This ancient artificial island in Micronesia still defies archaeology

The ruins of Nan Madol rise from the Pacific — built from volcanic stone and coral. No one knows how or why this ancient city was constructed on the sea.

by Ivan Petricevic

The Ancient Ruins of Nan Madol.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

From the shoreline of Pohnpei, dark stone walls rise from the lagoon like the ribs of a drowned city. The ancient artificial island in Micronesia, known as Nan Madol, stretches across the reef in a maze of basalt islets, shaped and stacked by hand.

The ruins were built without mortar, without cranes, and without written plans. Volcanic stones, quarried from elsewhere on the island, were transported across jungle and water, then arranged into tombs, temples, and ceremonial platforms.

No one knows exactly how the builders moved such massive blocks, or what methods they used to fit them so tightly. The reasons for the city’s abandonment are also unclear, though oral traditions speak of conflict, overreach, and collapse. What remains is a quiet skeleton of basalt, exposed to tide and rain, and still holding together after centuries in the sea.

A city on the sea

Nan Madol is not a single island but a complex of approximately 92 artificial islets, constructed atop a coral reef off the southeastern shore of Pohnpei. These islets are separated by tidal canals and encased in high basalt walls, forming a checkerboard of walkways, courtyards, and enclosures. From above, it resembles an ancient city frozen in time.

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Spanning roughly 1.5 kilometers in length and 0.5 kilometers in width, the layout is intentional. The islets are organized by function: some designated for rituals, others for burial, and a few reserved for ruling elites. The walls rise directly from the sea, with some reaching heights of over 7 meters, creating narrow corridors between water and stone.

Moving across the site today involves stepping across slippery rock platforms and navigating brackish pools. While some structures remain intact, others have crumbled into moss-covered ruins. The tidal canals ebb and flow, softening edges and nourishing encroaching vegetation. Despite its monumental construction, the site exudes an atmosphere of abandonment, shaped by centuries of exposure to natural elements.

The mystery of the megaliths

Most of the structures at Nan Madol were constructed using columnar basalt, a volcanic rock that naturally forms into long, hexagonal columns. These basalt columns, some weighing several tons, were quarried from sites on the main island of Pohnpei, including areas such as Sokehs on the opposite side of the island . Transporting these massive stones would have involved traversing challenging terrain, dense jungle, and open water.

The Pohnpeians did not have wheeled vehicles or draft animals. There is no definitive evidence detailing the exact methods used to move and position the basalt columns. The builders left behind no written records, tools, or construction plans.

The walls were constructed without the use of mortar. Basalt pieces were meticulously stacked in alternating layers, interlocking similarly to timber construction. At certain junctions, massive cornerstones were employed to tie the structures together with precise angles. Some outer walls are up to five meters thick, with interior spaces lined by additional stone to create tombs, altars, and raised platforms.

Oral histories from Pohnpei recount tales of sorcery. One legend speaks of twin brothers from a distant land who summoned the stones into place through chants. Other stories describe the stones being floated on rafts. Modern hypotheses suggest the use of rollers, levers, or rafts timed with tides. However, none of these theories fully explain the logistics involved, especially concerning the heaviest stones and the precision observed in the construction.

Ritual, royalty, and power

Archaeological studies suggest that Nan Madol served as the ceremonial and political center of the Saudeleur dynasty, which ruled Pohnpei from around the 12th to the early 17th century. The complex was not a residence for the general population. Only priests, rulers, and their attendants lived within its walls.

At the heart of the site is Nandauwas, a high-walled compound thought to be the royal mortuary. Its inner chambers are surrounded by massive basalt enclosures. Excavations there have revealed burial sites and ceremonial artifacts, although most material culture has been lost to time and salt.

The city’s isolation and structure enforced hierarchy. Commoners were required to bring offerings by canoe but could not set foot on the islets. The ruling class used the site to consolidate religious authority and political control. Rituals involving ancestor worship, navigation, and agriculture likely took place on raised stone platforms now overgrown or submerged.

The decline of Nan Madol likely came from within. Oral accounts describe increasing authoritarianism, heavy tribute demands, and social unrest. By the time European ships reached Pohnpei in the early 1800s, the city had long been abandoned.

An origin story no one agrees on

Nan Madol was constructed without the use of a written language. There are no known stelae, codices, or symbols carved into its basalt structures. Our understanding of the site derives from oral traditions, archaeological investigations, and the physical remnants themselves

Radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating indicate that significant construction at Nan Madol began around 1180 CE. Earlier occupation of the area likely dates back several centuries, with human activity on Pohnpei traced to as early as 80–200 CE.

The development of Nan Madol occurred in phases. Initial islets served as basic platforms, which were subsequently expanded into more formal structures. Over generations, additional stones were added, walls were raised, and the ceremonial core of the complex was extended.

Some scholars have proposed that influences from Southeast Asia may have contributed to the site’s design. However, others argue for entirely local innovation, emphasizing Pohnpei’s advanced navigation skills, oral culture, and sacred geography. To date, no definitive connections to external cultures have been established.

What is evident is that the builders possessed a profound understanding of their environment. They constructed the city atop a coral reef capable of supporting the weight of basalt, strategically placed structures to withstand tidal forces, and employed interlocking stone techniques that have endured centuries of exposure.

The importance of Nan Madol

Few ancient cities were ever built on top of a coral reef. Nan Madol is one of them. Its foundations rest on living coral, just off the coast of Pohnpei, far from any mainland or trade center. Stone by stone, it was raised in the water, not on land. That alone makes it different. To, me that alone makes this site so extraordinary.

Because let’s face it, building anything in the sea is difficult. Building with volcanic stone, some of it weighing several tons, is harder still. The basalt had to be moved, shaped, and placed with precision. The people who built Nan Madol did that work without mortar, without cranes, and without metal tools. The city’s layout wasn’t improvised. It took planning, effort, and organization, the kind of work that comes from a centralized authority directing labor over time.

UNESCO added Nan Madol to its World Heritage list in 2016. That helped bring attention to how vulnerable the site is. Parts of it are already sinking. Sea level rise and saltwater erosion are breaking down the walls. Mangrove roots creep between the stones, shifting what was once stable.

The site isn’t easy to visit. Pohnpei sits far off the usual routes. There’s no tourist center, no marked paths, no preservation infrastructure in place. Most of what archaeologists know comes from limited fieldwork and old reports. Much of the site remains untouched.

There are no guides waiting at the edge of the ruins. No signs to explain what you’re looking at. Just stone walls, thick and dark, sitting in the tide. Some have collapsed. Others still stand exactly where they were placed, more than eight centuries ago. The builders left no writing behind. No explanation. Only basalt stacked on coral, holding on as long as it can.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/ancient-civilizations/ }

28-07-2025 om 11:36 geschreven door peter  

 Gary Manners

A fresh translation of a fragmentary Sumerian tablet has revealed one of the world's oldest surviving narratives featuring a cunning fox as an unlikely hero. The ancient clay tablet, designated Ni 12501 and dating to approximately 2400 BC, tells the extraordinary tale of a storm god held captive in the underworld and the clever fox who volunteers to rescue him when all other deities refuse.

Published in the academic journal Iraq by Dr. Jana Matuszak, this comprehensive analysis represents the first complete edition of a tablet that has tantalized scholars since its 19th-century excavation from Nippur, the ancient Sumerian religious center. The myth provides unprecedented insights into early Mesopotamian storytelling traditions and marks the earliest known appearance of the fox as a symbol of cunning intelligence in world literature, reports Phys.org.

The fragmented narrative reveals sophisticated themes of agricultural abundance, divine vulnerability, and the triumph of wit over strength that would echo through ancient mythology for millennia to come.

• The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon
• Sumerian Tablets: A Deeper Understanding of the Oldest Known Written Language

A Divine Crisis in Ancient Sumer

The myth centers on Ishkur, the Sumerian storm god responsible for bringing rain to the arid lands of southern Mesopotamia. According to the tablet's narrative, both Ishkur and his multicolored cattle are mysteriously captured and imprisoned in the kur - the Sumerian underworld. This catastrophic event threatens the agricultural foundation of Sumerian civilization, as the disappearance of the rain deity brings drought and famine to the land.

Dr. Matuszak explains that Ishkur, son of the mighty god Enlil, held crucial importance in Sumerian religion despite being less prominent than storm deities in regions where rainfall agriculture was possible

"In southern Iraq, there is not enough annual rainfall for agriculture, so people had to dig canals branching off the two main rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, to irrigate their fields and orchards," she notes.

The opening of the myth describes a world of abundance: glittering waters filled with fish and Ishkur's prized multicolored cattle grazing freely. However, this prosperity vanishes when both the god and his livestock are dragged into the underworld, leaving behind a landscape where children are being born and immediately carried off by the kur - a poetic description of widespread death from drought and starvation.

Faced with this crisis, Enlil, acting as head of the Sumerian pantheon, convenes a divine assembly to address the emergency. In a scene that highlights both divine authority and surprising vulnerability, Enlil asks the assembled gods which among them will venture into the dangerous underworld to retrieve his captured son.

The Fox's Clever Gambit

In a remarkable twist that establishes one of literature's earliest examples of the unlikely hero archetype, none of the powerful deities volunteer for the perilous mission - except Fox. This small, seemingly insignificant creature steps forward when gods fail to act, embodying themes of courage and cunning that would later appear in folklore traditions across the world.

• Ten Extraordinary Ancient Texts That Exploded Our Understanding
• King Destroys Those on his Hit List, One by One – Eannatum: The First Conqueror?

Hand drawn copy of Ni 12501.

(Jane Matuszak in Matuszak 2025/Iraq Journal, CUP)

The narrative reveals Fox's sophisticated understanding of underworld customs and dangers. Rather than relying on strength or divine power, Fox employs wit and deception to navigate the treacherous realm of the dead. When offered food and drink upon entering the kur (likely a test or trap designed to ensnare visitors) Fox cleverly accepts the offerings but secretly hides them in his receptacle rather than consuming them.

This strategic deception demonstrates Fox's awareness that eating or drinking in the underworld would bind him to that realm, preventing his return to the world of the living. The motif of dangerous hospitality in the land of the dead appears in mythologies worldwide, from the Greek story of Persephone to Celtic tales of fairy feasts, suggesting that this Sumerian narrative preserves one of humanity's earliest expressions of this universal theme.

Unfortunately, the tablet breaks off at this crucial moment, leaving Fox's ultimate fate unknown. Scholars can only speculate whether the clever creature successfully rescued Ishkur and restored abundance to the land, though the mythological patterns suggest a positive resolution.

Statue of Enlil, king of the gods, seated on his throne from Nippur, Iraq.

(Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)/ CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pioneering Narrative Techniques and Universal Themes

The Ni 12501 tablet represents far more than an entertaining story, it provides crucial evidence for the development of sophisticated narrative techniques in early Mesopotamian literature. The myth employs complex motifs including the illusion of death and resurrection, the cyclical nature of seasons, and the concept of agricultural abundance tied to divine presence.

Dr. Matuszak notes that these themes could refer either to a specific catastrophic event or to the recurring seasonal patterns that governed Mesopotamian agricultural life. The temporary "death" of the storm god and his eventual return mirrors the annual cycle of dry and wet seasons that determined survival in ancient Mesopotamia.

The story also introduces the motif of the cunning fox, the earliest known attestation of this association in world literature. This characterization would prove remarkably enduring, appearing in Aesop's fables, European folk tales, and indigenous stories across multiple continents. The Sumerian origins of this archetypal figure demonstrate the profound influence of early Mesopotamian storytelling on global narrative traditions.

Aesop’s Fables feature the sly Fox in several stories, pitting his wits against other animals.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Perhaps most significantly, the myth presents the theme of helpless gods saved by an unlikely hero who succeeds where the mighty fail. This narrative pattern, where cleverness triumphs over strength and the small overcome the great, appears throughout world mythology and continues to resonate in modern storytelling.

The tablet's creation around 2400 BC places it within the Early Dynastic IIIb period, when Sumerian city-states maintained political autonomy while sharing common cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions. Each city-state had its patron deity, but major gods like Enlil were venerated throughout Sumer, allowing stories like this one to spread across the region.

27-07-2025 om 19:00 geschreven door peter  

New archaeological evidence has settled one of Stonehenge's most enduring mysteries, confirming that ancient Britons accomplished extraordinary feats of logistics by transporting massive stone boulders across vast distances over 5,000 years ago. A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports has provided conclusive proof that the iconic monument's builders moved stones not just from Wales, but from as far away as Scotland - a journey exceeding 435 miles (700 km) that would have challenged even modern engineering capabilities.

The research, led by Professor Richard Bevins from Aberystwyth University, focused on the enigmatic Newall boulder, a football-sized rock discovered during excavations a century ago. Through sophisticated geochemical and microscopic analysis, the team has conclusively proven that this stone and others were deliberately transported by humans 125 miles (200km) from Craig Rhos-y-Felin in north Pembrokeshire, Wales, rather than carried by glacial ice as some theories had suggested.

Most remarkably, previous research has shown that Stonehenge's six-ton Altar Stone originated in northeastern Scotland, requiring transport across an almost incomprehensible distance for Neolithic peoples who lacked wheeled vehicles or domesticated horses.

• The Pig Fat Sleds and 'Flying' Stones of Stonehenge
• Stonehenge Bluestone Stolen for Garden Ornamentation

The Newall boulder, discovered at Stonehenge, shows the distinctive weathering patterns that prove human rather than glacial transport. 

(Bevins et al. 2025/ScienceDirect)

Scientific Analysis Reveals Human Achievement Over Natural Forces

The research team's meticulous investigation of the Newall boulder revealed compelling evidence that is seen to dismiss the glacial transport theory once and for all. Chemical analysis showed that the boulder and other fragments found at Stonehenge share identical levels of thorium and zirconium with stones from the Welsh quarry site, creating an undeniable geological fingerprint.

The scientists discovered that Craig Rhos-y-Felin contains columns of foliated rhyolite with rounded, "bullet-shaped" tops that are identical in form to the Newall boulder. This unique geological formation provides irrefutable evidence of the stone's Welsh origin and rules out random glacial distribution.

Perhaps most significantly, the study revealed that the Newall boulder has developed a surface layer rich in calcium carbonate - the result of its long burial in Stonehenge's chalky soils. This weathering pattern further reinforces human transport, as glacial movement would have created a much more dispersed distribution of similar stones across the Salisbury Plain, something that archaeological surveys have never found.

The research also made an important discovery about another buried stone at Stonehenge, designated Stone 32d. Previously thought to be spotted dolerite, new analysis confirms it is also foliated rhyolite like the Newall boulder, suggesting both originated from the same Welsh quarry and were transported together as part of a coordinated construction effort.

The Craig Rhos-y-Felin quarry in Wales, showing the distinctive bullet-shaped rock columns that match the Newall boulder. 

(Bevins et al. 2025/ScienceDirect)

Unprecedented Logistics of Ancient Engineering

The implications of these findings extend far beyond simple stone transport - they reveal sophisticated planning and coordination capabilities among Neolithic British communities that rival modern engineering projects. Transporting stones weighing over three tones from Wales to Stonehenge would have required unprecedented collaboration between different tribal groups across hundreds of miles of challenging terrain.

Evidence suggests that ancient quarrying operations at Craig Rhos-y-Felin were active around 3000 BC, with Neolithic communities deliberately extracting specific stones for transport to distant sites. The precision with which particular rock types were selected indicates sophisticated geological knowledge and suggests that certain stones were valued for properties beyond mere construction material.

