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Saturday, July 4th, 2015

‘Eternal flames’ of ancient times could spark interest of modern geologists

Author:    
Source:     Science Daily
Publication Date:     May 18, 2015
 Link: ‘Eternal flames’ of ancient times could spark interest of modern geologists
Stephan:   Archaeology is one of the most exciting areas of science peeling back the curtains that occlude our past. Here is the latest.
Journal Reference:
  1. Giuseppe Etiope. Seeps in the Ancient World: Myths, Religions, and Social Development. Natural Gas Seepage, 2015 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-14601-0_9
The “eternal flame” at the Zoroastrian Ateshgah “Fire Temple” near Baku, Azerbaijan. The temple was built over natural burning seeps that are today extinct. The flame in the photo is now artificially fed via a gas pipe. Active natural flames are instead found at Yanardag, located approximately 9 km NE. Credit: Guisepe Etiope

The “eternal flame” at the Zoroastrian Ateshgah “Fire Temple” near Baku, Azerbaijan. The temple was built over natural burning seeps that are today extinct. The flame in the photo is now artificially fed via a gas pipe. Active natural flames are instead found at Yanardag, located approximately 9 km NE.
Credit: Guisepe Etiope

Gas and oil seeps have been part of religious and cultural practices for thousands of years.

Seeps from which gas and oil escape were formative to many ancient cultures and societies. They gave rise to legends surrounding the Delphi Oracle, Chimaera fires and “eternal flames” that were central to ancient religious practices – from Indonesia and Iran to Italy and Azerbaijan. Modern geologists and oil and gas explorers can […]

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