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  • Byzantine era Christian Church, at Ancient Thira, Santorini Island, Greece.  Geologic and human history of Santorini: Humans first arrived around 3000 BC on this volcano known in ancient times as Thira (or Thera). The island was a volcanic cone with a circular shoreline until 1646 BC, when one of earths most violent explosions blasted ash all over the Mediterranean, sunk the center of the island, launched tidal waves, and may have ruined the Minoan civilization 70 miles away on Crete. Remarkably, volcanic ash dumped onto the volcanos flanks actually preserved the village of Akrotiri and its 3600-year-old frescoes from the Minoan era. These are some of the earliest known examples of world art history, which you can now view in museums. In 286 BC, the volcano split off Thirasia (Little Thira) Island (to the West). The volcano began rebuilding, and in 197 BC the small center islet of Palia Kameni appeared. In 1707 CE, lava started forming Nea Kameni, the larger center island which erupted as recently as 1956 and caused a huge earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) which destroyed most of the houses in the towns of Fira and Oia. Fira and Oia have since been rebuilt as multi-level mazes of fascinating whitewashed architecture, attracting tourists from around the world.
    01GRE-08-28_Ancient-Thira-Byzantine-...jpg
  • Ancient Akrotiri, Santorini Island, Greece: pithos (large storage jar) from 1500 BC. Geologic and human history of Santorini: Humans first arrived around 3000 BC on this volcano known in ancient times as Thira (or Thera). The island was a volcanic cone with a circular shoreline until 1646 BC, when one of earths most violent explosions blasted ash all over the Mediterranean, sunk the center of the island, launched tidal waves, and may have ruined the Minoan civilization 70 miles away on Crete. Remarkably, volcanic ash dumped onto the volcanos flanks actually preserved the village of Akrotiri and its 3600-year-old frescoes from the Minoan era. These are some of the earliest known examples of world art history, which you can now view in museums. In 286 BC, the volcano split off Thirasia (Little Thira) Island (to the West). The volcano began rebuilding, and in 197 BC the small center islet of Palia Kameni appeared. In 1707 CE, lava started forming Nea Kameni, the larger center island which erupted as recently as 1956 and caused a huge earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) which destroyed most of the houses in the towns of Fira and Oia. Fira and Oia have since been rebuilt as multi-level mazes of fascinating whitewashed architecture, attracting tourists from around the world.
    01GRE-08-14_Ancient-Akrotiri-pithos-...jpg
  • Ancient Akrotiri, Santorini Island, Greece: pithoi (large storage jars) and bath tubs from 1500 BC. Geologic and human history of Santorini: Humans first arrived around 3000 BC on this volcano known in ancient times as Thira (or Thera). The island was a volcanic cone with a circular shoreline until 1646 BC, when one of earths most violent explosions blasted ash all over the Mediterranean, sunk the center of the island, launched tidal waves, and may have ruined the Minoan civilization 70 miles away on Crete. Remarkably, volcanic ash dumped onto the volcanos flanks actually preserved the village of Akrotiri and its 3600-year-old frescoes from the Minoan era. These are some of the earliest known examples of world art history, which you can now view in museums. In 286 BC, the volcano split off Thirasia (Little Thira) Island (to the West). The volcano began rebuilding, and in 197 BC the small center islet of Palia Kameni appeared. In 1707 CE, lava started forming Nea Kameni, the larger center island which erupted as recently as 1956 and caused a huge earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) which destroyed most of the houses in the towns of Fira and Oia. Fira and Oia have since been rebuilt as multi-level mazes of fascinating whitewashed architecture, attracting tourists from around the world.
    01GRE-08-16_bath-tubs-pithoi-jars-Ak...jpg
  • Maya rattlesnakes were hewn from limestone at Chichen Itza, MEXICO. Published in 2002-2003 by design agency CODA Creative Inc.