The researchers emphasize that if Neolithic peoples could move stones weighing several tons across such distances, they certainly possessed the capability to transport the much heavier sarsen stones from West Woods in Wiltshire - a mere 20 miles (32 km) away. The largest sarsen stones weigh over 20 tons and stand up to seven meters (23 feet) tall, yet their transport would have required an order of magnitude less effort than moving the bluestones from Wales or the Altar Stone from Scotland.

Recent archaeological evidence has demonstrated that indigenous peoples in various parts of the world have successfully transported stones weighing many tones across great distances using technologies available during the Neolithic period: ropes, wooden sledges, and carefully constructed trackways.

• The Neolithic Builder of the Aberdeenshire Recumbent Stone Circles

• The Scottish Stonehenge Architect and His Aberdeenshire Stone Circles

References

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-archaeology }

25-07-2025 om 18:47 geschreven door peter  

Stonehenge mystery is SOLVED after 5,000 years – as scientists finally crack how enigmatic boulder was transported from Wales

• READ MORE:  Stonehenge's secret SISTER discovered in Dorset

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

It's the monument that has baffled scientists for hundreds of years. 

But now, experts may have finally solved one of Stonehenge's greatest mysteries.

Researchers have revisited the debate over the origin of the landmark's iconic bluestones – the group of smaller stones that are dotted around the site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

They focused on a rock known as the Newall boulder, which was uncovered during excavations around a century ago.

One of the main debates has been whether this rock – and other similar stones – reached the site after being transported by glaciers from Wales, or whether humans moved them more than 5,000 years ago.

A team, led by Professor Richard Bevins from Aberystwyth University, compared the Newall boulder – which is about the size of a football – with samples from a rocky outcrop in Wales.

Through geochemical and microscopic analysis, they concluded 'there is no evidence to support the interpretation that it is a glacial erratic'.

Instead, the stone is a precise match for the unique characteristics of rocks from Craig Rhos–y–Felin – indicating humans transported the heavy boulder from more than 125 miles (200km) away.

The main remaining part of the Newall boulder (Figure A) along with the part that has been detached for studies and analysis (Figure B)

Columns of foliated rhyolite at Craig Rhos–y–Felin in north Pembrokeshire. The rounded tops of the columns are broadly 'bullet shaped', identical in form to the Newall boulder

A drone view of Stonehenge and the Wilshire countryside. The stone circle is one of the best known ancient wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

There is already evidence of stone quarrying at the site, in north Pembrokeshire, by Neolithic communities around 3000 BCE, they explained.

Chemical analysis revealed that the Newall boulder and other fragments found at Stonehenge share identical levels of thorium and zirconium with the stone at Craig Rhos–y–Felin.

The researchers said the Newall boulder is a foliated rhyolite and has a surface layer rich in calcium carbonate – the result of its long burial in the chalky soils at Stonehenge.

This further reinforces the idea that it was brought here by humans and not glaciers, they said, because glaciers would have left a much more dispersed distribution of similar stones across the region – something that has not been found.

The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, also makes an important discovery about another of the buried stones at Stonehenge – Stone 32d.

It was previously thought to be a type of rock called a spotted dolerite, but new analysis confirms it is also a foliated rhyolite – like the Newall boulder.

Transporting these stones, which can weigh over three tonnes, from Wales to Stonehenge would have been an incredible feat of human logistics.

'Part of the fascination of Stonehenge is that many of its megaliths, in contrast to the large, relatively local sarsens, can be proven to have been sourced from Wales, over 200km to the west,' the researchers wrote.

New research suggests the Newall Boulder (pictured) was transported by humans to Stonehenge from Wales

The findings suggest that the 80 or so bluestone boulders at Stonehenge may all have been carried to the site by by Neolithic builders 

People have long been fascinated by Stonehenge due to its age, mystery, and impressive construction. Pictured: Visitors enjoy the sunrise during celebrations of the summer solstice at Stonehenge on June 21, 2025

The reason why Stonehenge was built over 5,000 years ago remains one of archaeology's most fascinating mysteries

What are the Stonehenge bluestones?

The bluestones of Stonehenge are a collection of smaller, distinctive stones that form the inner circle and horseshoe formations within the monument.

They are named for the bluish tinge they exhibit when freshly broken or wet, despite not always appearing blue in their current state.

These stones are not native to the Salisbury Plain area where Stonehenge is located, and are known to have been sourced from Pembrokeshire in Wales.

'Most archaeologists accept that Neolithic people achieved this remarkable feat, transporting blocks weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.

'There is, however, a contrary view, which proposed that no human effort was involved.

'Rather, it is argued, the Welsh stones were transported by glacial ice long before Stonehenge was built.'

One of the main proponents of the glacier theory is geologist Dr Brian John, who has previously insisted that the Newall boulder shows glacial abrasion marks.

A prior study of his concludes: 'The boulder was reduced in size and heavily modified during glacial transport, for much of the time on the bed of a glacier.

'It was eventually dumped at some location on, or relatively close to, Salisbury Plain.'

As part of the new study, the researchers said these features could also be the result of natural weathering.

They also said that even if the rock had been transported by ice in the past, it would not explain why similar fragments are only found at Stonehenge and not anywhere else on the Salisbury Plain.

Experts say Stonehenge's Stone 32D (figure B), as well as the Newall boulder, share identical levels of thorium and zirconium with the stones at Craig Rhos–y–Felin (figure C)

The experts said the minerologies of stone from Craig Rhos–y–Felin (left) are identical to stones from Stonehenge (right), indicating they came from the same source

A typical collection of bluestone fragments collected from Stonehenge. The researchers said these are chipped fragments, not glacial erratics

Their findings indicate that Dr John's arguments 'have no basis in evidence', they wrote, adding: 'To present it as fact, rather than as hypothesis, is disingenuous'.

'The presence of Stonehenge itself is the evidence of movement by Neolithic peoples of stones weighing up to as much as 40 tonnes,' they wrote.

'Unless it is argued that all the stones were just lying on the ground ready to be erected where they were to make Stonehenge, the stones must have been moved into position.

'If Neolithic people could move a stone a few tens of metres they could move it tens or hundreds of kilometres.

'It may not have been easy, but it was entirely possible and moving 2–3 tonne bluestones would involve an order of magnitude less effort than moving the sarsens.'

While the large sarsen stones were only transported from West Woods in Wiltshire – roughly 32km (20 miles) away – they weighed over 20 tonnes each and stood up to seven metres tall.

The famous 'Altar Stone' was even transported from Scotland around 750km (466 miles) away, a study published last year revealed. 

'There is no evidence for how they moved these stones,' the researchers wrote, 'but recent indigenous peoples have been transporting stones weighing many tonnes great distances with ropes, wooden sledges and trackways – technologies which would have been available in the Neolithic.'

New analysis has revealed the Altar Stone, the largest bluestone at the centre of Stonehenge, actually came from northern Scotland – up to 1,000km (621 miles) away

The team said they can conclude with 95 per cent accuracy that the Altar stone (pictured here, underneath two bigger Sarsen stones) came from the area that encompasses parts of Inverness, Thurso, Orkney and parts of Shetland

While builders 5,000 years ago normally used whatever materials were at hand for stone circles, Stonehenge is 'exceptional' for being constructed entirely of stones brought from long distances, the team said.

Researchers have previously suggested that the site may have had a political as well as a religious purpose, 'a moment of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos'.

The new study provides strong evidence of human transport, but the mystery of exactly why Stonehenge was built – and how – is ongoing.

The team concluded: 'We reiterate our previous interpretation that the Newall boulder is not a glacial erratic, that there is no evidence of glaciation on the Salisbury Plain, and that the bluestones were transported to Stonehenge by humans and not by ice.' 

The Stonehenge monument standing today was the final stage of a four part building project that ended 3,500 years ago

Stonehenge is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain. The Stonehenge that can be seen today is the final stage that was completed about 3,500 years ago. 

According to the monument's website, Stonehenge was built in four stages:   

First stage: The first version of Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. 

The Aubrey  holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre (3.3 feet) wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. 

Stonehenge (pictured) is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain

They form a circle about 86.6 metres (284 feet) in diameter. 

Excavations revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were likely not made to be used as graves, but as part of a religious ceremony.

After this first stage, Stonehenge was abandoned and left untouched for more than 1,000 years. 

Second stage: The second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 years BC, when about 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It's thought that the stones, some of which weigh four tonnes each, were dragged on rollers and sledges to the waters at Milford Haven, where they were loaded onto rafts.

They were carried on water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again near Warminster and Wiltshire.

The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury. 

The journey spanned nearly 240 miles, and once at the site, the stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. 

During the same period, the original entrance was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. The nearer part of the Avenue, connecting Stonehenge with the River Avon, was built aligned with the midsummer sunrise. 

Third stage: The third stage of Stonehenge, which took place about 2000 years BC, saw the arrival of the sarsen stones (a type of sandstone), which were larger than the bluestones.

They were likely brought from the Marlborough Downs (40 kilometres, or 25 miles, north of Stonehenge). 

The largest of the sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weighs 50 tonnes, and transportation by water would not have been possible, so it's suspected that they were transported using sledges and ropes. 

Calculations have shown that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the rollers in front of the sledge.

These stones were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels - horizontal supports. 

Inside the circle, five trilithons - structures consisting of two upright stones and a third across the top as a lintel - were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, which can still be seen today. 

Final stage: The fourth and final stage took place just after 1500 years BC, when the smaller bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that can be seen today.

The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, but these have since been removed or broken up. Some remain as stumps below ground level. 

Source: Stonehenge.co.uk 

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24-07-2025 om 22:53 geschreven door peter  

Archaeologists make surprising discovery at Easter Island - turning everything we know on its head

• READ MORE: Experts make surprising discovery inside burial of 'Jesus' midwife'

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

There's no doubt Easter Island is geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth. 

More than 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, it was first settled by humans around AD 1200, who built its famous enlarged head statues. 

Historically, the original inhabitants, known as the Rapa Nui, were assumed to have long been completely shut off from the wider world.

However, a new study by researchers in Sweden challenges this long-held narrative. 

They say the 63.2 sq mile island in the southern Pacific was not quite as isolated over the past 800 years as previously thought. 

In fact, the island was populated with multiple waves of new inhabitants who bravely traversed the Pacific Ocean from west to east. 

'Easter Island was settled from central East Polynesia around AD 1200-1250,' study author Professor Paul Wallin at Uppsala University told MailOnline.

'The Polynesians were skilled sailors so double canoes were used.' 

Located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, Easter Island was first settled by humans around AD 1200, who built its famous enlarged head statues, called moai

There's no doubt Easter Island (pictured) in the southern Pacific is geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth

Due to its remote location, Easter Island is traditionally assumed to have remained socially and culturally isolated from the wider Pacific world. 

This idea is reinforced by the fact that Easter Island's famous Moai statues, estimated to have been built between AD 1250 and 1500, are unique to the location. 

The huge human figures carved from volcanic rock were placed on rectangular stone platforms called 'ahu' – essentially tombs for the people that the statues represented. 

For their study, the team at Uppsala University compared archaeological data and radiocarbon dates from settlements, ritual spaces and monuments across Polynesia, the collection of more than 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. 

Their results, published in the journal Antiquity, show that similar ritual practices and monumental structures have been observed across Polynesia. 

The experts point out that ahu stone platforms were historically constructed at Polynesian islands further to the west. 

These rectangular clearings were communal ritual spaces that, in some places, remain sacred to this day. 

'The temple grounds ahu [also known as marae] exist on all East Polynesian islands,' Professor Wallin added. 

Map of the Pacific with the East Polynesian cultural sphere indicated. Note Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in a more isolated location further east

Pictured, ahu (a central stone platform) on Mo’orea, Windward, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean

Archaeologists have analysed ritual spaces and monumental structures across Polynesia, questioning the idea that Easter Island (pictured) developed in isolation following its initial settlement 

EASTER ISLAND TIMELINE  

13th century: Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is settled by Polynesian seafarers.

Construction on some parts of the island's monuments begins.  

Early 14th to mid-15th centuries: Rapid increase in construction 

1600: The date that was long-thought to mark the decline of Easter Island culture. 

Construction was ongoing. 

1770: Spanish seafarers landed on the island. The island is in good working order. 

1722: Dutch seafarers land on the island for the first time. 

Monuments were in use for rituals and showed no evidence of societal decay.

1774: British explorer James Cook arrives on Rapa Nui

His crew described an island in crisis, with overturned monuments.

The team agree that an early population of people spread from the west of the Pacific to the east before encountering Easter Island and populating it around AD 1200. 

But they argue that Easter Island was populated several times by new seafarers – not just once by one group who remains isolated for centuries as previously assumed. 

'The migration process from West Polynesian core areas such as Tonga and Samoa to East Polynesia is not disputed here,' they say in their paper. 

'Still, the static west-to-east colonization and dispersal suggested for East Polynesia and the idea that Rapa Nui was only colonized once in the past and developed in isolation is challenged.' 

Based on their evidence, they also think ahu originated on Easter Island before the trend spread east to west across other western Polynesian islands during the period of AD 1300-1600.

It was only after this that Polynesian islands – including but not limited to Easter Island – might have become isolated from each other. 

As hierarchical social structures developed independently – at Easter Island, Tahiti and Hawai'i  for example – large, monumental structures were built to display power. 

Overall, the study indicates there were robust 'interaction networks' between Polynesian islands, which allowed the transfer of new ideas from east to west and back again.

The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, between AD 1,250 and 1,500

Read More

• Collapse of the indigenous Rapa Nui population on Easter Island may have been triggered by changes in the Earth's climate BEFORE the arrival or European settlers in 1722, study shows 

Ultimately, arrival of European explorers at Easter Island in the 18th century led to a rapid decline of the population, brought on by murder, bloody conflict and the brutal slave trade – although the population there may have already been weakening. 

Today, Easter Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with only a few thousand inhabitants. 

But it attracts large numbers of tourists, largely thanks to its monumental and world-famous stone statues that stare sternly out over the island. 

Tourism, which has grown exponentially on the island over the last 20 years, has come at a price, according to co-author Professor Helene Martinsson-Wallin. 

'When I was there in the 1980s, the sandy beach was white and there were almost no people around,' she said. 

'When I came back in the early 00s, I thought the sand looked blue, and when I looked closer I saw that it was due to tiny, tiny pieces of plastic washed up by the sea from every corner of the Earth.' 

WHAT ARE THE STATUES ON EASTER ISLAND AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

What are the statues? 

The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, between 1,250 and 1,500 AD.

All the figures have overly-large heads and are thought to be living faces of deified ancestors.

The 887 statues gaze inland across the island with an average height of 13ft (four metres).

Nobody really knows how the colossal stone statues that guard Easter Island were moved into position.

Nor why during the decades following the island’s discovery by Dutch explorers in 1722, each statue was systematically toppled, or how the population of Rapa Nui islanders was decimated.

Shrouded in mystery, this tiny triangular landmass, stranded in the middle of the South Pacific and 1,289 miles from its nearest neighbour, has been the subject of endless books, articles and scientific theories.  

All but 53 of the Moai were carved from tuff , compressed volcanic ash, and around 100 wear red pukao of scoria.

What do they mean? 

In 1979 archaeologists said the statues were designed to hold coral eyes.

The figures are believed to be symbol of authority and power.

They may have embodied former chiefs and were repositories of spirits or 'mana'.

