Photo Essay

Looking down, the top level of the accumulated water in the dig before it is being pumped out in the moring. It is approx. 34 ft below the surface. The bottom floor is approx. 48 ft below the level of the ground where the photographer was standing.

The depth of water accumulated in the morning before pumping was MOL 14ft. It would take approx. 5 hours of pumping before the abanteros could go down and start the work. The 2HP submersible pump could pump out a max. capa. of 350 liter per min. with a maximum head of 35m. (115 ft). One could simply quantify the amount of water being pumped out in the morning before we could start the work.

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The plastic buckets being lowered down in the dig. We were using a total of 4 pulleys and a manual winch to take out 70 buckets of 20 liters of sand everyday.

Notice the cathedral like ceiling on top of the cavern. The shape was like a dome.

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This was one source of spring water located on the southwest corner of the dig at 40 ft below the ground level. Although crystal clear, some sort of grease compnents was highly visible on the photograph.

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The part of the log recoevered at 48 ft. below surface. I kept this as a soveiner. I has it varnished and installed on a wooden stand.

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This was the log laying 48 ft below the surface along east-west axis.

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A handful of grease-like substance was splattered on the sand at the bottom of the dig to show the difference in color and texture on the soil located below the surface at the level of the then on-going excavation.

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Different layers and structure of soil and sand located at ground zero.

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Another comparative stain, color and texture of the soil below.

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A pile of different soil and sand accumulating on the dumping area near the mouth of the dig.

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The "grease" as recovered and packed in a plastic bag. The condition was so preserved that the color and the stickiness was so likened to the newly opened grease. If one has to consider that it stayed at the botoom of the dig for decades, it's endeed so inspiring to continue the excavation work. More than 50 buckets x 20 liters of this substance was taken out from the dig.

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The shot was taken halfway below the dig looking up. It ring one could notice is the beginning of the cathedral opening of the cavern.

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The :abantero" about to commence the work of the day. There was a time that the water was so muddy. This was on level 30-36 ft below surface.

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