Ancient relics have been discovered in Jeita Grotto near the Nahr El-Kalb River, suggesting that it was used at the time to make swords. The modern discovery of the underground Jeita River in 1836 is attributed to Rev. William Thomson (an American missionary), who ventured approximately 50 meters (160 feet) into the cave. Reaching the underground river, he fired a shot, and the resulting echoes convinced him that he had found a cavern of significant importance. Aside from being a Lebanese national symbol and a leading tourist destination, the Jeita Grotto plays an economic role in Lebanon and was ranked 14th among the finalists of the 7 New Wonders of Nature in the 2011 competition.