229: The Secret Tunnels of Europe (Erdstalls)

They’re mysterious, they’re everywhere, and they’re not quite tall enough to stand up in. This week we explore erdstalls, the completely mystifying thousand-year-old tunnels scattered through Europe. We ask important questions like who made them, what were they used for, and most importantly—would we go into one?! Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of claustrophobia, tunnel collapses, suffocation, burials, and death/mourning.   Housekeeping - Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends Rose Eveleth’s new book Flash Forward. - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action: Check out our merch at spiritspodcast.com/merch, including the expansion for our coloring book!      Sponsors - Brooklinen delivers luxury bed sheets, pillows, comforters, & blankets straight to your door. Go to Brooklinen.com right now and use promo code “spirits” to get $25 off when you spend $100 or more, PLUS free shipping. - Doordash is a fast, convenient food delivery app. Get 25% off and zero delivery fees on your first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter code creepycool.  - Rothy’s makes stylish and sustainable shoes, bags, and masks.   Find Us Online If you like Spirits, help us grow by spreading the word! Follow us @SpiritsPodcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. You can support us on Patreon (http://patreon.com/spiritspodcast) to unlock bonus Your Urban Legends episodes, director’s commentaries, custom recipe cards, and so much more. We also have lists of our book recommendations and previous guests’ books at http://spiritspodcast.com/books. Transcripts are available at http://spiritspodcast.com/episodes. To buy merch, hear us on other podcasts, contact us, find our mailing address, or download our press kit, head on over to http://spiritspodcast.com.   About Us Spirits was created by Julia Schifini, Amanda McLoughlin and Eric Schneider. We are founding members of Multitude, an independent podcast collective and production studio. Our music is "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.