    83YUC-05-13_Chichen-Itza-stone-rattl...jpg
  • Caryatids support the southern portico of the Erechtheion, the most sacred sanctuary on the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece, Europe. The Erechtheion and the "Porch of the Maidens" was built entirely of marble between 421 and 406 BC. Between 1800 and 1803, one of the caryatids was removed by order of Lord Elgin to decorate his Scottish mansion, and was later sold to the British Museum in London (along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon). Athenian legend had it that at night the remaining five Caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Elgin attempted to remove a second Caryatid; but when technical difficulties arose, he tried to have it sawn to pieces. The statue was smashed, and its fragments were left behind. It was later reconstructed haphazardly with cement and iron rods. In 1979, five original Caryatids (sculpted female figures serving as an architectural support) were moved to the Acropolis Museum in Athens and replaced in situ by exact replicas. The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments were honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
    01GRE-28-15_Caryatids_Erechtheion-sa...jpg
  • Viking stave church at Lom, rebuilt 1300 AD, Norway, Europe. Published in Wilderness Travel 1988 Trip Schedule. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    81NOR-16-03_Viking-Stave-Church_Lom.jpg
  • Caryatids support the southern portico of the Erechtheion, the most sacred sanctuary on the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece, Europe. The Erechtheion and the "Porch of the Maidens" was built entirely of marble between 421 and 406 BC. Between 1800 and 1803, one of the caryatids was removed by order of Lord Elgin to decorate his Scottish mansion, and was later sold to the British Museum in London (along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon). Athenian legend had it that at night the remaining five Caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Elgin attempted to remove a second Caryatid; but when technical difficulties arose, he tried to have it sawn to pieces. The statue was smashed, and its fragments were left behind. It was later reconstructed haphazardly with cement and iron rods. In 1979, five original Caryatids (sculpted female figures serving as an architectural support) were moved to the Acropolis Museum in Athens and replaced in situ by exact replicas. The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments were honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
    01GRE-27-01-PRINT-Erechtheion-Caryat...jpg
  • The Erechtheion (left) and Parthenon (right) are lit at night atop the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece, Europe. The Parthenon was first built from 447-438 BC, using Pentelic marble plus a wooden roof. The Parthenon is the largest Doric-column temple ever completed in Greece. It was designed as a treasury for tribute money moved from Delos Island and was dedicated to the worship of Athena. A huge, 12-meter tall statue of Athina Polias was placed in 432 BC. The Erechtheion, built entirely of marble in 421-406 BC, is the most sacred sanctuary on the Acropolis. The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments were honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
    01GRE-26-25_Acropolis-night.jpg
  • Ancient pre-Inca rock wall. Day 8 of 10: Trek 10 days around Alpamayo, in Huascaran National Park, Cordillera Blanca, Andes Mountains, Peru, South America (UNESCO World Heritage Site). This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    14PER2-142-143pan_ancient-corral-Per...jpg
  • At Litohoro, Greece, see a circular mosaic with triangular patterns dating from 200 AD at the Roman Baths at Ancient Dion which, at the foot of Mount Olympus, was the sacred city of the Macedonians, who worshipped Olympian gods.
    01GRE-45-17_mosaic-Roman-Bath-Ancien...jpg
  • The rim of the ancient exploded Mount Mazama volcano reflects in the deep blue lake at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA. Snow covers most of Wizard Island. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 3 images.
