Cave / Ralph Crane and Lisa Fletcher

Includes bibliographical references and index

Preface -- What is a cave? -- Speaking of speleology -- Troglodytes and troglobites : living in the dark zone -- Cavers, potholers and spelunkers : exploring caves -- Monsters and magic : caves in mythology and folklore -- Visually rendered : the art of caves -- 'Caverns measureless to man' : caves in literature -- Sacred symbols : holy caves -- Extraordinary to behold : spectacular caves

"To enter a cave is to venture beyond the realm of the everyday and discover what lies beneath the earth's surface. From huge vaulted caverns to impassable water-filled passages, tiny remote pilgrimage sites to massive tourism enterprises, caves are sites of mystery. Dark spaces that remain largely unexplored, caves are astonishing wonders of nature and habitats for exotic flora and fauna. Cave investigates the natural and cultural history of caves and considers their impact on the human imagination and experience of the natural world. This book explores the long history of human interest with caves, across countries and continents, examining their dual role as spaces of wonder and fear. We encounter the adventurers and 'cave hunters' who pioneered cave science, and the explorers and cave divers still searching for new routes deep into the earth. This book examines the allure of the subterranean world, from caving to cave tourism, and its place in mythology, literature and art. This unique, lavishly illustrated book provides fascinating insight into cave systems and cave lore, the ecology and use of caves, and the extraordinary artistic responses earth's dark recesses have evoked over the centuries."--Page 2 of cover