They are positioned so that ancient ancestors watch over the villages, while seven look out to sea to help travellers find land.

But it is a mystery as to how the vast carved stones were transported into position. 

In their remote location off the coast of Chile, the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island were believed to have been wiped out by bloody warfare, as they fought over the island's dwindling resources.

All they left behind were the iconic giant stone heads and an island littered with sharp triangles of volcanic glass, which some archaeologists have long believed were used as weapons.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

18-07-2025 om 22:32 geschreven door peter  

Groundbreaking discovery in Egypt's Sphinx uncovers 'hidden' mystery that fuels theory of underground city

• READ MORE: Hall of Records' under pyramid holds key to ancient Egypt's mysteries, say scientists as they reveal YET MORE stunning Giza findings

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The mystery of a 'underground city' beneath Egypt's pyramids has intensified after scientists revealed new scans showing a shaft plunging below the Great Sphinx. 

Italian researchers, who made waves earlier this year with claims of vast structures hidden beneath the Pyramid of Khafre, now say they have identified a colossal vertical shaft leading and two chambers below the Sphinx.

The findings were presented at the recent Cosmic Summit in North Carolina, a gathering known for exploring alternative theories about ancient history. 

While mainstream archaeologists have slammed the work as unscientific and speculative, the team insists their latest scans point to something extraordinary.

Filippo Biondi, a radar expert from University of Strathclyde in Scotland and co-author of the research, told DailyMail.com: 'These findings strongly support the hypothesis that the Giza Plateau conceals a vast subterranean complex, potentially indicative of an extensive underground city.'

The scans detailed a massive shaft surrounded by a spiral-like staircase, decedending from the center of the Sphinx's base and down into two square structures, one at 2,000 feet and another 4,000 feet underground.

Armando Mei, an Egyptologist and co-author of the study, noted that similar underground features have now been detected beneath all three major pyramids, suggesting a unified architectural blueprint. 

'The discovery proves that the Giza Plateau was engineered long before the dynastic era, possibly around 36,400 BCE, as my research suggests,' he added.

If confirmed, the findings could dramatically rewrite the history of ancient Egypt, challenging the long-held belief that the pyramids were built solely as royal tombs, and hinting instead at a forgotten civilization with advanced engineering skills. 

The mystery of a 'underground city' beneath Egypt 's pyramids has intensified after scientists revealed new scans showing a shaft plunging below the Great Sphinx

The iconic Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx have long been hailed as marvels of ancient engineering, built roughly 4,500 years ago with breathtaking precision and scale that still baffle experts today. 

But the researchers are shaking up that timeline, suggesting these legendary monuments may rest atop far older, hidden structures that could predate known history by tens of thousands of years.

It all began in March when the team announced four massive shafts and chambers were found under the Pyramid of Khafre using a type of sonar technology. 

They employed cutting-edge SAR Doppler Tomography, a technique that uses satellite radar to detect tiny seismic movements. 

By analyzing radar signals are and the timing or pattern of those signals when they bounce back, the team was able to create 3D maps revealing hidden subsurface structures. The technology has been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

However, latest work by Corrado Malanga from Italy's University of Pisa, Biondi and Mei has not yet been published in a scientific journal for the review of independent experts. They plan to publish a study in 2026. 

'Our geophysical surveys beneath the Great Sphinx uncovered pillar-like formations remarkably similar to those beneath the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids,' explained Biondi. 

'Even more compelling, our tomographic imaging revealed two large chambers nearly 2,000 feet below the surface.'

Italian researchers, who made waves earlier this year with claims of vast structures hidden beneath the Pyramid of Khafre, now say they have identified a colossal vertical shaft below the Sphinx

The scans also captured two large chambers, one at 2,000 feet and another 4,000 feet underground

The two massive chambers, each measuring 131 feet by 131 feet, appear to be connected by an underground shaft, according to recent findings.

The data collected also points to a network of hidden structures below the surface, possibly part of a vast underground city, potentially as expansive as the entire Giza Plateau itself.

Mei explained that their theory of a lost city draws from ancient Egyptian texts, particularly Chapter 149 of the Book of the Dead, which references the '14 residences of the city of the dead.'

'It describes certain chambers and some inhabitants of the city. That is why we believe it could be Amenti [realm of the dead], as described in ancient texts,' he said.

'Of course, we must be certain, but we believe this could be the case because the pyramids are located exactly where the texts say.

'The texts state that the pyramids were built on top of the city, sealing its entrance.'

Biondi added that the mysterious chambers found more than 4,000 feet below the pyramids may be linked to the legendary Hall of Records.

The Hall of Records is a mythical chamber said to lie beneath the Great Pyramid or the Sphinx, reputed to house lost wisdom about ancient civilizations.

The shaft appears to be wrapped in a spiral-like structure

Armando Mei (center) and his team, which includes Corrado Malanga (right) and Filippo Biondi (left), took the world by storm last month when they discovered shafts and chambers more than 2,000 feet below the surface.

Despite its enduring allure, there is no solid evidence proving the Hall of Records exists.

The team proposes that an advanced civilization originally built the complex, but was destroyed around 12,000 years ago by a 'divine flood' triggered by an asteroid impact. 

According to their theory, the pyramids are the lone surviving 'megastructure' from this ancient society.

Alternate historians, including Graham Hancock, a frequent guest on Joe Rogan's podcast, have long suggested that a sophisticated prehistoric civilization was wiped out by a global cataclysm, possibly a comet strike.

Researchers believe there are other structures reaching more than 4,000 feet below the surface. The scans captured structures extend along the northern side with a tuning fork shape

This theory holds that the catastrophic floods and upheaval erased most traces of this civilization, with survivors passing down critical knowledge of astronomy, engineering, and sacred architecture to later cultures such as the ancient Egyptians.

The researchers now hope to gain permission from Egyptian authorities to excavate beneath the Giza Plateau and put their findings to the test, potentially rewriting the story of human history.

'We have the right. Humanity has the right to know who we are because, right now, we don't,' Biondi said.

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12-07-2025 om 18:50 geschreven door peter  

Scientists discover that mysterious giant structures beneath the North Sea seemingly defy what we know about geology

Giant sand mounds in the North Sea seabed sank below ancient "ooze," a new study finds. 

(Image credit: photo © by Tomasz Sienicki [user:tsca, mail: tomasz.sienicki at gmail.com], CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons)

Earthquakes or changes in pressure may have caused the sands to behave like a fluid, thus enabling it to flow through fractures in the seabed and slip beneath rigid sections of the ooze. The researchers dubbed these large, sinking mounds "sinkites." The ooze rafts, buoyed upward, were named "floatites."

"This research shows how fluids and sediments can move around in the Earth's crust in unexpected ways," Huuse said.

The team originally studied these mounds as a possible location for carbon dioxide storage. Before beginning any carbon storage efforts in the region, scientists will need to understand how well and how safely the area can hold on to that carbon.

"Understanding how these sinkites formed could significantly change how we assess underground reservoirs, sealing, and fluid migration — all of which are vital for carbon capture and storage," Huuse said.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth }

10-07-2025 om 23:04 geschreven door peter  

Archaeologists make surprising discovery at Easter Island - turning everything we know on its head

• READ MORE: Experts make surprising discovery inside burial of 'Jesus' midwife'

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE

There's no doubt Easter Island is geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth. 

More than 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile, it was first settled by humans around AD 1200, who built its famous enlarged head statues. 

Historically, the original inhabitants, known as the Rapa Nui, were assumed to have long been completely shut off from the wider world.

However, a new study by researchers in Sweden challenges this long-held narrative. 

They say the 63.2 sq mile island in the southern Pacific was not quite as isolated over the past 800 years as previously thought. 

In fact, the island was populated with multiple waves of new inhabitants who bravely traversed the Pacific Ocean from west to east. 

'Easter Island was settled from central East Polynesia around AD 1200-1250,' study author Professor Paul Wallin at Uppsala University told MailOnline.

'The Polynesians were skilled sailors so double canoes were used.' 

Located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, Easter Island was first settled by humans around AD 1200, who built its famous enlarged head statues, called moai

There's no doubt Easter Island (pictured) in the southern Pacific is geographically one of the most isolated places on Earth

Due to its remote location, Easter Island is traditionally assumed to have remained socially and culturally isolated from the wider Pacific world. 

This idea is reinforced by the fact that Easter Island's famous Moai statues, estimated to have been built between AD 1250 and 1500, are unique to the location. 

The huge human figures carved from volcanic rock were placed on rectangular stone platforms called 'ahu' – essentially tombs for the people that the statues represented. 

For their study, the team at Uppsala University compared archaeological data and radiocarbon dates from settlements, ritual spaces and monuments across Polynesia, the collection of more than 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. 

Their results, published in the journal Antiquity, show that similar ritual practices and monumental structures have been observed across Polynesia. 

The experts point out that ahu stone platforms were historically constructed at Polynesian islands further to the west. 

These rectangular clearings were communal ritual spaces that, in some places, remain sacred to this day. 

'The temple grounds ahu [also known as marae] exist on all East Polynesian islands,' Professor Wallin added. 

Map of the Pacific with the East Polynesian cultural sphere indicated. Note Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in a more isolated location further east

Pictured, ahu (a central stone platform) on Mo’orea, Windward, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean

Archaeologists have analysed ritual spaces and monumental structures across Polynesia, questioning the idea that Easter Island (pictured) developed in isolation following its initial settlement 

The team agree that an early population of people spread from the west of the Pacific to the east before encountering Easter Island and populating it around AD 1200. 

But they argue that Easter Island was populated several times by new seafarers – not just once by one group who remains isolated for centuries as previously assumed. 

'The migration process from West Polynesian core areas such as Tonga and Samoa to East Polynesia is not disputed here,' they say in their paper. 

'Still, the static west-to-east colonization and dispersal suggested for East Polynesia and the idea that Rapa Nui was only colonized once in the past and developed in isolation is challenged.' 

Based on their evidence, they also think ahu originated on Easter Island before the trend spread east to west across other western Polynesian islands during the period of AD 1300-1600.

It was only after this that Polynesian islands – including but not limited to Easter Island – might have become isolated from each other. 

As hierarchical social structures developed independently – at Easter Island, Tahiti and Hawai'i  for example – large, monumental structures were built to display power. 

Overall, the study indicates there were robust 'interaction networks' between Polynesian islands, which allowed the transfer of new ideas from east to west and back again.

The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, between AD 1,250 and 1,500

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

08-07-2025 om 19:59 geschreven door peter  

For decades, archaeologists have painted a picture of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) as the ultimate frontier of Polynesian civilization - a remote outpost that developed in complete isolation after its initial settlement around 1200 AD. This narrative has dominated Pacific archaeology, portraying the island's famous moai statues and ceremonial complexes as the products of a society cut off from the wider Polynesian world.

However, groundbreaking new research from Uppsala University, published in Antiquity has shattered this long-held assumption, revealing that Rapa Nui was not merely a recipient of Polynesian culture but an active innovator whose ceremonial ideas spread back across the Pacific, influencing the development of sacred sites throughout East Polynesia.

The Westward Wave: How Easter Island Exported Sacred Architecture

The revolutionary findings, soon to be published in the prestigious journal Antiquity, present compelling radiocarbon evidence that challenges the traditional west-to-east cultural diffusion model. Professors Paul Wallin and Helene Martinsson-Wallin, leading experts in Pacific archaeology, have discovered that the complex marae temple structures - rectangular ceremonial clearings that served as the spiritual heart of Polynesian communities - actually originated earlier on remote Rapa Nui than on the supposedly more connected central islands.

• Rapa Nui Obsidian Discovery: Did the Islanders sail to America?
• The Return of the Moai: Rapa Nui and the Fight for its Ancestors

A traditional marae temple structure on Raiatea in French Polynesia. These rectangular ceremonial complexes, once thought to have developed from west to east, now appear to have originated on remote Easter Island before spreading westward.

(Michel-georges Bernard/CC BY-SA 3.0)

"The most important finding is that, based on C-14 dating, we can observe an initial west-to-east spread of ritual ideas," explains Professor Wallin in the Antiquity press release. "However, the complex, unified ritual spaces (known as marae) show earlier dates in the east." This discovery fundamentally rewrites our understanding of cultural exchange in the ancient Pacific, suggesting that innovation could flow in both directions across the vast oceanic distances.

• Undeciphered Rongorongo Script Found on Easter Island Predates European Contact
• Hidden Rapa Nui: Easter Island’s Cults, Cannibals, and Cultural Connections

Three Phases of Pacific Spiritual Evolution

The research team's comprehensive analysis of archaeological data across East Polynesia has revealed three distinct phases of ritual development that paint a far more nuanced picture of ancient Pacific civilization:

• Phase One: The Initial Expansion (1200-1400 AD) During the first phase, ritual practices focused on fundamental activities like burials and communal feasting, marked by simple stone uprights. This period reflects the traditional west-to-east migration pattern, as settlers carried their ancestral practices from the core areas of Tonga and Samoa to the far reaches of the Pacific.
• Phase Two: The Rapa Nui Innovation (1400-1600 AD) The second phase witnessed a revolutionary development: the emergence of sophisticated marae temple complexes. Contrary to all previous assumptions, radiocarbon dating reveals that these elaborate ceremonial structures first appeared on Rapa Nui before spreading westward through existing exchange networks to central East Polynesia. This represents a complete reversal of the expected cultural flow.
• Phase Three: The Age of Monumental Expression (1600-1800 AD) The final phase saw increased isolation leading to internal cultural development. As hierarchical societies evolved independently on islands like Rapa Nui, Tahiti, and Hawaiʻi, massive, monumental structures were erected as displays of power and spiritual authority, including the iconic moai statues that would become Rapa Nui's most famous legacy.

07-07-2025 om 23:46 geschreven door peter  

Archaeologists have uncovered ancient inscriptions inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid that they say confirm who built the monument 4,500 years ago. 

Ancient Greeks shared stories that the stunning monument was built by 100,000 slaves who worked in three-month shifts over 20 years.

But new discoveries inside the Great Pyramid have changed the narrative, showing it was constructed by paid, skilled laborers who worked continuously, taking one day off every 10 days.

Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass and his team recently explored a series of narrow chambers above the King’s Chamber using imaging technology, finding never-before-seen markings left by work gangs from the 13th-century BC. 

They also unearthed tombs south of the pyramid, the eternal resting places of skilled laborers, complete with statues of workers muscling stones and 21 hieroglyphic titles like 'overseer of the side of the pyramid' and 'craftsman.' 

'[The discoveries] confirm that the builders were not slaves. If they had been, they would never have been buried in the shadow of the pyramids,' Dr Hawass said during an episode of the Matt Beall Limitless podcast.

'Slaves would not have prepared their tombs for eternity, like kings and queens did, inside these tombs.'

The latest findings also shed light on how the pyramid was built, revealing that limestone from a quarry just 1,000 feet away was hauled to the site using a rubble-and-mud ramp, remnants of which were found southwest of the monument. 

Dr Hawass is now working on a new expedition, funded by Beall, which will send a robot into the Great Pyramid, marking the first excavation of the structure in modern history.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and was constructed by Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom

 Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass shared the discoveries on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast this month

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and was constructed by Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.

It is also one of three within the Giza plateau, the other two include the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, as well as the Great Sphinx.

All shrouded in mystery due to their unclear construction methods, precise astronomical alignment and still-debated purpose. 

Inscriptions were previously found inside the Great Pyramid during the 19th century, sparking debate that the writings were forged hundreds of years after it was built.

