Clancy Tucker's Blog: ESTONIA

Showing posts with label ESTONIA. Show all posts

11 November 2022 - METEORITE CRATER FIELD - ESTONIA

METEORITE

CRATER FIELD

- ESTONIA -

G'day folks,

Kaali, on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, is the site of the last giant meteorite impact to occur in a densely populated region. The landscape that the collision left in its aftermath has been the subject of many mythological tales and may have been home to a mysterious ancient cult.

About 7,500 years ago, a huge rock from space came hurtling toward the Earth. Several kilometers above the Earth’s surface, the meteorite broke into pieces from the pressure and heat of the atmosphere. The resulting chunks collided into Saaremaa with the force of a small nuclear bomb, wreaking havoc on the landscape and possibly claiming numerous victims.

The explosion left nine total craters, now known as the Kaali Meteorite Crater Field. Some of these craters are quite small: one measures only twelve meters across and one meter deep. But the most interesting of the group is the largest crater, a gently sloping bowl filled with stagnant, murky water.

Simply known as Kaali crater, the largest crater (which measures 110 meters across) is believed to have been a sacred site for many centuries, in part due to its cosmic origin. Surrounding Kaali crater are the remains of an immense stone wall from the Late Bronze Age, stronger than any similar structures in the region and providing clues to the crater’s use by ancient peoples.

Archaeologists believe it is possible that the wall served as a stronghold for an ancient cult settlement. As evidenced by the unusually large quantity of animal bones found within the wall’s borders, the Kaali crater lake was not only a watering place but also a place of sacrifice. While it is known that Estonians have made live offerings in the past (for good harvests and other reasons), one curious aspect of the site’s animal remains is that some date back only to the 1600s, long after the Church forbade such rituals.

Some even believe that ancient offerings still remain undiscovered at the bottom of the six-meter-deep Kaali lake. However, deposits of oak trees in the water have prevented scientists from probing beyond four meters below the surface. Whatever the case may be, Kaali is a site of indisputable importance, historically and scientifically speaking.

The experience doesn’t end at the crater field. There is even a Kaali Meteor Museum and Hotel—in case you want to stay for another day among ancient cult ruins and the evidence of terrifying destruction.

12 January 2022 - KOPU LIGHTHOUSE - ESTONIA

KOPU LIGHTHOUSE

- ESTONIA -

G'day folks,

In the 16th century, the construction of a warning marker for risky and shallow waters around the island of Hiiumaa was ordered by the Hanseatic League in order to secure the important trade routes along the Baltic Sea. The structure was built about 40 years after the request and the lighthouse was completed in 1531. Initially, the building was just a stone tower without any rooms and was used as a daymark. For more than 100 years the tower was not lighted and could only be seen during daylight.

The light was introduced in 1649, when outside stairs were added and a fire was ignited every night. The most accessible material for burning was wood but soon nearby forests were exhausted. Live fire was also troublesome since it was often extinguished by storms and needed an entire team of workers to keep it alive.

In 1810, the tower was modernized. An inner stairway and windows were cut in the tower with some adjacent rooms for maintenance. A lantern room was added to the top and three oil lamps now provided the light. The system was replaced in 1860 with a rotating lantern. A new, more technologically advanced lantern was installed in 1901.

The tower was bombed during World War II, but only the lantern and optical systems were damaged. In 1963 the tower was fully automated and an experimental light system with a magnetic rotation mechanism was added.

Through all these changes, the outer view of the tower has remained largely unchanged. The general form is a square prism with heavy buttresses that are arranged by the compass directions. Major outer repairments were done in the 1970s. The building was covered with reinforced concrete and painted yellow. As later turned out the paint actually blocked humidity that was detrimental to the tower, so in 1989-90 some emergent restoration works were needed. It has been better maintained and overpainted many times after that.

The tower itself is 37.7 meters (124 feet) high and it is built on the highest point on the island, making the focal height 103.6 meters (340 feet). Although the building is not close to the sea, its elevated location makes it visible to 26 nautical miles. In 2020 the lights were changed for a new LED system that now makes Kõpu lighthouse one of the most powerful LED light sources in the world. It remains one of the best-known symbols on the Estonian island.

Clancy's comment: What an extraordinary construction.

I'm ...

20 August 2020 - WORLD WAR 11 TANK FOUND IN ESTONIAN LAKE

WORLD WAR 11 TANK

FOUND IN

ESTONIAN LAKE

G'day folks,

Years ago, a local boy was walking by Lake Kurtna Matasjarv. He noticed tracks leading into the lake, but not coming out anywhere. The lake was too small for boating or anything like that and located in the middle of nowhere. He knew that there was no good reason for those tracks being there which heightened his curiosity.

For two months, he saw air bubbles emerging from this lake. After some investigation, a team started to probe deeper into the mysterious clues surrounding the lake. What they pulled from Lake Kurtna Matasjarv is nothing short of absolutely amazing.

The path, which appeared to have been gouged into the ground, led into the water, and there was no vessel or body in sight. But there were bubbles coming from the bottom of the lake in a steady stream.

After notifying authorities, they decided to take a look at the cause of the air bubbles coming up from the lake. They knew it was big and decided to pull whatever it was out from the mud at the bottom of the lake.

They started pulling this massive thing out at 9:00 am and continued pulling for 8 more hours using some very heavy equipment and giant steel cables. They quickly realized it was a full size military tank, leaving people scratching their heads.

The weight of this sunken tank was around 30 tons and they required a 68-ton bulldozer.

The tank appeared to be a Soviet-built T34/76A, and it is now believed that it was abandoned in the lake to keep it out of enemy hands.

Clancy's comment: You just never know what you will find, eh?

I'm ...

4 November 2017 - AMAZING CHAINSAW ARTIST

AMAZING

CHAINSAW ARTIST

G'day folks,

Now, here's a man with great talent. Estonian chainsaw artist Igor Loskutow recently shocked the internet with one of his newest masterpieces, a magnificent dragon bench carved out of a giant log.

It’s not clear whether Loskutow is a big Game of Thrones fan or if he just likes dragons, but there’s no question that he has incredible talent. Born in Talin, Estonia, the artist has been creating chainsaw wood carvings for the last 15 years, and it shows. He is currently a part of the Husqvarna chainsaw carving team, with which he travels across Europe, showing off his incredible skill.

Although he uses a variety of tools for the really intricate details, the bulk of his work is done with an arsenal of chainsaws, which makes his intricate masterpieces even more impressive.

In case you’re interested in having this incredible dragon bench decorating your garden, you should know that it already has a home, next to a butcher shop. The good news is that Loskutow can probably carve you one just as nice, maybe even more so. He has already created a similar one at the start of the year, and looking at his Facebook page, it seems that there's nothing he can’t do with a chainsaw.