    04CRA0041-43pan_Crater-Lake.jpg
  • Ancient trees have grown twisted into fascinating shapes in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1534.jpg
  • Ancient trees and their roots have grown twisted into fascinating shapes in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1544.jpg
  • Ancient wood has grown into fascinating patterns in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1513.jpg
  • Walk through ancient doorways to mysterious rooms in Pueblo Bonito, a monumental public building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from around 828 to 1126 AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. The huge D-shaped complex of Pueblo Bonito enclosed two plazas with dozens of ceremonial kivas, plus 600 rooms towering 4 and 5 stories above the valley floor. The functions of this building included ceremony, administration, trading, storage, hospitality, communications, astronomy, and burial, but few living quarters. Chaco Culture NHP hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0311_Pueblo-Bonito_Chaco-Cult...jpg
  • A baby girl walks through an ancient doorway at Pueblo Bonito. Pueblo Bonito is a monumental public building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from around 828 to 1126 AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. The huge D-shaped complex of Pueblo Bonito enclosed two plazas with dozens of ceremonial kivas, plus 600 rooms towering 4 and 5 stories above the valley floor. The functions of this building included ceremony, administration, trading, storage, hospitality, communications, astronomy, and burial, but few living quarters. Chaco Culture NHP hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0284_Pueblo-Bonito_Chaco-Cult...jpg
  • Ancient trees have grown twisted into fascinating shapes in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1532.jpg
  • Ancient trees have grown twisted into fascinating shapes in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1528.jpg
  • Along the Cabin Trail, see an historic mining cabin built of old-growth bristlecone and limber pine logs, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Schulman Grove, Inyo National Forest, White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. In terms of its ancient logs, you can think of this as one of the world's oldest cabins. The Mexican Mine for extracting lead and zinc ore was first established in 1863 as the Reed Mine, but it suffered various weather and supply problems at 10,000 feet elevation and was abandoned in the early 1950s. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found near here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1490.jpg
  • Inside an ancient passage. Pueblo Bonito is a monumental public building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from around 828 to 1126 AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. The huge D-shaped complex of Pueblo Bonito enclosed two plazas with dozens of ceremonial kivas, plus 600 rooms towering 4 and 5 stories above the valley floor. The functions of this building included ceremony, administration, trading, storage, hospitality, communications, astronomy, and burial, but few living quarters. Chaco Culture NHP hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0315_Pueblo-Bonito_Chaco-Cult...jpg
  • Ancient timbers in stone kiva. Casa Rinconada, occupied about AD 1140-1200, is an isolated great kiva (out of four in Chaco Canyon), built 63 feet (19 m) in diameter with a circular inner bench, masonry firebox, masonry vaults, 34 niches, four large pits for seating roof supports, plus an unusual 39-foot (12 m) passage dug underground through sandstone and shale. Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaco Canyon is in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0699_Casa-Rinconada_Chaco.jpg
  • Religious deities and symbols are carved in an ancient wood doorway in Patan's Durbar Square, Nepal, Asia. Patan was probably founded by King Veer Deva in 299 AD from a much older settlement. Patan, officially called Lalitpur, the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley, is separated from Kathmandu and Bhaktapur by rivers. Patan (population 190,000 in 2006) is the fourth largest city of Nepal, after Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara. The Newar people, the earliest known natives of the Kathmandu Valley, call Patan by the name "Yala"  (from King Yalamber) in their Nepal Bhasa language. UNESCO honored Patan's Durbar Square (Palace Square) as one of the seven monument zones of Kathmandu Valley on their World Heritage List in 1979. All sites are protected under Nepal's Monuments Preservation Act of 1956.
    07NEP-5492.jpg
  • Ancient seabed ripples in Akamina-Kishinena Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. The loop hike to Forum and Wall Lakes via Akamina Ridge is 12 miles with 3440 feet ascent & descent. The trailhead is in Alberta, accessible by road from Waterton Park.
    2209RV-1003.jpg
  • Ancient fossilized orange & purple seabed ripples at Comeau Pass, Sperry Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
    2209RV-0582.jpg
  • Wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-569.jpg
  • Twisted wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-543.jpg
  • Twisted wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-529.jpg
  • Twisted wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-521.jpg
  • The fruit of a bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) is a cone that appears purple during early development, turning yellow or brown as it matures. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-510.jpg
  • Ancient Puebloan ruins in an alcove on Petroglyph Point Trail on Chapin Mesa, in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA. Petroglyph Point Trail begins from Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States, and was established by Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 near the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Starting around 7500 BCE, Mesa Verde was seasonally inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indians. Later, Archaic people established semi-permanent rockshelters in and around the mesa. By 1000 BCE, the Basketmaker culture emerged from the local Archaic population, and by 750 CE the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture. The Mesa Verdeans survived using a combination of hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming of crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They built the mesa's first pueblos sometime after 650, and by the end of the 1100s began building massive cliff dwellings. By 1285, following a period of social and environmental instability driven by a series of severe and prolonged droughts, they abandoned the area and moved south into what is today Arizona and New Mexico. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-3606-12-Pano.jpg
  • Ancient trees on a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seigantoji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine; then descend to the falls, at Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5645.jpg
  • Polygon-cracked clay of an ancient lakebed forms the floor of Mesquite Flat Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
    1804SW2-180.jpg
  • Ancient wood at Glacier Pass. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-241.jpg
  • Ancient wood at Glacier Pass. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-234.jpg
  • Ancient wood at Glacier Pass. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-229.jpg
  • Brown wood has grown into fascinating patterns in the harsh dry alpine climate at Schulman Grove, in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, in the White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1519.jpg
  • Ancient sea floor fossils lie in rocks exposed at Tuctucpampa in the Cordillera Huayhuash, Andes Mountains, Peru, South America. Geology: Cordillera Huayhuash is comprised of uplifted sedimentary sea floor rocks (quartzite, limestone, slate) with a base of granodiorite. Day 2 of 9 days trekking around the Cordillera Huayhuash.