'There was some debate on whether or not that could be a forgery, but now you're saying that you've discovered three more cartes within the King's Chamber,' Beall asked Dr Hawass.

The archaeologist then showed images never shared with the public, highlighting the names drawn onto the rock.

'They were found in chambers that are difficult and dangerous to access, and they use writing styles that only trained Egyptologists can accurately interpret,' said Dr Hawass.

'It’s nearly impossible that someone in recent times could have forged something like this. You must climb about 45 feet and crawl through tight spaces to even reach those chambers.'

Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass and his team recently explored a series of narrow chambers above the King’s Chamber using imaging technology, finding never-before-seen markings left by work gangs from the 13th-century BC

Hawass's team also unearthed tombs south of the pyramid, the eternal resting places of skilled laborers

The archaeologist admitted that some European visitors managed to enter and left their names scratched into the stone in the late 18th and 19th centuries. 

'But the inscriptions we found are clearly much older, original graffiti from ancient Egyptian workers,' Dr Hawass added.

Alongside these inscriptions, the second major discovery was the tombs of the pyramid builders. 

Dr Hawass and his team found tools inside the tombs, such as flint tools and pounding stones that would have been used in the Great Pyramid's construction. 

'The base of the Great Pyramid is made from solid bedrock, carved 28 feet deep into the ground,' he said.

'This means that after marking the square base, the builders cut down into all four sides of the rock until they created a level platform of solid stone, no blocks, just bedrock. 

'You can still see this today on the south side of Khufu’s pyramid.'

He continued to explain that the workers operated in teams, some cut the stones, others shaped them and the rest transported the material using wooden sleds pulled over the sand.'

He added that the rocks were then moved using ramps, which the archaeologist said he found evidence of.

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Hawass's team also unearthed tombs south of the pyramid, the eternal resting places of skilled laborers, complete with statues of workers muscling stones

'The ramp had to come from the southwest corner of the pyramid and connect to the quarry,' said Dr Hawass,

'We excavated this area, and in the site labeled C2, we found remnants of the ramp, stone rubble mixed with sand and mud. When the ramp was dismantled, they didn’t remove every trace, and what was left behind is what we uncovered.'

Dr Hawass' colleague, Mark Lehner, has been excavating a site just east of the pyramid, uncovering what they are calling 'the worker's city.'

The team has uncovered facilities used for sorting salted fish, a large bakery for bread, barracks and the settlement where the laborers lived.

'There’s a popular myth that the workers ate only garlic, onions, and bread, but we found thousands of animal bones at the site,' Dr Hawass said.

'An expert from the University of Chicago analyzed them and found that the Egyptians slaughtered 11 cows and 33 goats every day to feed the laborers.

'This diet was enough to support around 10,000 workers per day.' 

The conversation switched to the upcoming exploration of the Big Void, which Dr Hawass is leading.

'I am funding the exploration of the Big Void,' Beall said, adding that he is helping the team build the robot for the mission.

The podcaster explained that they were working on a robot, no larger than a centimeter, which will travel through a tiny hole drilled into the side of the Great Pyramid.

The Big Void, discovered in 2017, stretches for at least 100 feet above the Grand Gallery, an ascending corridor that links the Queen’s chamber to the King’s in the heart of the pyramid.

Dr Hawass believes he will locate the lost tomb of Khufu inside the void. 

'I think it's unlikely that it's a tomb, just because there's never been a tomb,' Beall said.

'There's never been a Pharaoh discovered in any of these in any of the main pyramids ever.' 

The excavation is slated for around January or February next year. 

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04-07-2025 om 22:58 geschreven door peter  

EXCLUSIVE - Scientists uncover SECOND 'hidden city' beneath Egypt's Giza pyramids in discovery that rewrites history

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Scientists who revealed an underground 'hidden city' in Egypt have announced the discovery of a second city they say 'proves' the existence of a massive subterranean complex linking the Giza pyramids 2,000 feet beneath the surface.

The newly-discovered shafts and chambers could rewrite history if confirmed to be true.  

The team of Italian researchers first claimed to have uncovered vast underground structures below the Khafre pyramid in March, igniting fierce backlash from mainstream archaeologists who called the findings 'false' and lacking scientific basis.

Famed archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass is the team's biggest critic, saying it is impossible for the ground-penetrating radar to see thousands of feet below the surface.

Undeterred by the scrutiny, the team has now reportedly detected similar shafts beneath the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza, months after their initial findings below Khafre. 

The Giza complex, west of Cairo, includes the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, along with the Great Sphinx. All shrouded in mystery due to their unclear construction methods, precise astronomical alignment, and still-debated purpose. 

Filippo Biondi, a radar expert from University of Strathclyde in Scotland and co-author of the research, told the Daily Mail that their data shows a 90 percent probability that the Menkaure shares the same pillars as Khafre. 

The team arrived at the probability 'through objective analysis of the tomography data, which, as experimental measurements, strongly indicate that the structures we identified beneath Khafre are also present under Menkaure.'

'We firmly believe that the Giza structures are interconnected, reinforcing our view that the pyramids are merely the tip of the iceberg of a colossal underground infrastructural complex,' Biondi said. 

'This network likely consists of a dense system of tunnels linking the main subterranean structures.' 

The three pyramids in Giza are shrouded in mystery due to their unclear construction methods, precise astronomical alignment, and still-debated purpose

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The controversial research, not yet peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, captivated the world when it was revealed, even mesmerizing podcast star Joe Rogan who called it 'fascinating.' 

However, famed archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass deemed the discovery 'bulls***' due to his scientists saying it is not possible for the technology to see that deep in the ground.

While the Italian researchers' findings have yet to be proven, or disproven, the team is still moving forward with their work.  

Images of the pillars below Menkaure appear to be identical to those beneath Khafre, Biondi said. 

'The measurements reveal pillar-like structures with consistent characteristics,' he added.

'Given that Menkaure is smaller than Khafre, we believe the number of pillars is likely even but fewer than those under Khafre.'

Those under Khafre were estimated to measure more than 2,000 feet long and feature what looked like spiral-like structures wrapping around each of the eight. 

The pillars beneath Menkaure further support the team's theory that a 'megastucture' sits below the sands of the Giza plateau. 

The team used their ground-penetrating radar to see if anything was below the Menkaure pyramid (right). The Giza complex, west of Cairo, includes the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, along with the Great Sphinx

Researchers found pillars similar to those beneath the Khafre pyramid, showing they span thousands of feet below the surface

When asked about the purpose of the hidden structures, Biondi said: 'At this stage, we’re still gathering information to thoroughly study the matter, but we can confidently say that the operation of this structure likely involves the natural elements: air, water, fire and earth.

'Discoveries like these under Menkaure challenge us to rethink our understanding of ancient Egyptian history and humanity’s past, opening new perspectives on our origins and capabilities.'

Biondi and his team proposed that the structures were built by a lost ancient civilization around 38,000 years old.

However, archaeologists have estimated the three pyramids to be only around 4,500 years old. 

The Italian researchers' timeline is based on a theory that a highly advanced prehistoric society was wiped out by a global cataclysm, possibly caused by a comet impact, around 12,800 years ago.

Armando Mei (center) and his team, which includes Corrado Malanga (right) and Filippo Biondi (left), took the world by storm last month when they discovered shafts and chambers more than 2,000 feet below the surface

According to this theory, the resulting floods and chaos erased most traces of this civilization, whose survivors passed down knowledge of astronomy, engineering, and sacred architecture to later cultures, including the ancient Egyptians.

Dr James Kennett, a geologist at the University of California Santa Barbara and a major proponent of the comet-impact hypothesis, told the Daily Mail that a highly advanced Stone Age culture in North America — the Clovis people — mysteriously vanished at the same time the comet is believed to have struck Earth.

'There is evidence of a major population decline in North America beginning at 12,800 years ago,' he said.

'That lasted a few hundred years, and then they started to come back — but as a different culture.'

But last month, the mystery deepened when a team of Italian scientists said they found a vast city and structures stretching thousands of feet below the Khafre pyramid. Picture are enormous shafts with staircases around them

The said the technology captured enormous chambers (pictured) in the middle of the shaft

While Kennett can't confirm the same impact effects occurred in Egypt, he points to impact evidence found at Abu Hureyra in Syria, which is around 1,000 miles from Giza, as compelling.

If debris struck that region, he said, it could have triggered massive flooding from the Mediterranean Sea and Nile River, potentially engulfing parts of ancient Egypt.

The flood narrative echoes surprisingly well with ancient Egyptian mythology.

Andrew Collins, a researcher of prehistoric civilizations, notes that hieroglyphs on the walls of the Temple of Edfu — some 780 miles south of Giza — reference a devastating flood that wiped out a mysterious civilization referred to as the 'Eldest Ones.'

According to Collins, the temple's inscriptions (known as the Edfu Building Texts) describe a 'sacred domain' in the Giza region that was destroyed by an 'enemy serpent' plunging the world into darkness and submerging the land under a great flood.

Collins believes the enemy serpent could be a metaphor for a comet due to ancient cultures using the creature to symbolize celestial events.

The serpent in the Edfu Texts is described as a destructive force disrupting the primeval island, sometimes linked to a 'Great Leap' or a sudden, chaotic event like.

'[The text describes] them storing sacred objects in an underground structure called the Underworld of the Soul,' Collins told the Daily Mail.

'This I am sure relates to Giza's cave system and any structures it may contain.'

Though Collins' interpretations are widely rejected by mainstream Egyptologists, he  argues that the mythical 'Island of Creation' mentioned in the texts may symbolize a long-lost civilization at Giza, a sacred homeland destroyed in a cataclysm and later memorialized in myth.

However, mainstream scholars counter that the Edfu inscriptions are symbolic and that there's no direct reference to Giza itself.

Researchers believe there are other structures reaching more than 4,000 feet below the surface. The scans captured structures extend along the northern side with a tuning fork shape

They interpret the texts as mythological, with the surviving gods migrating to Egypt after the flood, not originating there.

Still, Collins insists that the sophistication of ancient cultures like the Gravettian peoples of Russia, who built rectilinear dwellings, wore tailored clothing, and possibly tracked lunar movements as early as 30,000 years ago, suggests that the official timeline of human history may be missing some vital chapters.

'Just look at the immense sophistication of the Gravettian peoples of Sungir and Kostenki in Russia,' he said.

'As much as 30,000 years ago, they were building rectilinear structures that might well have been aligned to the moon, experimenting with agriculture and wearing tailored clothing. They looked and acted like people living in medieval times.' 

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-06-2025 om 20:51 geschreven door peter  

EXCLUSIVE - Ancient Egyptian relics 'rewrite everything' we know about history after 5000 years in the shadows

• READ MORE: King Tut breakthrough after DNA results show cause of death

By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A Florida retailer and podcaster has unveiled a private collection of ancient Egyptian vases he believes could rewrite history. 

Matt Beall, CEO of the retail giant Bealls Stores, has spent the last three years acquiring 85 hard-stone vessels carved from a range of stones, including granite, limestone and quartz. 

Many date back more than 5,000 years, but they feature a level of precision, symmetry, and detail that he says rivals modern machine work. 

The vases, carved from single blocks of hard stones, feature intricately shaped handles, finely hollowed interiors and bases accurate to thousandths of an inch.

'The explanation is that stone and copper chisels were used, that's absolutely ridiculous,' Beall said at the Cosmic Summit, a conference on alternative history held in North Carolina. 

'There was certainly a lathe involved. But the tools needed to make these things aren't in the archaeological record.'

Beall, who also hosts the Matt Beall Limitless podcast, has spent countless hours scouring auction sites and antiquities dealers, acquiring pieces he believes hold the key to a lost technology. He has also teamed up with engineers and researchers to probe the mystery behind the vases' construction. 

However, Beall's claims challenge traditional views of Egyptian craftsmanship and have sparked debate among scholars. While experts admire the ancient stonework, they say there’s no proof of lathes or advanced lost tools.

Matt Beall, CEO of Bealls Stores, has spent the last three years acquiring 85 hard-stone vessels carved from granite, limestone and quartz. He showcased his collection at the Cosmic Summit, a conference on alternative history held in North Carolina

The vases, carved from single blocks of hard stones like granite, limestone and quartz crystal, feature intricately shaped handles, finely hollowed interiors and bases accurate to thousandths of an inch

Over 40,000 similar vases have been recovered from sites like the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and many are dated to before 2800 BC. Despite their age, many exhibit surprising symmetry and fine detailing. 

They are among the oldest artifacts of ancient Egypt, with some dating back over 6,000 years to the Predynastic period, which spanned from 4000 to 3000BC.

The earliest examples were found in graves, where they were likely used in religious or funerary rituals. 

By the time of Egypt’s First Dynasty, around 3100BC, stone vases had become widespread and increasingly sophisticated, used to hold oils, perfumes or offerings, and were often buried with the dead. 

Beall's controversial theory builds on observations made as far back as 1883, when famed British archaeologist Flinders Petrie discovered a trove of goods, noting signs that some vases may have been turned on lathes. 

'The curves of vases are so regular, and the polish so fine, that it seems as if some mechanical means, such as a rotating appliance, must have been employed,' Petrie wrote in his studies.

While some archaeologists argue that such precision can be explained by highly skilled manual craftsmanship, refined over generations, Beall has put his money and time on Petrie's side. 

Stone vases are among the oldest artifacts of ancient Egypt, with some dating back over 6,000 years to the Predynastic period from 4000 to 3000BC

'Interior tool marks are present on most, if not all, of these artifacts, which is pretty fascinating,' Beall said

'We know they were made before the third dynasty, so they could go way back to before the Younger Dryas,' said Beall.

The Younger Dryas is a controversial period proposed to have ended around 11,600 BC. 

While not widely accepted by mainstream scholars, some fringe researchers have linked it to a cataclysmic event that may have wiped out a forgotten advanced civilization, possibly the makers of these vases. 

Beall has been working with the Artifact Research Foundation, a team of metrologists and engineers who specialize in ancient technologies. 

Together, they have used structured-light scanning, a method that projects light patterns to create highly accurate 3D models, on around 30 of the vases. 

CT scans have been performed on 35, offering a deeper look at their internal structure and uniformity.

Beall has spent countless hours scouring auction sites and antiquities dealers online, acquiring pieces he believes hold the key to a lost technology

Beall pointed to CT scans of a thin granite vase, which revealed that both the top and sides are nearly perfectly round, with variations of less than one-thousandth of an inch, a level of accuracy rarely seen in ancient artifacts.

A separate study of 22 vases by Dr Max Fomitchev-Zamilov, a computer scientist from the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology, uncovered shape errors as small as 15 microns, making them up to 10 times more precise than vases carved using modern machinery.

Dr Fomitchev-Zamilov also noted that many of the vases appeared to be perfectly centered, suggesting a highly controlled method for aligning and rotating the stone during carving, which is typically associated with machine tools like lathes.

However, the findings have not yet been peer-reviewed, and the researchers acknowledge the need for independent academic verification. 

Some of the vases have openings that are smaller than a human finger, baffling experts on how ancient people made a small, precise hole and then removed all the material inside thousands of years ago. 

A separate study of 22 vases by Dr Max Fomitchev-Zamilov, a computer scientist from the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology, uncovered shape errors as small as 15 microns, making them up to 10 times more precise than vases carved using modern machinery

Some of the vases have openings that are smaller than a human finger, baffling experts on how ancient people made a small, precise hole and then removed all the material inside thousands of years ago

'Interior tool marks are present on most, if not all, of these artifacts, which is pretty fascinating,' Beall said.

