This Wall Will Turn Everyday Items Into Stone

We have all heard about the legend of Medusa. In Greek mythology, Medusa is a gorgon (a type of monster) with a human face and a group of snakes for hair. Rumor has it that people who gazed upon her face would turn to stone.

And while she only existed in mythology, there is actually a place on earth that has the same powers as Medusa. The location is called the “Petrifying Wells of Knaresborough.” And while it doesn’t turn you to stone, if you leave everyday items there for a few weeks or months, it will petrify them.

The location is in England and while other and similar walls exist in other places, this is one of the most famous examples. This is because it has actually been open to the public since 1630 and thus has a huge amount of fans and gets a ton of tourism.

In the past, it was believed that witchcraft or magic was used to turn the items into stone, but that is obviously not the case. In fact, people believed it was the work of the devil and they feared that the wells could turn them to stone as well.

Instead, it is a truly natural phenomenon due to a process of evaporation and deposition in water that has a very high mineral content. Now, the well doesn’t transform the molecules of the original object, the stone-like features and texture just appear over the item.

What is perhaps most crazy about this phenomenon at the wells and others like them is just how quick the process is.

People can leave items under the dripping water and after only a few weeks, this mineral-filled water will turn everyday items to stone. And while people still put items down to this day, there are some that have been there for hundreds of years (as people have been visiting the falls since 1630).

For example, a Victorian top hat and a bonnet from the 1800s can be seen at the location and are completely turned to stone. Since then, the things that have been left there range from a teddy bear, kettles, and even a bicycle, all of which turn to stone just the same.

This is simply an amazing phenomenon of nature and even scientists have been interested in it. They tested samples of the water and found that it is indeed the high mineral content in the water that causes the stone coating to appear around the objects. This means that the calcite levels are so high in the water that people are forbidden to drink it.

But even though you can’t drink the water, you definitely should be visiting this place. Even if you’re not in the country long enough to leave something and come back when it is stone, you can still check out all the other cool items that others have left there.