    14PER-2776_Huayhuash-fossils.jpg
  • An ancient mummy seems to cringe in sorrow or intense feeling at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia (National Anthropology and Archeology Museum), Lima, Peru, South America. Its attitude of hands clutching head resembles Edvard Munch's "The Scream," one of the most recognizable images in art history. UNESCO honored the Historic Centre of Lima on the World Heritage List in 1988 and 1991.
    03PER-41-26-Peruvian-Mummy.jpg
  • Church of the Holy Apostles, built in the early 11th century, commemorates Saint Paul's teachings in the Ancient Agora in Athens, Greece, Europe.
    01GRE-28-29_Church-of-Holy-Apostles_...jpg
  • Ancient brown and blue rock pattern, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. This is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site honored by UNESCO in 1984.
    08CAN-2227_Mt-Robson-rock-pattern.jpg
  • Ancient orange and blue rocks form patterns in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. Mount Robson is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site honored by UNESCO in 1984. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08CAN-2225_Mt-Robson-rock-pattern.jpg
  • Ancient orange and blue rocks form patterns in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. Mount Robson is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site honored by UNESCO in 1984.
    08CAN-1781_Mt-Robson.jpg
  • Ancient twisted wood dries on Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park, California, USA.
    1111CAL-133.jpg
  • Queen Charlotte Track proceeds through ancient forest on South Island, New Zealand
    07NZ_5154.jpg
  • Ancient sandstone exfoliates in the White Domes area in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1277_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient sandstone exfoliates in the White Domes area in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1274_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient petroglyphs of bighorn sheep are chipped into the desert varnish and sandstone of Llewellyn Gulch in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA.
    00SW-13-21-petroglyphs-Llewellyn-Gul...jpg
  • Ancient petroglyphs of bighorn sheep are chipped into the desert varnish and sandstone of Llewellyn Gulch in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA.
    00SW-09-11-Llewellyn-Gulch-petroglyp...jpg
  • Ancient fractal rock pattern displayed in a geology exhibit outside of the Mammoth Site museum building, in Hot Springs, South Dakota, USA. The Mammoth Site is a fascinating museum and active paleontological site in the town of Hot Springs, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
    2109SD-007.jpg
  • The Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA.
    2108CA1-572.jpg
  • Twisted wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-541.jpg
  • Twisted wood pattern. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, California, USA. The fascinating Methuselah Walk is a loop of 4.1 miles with 705 feet gain.
    2108CA1-512.jpg
  • Ancient trees on a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seigantoji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine; then descend to the falls, at Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5619.jpg
  • Polygon-cracked clay of an ancient lakebed forms the floor of Mesquite Flat Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
    1804SW2-194.jpg
  • Polygon-cracked clay of an ancient lakebed forms the floor of Mesquite Flat Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
    1804SW2-191.jpg
  • Ancient wood at Glacier Pass. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-240.jpg
  • A Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) stands proudly in Schulman Grove, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo National Forest, White Mountains, near Big Pine, California, USA. The world's oldest known living non-clonal organism was found here in 2013 -- a bristlecone pine 5064 years old, germinated in 3051 BC. It beat the previous record set by the famous nearby 4847-year-old Methuselah Tree sampled around 1957. Starting from the visitor center at 9846 feet, we hiked the Cabin Trail loop, returning along Methuselah Grove Trail (highly recommended, to visit the world's oldest living trees), with views eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region. An important dendrochronology, based on these trees and dead bristlecone pine samples, extends back to about 9000 BC (with a single gap of about 500 years).
