Explorers Discover a Mysterious Cave ‘Medicine’
Two British explorers are appealing to cave scientists for help in identifying an unknown ‘medicine’ found growing underground in a remote part of Central Asia.
Adventurers Jamie Bunchuk, 25, and Matthew Traver, 27, who last month lived with Kirghiz hunters in the Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan, found that the men often went up to small mountain caves to mine the material, which they called Mumya.
Consisting of a series of organic balls, it was bound together by a hardened tar, pasted onto the cave walls and the whole bundle was regarded an effective painkiller, valued in a region where modern medical supplies are almost non-existent.
Matthew said: “When our hunter friend Orozbek first showed it to us we were stumped; he got me to lick a sticky brown tar off the rock and eat a couple peppercorn sized balls of – God knows what is was; both of which were said to be Mumya. It tasted a bit like dark coffee, chocolate, liquorice and soil all mixed together.”
“I'm a caver and have also been heavily involved with its related community for nearly a decade,” he added. “In all those years I've never heard of people eating anything that grows in a cave, especially at such high altitudes – over 4000 metres – and with such supposed health benefits.”
Whilst investigating the bizarre discovery further, the pair found evidence that it wasn’t only the local inhabitants using the underground medicine but also its wildlife.
Testimony from herdsmen, as well hairs embedded in the tar at cave entrances, suggested that regionally threatened species of Ibex and Marco Polo sheep were coming to the caves to lick Mumya.
Jamie said: “Before we left, I had researched the Marco Polo sheep extensively but found nothing on this type of behaviour. Who knows, I’m speculating, but perhaps this is part of the reason why such large animals like the Marco Polo can survive in such a harsh and desolate landscape as the Pamirs”
“We really want to speak with any speleologists, biologists – even anthropologists – who may be able to throw light on what we observed so far away, in such a remote community isolated from the world at large.”
He added: “This is what exploration for its own sake is about: discovering new places, peoples and oddities you wouldn’t believe existed and bringing the story of that existence back to your own home. That’s why I love doing these adventures, and that’s why I find this mysterious cave growth so interesting.”
The two explorers have just returned from a five-month expedition across Central Asia, which saw them cross the length of Eastern Kazakhstan – some 800 miles – on horseback, live with hunters on the Tajik/Afghan border, and run 100 miles across the Red Sands Desert in Uzbekistan.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the expedition’s official patron. He said: "The Howard-Bury expedition represents part of Great Britain's continued tradition of exploration and adventure across some of the planet's most under-visited regions.”
Matthew and Jamie can be contacted through their expedition website: HYPERLINK "http://www.onesteppeahead.com" www.onesteppeahead.com
ends
Information for Editors:
Jamie and Matthew spent the last five months in Central Asia on an expedition called One Steppe Ahead, which aimed to honour the history and heritage of British exploration, 100 years on from the explorer, Sir Charles Howard-Bury’s visit to the region in 1913. More information about the expedition concept can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://www.onesteppeahead.com" www.onesteppeahead.com
One Steppe Ahead was divided into three projects:
♢ A 63 day unsupported crossing of the length of Eastern Kazakhstan by horse. A full report on this gruelling ride can be found here: HYPERLINK "http://www.sidetracked.com/news/post-roads-expedition/" http://www.sidetracked.com/news/post-roads-expedition/
♢ One month living and working with Kirghiz hunters in South East Tajikistan (including new cave and valley exploration, as well as minor archaeological discoveries from the X-XI C. Sak city of Bazar Dara)
♢ A 100 mile, multi-day, camel-supported run across the Red Sands Desert in Uzbekistan.
Jamie Bunchuk is an explorer, equestrian Long Rider (assoc.) and journalist. He cut his teeth in the world of journalism working for the British rock-climbing magazine Climber. Since that time the enticing lure of expedition life has taken hold and he now spends most of his days organising adventures and writing about all aspects of expedition and outdoor life.
A full bio can be found here: HYPERLINK "http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebunchuk" http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebunchuk
Twitter: @Bunchuk
Matthew Traver is a British-American national originally from Hong Kong. Alongside running a bespoke outdoor equipment manufacturing business since 2007, Matt has organised and led a number of expeditions to remote and little explored areas.
A full bio can be found here: HYPERLINK "http://www.nitewatches.com/gb/unite/owners/matt-traver/" http://www.nitewatches.com/gb/unite/owners/matt-traver/
Twitter: @MatthewTraver
www.matthewtraver.com
For further enquires please ring 07912 676663 or email: jamie@sidetracked.co.uk