Posted on 04/10/2002 5:54:43 PM PDT by Pokey78
A MYSTERIOUS settlement that sank beneath the waves at least 1,200 years ago has been discovered by divers off the south-east coast of India.
Granite blocks and walls that lie 20ft below the surface may be the remains of six "lost temples" that form part of local mythology.
The ruins came to light after the controversial amateur archaeologist and best-selling author Graham Hancock interviewed fisherman for a recent television series.
After hearing accounts of the myth of a submerged city, he and two dozen divers searched the sea bed last week.
India's National Institute of Oceanography, which was involved in the discovery, believes the ruins at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu could be 1,200 to 1,500 years old.
But Mr Hancock, who argues that civilisation predates the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians by thousands of years, believes the city could go back to 3,000 BC.
The ruins were discovered half a mile off the coast by a team from the NIO and the UK-based Scientific Exploration Society. They include remains of walls and scattered carved blocks and stones and may cover several square miles.
According to local legend Mahabalipuram was once home to a great city. The gods became so jealous of its beauty that they sent a flood to swamp the city. Six temples were submerged, leaving just one on the shore.
I didn't know this. Amazing.
Most of the answers are underwater. (I know you agree)
I didn't know this. Amazing.
The largest and oldest pyramid ever discovered is in South America. The base of this SA pyramid is 7 times larger than the largest in Egypt. Keep your eyes on South America for some very suprising discoveries in the near future.
2.6 times longer and 2.6 times wider. Is it higher?
I was sure the guy said 7 times, I saw this the other night on a documentary tilted Pyramids, Mummies and Tombs, I believe it was called. I don't think it was taller.
Not so! Now normally when somebody says that to me, my usual response is "ok--why not?" There are a number of reference texts that explain what the problems are. Most significant technical problem is that we cannot achieve the tolerances of the block fits with carved stone and can't achieve the hardness of the blocks from any other stone based material. There are other issues but there are a number of texts out there which deal with this kind of problem. The best one I have had in my personal library I loaned to an architect friend of mine (who is an expert in stone and poured composite structures) who has not given it back--done by some composite scientist in Europe, his hypothesis is that the blocks were poured in place although his bottom line is that we lack the technical capability to do it that way today either.
I also recall that they were into other such pseudo-science as nuclear fission, rockets and the first jet engines.
What's your point?
What about this one?
A STRUCTURE thought to be the world's oldest building, nearly twice the age of the great pyramids of Egypt, has been discovered. The rectangular stone ziggurat under the sea off the coast of Japan could be the first evidence of a previously unknown Stone Age civilisation, say archeologists.
The monument is 600ft wide and 90ft high and has been dated to at least 8000BC. The oldest pyramid in Egypt, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, was constructed more than 5,000 years later.
I have my fingers crossed that it turns out to be man made, but, the 'jury' is still out on this one.
Hancock is author of The Sign and the Seal, an excellent, intriguing exploration of his research and analysis of same re the Ark of the Covenant. Highly recommend it.
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