Diamonds Are Forever

Let’s take a look back at some of the world’s most amazing finds.

Some of the most incredible things ever discovered have been found in caves. Thrill seekers are drawn to ancient caves because they can give glimpses into the ancient world. We all wonder which caves go the deepest, which bare the most interesting things and who once lived in them. Hidden in ancient caves, civilizations have unearthed artifacts, ancient corpses, burial grounds, and life forms that are so old, they amaze archaeologists. Recently, new discoveries in the deepest caves on Earth can't be explained by scientists. When scientists began exploring a particular cave, they never expected to find signs of life. Explorers discovered giant crystals with life inside. In fact, what they found was around 50,000 years old. The cave in question is in NAICA, Mexico. The bacteria and other microbes in the cave managed to survive by digesting minerals such as iron and magnesium that existed within the crystal formation. Some wonder if this could help scientists find life living in extreme conditions on other planets.

Deep in an underwater cave in Madagascar, a group of divers found the bones of giant lemurs. What made the discovery shocking was that some of the lemurs were the size of gorillas. It is unknown how the bones got into the underwater caves, but scientists believe that they were either dragged there or pushed by the currents.

Before humans took over the world, it was home to giant creatures. Over the years, we have found evidence of giant dragonflies, giant ostriches, and deer measuring over 10-feet tall. The change in the size of the animals that walk the Earth is proof of evolution.

The West Wycombe Caves are located in southeast England. What was found within is haunting. There are statues that look eerily like the Devil. Because of these carvings, the caves have been called Hellfire Caves. They’re human-made caves, but because of its contents, people tend stay away from these caves. The superstitions that surround them are enough to frighten any tourist.

There’s a cave called Ellison's Cave that doesn't seem to have an end. When it was explored, researchers found that it had the longest known drop. The descent is over 586-feet. This is half the height of the Empire State Building that is 102-stories. To get to the bottom of the cave, researchers had to spelunk down 12-miles of darkness. On the way down, there are plenty of twists and turns through the darkness. The cave is in Northwest Georgia, and it is the 12th deepest in North America.

How about the cave in WAITOMO, NEW ZEALAND? It’s absolutely gorgeous. This underground is full of phosphorescent bacteria that have been there for over 30 million years. People take kayaking tours through the caves because they are absolutely fantastic. This is a far stretch from a particular Mexican cavern. Deep within a cave in TOBASCO MEXICO, there is nasty, hanging gooey muck that is used to trap insects when they fly by. The goo is bacterial that drip from the ceiling. The cave is gross, but it is the magic of Mother Nature.

We all know that bats live in caves, but in the Barangay Tambo (on SAMAL Island), they thrive in great abundance. This popular cave is about 245 feet deep and inside resides thousands of bats. People don't enjoy these types of caves because ‘who wants to enter a cave where thousands of bats live’?

There are caverns all over the face of the earth. Some caves derive their names from what scientists find inside. Scientists have found remains that make them believe that humans were sacrificed there. Archeologists have found heads on pikes and bodies in pits. If you are hoping to see what is inside some caves, you should be prepared to trek through some dangerous terrain. It's probably for the best. These are things that you don't really want to see.

There is a cave in Argentina with the most amazing artwork on the walls. The paintings are said to be around 9,500 to 13,000 years old, which makes the cave amazing. This cave is proof that all those years ago, people appreciated art. In another cave, the largest snake ever seen was discovered in Brazilian. It was found by construction workers who were exploring the cave system. The snake was 33-feet long, and it was given the name Medusa. Today, Medusa is living in Kansas City, Missouri.

Inside an Indonesian cave, remains of a civilization was discovered. The remains indicated that at that era in history, the humans hosted an average height of (only) 3-feet tall. They culture was named HOMO FLORESIENSIS. They got their name because they were found off the Indonesian island, Flores, inside a cave called LIANG BUA. It is believed that they died out 50,000-years ago.

My last mention is less of a cave, yet evenly impressive. I’m referring to the EAST VALLEY of the KINGS (T.E.V.O.T.K. for short). This is the longest tomb system in the Egyptian valley. At 137.19 meters (450.10 feet), it contains very well preserved reliefs in all but two of its eleven chambers and side rooms. The Valley of the Kings is also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings. This region is where the most famous of all tombs resides—the NAVI tomb. The NAVI tomb is the most recent to be unsealed. The ancient Egyptian coffin is said to be the oldest and was opened for the first time in 26,600 years. The sarcophagus had been sealed with great recourse—and for great reason. It harbors the mysterious, small, little black book. Yes… You’ve probably heard of it. It turns its HAND’LERS (pun intended) into diamonds. The text within the small, black book has yet to be deciphered.