'It's strong evidence of lathe use. You just don't get those fine, precise lines inside these objects unless they're being cut with a very sharp tool. 

'Now, whether that tool was diamond-tipped or something else, we don't know. But these are some of the hardest stones on Earth.

'And to think those lines, these aren't spiral grooves, by the way, they're horizontal lines, cleanly cutting across the stone. So yes, we do see tool marks inside the material, but so far, no physical tool remnants have been found within the cuts.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-06-2025 om 20:15 geschreven door peter  

See the stunning reconstruction of a Stone Age woman who lived 10,500 years ago in Belgium

ROAM research has indicated that the hunter-gatherer likely had blue or light eyes and a surprising "medium-toned" skin complexion, project leader Isabelle De Groote, a professor in the Department of Archaeology at Ghent University, told Live Science in an email. This skin tone appears to be slightly lighter than that of most other Western European individuals from the Mesolithic period (or Middle Stone Age) that scientists have studied so far.

Related: 

• 45 amazing facial reconstructions, from Stone Age shamans to King Tut

Comparing her to other individuals who lived in roughly the same time period, such as the iconic Cheddar Man from England, reveals this "subtle but important" difference that highlights the variation already present in post-ice age Western Europe, De Groote said. "The skin pigmentation of the Margaux woman points to greater complexity of skin pigmentation within these populations and that it was more heterogenous than previously thought."

Cheddar Man belonged to the same Western European hunter-gatherer population as the Margaux woman, according to the statement. Previous research has suggested that he also had blue eyes, although his skin complexion is thought to have been slightly darker. Other members of this hunter-gatherer population shared a similar combination of dark skin and pale eyes.

The Margaux woman

The remains of the female hunter-gatherer first came to light in 1988 during an excavation of the Margaux cave near Dinant, in Belgium's Meuse Valley region. At the time, the genetic analysis techniques that informed the new reconstruction were not available.The research team first scanned the woman's skull and created a 3D-printed reproduction, De Groote said. The Kennis brothers then used this printed version to model the muscle and skin of the head. They did this using anatomical standards for the region while taking into account the age of the woman. Based on features of her skull, the researchers estimated that she would have been between 35 and 60 years old when she died.

The Margaux woman turned out to be related to Western European hunter-gatherers, including the famous Cheddar Man from Great Britain. Like him, she had blue eyes, but her skin was slightly lighter than that of many other individuals from the same period.

“This indicates greater diversity in skin pigmentation than we previously thought,” said Maïté Rivollat, chief geneticist of the project.

“This indicates greater diversity in skin pigmentation than we previously thought"

​Her living environment was also accurately reconstructed based on archaeological data and scientific models. Campsites, hunting techniques and means of transport bring the world of more than 10,000 years ago back to life.

© KENNIS & KENNIS

The team deduced her potential eye color and skin complexion using ancient DNA extracted from parts of her skull. They also considered the effect of suntanning to re-create her skin color, given that she likely lived a mobile, outdoor lifestyle.

Although facial reconstructions such as these can provide a fascinating window into the distant past, some elements are open to interpretation.

"Actual skin tone and eye colour is difficult to discern," De Groote said. "There is no exact answer in ancient DNA."

{ https://www.livescience.com/archaeology }

29-06-2025 om 20:59 geschreven door peter  

Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, scientists have discovered a haunting undersea world that may hold the blueprint for how life began on Earth.

This vast field of mineral towers, called the Lost City, is the oldest known hydrothermal system in the ocean. Scientists believe its extreme conditions mirror the early Earth, offering clues to how the first life forms might have emerged.

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field lie more than 2,300 feet beneath the surface, on the slopes of an underwater mountain in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a massive underwater mountain range that runs through the Atlantic Ocean. It marks the boundary between tectonic plates and is a hotspot for geological activity.

Researchers estimate the Lost City has existed for over 120,000 years, making it the longest-living hydrothermal vent field ever discovered.

In a recent breakthrough, scientists successfully recovered a core sample of mantle rock from the site. This rock is the deep Earth source that fuels the vent system. 

The core sample could help scientists better understand the chemical reactions happening beneath the seafloor, reactions that produce hydrocarbons in the absence of sunlight or oxygen, serving as food for marine life.

These same reactions may have played a role in the origin of life on Earth billions of years ago. 

The Lost City is made up of towering spires of carbonate rock, formed by chemical reactions between seawater and hot rock from beneath the seafloor

The Lost City is made up of towering spires of carbonate rock, some nearly 200 feet tall, formed by a unique geological reaction called serpentinization, where seawater interacts with mantle rock deep below the seafloor.

These reactions release methane and hydrogen gas, which fuel microbial life that survives without sunlight or oxygen, something rarely seen on Earth.

The site is located approximately nine miles west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis, just south of the Azores islands. 

Its isolated position means it has remained undisturbed by human activity for thousands of years, preserving an ecosystem that offers a window into Earth’s earliest conditions.

Each hydrothermal vent, nicknamed IMAX, Poseidon, Seeps, and Nature emits warm, alkaline fluids. These create a stable environment for life in one of the most extreme corners of the planet.

Now, with renewed global attention, scientists believe the Lost City may help explain how life first formed from non-living matter, an unsolved mystery in biology. 

The site is located approximately 15 kilometers (about nine miles) west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis, just south of the Azores. Its remote position places it far from human interference.

Unlike most hydrothermal systems powered by volcanic heat, the Lost City is powered by chemical energy from the Earth's mantle, giving it a distinct structure and chemistry.

Inside its towering chimneys, fluids reach up to 194 Fahrenheit, not boiling, but hot enough to fuel chemicals reactions. 

These vents produce hydrocarbons, organic compounds made from carbon and hydrogen, which are considered the building blocks of life.

The site is special because its hydrocarbons form through deep Earth chemical reactions, not sunlight or photosynthesis. This makes the Lost City a rare second example of how life could begin.

Microbes inside these chimneys live in total darkness, with no oxygen, using methane and hydrogen as their only fuel. 

On the outer surfaces, rare animals like shrimp, snails, sea urchins, and eels cling to the mineral-rich structures.

Larger animals are uncommon here likely because the energy supply is limited. Unlike surface ecosystems, there's no sunlight or abundant food chain, only chemical nutrients trickling out of the vents.

Microbiologist William Brazelton told Smithsonian Magazine: “This is an example of a type of ecosystem that could be active on Enceladus or Europa right this second.” 

While the Lost City itself lacks mineable materials, nearby regions could be targeted for future deep-sea mining operations.

These are moons of Saturn and Jupiter, which have oceans beneath icy crusts, raising the hope that similar life could exist beyond Earth.

Some spires have grown to 60 meters tall over tens of thousands of years. 

Scientists say they act like natural laboratories, showing how life might arise in environments without sun, plants, or animals.

In 2017, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) gave the Polish government a 15-year exploration license for an area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which includes territory surrounding the Lost City.

Though Lost City itself lacks valuable minerals, nearby vent fields may contain polymetallic sulfides, a target for future deep-sea mining. That’s where the threat comes in.

Mining operations near hydrothermal vents can stir up sediment plumes, releasing toxic chemicals or particles that drift through the water column and harm nearby ecosystems, even if the site itself isn’t directly touched.

The Convention on Biological Diversity has already designated Lost City as an Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area (EBSA), based on its uniqueness, biodiversity, and scientific value.

Being listed as an EBSA gives scientists leverage to argue for protective measures, though it carries no binding legal protection. Meanwhile, UNESCO is reviewing the site for World Heritage status, which could offer stronger international backing against mining and disturbance.

Scientists argue this is urgently needed. Once disturbed, such systems may never recover, and we could lose a living example of how life began.

27-06-2025 om 22:53 geschreven door peter  

LiDAR Reveals Vast Ancient Maya Structures Hidden Beneath the Forest

by Justin Gurkinic

Archaeologists have found evidence of ancient Maya cultivation fields under the wetlands of southern Mexico, which suggests that they grew a surplus of food, practicing a sophisticated market economy in ancient times. The ancient Mayan civilization extended through parts of Mesoamerica, encompassing Mexico and Central America.

Maya structures are hidden beneath the forest

The oldest evidence of Mayan civilization dates to around 1800 BC, but most cities flourished between 250 and 900 AD. When Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the 1500s, some larger cities were abandoned or destroyed. Nicholas Dunning, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, was part of a research team that found evidence of cultivation in irregularly shaped fields in Mexico that followed the paths of canals and natural water channels in Laguna de Terminos, the Gulf of Mexico.

Archaeologists hope to find evidence of a human population when the excavations began. Extensive farmland suggests that the ancient Maya grew a surplus of crops, especially cotton for the renowned textiles marketed throughout Mesoamerica. “It was a much more complex market economy than the Maya are often given credit for,” Dunning revealed in a statement.

Satellite images revealed a patchwork quilt of blocks along drainage ditches, suggesting they had been constructed in ancient times. The archaeologist also studied the images NASA took of the region using LIDAR technology, which can represent the contours of the soil beneath the canopy of trees and vegetation. “That’s the magic of LIDAR,” UC assistant research professor Christopher Carr said.

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What LiDAR can see

IMAGE SLIDER: University of Cincinnati researchers used satellite images (left) and Lidar images (right) to identify and confirm the locations of manmade structures such as ancient building foundations, irrigation canals, and farm fields in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Graphic/ University of Cincinnati Geography.

A site that remained largely unknown

This analysis confirmed Dunning’s suspicions: the area was covered by ancient crop fields. The site remained unknown to researchers until seven years ago when the locals contacted archeologists about the site. “A forester working in the area said there seemed to be a network of ancient fields,” Dunning said.

“I looked on Google Earth and was like, ‘Whoa!’ It was an area in the Maya Lowlands that I’d never paid any attention to. And obviously, not a lot of other people had, either, from the perspective of looking at ancient agriculture.” LiDAR technology offers scientists a never-before-seen picture of the Earth’s surface, even after centuries of jungle growth hides the remains of ancient structures.

“It appears they developed fairly simply from modifications of existing drainage along the eastern edge of the wetlands,” Dunning said. “They probably deepened and straightened some channels or connected them in places, but then further expanded the fields with more sophisticated hydro-engineering.”

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{ https://curiosmos.com/category/ancient-civilizations/ }

26-06-2025 om 23:35 geschreven door peter  

Tien redenen waarom een geavanceerde “Atlantis-achtige” moederbeschaving in het verre verleden mogelijk heeft bestaan

Het interieur van een oud Egyptisch tempel.

Shutterstock.

Inleiding

Het idee dat een geavanceerde, complexe beschaving ooit heeft bestaan vóór de bekende beschavingen uit de geschiedenis, zoals die van de oude Egyptenaren, Mesopotamiërs of de Indusvallei, wordt vaak geassocieerd met de mythe van Atlantis. Hoewel er geen definitieve archeologische bewijzen zijn voor het bestaan van Atlantis zoals beschreven door Plato, zijn er verschillende wetenschappelijke, geologische en archeologische argumenten die suggereren dat een hoogontwikkelde beschaving in het verre verleden mogelijk was. In dit artikel worden tien wetenschappelijk onderbouwde redenen besproken waarom een dergelijke “Atlantis-achtige” moederbeschaving mogelijk heeft bestaan.

1. Geologische bewijsvoering voor vroegere geavanceerde beschavingen

Geologische bewijzen suggereren dat er in het verleden geavanceerde beschavingen hebben bestaan die nu onder water liggen. Onderzoek naar oude landmassas en onderwaterstructuren wijst uit dat gebieden zoals de Azoren en de Bermuda-driehoek ooit droge, bewoonbare terreinen waren. De anomalieën in deze regio’s, zoals onderwaterconstructies en restanten van oude steden, kunnen wijzen op door mensen gemaakte bouwwerken uit een ver verleden. Sedimentlagen en tektonische verschuivingen tonen aan dat grote stukken land door natuurlijke rampen zoals tsunami’s, aardbevingen en zeespiegelstijgingen onder water zijn gezakt. Hierdoor zijn mogelijk hele beschavingen verloren gegaan, ingesloten door de zee en vergeten door de geschiedenis. Deze geologische aanwijzingen ondersteunen de hypothese dat er ooit hoogontwikkelde samenlevingen bestonden die nu slechts onder de zeespiegel liggen. Het bestuderen van deze bewijzen kan ons helpen meer te begrijpen over de technologische en culturele verwezenlijkingen van onze voorouders en de manier waarop natuurkrachten de geschiedenis hebben beïnvloed. Zo bieden geologische gegevens een fascinerend venster op een mogelijk veel rijkere en complexere menselijke geschiedenis dan tot nu toe werd aangenomen.

2. Archeologische anomalieën en onderwaterstructuren

Onderwaterarcheologie heeft de laatste decennia enkele opvallende en intrigerende ontdekkingen gedaan die de gangbare opvattingen over onze oude geschiedenis uitdagen. Een van de meest bekende en omstreden voorbeelden is de onderwaterstructuur bij Yonaguni, een eiland ten zuiden van Japan. Deze structuur bestaat uit grote, trapvormige rotsformaties en piramidale vormen die lijken op menselijke bouwwerken. Sommige onderzoekers geloven dat deze structuren resten zijn van een oude stad of een door de mens gemaakte constructie, terwijl anderen denken dat ze natuurlijk ontstaan zijn door natuurlijke erosie en geologische processen.

De controversie rondom Yonaguni is nog altijd niet opgelost. Indien de structuren inderdaad door mensen zijn aangelegd, betekent dit dat er mogelijk een oude, geavanceerde beschaving bestond die duizenden jaren geleden in de regio actief was. Dit zou de bestaande kennis over de geschiedenis van menselijke beschavingen aanzienlijk veranderen, omdat het zou wijzen op een hoge mate van technische en architectonische ontwikkeling in een periode waarin we dat niet verwachtten. Sommige wetenschappers speculeren dat deze onderwaterstructuren mogelijk verband houden met vroegere migraties of verloren beschavingen die door natuurrampen onder water zijn gekomen.

Naast Yonaguni zijn er ook andere onderwaterstructuren en anomalieën die de nieuwsgierigheid van archeologen en onderzoekers prikkelen. Onderzoek naar deze structuren wordt bemoeilijkt door de moeilijke duikomstandigheden en de voortdurende discussie over hun oorsprong. Of ze nu natuurlijk of door de mens gemaakt zijn, ze vormen een fascinerend venster op een mogelijk vergeten hoofdstuk uit de menselijke geschiedenis. Het bestuderen van dergelijke onderwaterstructuren kan ons nieuwe inzichten geven over de evolutie van menselijke samenlevingen en de mysteries van onze oude wereld.

3. Oudere technische kennis en mythologische overleveringen

Veel oude culturen beschikken over mythologische verhalen en overleveringen die spreken over een “gouden tijd” of een verloren beschaving met geavanceerde technologische kennis. Deze verhalen worden vaak beschouwd als symbolische herinneringen aan een periode waarin de mensheid grote technische prestaties leverde, waarvan de ware aard soms moeilijk te doorgronden is. Een voorbeeld hiervan is de oude Indusbeschaving, die bloeide rond 2500 v.Chr. in het huidige Pakistan en India. Deze beschaving stond bekend om haar indrukwekkende stadsplanning, met grid-achtige straten, geavanceerde sanitaire systemen en waterbeheer. De uitgebreide drainage en rioleringen getuigen van een hoog niveau van technische kennis en organisatievermogen, lang voordat dergelijke systemen in Europa gebruikelijk waren.

