be seen over the ground pales in comparison to the extraordinary finds that have been found underneath our feet.
The site's essence in any case lies in the three stories of underground passages, ventilating shafts, chambers and stone-lined galleries. It's here that you can see engraved obelisks and sculptures in situ as well as wonder about the tremendous size of the site's masonry. In fact, the network of drains and vents present inside the site's centre is unparalleled in all of South America's underground archaeological sites and leaves Chavin de Huàntar without equal.
Qanat Firaun - Jordan
It was built in the qanat manner with vertical shafts every 20 to 200 metres (65-650 feet) connected from opposite sides by a huge number of tunnels. It took many miners over 120 years to finish the passage during that time they excavated more than 600,000 cubic metres (21,200,000 cubic feet) of limestone, practically identical to more than a full quarter of the Great Pyramid's total volume.
The Mithraeum at the Baths of Caracalla -- Rome, Italy
Mithraeums were the underground worship centres for the Roman Mithraic cult, a religious movement that rotated around the Persian god Mithra. During excavations at the Baths of Caracalla in 1912, archaeologists revealed the biggest Mithraeum found to date that measured 230 square metres (2,475 square feet).
The Knights' Halls -- Acre, Israel
The Knights' Halls were constructed by the Hospitaller Knights, a monastic order who devoted themselves to caring for the injured and sick during the First Crusade. The structure incorporates a dungeon, an old Gothic church, a few conjoined halls and a lounge area. In spite of the fact that the site was mostly destroyed by the invading Muslim armies after the Crusaders' defeat in 1187, it was remade during the Second Crusade.
The Basilica Di San Clemente -- Rome, Italy
Aside from being the site of the papal meeting in 1099, it additionally contains one of the biggest collections of early medieval frescoes in Rome today. Underneath the lower Basilica are the remains of a building wrecked by the great fire of A.D. 64, as well as a Mithraeum containing a few landmarks used by the cult of Mithra.
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