To date, every handler of this mysterious artifact has awoken to find that their hand(s) had trans-mutated into a solid, hand-shaped diamond. From Egyptian locals to experienced archeologists (who wore gloves), they all have one thing in common. If he/she handled the mysterious book, the offending hand(s) were found the next morning, detached from the individual and entirely hardened into a rare-earth diamond. The bigger the hand, the wealthier the handless was.

Perhaps this was a curse. Perhaps this is a gift from the unknown. One thing’s for sure. From the time any contact is made with the contents of the NAVI sarcophagus, a very slow mutation has been triggered. The process is initially undetectable and escapes being noticed until the next morning. Several of its handlers discovered the same. There was no blood, pain, or injury to the offender. Lying next to them in bed was a life-sized, solid, hand-shaped diamond.

The weights of the precious rocks are catalogued to be extravagantly large. Obviously; the owners became extremely wealthy. This has been happening since the (first) opening of the sarcophagus. Handling the black book with gloves was of no consequence. Eventually; world governments came into disagreement over which museum the artifact would finally call home. It was finally agreed upon that the only righteous place to house the mysterious, small black book with the trans-mutative properties was where it was originally found.

Lewis Binfords’ Testimonial:

“I’m one of many who handled the artifact. My crew and I were tasked to escort the mysterious little book to the forensics lab that was stationed only several kilometers away. The book was very old. I remember it being made of animal hide. Its black leather was very fragile and falling apart. Because of its dimensions, handling this object with both hands increased the probability of doing damage. It was so fragile that we didn’t want to handle it at all. It became procedure to place it on a strong piece of modern parchment before handling it. But this created an issue with sliding. In all, 13 people handled the artifact before the effects of its curse—or blessing became mysteriously clear. I woke up the next morning to start my day as usual. Mind you; there’s no tingling or pain or anything unusual. I went to pull my sheets from over me and was unable to. That limb had no fingers. It had no hand. I panicked. Of course; my wife who was lying next to me woke up. I calmed down quickly because there was no blood or reason to be concerned. She was the one who made the discovery. A crystal hand lying next to her…”

He stumbles to explain.

“There it was with all its detailed glory. It was obviously my right hand. It looked like a solid crystal hand. We could see the details of my fingernails and the wrinkles of my knuckles. We… We were perplexed. It was hard not to stare into the damn thing. It was gorgeous. Long story short; according to closest estimates, my hand weighed .065 of an American pound. That’s equivalent to 10.4 ounces. Each ounce was equivalent to 141.7 carats of diamond. If you multiply 10.4 by 141.7, it came out to about 1,473 carats of crystal clear diamond. It took a long time for me to reclaim my own hand from various labs, but I eventually had full ownership of it. I sold it for $189 MILION USD. …And that was only one hand.” he expresses gleefully. “Hell; What I can’t accomplish with one hand, my beautiful wife does for me.” he says, signing off.

Tom’s energy is reminiscent of someone who has found the bright side of a new disability. There’s no doubt he’s enjoying the wealth that handling the mysterious, little black book has created for him.

Many laboratories treated each occurrence as if the diamond hands had (themselves) become important artifacts from ancient eras. In many ways, they were correct to admonish the work of the mysterious black book. 13 people ended up telling the same story. All 13 of them ended up cashing out big. Some might say a diamond that replaces your hand is a financial blessing. Others would argue the absence of their hand(s) would not be worth the financial upgrade. Both sides of the argument offer interesting contentions. Many superstars weighed in on the #WOULD YOU TOUCH IT phenomenon. Michael Jackson’s ‘diamond glove’ concept was inspired from the diamond hands of the NAVI tomb.

T.E.V.O.T.K. is still open to the public. Although it’s rare to see more than two tombs open at the same time (due to restoration work), 18 of its tombs can be opened for tourism. The NAVI tomb is the only tomb that must remain closed at all times. A separate ticket is needed to visit the area where the mysterious, small, black book rests inaccessibly. The tour guides are no longer allowed to lecture inside this area. Visitors are expected to proceed quietly and in single file line. This is to minimize time in this area and prevent the crowds from damaging the surfaces of the tunnel decoration. Perhaps this measure is to keep visitors’ integrity in check. Visitors are forced to walk by and wonder what the text actually says. Whose sarcophagus was this? What kind of magic is being memorialized within its stone walls?

All things considered, 11 of the 13 afflicted are living without any regret for touching the mysterious little black book. The other two… Well; They handled the mysterious artifact with both hands.

What side of the ‘#WOULD YOU TOUCH IT’ line do you stand on? Would you allow a strange artifact to transform your hand into a hand-sized diamond? Which hand would it be? Would it be worth cashing in on the lifestyle of the rich and famous? It’s a fact that most things that seem to require two hands can be achieved with one. I should know. My name is Lewis R. Binford and I didn’t need my wife’s’ help to type this article.