    1507CAL-1485.jpg
  • Ancient Egyptian glass collar. Corning Museum of Glass, New York, USA. The fascinating Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG.org) covers the art, history and science of glass, brought to life through live glassmaking demonstrations, offered all day, every day. The not-for-profit museum was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) and has a collection of more than 45,000 glass objects, some over 3500 years old, the "world's best collection of art and historical glass."
    1410NY-622_Corning.jpg
  • Connected with "Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk," the Ancient Empire boardwalk passes through a forest of huge 400-year-old eucalyptus trees. Visit this old growth forest between Denmark and Walpole in Walpole-Nornalup National Park, 400 km south of Perth, Western Australia. Red Tingle trees (Eucalyptus Jacksonii) are only found in and around Walpole-Nornalup National Park, nowhere else on earth.  Growing up to 75 meters or more tall, with circular girth of up to 26 meters, Red Tingle trees can live over 400 years. Web site: www.valleyofthegiants.com.au
    04AUS-10925_walk-thru-Tingle-Tree.jpg
  • Conglomerate rock erodes on top of ancient sandstone in the White Domes area of Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Dedicated in 1935, it is the oldest state park in Nevada. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1421_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient sandstone exfoliates in the White Domes area in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1275_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient sandstone exfoliates in the White Domes area in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1273_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient sandstone exfoliates in the White Domes area in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV1-1271_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Ancient trees on a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seigantoji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine; then descend to the falls, at Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5640.jpg
  • Ancient wood at Glacier Pass. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
    1609WAL-238.jpg
  • Porongurup National Park protects the Porongurup Range, an ancient and mostly leveled mountain range formed in the Precambrian over 1200 million years ago. Visit the park in Western Australia, 360 km southeast of Perth and 40 km from Albany. The Porongurup Range is a remnant of the Precambrian collision that joined Australia and Antarctica until they separated in the Paleocene. For much of the Cretaceous and Paleogene, the Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea, with the Stirling Range forming the southern coastline. The formerly large mountain range has been eroded down to granite intrusions leveled into domes, no more than 15 km from east to west. The highest point in the Porongurup Range is Devils Slide at 670 meters elevation, rising 400 m above the surrounding plain. High rainfall on this ecological island explains the survival of Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forests and ten endemic species of plant. Growing up to 90 meters, Karri trees stand amongst the tallest species in the world.
    04AUS-11087_boulders_Porongurup-NP.jpg
  • Porongurup National Park protects the Porongurup Range, an ancient and mostly leveled mountain range formed in the Precambrian over 1200 million years ago. Visit the park in Western Australia, 360 km southeast of Perth and 40 km from Albany. The Porongurup Range is a remnant of the Precambrian collision that joined Australia and Antarctica until they separated in the Paleocene. For much of the Cretaceous and Paleogene, the Porongurup Range was an island surrounded by the sea, with the Stirling Range forming the southern coastline. The formerly large mountain range has been eroded down to granite intrusions leveled into domes, no more than 15 km from east to west. The highest point in the Porongurup Range is Devils Slide at 670 meters elevation, rising 400 m above the surrounding plain. High rainfall on this ecological island explains the survival of Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forests and ten endemic species of plant. Growing up to 90 meters, Karri trees stand amongst the tallest species in the world.
    04AUS-11084_Porongurup-NP.jpg
  • Ancient streambed ripples are fossilized in Wingate sandstone. Hike upper Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction and Fruita, Colorado, USA. This desert land is high on the Colorado Plateau.
