# Cave Being of Ras el Khaima **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104 "2002-12-07T06:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/21 "2002-12-09T00:03:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*I believe that this isn’t actually correct (although it was once thought to be the case and appears to be in wide circulation - the modern word _mummy_ derives from the word _mumi(y)a_ - a kind of tar, which the bodies do resemble, but the preserved remains are black and glossy because they were dehydrated by burying in a mound of salts, making a sort of human jerky). \*\* [Homer Simpson]Mmmm. Human jerky! \[/HS] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/22 "2002-12-09T00:55:04Z")
> [@](#): > > The story is that a young man went in the caves in Ras el Khaimah to take pictures in caves known to be deserted, with a friend. He had been warned not to go… DON’T GO IN THERE!!..it’s…it’s…\…_known to be DESERTED!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/23 "2002-12-12T13:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squink \* > \*\*So now we have dueling claims for what Kate Walton at Cheddar caves said about the photo… > The site also reproduces an email from Kate Walton, in which she claims “this particular plaster goblin is not one of our exhibits.” > It bears the same timestamp and is _almost_ identical to the email displayed on the Rense site. > -Must be a form letter. 😉 > > As Asterion mentioned, the eyes look funny, but the debunking still seems to rest on little better ground than the original story. \*\* So the obvious thing to do, I thought, was email them myself and ask. And I just got an answer today. > [@](#): > > From: Cheddar Caves > Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 3:32 AM > To: XX > Subject: RE: Photo of strange statue? > > Yes, this sculpture can be found in one of our smaller caves called “Cox’s Cave”. At first we did not think that it was one of our goblins as it looked far scarier in the photo than it did in real life, which may explain why you had conflicting e-mails. > > Sorry for any confusion > > Yours sincerely > > Kate Walton > Cheddar Caves & Gorge > > -----Original Message----- > From: XX > Sent: 08 December 2002 04:24 > To: [caves@visitcheddar.co.uk](mailto:caves@visitcheddar.co.uk) > Subject: Photo of strange statue? > > Hi! > > I ran across this picture on the net– > > [http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/CaveBeing.html](http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/CaveBeing.html) > > And I read in one place ( > [http://www.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get\_topic;f=25;t=000506](http://www.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=25;t=000506)) that it was part of a display of yours, that you had confirmed this by email, > but in another place, ( [http://www.rense.com/general25/chups.htm](http://www.rense.com/general25/chups.htm) ) that > you had said in an email that it was _not_ one of your exhibits. Could you tell me, is it yours or not? And what’s the story with the conflicting emails? > > Thanks so much for your time and attention! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/24 "2002-12-12T13:30:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hrdygrdymn \* > \*\*Voltaire, > > Thanks for the compliment. They are a rare commodity these days. For the record, I’ve only recently begun posting because I’ve spent the last 15 years (since I got the first Straight Dope) working on the omniscience thing and well… > > …it’s taking longer than I thought. \*\* Bub, you display a measure of talent. You seem to be just the kind of Doper we need. Welcome! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/25 "2002-12-12T15:32:39Z")
It’s Gollum. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/26 "2002-12-12T16:26:12Z")
> [@](#): > > So the obvious thing to do, I thought, was email them myself and ask. And I just got an answer today. Great ! This new and different email pretty much puts things to rest. Unless you’re a part some vast worldwide conspiracy to convince us that cave-goblins don’t exist… 😃 Nah ! ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/27 "2002-12-12T17:19:27Z")
> [@](#): > > So the obvious thing to do, I thought, was email them myself and ask. What are you trying to do? Take all the fun out of it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JaxBeachBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@JaxBeachBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaxBeachBoy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/28 "2002-12-12T17:36:41Z")
So let’s move on to debunking the mummy man…I have read this story before in a book of unexplained phenomenon…and seen a different picture of his body, but I had never seen the XRAY before. [http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Pedro.html](http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Pedro.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104/29 "2002-12-12T17:45:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squink \* > \*\*Unless you’re a part some vast worldwide conspiracy to convince us that cave-goblins don’t exist… > \*\* Well, it’s not like it’s a _conspiracy_ exactly, it’s just that we like our privacy, and if stories like this get around every damn fool with a camera is going to be… I mean, um, no, there’s no conspiracy, and there’s no such thing as cave goblins. I mean, who would believe such a ridiculous thing? Cave goblins indeed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cave-being-of-ras-el-khaima/141104.md?page=1)