Daarnaast bevat het oude Egypte en Mesopotamië schriftteksten en overleveringen die wijzen op kennis van constructietechnieken, astronomische observaties en mogelijk zelfs mechanische apparaten. De bouw van tempels, piramides en sluizen vereiste geavanceerde kennis van bouwkunde en hydrauliek. De astronomische gegevens die in de oude Mesopotamische kleitabletten worden vermeld, suggereren dat deze beschaving een lange geschiedenis van technische ontwikkeling en wetenschap had, waarvan veel aspecten verloren zijn gegaan in de loop der eeuwen.

Deze mythologische en historische verhalen geven ons inzicht in de veronderstelde technologische hoogstandjes van oude beschavingen. Hoewel het moeilijk is om precies vast te stellen wat er werkelijk was, blijven deze overleveringen een fascinerend venster op een mogelijk vergeten verleden. Ze laten zien dat de mensheid al duizenden jaren bezig is met het ontwikkelen van technieken en kennis die soms ver vooruit lijken te lopen op de beschikbare middelen van toen. Het bestuderen van deze oude kennis en mythes kan ons helpen om een vollediger beeld te krijgen van de technologische geschiedenis van de mensheid.

Een afbeelding van een van de stenen zuilen op de site.

Shutterstock.

4. De mysterieuze aard van oude monumenten en constructies

De mysterieuze aard van oude monumenten en constructies fascineert mensen al eeuwenlang. Veel van deze structuren, zoals de piramides van Gizeh in Egypte, de tempels van Angkor Wat in Cambodja en megalithische bouwwerken in Europa en Amerika, vertonen een verbazingwekkende technische en astronomische precisie. Deze precisie is vaak moeilijk te verklaren met de technologie die men toentertijd tot beschikking had.

De piramides van Gizeh bijvoorbeeld, zijn zo nauwkeurig uitgelijnd dat ze bijna perfect in relatie tot de kaart van sterrenbeelden zijn geplaatst. Evenzo vertonen de bouwtechnieken in Angkor Wat een indrukwekkende mate van precisie en complexiteit, die verder gaat dan wat men zou verwachten van de beschikbare middelen uit die periode. Megalithische structuren zoals Stonehenge en de Nazca-lijnen in Peru lijken eveneens te wijzen op een diepgaande kennis van astronomie en geometrie.

Sommige onderzoekers zijn van mening dat deze monumenten niet slechts het resultaat zijn van eenvoudige bouwtechnieken, maar dat ze getuigen van een verloren kennis of technologie. Volgens deze theorieën zouden oude beschavingen beschikken over geavanceerde technieken die nu verloren zijn gegaan of ondergesneeuwd door de tijd. Deze ideeën worden ondersteund door de gedachte dat dergelijke precisie en complexiteit niet mogelijk waren met de primitieve hulpmiddelen uit die tijd.

Daarnaast is er de theorie dat deze monumenten mogelijk verbonden zijn met oude kennis over sterren, tijdmeting en kosmologische verschijnselen, die door de eeuwen heen verloren is gegaan. Het blijft een fascinerende vraag of deze structuren het resultaat zijn van eenvoudige menselijke inspanning, of dat ze wijzen op een hoger ontwikkelde oude beschaving met technologische kennis die wij nu slechts kunnen vermoeden. De zoektocht naar antwoorden blijft voortduren, waardoor oude monumenten een blijvende bron van mysterie en verwondering blijven

5. De plausibiliteit van een wereldwijde verspreiding van geavanceerde kennis

De plausibiliteit van een wereldwijde verspreiding van geavanceerde kennis is een intrigerend onderwerp dat al eeuwen de verbeelding van wetenschappers, historici en mystici beweegt. Het feit dat vergelijkbare mythes, bouwtechnieken en symboliek voorkomen in oude culturen die geografisch ver uiteen liggen, roept de vraag op of er ooit een gedeeld verleden of een universele bron van kennis bestaan heeft.

Veel oude beschavingen, zoals die van Egypte, Meso-Amerika, China en Mesopotamië, vertonen opvallende overeenkomsten in architectuur en astronomische kennis. De piramidevorm bijvoorbeeld, wordt niet alleen in Egypte gevonden, maar ook in Midden-Amerika, zoals bij de Maya en Azteken. Daarnaast vertonen deze culturen een indrukwekkend begrip van sterrenkunde, daterend uit periodes waarin men niet beschikte over de moderne technologie die wij nu kennen. Dit roept de vraag op of deze overeenkomsten het resultaat zijn van geïsoleerde ontwikkeling of van een gedeelde, mogelijk verloren gegane, kennis.

Een plausibele verklaring voor deze fenomenen is de hypothese van een ooit wereldwijde, geavanceerde beschaving die haar kennis over grote afstanden heeft verspreid. Volgens deze theorieën zou deze beschaving over technologische en culturele kennis beschikken gehad die wij nu niet meer volledig kunnen begrijpen of terugvinden. Het ontbreken van directe bewijzen maakt deze ideeën echter moeilijk te verifiëren. Toch blijft het fenomeen van wereldwijde overeenkomsten een fascinerend vraagstuk dat mogelijk wijst op een vergeten hoofdstuk in de geschiedenis van de mensheid.

Kortom, de plausibiliteit van een wereldwijde verspreiding van geavanceerde kennis kan niet volledig worden uitgesloten, maar vraagt om een open blik en verdere wetenschappelijke studie. Het blijft een intrigerende mogelijkheid dat onze oude voorouders deel uitmaakten van een wereldwijde gemeenschap met gedeelde technologische en culturele erfenis, waarvan de sporen misschien nog verborgen liggen onder het stof van de geschiedenis.

6. De mogelijkheid van catastrofale gebeurtenissen die beschavingen vernietigden

De mogelijkheid van catastrofale gebeurtenissen die beschavingen vernietigden, is een belangrijk onderwerp binnen de wetenschappelijke wereld. Onderzoek wijst uit dat de aarde door haar geschiedenis heen verschillende grote rampen heeft gekend, die mogelijk grote invloed hebben gehad op de menselijke beschavingen. Voorbeelden hiervan zijn massale uitbarstingen van supervulkanen, inslagen van meteorieten en ingrijpende zeespiegelstijgingen. Deze gebeurtenissen kunnen hele beschavingen hebben weggevaagd of ingrijpend veranderd, waardoor de menselijke geschiedenis mogelijk veel complexer is dan tot nu toe gedacht.

Een bekend voorbeeld is de hypothese dat de Toba-uitbarsting, ongeveer 74.000 jaar geleden, een wereldwijde klimaatverandering veroorzaakte. Deze uitbarsting was zo krachtig dat het mogelijk de aarde in een "volledige winter" dompelde, met als gevolg dat grote groepen mensen werden uitgedund. Sommige wetenschappers vermoeden dat zulke catastrofale gebeurtenissen niet alleen het klimaat, maar ook de ontwikkeling van beschavingen konden beïnvloeden. Het is mogelijk dat er ooit geavanceerde beschavingen bestonden die door een dergelijke ramp werden getroffen, waardoor hun kennis en technologie verloren gingen.

Dit verklaart mogelijk waarom we geen archeologische resten aantreffen van zulke oude beschavingen, ondanks dat ze mogelijk honderden of duizenden jaren geleden hebben bestaan. De vernietiging door natuurrampen kan hebben geleid tot het verlies van schrift, technologie en culturele overleveringen, waardoor deze beschavingen voor altijd uit het zicht zijn verdwenen. Het bestuderen van deze gebeurtenissen helpt ons niet alleen om het verleden beter te begrijpen, maar ook om te beseffen hoe kwetsbaar onze beschaving is voor natuurlijke rampen. Het onderstreept het belang van het voorbereiden op mogelijke toekomstige catastrofes en het beschermen van onze kennis en infrastructuur.

7..De aanwezigheid van anomalieën in oude kunst en symboliek

De aanwezigheid van anomalieën in oude kunst en symboliek is een fascinerend onderwerp dat veel vragen oproept over onze geschiedenis en de beschavingen die vóór ons hebben geleefd. Veel oude kunstwerken bevatten astronomische en wiskundige symbolen die moeilijk te verklaren zijn als louter artistieke expressie. Deze symbolen lijken vaak een dieper begrip van het universum te suggereren dat verder gaat dan de technologische kennis van de tijd waarin ze werden gemaakt.

Een voorbeeld hiervan zijn de oude Maya-kalenders. Deze complexe tijdweergaves bevatten niet alleen gegevens over de tijdlijn van de Maya's, maar ook symbolen en geometrische patronen die wijzen op een diepgaande kennis van astronomische verschijnselen zoals de banen van planeten en de beweging van de zon en maan. De precisie en complexiteit van deze kalenders suggereren dat de Maya's beschikten over geavanceerde astronomische inzichten, die mogelijk gebaseerd waren op observaties en theorieën die wij pas recent hebben ontwikkeld.

Daarnaast zijn er duizenden jaren oude rotsgravures gevonden in Zuid-Afrika en Australië, met complexe geometrische patronen en astronomische schema’s. Deze kunstwerken en inscripties vertonen patronen die niet gemakkelijk te verklaren zijn door eenvoudige religieuze of artistieke motieven. Sommige onderzoekers geloven dat deze symbolen een vorm van wetenschap of kennis uitdrukken, zoals het meten van tijd, sterrenbeelden of zelfs kosmologische ideeën.

Als deze symbolen en kennis het resultaat zijn van een oude, hoogontwikkelde beschaving, dan onderstrepen ze de mogelijkheid dat dergelijke beschavingen ooit hebben bestaan, lang voordat wij ze denken te hebben ontdekt. Het feit dat deze oude kunstwerken zo’n complexiteit en precisie vertonen, roept vragen op over de technische en intellectuele capaciteiten van onze voorouders. Het zou kunnen betekenen dat onze geschiedenis niet volledig bekend is en dat er nog veel te ontdekken valt over de evolutie van menselijke kennis en cultuur. Deze anomalieën in oude kunst en symboliek blijven een intrigerend bewijs dat er mogelijk oude beschavingen waren met een verbazingwekkend begrip van de kosmos.

Een oude Inca-muur in de stad Machu Picchu.

Shutterstock.

8. Technologische overblijfselen en artefacten die niet passen in de tijdsperiode

Een andere belangrijke aanwijzing dat er mogelijk een geavanceerde moederbeschaving heeft bestaan, zijn technologische overblijfselen en artefacten die niet passen in de bekende historische ontwikkeling. Deze vondsten roepen veel vragen op omdat ze niet overeenkomen met de technologie die we kennen uit de betreffende periode.

Een bekend voorbeeld hiervan is de Antikythera-motor, een oud Grieks mechanisme dat dateert uit ongeveer 100 v.Chr.. Dit apparaat wordt vaak beschouwd als het oudste analoge computer en was in staat complexe astronomische berekeningen uit te voeren, zoals het voorspellen van zonne- en maansverduisteringen. Het feit dat oude beschavingen zulke geavanceerde technologie ontwikkelden, suggereert dat hun kennisniveau mogelijk veel hoger was dan tot nu toe werd aangenomen. Sommige onderzoekers geloven dat soortgelijke machines of zelfs nog complexere apparaten in het verleden hebben bestaan, maar verloren zijn gegaan of nog niet ontdekt.

Daarnaast worden er soms vreemde structuren en objecten gevonden die niet eenvoudig kunnen worden verklaard door de technologie die beschikbaar was in de tijd waarin ze gemaakt zouden zijn. Bijvoorbeeld, de mysterieuze piramides in onder andere Zuid-Amerika en Egypte, waarvan sommige onderzoekers suggereren dat ze mogelijk met technieken zijn gebouwd die wij nu niet kennen. Ook ondergrondse constructies en tunnels die op onverklaarbare manieren zijn aangelegd, roepen vragen op over de technologische kennis die daar mogelijk achter schuilgaat.

Verder worden soms artefacten gevonden die niet passen binnen de historische context, zoals stukken gereedschap of kunstwerken met technieken die veel te geavanceerd zijn voor de periode waarin ze zouden zijn gemaakt. Deze vondsten leiden tot de hypothese dat er misschien verloren technologische kennis is, of dat de beschavingen die ze maakten, een veel hoger technologische niveau hadden dan wij nu aannemen.

Kortom, deze technologische overblijfselen en artefacten vormen een intriger bewijs dat er mogelijk geavanceerdere beschavingen in het verleden hebben bestaan dan de gangbare geschiedschrijving suggereert. Ze stimuleren het onderzoek naar onze vergeten geschiedenis en de mogelijkheid dat onze kennis van het verleden nog altijd incompleet is.

9. Mythologie en legendes die verwijzen naar verloren werelden

Veel oude mythologieën en legendes verwijzen naar verloren werelden, ondergrondse rijken of periodes van grote technologische en spirituele bloei die plotseling werden beëindigd. Een bekend voorbeeld is de Griekse mythe van Atlantis. Volgens de legende was Atlantis een uiterst geavanceerde beschaving die zich bevond op een eiland dat door een grote catastrofe onder de zee verdween. De verhalen vertellen dat de Atlantiërs een hoogstaande cultuur hadden met indrukwekkende technologieën en spirituele kennis, totdat een plotselinge ramp alles verwoestte. Hoewel er geen concreet wetenschappelijk bewijs is voor het bestaan van Atlantis, worden deze verhalen vaak geïnterpreteerd als symbolische herinneringen aan een verloren technologische en culturele hoogtijdagen.

Ook in de oude Egyptische mythologie worden verhalen verteld over beschavingen die door rampen werden getroffen. Bijvoorbeeld, de legende van de ondergang van de stad Helipolis, die volgens sommige bronnen door overstromingen werd verzwolgen. De Indusbeschaving, die bloeide rond 2500 v.Chr., verdween plotseling onder mysterieuze omstandigheden, wat aanleiding gaf tot speculaties over natuurrampen of invasies. In Noord-Amerika spreken inheemse volkeren over een tijd van grote spirituele en technologische bloei, gevolgd door een periode van ondergang en vergetelheid, waarbij sommige verhalen wijzen op catastrofale gebeurtenissen of veranderingen in het klimaat.

Deze verhalen over verloren werelden hebben vaak een symbolisch karakter. Ze kunnen verwijzen naar echte gebeurtenissen uit het verleden, zoals natuurrampen of oorlogen, die de beschavingen hebben uitgewist. Tegelijkertijd kunnen ze ook een collectief geheugen zijn van een hoogtepunt in menselijke ontwikkeling dat verloren ging. Het feit dat dergelijke verhalen wereldwijd voorkomen, suggereert dat veel culturen zich een herinnering hebben gehouden aan een ooit geavanceerde beschaving die uiteindelijk ten onder ging.

Kortom, mythologieën en legendes over verloren werelden bieden niet alleen een fascinerend inkijkje in de culturele verbeelding, maar kunnen ook wijzen op een gedeeld bewustzijn van een gemeenschappelijk verleden. Ze blijven intrigeren omdat ze misschien een sprankje waarheid bevatten over een tijdperk van grote technologische en spirituele ontwikkeling dat uiteindelijk werd overschaduwd door natuurrampen, oorlogen of andere catastrofale gebeurtenissen.