    1503SW-2004_fossil-sandstone-ripples.jpg
  • Mountain lion sculpture. Canyons Of The Ancients Visitor Center & Museum (formerly known as the Anasazi Heritage Center), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), near Cortez, Colorado, USA. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument preserves the largest concentration of archaeological sites (6000+) in the United States, primarily Ancestral Puebloan ruins. The term "Ancestral Puebloans" is now more appropriate than the previous term, "Anasazi," which means "ancient enemies" or "enemy ancestors" in Navajo. "Anasazi" is objectionable to the diverse Pueblo peoples who are modern-day descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans. By 750 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture, whereas the Athabaskan ancestors of the Navajo and Apache entered the Southwest much later, around 1400 CE. After first being applied to ruins of Mesa Verde in the 1880s, the word Anasazi was established in archaeological terminology through the Pecos Classification system in 1927. Contemporary Hopi prefer the word Hisatsinom for their ancient ancestors, but that word isn't used by other Puebloan cultural groups such as the Zuni, Acoma, and others.
    20190929_103201.jpg
  • Eccentric pitcher, 975-1150 CE. Canyons Of The Ancients Visitor Center & Museum (formerly known as the Anasazi Heritage Center), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), near Cortez, Colorado, USA. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument preserves the largest concentration of archaeological sites (6000+) in the United States, primarily Ancestral Puebloan ruins. The term "Ancestral Puebloans" is now more appropriate than the previous term, "Anasazi," which means "ancient enemies" or "enemy ancestors" in Navajo. "Anasazi" is objectionable to the diverse Pueblo peoples who are modern-day descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans. By 750 CE, the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture, whereas the Athabaskan ancestors of the Navajo and Apache entered the Southwest much later, around 1400 CE. After first being applied to ruins of Mesa Verde in the 1880s, the word Anasazi was established in archaeological terminology through the Pecos Classification system in 1927. Contemporary Hopi prefer the word Hisatsinom for their ancient ancestors, but that word isn't used by other Puebloan cultural groups such as the Zuni, Acoma, and others.
    20190929_110050.jpg
  • See ruins of Roman and Byzantine buildings at Ancient Finikas (Phoenix), at Loutro, Crete, Greece, Europe.
    01GRE-23-27_Roman-Byzantine-ruins-An...jpg
  • Paint Mines Interpretive Park is run by El Paso County, near Calhan, Colorado. Its colorful sediments outwashed from the Rockies 55 million years ago. The Paint Mines are named for their colorful clays that were collected by American Indians to make paint. Oxidized iron compounds cause brightly colored bands in various layers of clay. When outcrops erode, a hard capstone allows columns of clay to be preserved beneath, creating fantastic spires called hoodoos. Selenite (gypsum) contributes to the color, and white quartzitic crystals dazzle the eye. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US1-2084-86-Pano_Paint-Mines_CO.jpg
  • Displayed at Quarry Exhibit Hall in Dinosaur National Monument, this Allosaurus fragilis skeleton is cast from bones of the Jurassic Period (149 million years ago) dug from the Cleveland-Lloyed Quarry in east-central Utah, USA. Allosaurus was the most common predatory animal in the Morrison Formation's ancient ecosystem. The theropod (meaning "beast-footed") dinosaurs are a diverse group of bipedal saurischian ("lizard-hipped") dinosaurs. Therapods include the largest carnivores ever to have walked the earth. Not all dinosaurs are extinct, since birds are actually the descendants of small nonflying theropods.
