To:   "don.folz",don.folz@bankofamerica.com
From: "John Pint",jpint@zajil.net
Date: 9/24/99,  6:22 AM
Re:   Caves as Ancient Granaries
 
 

>Throughout your spelunking journeys within Saudi Arabia
>have you ever entered to a cave only to find out it was an
>ancient granary?
 
I wouldn't want to say "I have never been in one"  because ancient granaries
have never been on my mind while checking out possibly interesting caves!
 
 In Saudi Arabia there's not much limestone along the north-south caravan
routes in the west, but in the eastern, central and northern areas there are
lots of caves that were never used as wells and could easily have served as
storage sites.
 
Could you describe the granaries in Sumeria? (e.g., size of entrance;
horizontal or vertical; depth; size of cave... all of it used as granary or
part? etc.) Do you have maps of them?  Are they completely natural or
partially walled in? This info would help a lot.
 
An important well along one of the old caravan trails coming from Iran is
called Dahl Hashami and has many deep grooves cut into the limestone by
ropes that were pulling out water bags.  About 1/3 of the way down this
natural well we found a large niche which had been walled in. We couldn't
figure out for anything what its purpose could have been, but now you have
me wondering....  I will dig up a report on Dahl Hashami and send it to you.
 
Will also send on your message to the other cavers in Saudi Arabia.
 
John Pint
 
The SaudiMexican connection? Check out
John and Susy's websites:   www.SaudiCaves.com
 A Rainy Night in Guadalajara:  http://www.class.udg.mx/~jpint