10. Geografische anomalieën en ondergrondse structuren

Geografische anomalieën en ondergrondse structuren vormen een fascinerend onderwerp dat onze kennis over de menselijke geschiedenis uitdaagt. Verschillende locaties over de hele wereld tonen structuren en verschijnselen die moeilijk te verklaren zijn binnen het reguliere archeologische paradigma. Een opvallend voorbeeld is de aanwezigheid van onderwaterstructuren nabij de kust van Cuba en de Bahama’s. Deze structuren worden vaak geïnterpreteerd als resten van oude landmassa’s of door de oceaan bedekte steden. Sommige onderzoekers suggereren dat deze onderwaterstructuren de bewijzen kunnen zijn van hoger ontwikkelde beschavingen die duizenden jaren geleden op deze plaatsen gevestigd waren. Bijvoorbeeld, onderwaterfoto’s en sonarbeelden tonen vaak complexe bouwwerken die niet passen binnen de bekende prehistorische technologieën.

Daarnaast worden ondergrondse netwerken en gangen gevonden onder bekende oude steden, zoals Göbekli Tepe in Turkije. Deze ondergrondse systemen wijzen op een complex en mogelijk georganiseerd ondergronds bouwwerk. Sommige theorieën veronderstellen dat deze ondergrondse netwerken deel uitmaakten van een groter, wereldomspannend netwerk dat dient als communicatiesysteem of als schuilplaats. Het feit dat dergelijke structuren vaak moeilijk te dateren zijn en dat ze op plekken liggen waar men geen reguliere archeologische activiteit verwacht, versterkt de gedachte dat er mogelijk oude beschavingen waren met geavanceerde bouwtechnologieën.

De anomalieën onder water en onder de grond suggereren dat menselijke beschavingen mogelijk veel ouder en geavanceerder waren dan tot nu toe wordt aangenomen. Er wordt bijvoorbeeld gedacht aan het bestaan van een verloren wereld, waarbij onderwater- en ondergrondse structuren de sporen zijn van een grote, vergeten beschaving. Het feit dat dergelijke structuren zich op verschillende continenten kunnen bevinden, wijst mogelijk op een soort wereldomspannend netwerk of een gedeeld cultureel erfgoed dat verloren is gegaan door de loop der eeuwen.

Kortom, deze geografische anomalieën en ondergrondse structuren vormen een intrigerend puzzelstuk dat onze kijk op de geschiedenis kan veranderen. Ze roepen vragen op over de technologische vaardigheden van oude volkeren en over de mogelijkheid dat de menselijke geschiedenis veel complexer is dan wij nu aannemen. Het onderzoeken van deze structuren en anomalieën kan ons mogelijk leiden naar nieuwe inzichten over de evolutie van menselijke beschavingen en hun mogelijke connecties over de hele wereld.

Eindconclusie

Het samenbrengen van deze verschillende aanwijzingen – anomalieën in kunst en symboliek, technologische overblijfselen, mythologische verhalen en geografische anomalieën – kan niet eenvoudig worden genegeerd. Hoewel veel van deze gegevens door sceptici worden afgedaan als toeval of interpretatiefouten, vormen ze samen een krachtig pleidooi voor de mogelijkheid dat een geavanceerde “Atlantis-achtige” moederbeschaving in het verre verleden heeft bestaan. Het is mogelijk dat dergelijke beschavingen niet alleen de fundamenten legden voor onze huidige samenleving, maar ook dat ze over kennis en technologie beschikten die wij nog maar net beginnen te begrijpen. Het onderzoeken van deze anomalieën en het openhouden van de mogelijkheid dat onze geschiedenis niet volledig is, kan leiden tot nieuwe inzichten over de menselijke evolutie en de ware aard van onze vermeende geschiedenis. Uiteindelijk opent deze zoektocht de deur naar het begrijpen van onze ware oorsprong en de potentiële rijkdom van verloren kennis die in het verleden verborgen ligt.

{ PETER2011 }

21-06-2025 om 23:39 geschreven door peter  

Human Mastery Over Extreme Environments Happened Before the Migration Out of Africa

For almost 300,000 years, humans were African. But whereas our previous human cousins had already made their way into Eurasia, our own species was more than 200,000 years confined to the mother continent. Then, around 50,000 years ago, came the revolution.

There was a great migratory surge — and it held. As opposed to previous failed forays into the broader world, this migration sowed all modern non-African peoples living today. One question plagued scientists for a long time: why this wave? What gave this effort success when so many others had been unsuccessful?

Now, a revolutionary new international study in Nature might have solved the puzzle — not through identifying tools or mutations, but by mapping how our forebears dominated an expanding variety of environments. From about 70,000 years ago, humans did not merely manage to survive in Africa — they prospered in deserts, rainforests, mountains, and grasslands. They became, in the words of the scientists, "the ultimate generalist."

Andrea Manica, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology, who co-led the study with Professor Eleanor Scerri from the Max Plank Institute of Bioanthropology in Germany, said in a press release: “Around 70,000-50,000 years ago, the easiest route out of Africa would have been more challenging than during previous periods, and yet this expansion was big - and ultimately successful.”

A Climate Map of Prehistory

The team, led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, University of Cambridge, and the Natural History Museum (UK), put together a huge dataset incorporating archaeological remains and environmental reconstructions of rainfall, vegetation, and temperature in Africa from 120,000 to 14,000 years ago.

• Humans Used Alternate Migration Route Out of Africa 80,000 Years Ago
• Genetic Research Untangles Africa’s Human Evolutionary History

They examined data from fossil deposits, ancient plant and animal fossils, and computer simulations that track how humans might have interplayed with these dynamic systems. Using techniques employed in ecology, they followed the course of our species' "niche" — what kinds of environments we were able to inhabit — over time.

What they discovered was a tipping point at about 70,000 years ago: humans began to migrate to tropical rainforests in West and Central Africa, dry deserts such as the Sahara, and regions with extreme annual temperature fluctuations.

"Human beings have been thriving in difficult environments for at least 70,000 years," stated Dr. Emily Hallett of Loyola University Chicago, a lead author of the study, in an interview with Live Science. It was this ecological flexibility, she says, that would have provided a vital advantage to humans as they set out entering Eurasia — not during an easy climatic opportunity, but when it was tough.

Map of dated archaeological sites in Africa.

(Hallett, et. al./Nature, 2025)

A Continental Renaissance: Adaptability Before the Great Leap

Earlier migrations out of Africa — some of which took place as long ago as 270,000 years — did not persist. The genetic imprints of those early sojourners cannot be seen in modern populations. So, what made the 50,000-year migration work?

Surprisingly, the authors discovered no smoking gun in the guise of technological innovations or climatic fortune. Rather, it appears that something more insidious and social was at play.

The scientists propose a probable cause: cross-fertilization of cultures. As human populations migrated to varied environments, their contact zones increased as well. Increased contact equated to increased ideas, improved methods, and greater innovation — not from any one innovation, but from a web of commonalities. A feedback loop of learning, adaptation, and mobility reinforcing itself.

"It could be tied to various African populations coming into contact with each other and exchanging their ideas and ways of living in various conditions more and more," explained evolutionary biologist Dr. Michela Leonardi to the Natural History Museum. "In the long run, the greater exchange of ideas would assist Homo sapiens to spread its territory even further… [making] our species even more adaptative."

That flexibility paid off in evolutionary gold: resilience. By becoming jacks-of-all-trades, early humans were suddenly capable of conquering drastically different ecosystems — and emerging triumphant.

The Generalist Edge: Older Than You Thought

Though Homo sapiens had been evolving to fit a broad range of African landscapes for millennia, it was this later-stage adaptability that probably provided them with the tenacity to propagate across the world.

"What we're seeing around 70,000 years ago is Homo sapiens as the ultimate generalist," Manica said. "Expanding into increasingly extreme environments… that newfound flexibility provided a comparative advantage 50,000 years ago, enabling them to succeed in novel and in some cases very difficult environments."

And the records reveal it wasn't a gradual march to greener fields. Between 70,000 and 50,000 years ago, forests didn't suddenly burst open and deserts didn't turn green — rather, conditions were worse than in earlier dispersal periods.

Previous migrations had employed "green corridors" of Saharan-Arabian rainfall. This second migration, scientists contend, prevailed not because the world was friendlier — but because humans had become resilient.

• Did Mankind First Exit Africa 100,000 Years Ago?
• Ancient DNA Data Fills in Thousands of Years of Human Movement and Genetic Adaptation in Africa

Homo sapiens suitable habitat and climatic niche area through time. 

(Hallett, et. al./Nature, 2025)

Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, modern humans adapted to what was there. While we’ve long admired our ancestors for their tools, fire-making, and symbolic art, it may have been the less flashy trait of ecological adaptability that ultimately changed the course of history.

That realization, according to Professor Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute, takes us one step closer to learning not only the "Out of Africa" tale — but the whole sweep of human evolution. "Our ecological flexibility is part of what enabled our species to disperse across the globe and thrive in each habitat we encountered."

• Top image: Cultural adaptability through the cross-breeding of cultures and ideas in groups.                                                           
• Source: Internet Archive Book Images

By Sahir

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{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/evolution-human-origins }

19-06-2025 om 23:31 geschreven door peter  

Strange structures under water, google earth map, UFO UAP Sighting News. 📰 archeology discovery 🤠

Date of discovery: June 15, 2025

Location of discovery: 8°41'48"S 115°26'36"E

Location name: Jungutbatu, Bali island, Indonesia 

 

Now I have been to Bali island once about 15 years ago and its got a lot of mysterious cultural phenomenon that we in the US would not understand. I just loved it! I'm 70% sure this is an underwater city, because the only way to confirm that is to fly there and see for yourself diving. I remember seeing lots of ruins in Bali. But the long rectangles do resemble ancient homes foundations built side by side. This is a curious situation here. What ever it is...it's mind boggling. So many unknown things on the bottom of the ocean left to find. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

  

Strange structures under water, google earth map, UFO UAP Sighting News. 📰archeology discovery?

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

15-06-2025 om 23:23 geschreven door peter  

De Verborgen Stad Onder de Piramides: Een Fascinerende Theorie

De piramides van Egypte, vooral de Grote Piramide van Gizeh, blijven tot op de dag van vandaag een bron van mysterie en fascinatie voor archeologen, historici en avonturiers. Naast hun indrukwekkende architectuur en historische betekenis, bestaan er geruchten en theorieën die suggereren dat er onder deze iconische monumenten een verborgen stad of ondergrondse structuur zou kunnen liggen. Een van de meest intrigerende theorieën is die van een ondergrondse stad onder de piramides, die mogelijk eeuwenlang verborgen is gebleven. In dit artikel duiken we dieper in deze fascinerende theorie en de bewijzen die eraan ten grondslag liggen.

De oorsprong van de theorie

De oorsprong van de theorie over een verborgen stad onder de piramides ligt in de waarnemingen en speculaties van 19e-eeuwse ontdekkingsreizigers en archeologen. Tijdens hun expedities in Egypte stuitten zij op complexe ondergrondse structuren en tunnels die aanvankelijk als natuurlijke formaties werden beschouwd, maar later als menselijke bouwwerken werden geïdentificeerd. Deze vondsten wekten nieuwsgierigheid en leidden tot de hypothese dat de oude Egyptenaren mogelijk uitgebreide ondergrondse netwerken hadden aangelegd voor religieuze, administratieve of beveiligingsdoeleinden.

In de loop der jaren werden er ook oude teksten en inscripties gevonden die mogelijk verwijzingen bevatten naar verborgen ruimtes of geheime kamers. Sommige onderzoekers vermoeden dat deze ondergrondse constructies dienden als opslagplaatsen voor waardevolle artefacten of als geheime locaties voor rituelen. Daarnaast speelden de grote mysteries rondom de bouwtechnieken en het doel van de piramides een rol bij het ontstaan van deze theorie.

Recente archeologische opgravingen en technologieën, zoals ground-penetrating radar en 3D-scans, hebben de interesse in ondergrondse structuren verder versterkt. Zo werden er in de buurt van de piramides van Gizeh ondergrondse tunnels en kamers ontdekt die mogelijk deel uitmaken van een groter, nog onontdekt complex. Hoewel bewijs voor een volledige ondergrondse stad nog ontbreekt, blijven deze bevindingen de theorie over een verborgen ondergrondse wereld onder de piramides ondersteunen en inspireren tot verder onderzoek

Kunstenaarsherinterpretatie van de vermeende verborgen stad die onder de piramides van Gizeh zou liggen,

TRT World

Bewijzen en ontdekkingen

Hoewel er tot op heden geen definitief bewijs is voor een volledige ondergrondse stad onder de piramides van Gizeh, zijn er verschillende interessante vondsten en aanwijzingen die de mogelijkheid ondersteunen dat er meer onder de oppervlakte ligt dan tot nu toe bekend is. Deze bevindingen wekken de nieuwsgierigheid van archeologen en onderzoekers en dragen bij aan de mystiek rondom de oude Egyptische bouwwerken.

• Ondergrondse tunnels en kamers

Een van de meest veelbelovende ontdekkingen werd gedaan in 2017 door een Chinees archeologisch team. Tijdens hun onderzoek onder de Grote Piramide van Gizeh gebruikten ze geavanceerde technologieën zoals grondradar en seismisch onderzoek. Uit deze technieken bleek dat er een netwerk van tunnels en kamers onder de piramide aanwezig is, waarvan sommige nog niet volledig zijn onderzocht. Deze ruimtes kunnen mogelijk dienen als opslagplaatsen, rituele kamers of zelfs als ontsnappingsroutes voor de farao’s en priesters. Het feit dat delen van deze ondergrondse structuren nog niet volledig zijn onderzocht, laat ruimte voor verdere ontdekkingen. Sommige onderzoekers speculeren dat er onder de piramide wellicht een heel ondergronds complex ligt dat nog niet in kaart is gebracht, wat de theorie versterkt dat er een verborgen ondergrondse stad of uitgebreide structuren onder de piramide kunnen liggen.

• Geofysisch onderzoek

Naast archeologisch onderzoek wordt er ook veel gebruik gemaakt van geofysische technieken om ondergrondse structuren te detecteren. Hierbij wordt gebruik gemaakt van grondradar, elektromagnetische inductie en seismische metingen. Deze methoden hebben anomalieën en structuren aangewezen die niet overeenkomen met de bekendste bouwwerken van de piramides. Sommige van deze anomalieën kunnen wijzen op gangen, kamers of tunnels die nog niet zichtbaar zijn op het oppervlak. Onderzoekers geloven dat deze ondergrondse routes mogelijk dienden voor rituelen, opslag of als ontsnappingswegen. Een interessant aspect is dat sommige van deze structuren zich op strategische locaties bevinden, bijvoorbeeld onder de tempelcomplexen of nabij de piramide zelf. Dit geeft aan dat ze mogelijk een speciale functies hadden in het oude Egypte.

• Sporen van oude constructies

Naast technologische bewijzen verwijzen ook oude teksten, kaarten en legendes naar ondergrondse ruimtes en tunnels in de omgeving van de piramides. Sommige oude Egyptische inscripties en grafteksten spreken over ondergrondse gangen en verborgen kamers die door de farao’s of priesters gebruikt werden. Daarnaast bestaat er een oude kaart uit de 19e eeuw die schematisch ondergrondse structuren rondom de piramides toont, al is de betrouwbaarheid hiervan niet volledig vastgesteld. Hoewel de exacte locatie en functie van deze ondergrondse constructies vaak onduidelijk blijven, ondersteunen ze de theorie dat de oude Egyptenaren mogelijk uitgebreide ondergrondse netwerken hadden aangelegd voor rituelen, opslag of verdediging.