    1503SW-2229_Allosaurus-cast-skeleton.jpg
  • The Wave, Coyote Buttes, located on the Arizona side of Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, which is public land managed by the United States BLM. Over 190 million years, ancient sand dune layers calcified into rock and created "The Wave." Iron oxides bled through this Jurassic-age Navajo sandstone to create the salmon color. Hematite and goethite added yellows, oranges, browns and purples. Over thousands of years, water cut through the ridge above and exposed a channel that was further scoured by windblown sand into the smooth curves that today look like ocean swells and waves. For the permit required to hike to "The Wave", contact the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM), who limits access to protect this fragile geologic formation. Image was published in 2009 for a surgeon's book on the intersection of science and faith. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    03AZ-05-25-The-Wave_Coyote-Buttes.jpg
  • Schist Camp at Colorado River Mile 96.5 (measured downstream from Lees Ferry). Day 6 of 16 days rafting 226 miles down the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Multiple overlapping photos were stitched to make this panorama. "The rocks of the Vishnu Formation, predominantly mica schists, are the oldest in the Grand Canyon. Approximately 2 billion years ago, 25,000 feet of sediments were deposited and volcanics extruded onto the ancient sea floor. During an orogeny, a mountain-building episode, 1.7 billion years ago, those rocks were folded, faulted, and uplifted (metamorphosed), and intruded by the Zoroaster Formation, predominantly granite (also subsequently metamorphosed to form granite gneiss). The resulting mountain range is believed to have been 5-6 miles high. Over the next 500 million years, the mountains were eroded until only their roots remained, and today, the roots of those mountains form the steep walls of the inner gorge." - geologistwriter.com
    2103SW-C1490-494-Pano.jpg
  • Hikers walk a dog along a rock face near Northgate Peaks trail, Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA. The North Fork of the Virgin River carved spectacular Zion Canyon through reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone up to half a mile (800 m) deep and 15 miles (24 km) long. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3000 m) starting 13 million years ago. Zion and Kolob canyon geology includes 9 formations covering 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation, from warm, shallow seas, streams, lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments. Mormons discovered the canyon in 1858 and settled in the early 1860s. U.S. President Taft declared it Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. In 1918, the name changed to Zion (an ancient Hebrew name for Jerusalem), which became a National Park in 1919. The Kolob section (a 1937 National Monument) was added to Zion National Park in 1956. Unusually diverse plants and animals congregate here where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert meet.
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  • Ancient Puebloan kiva for religious rituals. Tsin Kletzin (or Tsin Kletsin) is a Chacoan Anasazi (Ancient Puebloan) archaeological site atop South Mesa in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, in northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. Its timber tree rings date construction to around 1110-1115 AD. Originally it contained 81 rooms, 3 kivas and a plaza built to create a 2-story structure. The masonry style of this complex is called McElmo (Chaco-McElmo), characterized by large sandstone blocks and some tubular slabs. Hike to Tsin Kletzin on South Mesa Trail (2.6 miles round trip) starting at Casa Rinconada. Tsin Kletzin is a misspelled version of Navajo name meaning "black wood place" or "charcoal place." Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130. This panorama was stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    1403NM-0660-665pan_Tsin-Kletzin_Chac...jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
    17SC1-4401_Scotland.jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
    17SC1-4400_Scotland.jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
    17SC1-4398_Scotland.jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0016_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, eroded sediment layers, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0102_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Ancient Puebloan kiva for religious rituals. Casa Rinconada, occupied about AD 1140-1200, is an isolated great kiva (out of four in Chaco Canyon), built 63 feet (19 m) in diameter with a circular inner bench, masonry firebox, masonry vaults, 34 niches, four large pits for seating roof supports, plus an unusual 39-foot (12 m) passage dug underground through sandstone and shale. Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaco Canyon is in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0672_Casa-Rinconada_Chaco.jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0035_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Nelson Falls is a peaceful retreat in Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Drive on the Lyell Highway (A10) between Queenstown and Derwent Bridge, and walk 20 minutes on boardwalks round trip. The ancient rainforest plant species on Tasmania have much in common with the rainforests of New Zealand and South America, which were once connected with Australia in the ancient supercontinent, Gondwana. The Tasmanian Wilderness was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, expanded in 1989.
    04AUS-40018_Nelson-Falls-Tasmania.jpg
  • Explore golden fall foliage colors along Sugar Creek in Turkey Run State Park, in historic Parke County, Indiana, USA. Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve is a National Park Service Registered Natural Landmark. The Mansfield sandstone bedrock was formed during the Carboniferous Period when sand layers at the mouth of ancient Michigan River was compacted and cemented into solid rock. Ancient swamps became coal seams which were mined in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Glacial meltwater erosion in the Pleistocene Epoch carved today's canyons and potholes.
