Peru's "Lost City" Is a Natural Formation, Experts Rule

National Geographic News ^ | 2-25-08 | Kelly Hearn

[Renfield]

Stone formations in the Peruvian Andes that were recently claimed to be the possible ruins of the ancient city of Paititi are now thought to be naturally occurring phenomena, officials say.

Photographs courtesy Peru Instituto Nacional de Cultura

[Renfield]

GGG ping.

[theDentist]

Naturally occurring? With straight lines and geometric forms, interlocking?

What fools these "experts" are.

[dljordan]

The bottom photo doesn’t look natural to me.

[TheBattman]

OK - I will bite, if they can tell me the specific “natural” geological forces that result in said formations. A generic “natural forces” answer won’t cut it.

Seriously - I don’t have a problem if they can specifically explain the forces involved, possibly with additional examples from other areas to support it.

Or is this another “evolution” theory - just with non-biological subjects?

[trisham]

I find this very difficult to believe.

[lil'bit]

Looks like they're going to try to stop treasure hunters after the gate's been opened.

Sure does look like nature got real inventive with those "falling" stones.

[muawiyah]

This is at a site called "The Giant's Causeway" in the British Isles:

[mylife]

looks like naturually occurring basalt formations to me

[SampleMan]

Its possible. If you get the right crystal formation when the rock cools. Take a look at this natural geology in ireland.

[blackdog]

I've split stone all my life. I split basalt field stone from my fields. If I learned to split stone for another 45 years, I could only hope to do as good a job as what's in the pics.

I don't suppose this newly found ruins site might be on private land who's owner/s had wanted to keep private?

[Red in Blue PA]

Nature abhors a vacuum.....and a straight line.

[SunkenCiv]

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[blackdog]

Of course if we could see the corners and endwalls of the formations, that would be the tell.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Nature loves a straight line.

Search “columnar basalt.” (We have a naturally formed hexagonal basalt column installed in our landscaping.)

And consider all the other natural structures with geometric pattern, like sedimentary layers, honeycombs, spiderwebs, flower and insect patterns, crystals.

Nature ain’t random.

[manapua]

You are the fool and obviously have no understanding of basic minerology or geology. I see from your profile that you live in Virginia. I assure you, you can see similarly "straight lines and geometric forms, interlocking" in several locations in your state. Take a drive along Skyline drive. There are similar exposures of the Catoctin formation in Culpepper / Faquier counties as well as in the Catoctin Mountains in MD.

No geometric forms in nature? That's just absurd. Might be the most blazingly odd claim I've heard in a while.

[theDentist]

Others more subtle than you have already posted the geological formations in nature. I made an error. mea culpa

[doodad]

Doesn’t look naturally occurring to this geologist.

[manapua]

Actually, nature is quite okay with straight lines. You ever look at minerals? I see you’re in PA: if you want to blow your mind, I can send you to some marvelous examples of planar striations in sandstone. Or even easier, dig up some quartz or tourmaline.

[Grimmy]

Oh? I suppose you’re saying that the ol’ thumb sucker himself, Mr. Finn MacCool, didn’t build the giant’s stairway?

Dang revisionists.