• Samenvatting

De verzameling van deze bewijzen en ontdekkingen wijst erop dat er onder de piramides van Gizeh mogelijk meer ligt dan slechts de bekende bouwwerken. De ondergrondse tunnels, kamers en anomalieën die met moderne technologieën worden aangetoond, vormen een fascinerend puzzelstuk in het begrijpen van de oude Egyptische cultuur en architectuur. Hoewel er nog geen sluitend bewijs is voor een volledige ondergrondse stad, suggereren deze ontdekkingen dat de ondergrondse wereld onder de piramides complex en mogelijk zeer groot is. Toekomstig archeologisch onderzoek en technologische innovaties kunnen mogelijk nog meer verborgen structuren aan het licht brengen, waardoor we een beter beeld krijgen van de mysterieuze ondergrondse netwerken die mogelijk door de oude Egyptenaren zijn aangelegd. De voortdurende zoektocht naar deze ondergrondse wereld blijft een boeiend hoofdstuk in de archeologie en de geschiedenis van het oude Egypte.

Waarom zou er een ondergrondse stad zijn?

De vraag waarom er een ondergrondse stad of complex zou bestaan onder de oude Egyptische piramides is een intrigerende en complexe kwestie die al decennia lang wetenschappers, archeologen en onderzoekers bezighoudt. De ondergrondse structuren, die soms worden aangeduid als ‘ondergrondse steden’, ‘kamers’, tunnels of geheime gangen, roepen vele vragen op over hun functie, oorsprong en betekenis. In dit essay worden de belangrijkste theorieën en mogelijke motieven besproken, ondersteund door archeologische bevindingen, historische context en wetenschappelijke analyses.

• Religieuze en rituele doeleinden Een van de meest gangbare theorieën is dat de ondergrondse structuren bedoeld waren voor religieuze en rituele doeleinden. In de oude Egyptische cultuur speelde de dood en het hiernamaals een centrale rol, en veel structuren waren ontworpen om de overgang van de farao’s en belangrijke figuren naar het hiernamaals te faciliteren.

a. Begraafplaatsen voor farao’s en elite: Sommige onderzoekers geloven dat de ondergrondse complexen dienden als grafkamers of crypte-achtige ruimtes waar farao’s en hoge priesters werden begraven. De piramides zelf worden vaak gezien als monumenten voor de farao’s, maar de ondergrondse kamers zouden extra ondergrondse grafkamers kunnen zijn, bedoeld om de farao’s te beschermen tegen plundering en kwaadwillende geesten. Deze ondergrondse ruimtes zouden ook kunnen dienen als opslagplaatsen voor de spullen die de overledene nodig had in het hiernamaals, zoals voedsel, voorwerpen en symbolische artefacten.

b. Rituele centra en ceremonies: Daarnaast zouden de ondergrondse ruimtes dienen voor religieuze rituelen die gericht waren op de verering van goden zoals Osiris, Anubis en Hathor. De ondergrondse gangen zouden symbolisch de overgang tussen de wereld van de levenden en die van de doden vertegenwoordigen, en rituelen mogelijk gemaakt hebben die de ziel van de overledene konden begeleiden. Sommige theorieën suggereren dat deze ondergrondse kamers ook fungeren als plekken voor geheime ceremonies die niet voor het grote publiek bestemd waren, en dat ze een belangrijke rol speelden in de voorbereiding op de reis naar het hiernamaals.

c. Verborgen betekenis en symboliek: De ondergrondse structuren kunnen ook een symbolische betekenis hebben, zoals het vertegenwoordigen van de onderwereld of de ‘Duat’ (de Egyptische onderwereld). De complexiteit en het labyrintachtige karakter van sommige ondergrondse netwerken zouden de reis van de zielen door de onderwereld kunnen symboliseren, en zo de spirituele reis van de overledene ondersteunen. Deze symboliek zou ook kunnen verwijzen naar een dieper esoterisch inzicht dat de oude Egyptenaren hadden over de kosmos en de overgang tussen leven en dood.

• Veiligheid en geheimhouding Een andere belangrijke reden voor de constructie van ondergrondse complexen was de behoefte aan veiligheid en geheimhouding. In een samenleving waar waardevolle artefacten, hiërarchische documenten en religieuze relikwieën werden bewaard, was bescherming tegen diefstal, plundering of ongewenste bezoekers van groot belang.

a. Opslagplaatsen voor waardevolle artefacten: De ondergrondse ruimtes konden dienen als geheime opslagplaatsen voor juwelen, goud, religieuze voorwerpen en hiërarchische documenten. Het gebruik van ondergrondse tunnels en kamertjes maakte het mogelijk om deze schatten te beschermen tegen gravende buitenaars en plunderaars.Door ze onder de grond te plaatsen, werden ze minder zichtbaar en moeilijker te vinden voor indringers, wat het risico op diefstal aanzienlijk verkleinde.

b. Schuilplaatsen en schermutselingen: In tijden van conflicten of bedreigingen konden ondergrondse gangen en kamers dienen als schuilplaatsen voor belangrijke functionarissen, priesters of zelfs de farao zelf. Het ondergronds netwerk bood een veilige haven waar men kon ontsnappen of zich kon verbergen. Deze ondergrondse complexen zouden ook kunnen functioneren als geheime bunkers of schuilplaatsen tijdens aanvallen of invallen door vijandige groepen.

c. Geheime doorgangen en routes: Het bestaan van geheime doorgangen onder de piramides en andere bouwwerken zou ook strategisch kunnen zijn geweest, bijvoorbeeld voor het discreet verplaatsen van mensen of voor rituelen die niet openbaar mochten zijn. Sommige onderzoekers vermoeden dat ondergrondse tunnels mogelijk dienden als ontsnappingsroutes of geheime routes tussen verschillende tempelcomplexen, waardoor de Egyptenaren in tijden van nood snel konden vluchten of belangrijke personen konden verplaatsen zonder dat dit werd opgemerkt.

• Wetenschappelijke en technische kennis De constructie van uitgebreide ondergrondse netwerken en structuren wijst mogelijk op een geavanceerde technische en hydrologische kennis van de oude Egyptenaren.

a. Hydrologie en waterbeheer: De oude Egyptenaren hadden uitgebreide kennis van waterbeheer, vooral rondom de Nijl. Het is mogelijk dat ondergrondse tunnels en kamers werden gebouwd om water te controleren, te verzamelen of te beheren, vooral in tijden van droogte of overstroming. Sommige theorieën suggereren dat ondergrondse waterreservoirs of kanalen onderdeel waren van het complexe watersysteem dat de regio beheerde. Het gebruik van ondergrondse waterbakken, sluizen en afwateringssystemen zou hebben geholpen om het land vruchtbaar te houden en overstromingen te voorkomen.

b. Bouwtechnieken en materialen: De ondergrondse structuren getuigen van technische vaardigheden, zoals het gebruik van speciale stenen, cement en technieken om gangen stabiel te houden. Het feit dat men in staat was om ondergrondse kamers te bouwen die vele eeuwen standhielden, wijst op een geavanceerde kennis van ondergrondse bouwtechnieken en stabiliseringsmethoden. Het gebruik van trilplaatstechnieken, holle stenen en waterdichtingstechnieken zou hebben bijgedragen aan de duurzaamheid van deze ondergrondse constructies. Daarnaast was het waarschijnlijk dat de oude Egyptenaren experimenteerden met verschillende bouwmaterialen en methoden om de integriteit van deze netwerken te waarborgen, vooral in het vochtige ondergrondse milieu.

c. Geotechnische kennis: Het bouwen van uitgebreide ondergrondse netwerken vereiste een diepgaand begrip van de geologie en de eigenschappen van de bodem. De oude Egyptenaren zouden inzicht hebben gehad in de draagkracht van verschillende bodemsoorten, drainage en de stabiliteit van ondergrondse structuren. Het feit dat zij dergelijke complexe systemen konden ontwerpen en onderhouden, wijst op een geavanceerde kennis van geotechniek en bodemmechanica.

d. Astronomische en geometrische kennis: Sommige ondergrondse structuren zijn mogelijk afgestemd op astronomische of geometrische principes, zoals het aligneren van tunnels met sterrenbeelden of specifieke astronomische gebeurtenissen. Dit zou kunnen betekenen dat de oude Egyptenaren een geavanceerd begrip hadden van geometrie en astronomie, wat hen in staat stelde om ondergrondse netwerken te koppelen aan religieuze of astronomische symboliek.

e. Doel en gebruik: Hoewel sommige ondergrondse structuren nog niet volledig begrepen worden, suggereren theorieën dat ze mogelijk dienden voor rituele doeleinden, opslag van waardevolle goederen, geheime communicatie of als schuilplaatsen. Het gebruik van dergelijke ondergrondse netwerken weerspiegelt een hoog niveau van planning en organisatie binnen de oude Egyptische samenleving.

Egyptoloog Zahi Hawass is een van de strengste critici van de hypothese dat er een stad onder de piramides van Gizeh ligt, Egypte, 8 januari 2025.

(APPhoto/Khaled Elfiqi)

Kortom, de constructie en het ontwerp van deze ondergrondse netwerken tonen aan dat de oude Egyptenaren beschikten over een zeer geavanceerde combinatie van hydrologische, bouwkundige, geotechnische en astronomische kennis. Deze expertise stelde hen in staat om complexe, duurzame systemen te ontwikkelen die niet alleen functioneel waren, maar mogelijk ook symbolisch of ritueel van aard.

Volgens critici is het onmogelijk om door de rotsen heen te kijken die de piramides van Gizeh vormen.

(Khaled Desouki/Pool via AP)

Controverse en skeptische geluiden

Hoewel de theorie over een verborgen stad onder de piramides van Egypte bijzonder intrigerend is en veel nieuwsgierigheid opwekt, wordt deze niet breed geaccepteerd binnen de mainstream wetenschappelijke gemeenschap. De voornaamste reden hiervoor is het ontbreken van onweerlegbaar bewijs dat daadwerkelijk wijst op een uitgebreide ondergrondse structuur of een vergeten stad. Archeologen en Egyptologen wijzen erop dat veel van de beweringen gebaseerd zijn op interpretaties van anomalieën en ondergrondse waarnemingen die niet altijd eenduidig te verklaren zijn.

Een van de meest gehoorde kritieken is dat de zogenaamde 'ondergrondse kamers' of 'doorgangen' vaak ontstaan door natuurlijke geologische processen. De regio rondom Gizeh, waar de piramides liggen, bestaat uit kalksteen en sedimentgesteenten die door miljoenen jaren van natuurlijke erosie en aardbevingen kunnen leiden tot scheuren en holtes. Sommige onderzoekers stellen dat de waargenomen anomalieën eenvoudig natuurlijke formaties zijn, zonder dat hier menselijke bouwkundige activiteiten aan ten grondslag liggen.

Daarnaast is er het probleem van de interpretatie van technische gegevens. Bijvoorbeeld, bepaalde radar- en seismische scans die worden aangevoerd als bewijs voor ondergrondse structuren, kunnen ook worden verklaard door natuurlijke verschillen in de samenstelling van de ondergrond. Het is niet altijd mogelijk om met de beschikbare technologieën met volledige zekerheid te concluderen dat de gevonden structuren door mensen gemaakt zijn of dat ze een architectonisch plan vertegenwoordigen.

Ook wordt betoogd dat de verhalen over een verborgen stad onder de piramides vaak worden versterkt door pseudowetenschappelijke theorieën, samenzweringstheorieën en speculatie. Sommige onderzoekers waarschuwen dat deze theorieën de geschiedenis en archeologie ondermijnen door te veel te vertrouwen op interpretaties zonder voldoende bewijs. Ze benadrukken dat de immense leeftijd van de piramides, meer dan 4.500 jaar, en de complexiteit van de bouwtechnieken destijds, al voldoende bewijs bieden voor de ingenieuze vaardigheden van de oude Egyptenaren, zonder dat uit die wetenschap per se een ondergrondse stad hoeft te voort te komen.

Tot slot is er ook kritiek op de manier waarop sommige van deze theorieën worden gepromoot in populaire media en documentaires. Deze brengen vaak sensationele verhalen die niet altijd gebaseerd zijn op gedegen archeologisch onderzoek. Hierdoor ontstaat de indruk dat er sprake zou zijn van een grote geheimenis die nog moet worden ontrafeld, terwijl de meeste experts juist pleiten voor een meer genuanceerde en wetenschappelijk verantwoorde benadering.

Kortom, hoewel de theorie over een verborgen stad onder de piramides fascinerend blijft en veel mensen blijft intrigeren, is het bewijs op dit moment onvoldoende om deze claims serieus te nemen binnen de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap. De controverse blijft bestaan, en verder onderzoek met behulp van geavanceerde technologieën en een kritische blik is noodzakelijk om de waarheid te achterhalen.

Conclusie

De aantrekkingskracht van een ondergrondse stad onder de piramides van Egypte blijft een intrigerend onderwerp dat zowel wetenschappers als liefhebbers fascineert. Verschillende geofysische onderzoeken, zoals seismische scans en grondradarmetingen, hebben aanwijzingen opgeleverd die de mogelijkheid van ondergrondse structuren ondersteunen. Zo zijn er bijvoorbeeld anomalieën gevonden onder de Grote Piramide van Gizeh, die mogelijk wijzen op verborgen gangen of kamers. Daarnaast worden oude teksten en legendes vaak aangehaald om het mysterie te onderbouwen, hoewel er geen sluitend bewijs is dat deze daadwerkelijk verwijzen naar een ondergrondse stad.

Tegelijkertijd blijft het bewijs beperkt en is er nog geen onomstotelijke ontdekking gedaan. Archeologisch onderzoek is complex en kostbaar, en de Egyptische autoriteiten zijn vaak terughoudend vanwege het beschermen van het erfgoed. Toch blijven technologische innovaties, zoals 3D-scanning en geavanceerde detectiemethoden, veelbelovend. Toekomstige expedities en onderzoek kunnen mogelijk de sluier oplichten over deze mysterieuze ondergrondse wereld. Het idee van een verborgen stad onder de piramides prikkelt onze nieuwsgierigheid en zet aan tot verdere exploratie. Uiteindelijk kan deze zoektocht ons niet alleen meer inzicht geven in de bouwtechnieken en functies van de piramides, maar ook in de geschiedenis en cultuur van de oude Egyptenaren. Het blijft een boeiend hoofdstuk in de archeologische en mysterieuze geschiedenis van Egypte.

{ peter2011 }

13-06-2025 om 22:13 geschreven door peter  

I found evidence of a pre-historic American Indian culture dating back to 900-1200AD, but...can I save it? Utah Discovery News.

Wow, while hiking I discover ancient evidence that is from 900-1200 AD (time Fremont existed) that has gone over looked in Utah till right now. I found undeniable proof of the Fremont tribe, a tribe so old, that American Indians call them the “ancient people” or “the old ones” who lived in the lands before them. 

 

This is important, but how do you get a state to recognize the area as a historical significant location to protect it. It's close to an impending threat that will in the coming years, destroy it entirely, wiping the evidence away of this rare and little know about Fremont tribe. 

 

I will make some videos on it, and share it with you all. But the Fremont no longer exist, since they. were absorbed into other tribes long ago. I will update soon on this discovery...it's big...and I'm not talking figuratively. 

 

So I guess, I don't just find ancient alien artifacts on other planets and moons in NASA photos, I don't just find ancient cities and artifacts on Google Earth Map...I also do it in real life. 

 

{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

07-06-2025 om 19:59 geschreven door peter