    10IND-293.jpg
  • A hiker explores Falls Canyon in Turkey Run State Park, in historic Parke County, Indiana, USA. Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve is a National Park Service Registered Natural Landmark. The Mansfield sandstone bedrock was formed during the Carboniferous Period when sand layers at the mouth of ancient Michigan River was compacted and cemented into solid rock. Ancient swamps became coal seams which were mined in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Glacial meltwater erosion in the Pleistocene Epoch carved today's canyons and potholes.
    10IND-281.jpg
  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda and an array of wooden ema ("picture-horse") prayer plaques. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633. Ema ("picture-horse") are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes. The ema are left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them. They often carry images or are shaped like animals, or symbols from the zodiac, Shinto, or the particular shrine or temple. In ancient times people would donate horses to the shrines for good favor; over time this was transferred to a wooden plaque with a picture of a horse. Once inscribed with a wish, Ema are hung at the shrine until they are ritually burned at special events, symbolic of the liberation of the wish from the writer.
    1810JPN-8464.jpg
  • Unicorn statue in Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. Why a unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity.
    17SC1-2239_Scotland.jpg
  • Inside Stirling Castle, unicorns in the Scottish King's Bedchamber symbolize royal purity & strength. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Most of Stirling Castle's main buildings date from the 1400s and 1500s, when it peaked in importance. Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. This image was stitched from several overlapping photos.
    17SC1-2096-2100-Pano_Scotland.jpg
  • Inside Stirling Castle, the Scottish King's Bedchamber displays a unicorn. Why a unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated by Stirling Castle, in the United Kingdom, Europe. Most of Stirling Castle's main buildings date from the 1400s and 1500s, when it peaked in importance.
    17SC1-2103_Scotland.jpg
  • Cracked mud pattern with pebbles, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403SWC-132_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Modern supports hold up an ancient wall. Pueblo Bonito is a monumental public building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from around 828 to 1126 AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. The huge D-shaped complex of Pueblo Bonito enclosed two plazas with dozens of ceremonial kivas, plus 600 rooms towering 4 and 5 stories above the valley floor. The functions of this building included ceremony, administration, trading, storage, hospitality, communications, astronomy, and burial, but few living quarters. Chaco Culture NHP hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0231_Pueblo-Bonito_Chaco-Cult...jpg
  • Ancient Puebloan stone wall. Chetro Ketl was a massive stone building (Puebloan Great House) occupied from 950-1250s AD, now preserved at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA. This park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaco Canyon is in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0191Chetro-Ketl_Chaco-Culture...jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0027_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0024_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • T-shaped passage into ancient stone kiva. Casa Rinconada, occupied about AD 1140-1200, is an isolated great kiva (out of four in Chaco Canyon), built 63 feet (19 m) in diameter with a circular inner bench, masonry firebox, masonry vaults, 34 niches, four large pits for seating roof supports, plus an unusual 39-foot (12 m) passage dug underground through sandstone and shale. Chaco Culture National Historical Park hosts the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chaco Canyon is in remote northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, USA. From 850 AD to 1250 AD, Chaco Canyon advanced then declined as a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes that remained the largest buildings in North America until the 1800s. Climate change may have led to its abandonment, beginning with a 50-year drought starting in 1130.
    1403NM-0690_Casa-Rinconada_Chaco.jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0021_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Snail-shaped rock, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0005_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
  • Eroded badlands of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, south of Farmington, in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. This fantasy world of strange rock formations is made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. These rock layers have weathered into eerie hoodoos (pinnacles, spires, and cap rocks). This was once a riverine delta west of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago. Swamps built up organic material which became beds of lignite. Water disappeared and left behind a 1400-foot (430 m) layer of jumbled sandstone, mudstone, shale, and coal. The ancient sedimentary deposits were uplifted with the rest of the Colorado Plateau, starting about 25 million years ago. Waters of the last ice age eroded the hoodoos now visible. The high desert widerness of Bisti is managed by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    1403NM-0082_Bisti_De-Na-Zin-Wilderne...jpg
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