| Description |
1 online resource (222 pages) : illustrations (chiefly color) |
| Series |
Earth series |
|
Earth series (Reaktion Books (Firm))
|
| Contents |
Cover -- Cave -- Imprint Page -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. What is a Cave? -- 2. Speaking of Speleology -- 3. Troglodytes and Troglobites: Living in the Dark Zone -- 4. Cavers, Potholers and Spelunkers: Exploring Caves -- 5. Monsters and Magic: Caves in Mythology and Folklore -- 6. Visually Rendered: The Art of Caves -- 7. 'Caverns measureless to man': Caves in Literature -- 8. Sacred Symbols: Holy Caves -- 9. Extraordinary to Behold: Spectacular Caves -- Notable Caves -- References -- Select Bibliography -- Associations and Websites -- Acknowledgements -- Photo Acknowledgements -- Index |
| Summary |
To enter caves is to venture beyond the realm of the everyday. From huge vaulted caverns to impassable, water-filled passages; from the karst topography of Guilin in China to the lava tubes of Hawaii; from tiny remote pilgrimage sites to massive tourism enterprises, caves are places of mystery. Dark spaces that remain largely unexplored, caves are astonishing wonders of nature and habitats for exotic flora and fauna. This book investigates the natural and cultural history of caves and considers the roles caves have played in the human imagination and experience of the natural world. It explores the long history of the human fascination with caves, across countries and continents, examining their dual role as spaces of both wonder and fear. It tells the tales of the adventurers who pioneered the science of caves and those of the explorers and cave-divers still searching for new, unmapped routes deep into the earth. This book explores the lure of the subterranean world by examining caving and cave tourism and by looking to the mythology, literature, and art of caves. This lavishly illustrated book will appeal to general readers and experts alike interested in the ecology and use of caves, or the extraordinary artistic responses earth's dark recesses have evoked over the centuries |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-208) and index |
| Notes |
Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on February 12, 2024) |
| Subject |
Caves.
|
|
Caves in literature.
|
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Caves in art.
|
|
SCIENCE -- Earth Sciences -- Geography.
|
|
SCIENCE -- Earth Sciences -- Geology.
|
|
Caves
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Caves in art
|
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Caves in literature
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| Author |
Fletcher, Lisa, 1972- author
|
| ISBN |
9781780234601 |
|
1780234600 |
|
