graveleye wrote:I know this might seem ridiculous, but could it have broken on its own?
Formations have self-destructed before for a variety of reasons.
A fair question. I thought about that while we were there and looked the site over. Breakdown blocks that did not come from the overlying ceilings were at the pogada-mite and beside the other damaged stalagmite. The overlying ceilings are weathered and lack divots corresponding to the many bread loaf-size rocks. My guess was that people were throwing rocks at the mites until they broke.
I might be less certain about this interpretation, but the other mite was not only decapitated, but the top was nowhere to be found. The beer cans lend themselves to this interpretation too.