Divers find remains of six 'lost temples'

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 04/11/2002 | David Derbyshire

[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.

[FreedomFarmer]

Looks like writing. What is the oldest writing known? Is this it?

Early copy of Modern Drummer Magazine.

[RightWhale]

Early copy of Modern Drummer Magazine

They've sure come a long way. They print it on paper now.

[MattinNJ]

I am absolutely fascinated by the theory that there was an ancient seafaring race that spanned the globe. Myths abound throughout the world of foreign seafarers teaching math, astronomy, building, etc... to the Sumerians, Babylonians, Mayans (?). Fascinating anectdotal evidence exists everywhere they look. For example, traces of cocaine, which comes from the South American Cocoa plant, has been found in Egyptian mummies. The later pyramids were nowhere near as well built as the older ones-it's almost as if the teachers had left and the students forgot. The interior of the pyramids show no traces of soot from torches and there is no way light from reflective mirrors would reach that far into the interior. So how did they do the interior writings unless they had artificial writing? The Piri Nies map could show that ancient seafarers had mapped out Antartica without the ice. We could not do that until the 50's with sonar.

I echo what an earlier poster felt about Hancock-he is a bit of a salesman, but he does raise fascinating points, sheds light on previously unconnected facts, and brings it to the publics attention. For that alone he deserves a lot of credit.

[uglybiker]

...now maybe we'll finally determine the ancient origins of the 7-11's and Dunkin Donuts shops. This is very exciting.
The temple of the donut god. I bet it was full of cops when it flooded.;-)

[Dead Corpse]

Jim Allens theory of Atlantis on the Altiplano in the Andes has got my vote. Right dimensions, matching minerals, evidence of a massive city center.

Heck of a lot better than Thera on the wrong side of the Pillars of Hercules.

[janetgreen]

Thanks for the link to Jim Allen's site. I love this stuff!

[SoCal Pubbie]

“the pyramids are beyond our technical capability to duplicate today”

”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. “

Bunk! I have to laugh at all the people who swallow this stuff. Today’s computer driven machine tools can cut materials to incredibly tight tolerances unheard of in the ancient world. If people 2,000 years ago could do it you can bet we could do it today, if we wanted to.

Other excuses given include the fact that no cranes exist with a heavy enough lift capacity to move the giant stone blocks. Of course this completely ignores the fact that modern building techniques are so much more efficient today that structural members need not be so heavy, hence there is no need for such monster cranes. It’s kind of like those who say we could not go back to the moon today. It’s true that we could not just dust off a rocket and push the button for lift off, but that doesn’t mean we are incapable if we wanted to. Same goes for the pyramids. If we wanted to spend millions of dollars, and decades if need be, to build giant stone structures that would serve no purpose for today’s world, we could.

[SunkenCiv]

Just adding the current GGG contact information, not pinging the list. Found this topic in a Google search. Thanks Pokey 78.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

From 2002. Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
Gods, Graves, Glyphs PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[Prost1]

Antarctica meets most of the criteria for Atlantis with the exception of location. It is beyond the Gates of Hercules and is the size of Libya and North Africa.

It has rivers running through thus making the continent basically 3 separate enormous islands.

People can't search there because of climate. But, as we know, the Sahara was once lush, the Gobi was once lush and North America was caked in ice several thousand feet deep, while the Mediterranean was much lower and support a larger coastal population.

[SunkenCiv]

Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

Just updating, not sending a general distribution.

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[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Just updating the GGG info, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 4/10/2002. Thanks Pokey78.

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[SunkenCiv]

• Mystery of the smiling Buddha that arrived as a gift from the tsunami
• New Pallava temple complex discovered in Mahabalipuram
• More Temples Pop Out of Sea-Bed (Uncovered by Tsunami)
• Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India
• The sea claimed an ancient capital of India. Now it has given it back
• Tsunami uncovers stone carvings (India)
• Tsunami throws up India relics -- The Tides of Spirituality
• Tsunami throws up India relics