Unexplained Underwater Archaeology - Essay Example

Unexplained Underwater Archaeology Unexplained archaeological structures found underwater do not only pose as a challenge to their discoverers – their origins and purpose also baffle experts because most of what is known about them has only been derived from assumptions. Nevertheless, a closer look into these structures somehow sheds light on their possible functions during the times that they existed. Research into the possible origins of the Bimini Road, the Yonaguni Monument, the Kerama Circles, Adam’s Bridge, the Atlit-Yam and the Mound of Bethsaida reveals speculations on their possible beginnings and original functions. The Bimini Road One underwater archaeological structure is The Bimini Road is a submerged rock formation made up of large rectangular stones and found in the archipelago of Bahamas just a short distanced off North Bimini Island. In fact, the Bimini Road is claimed as a piece of evidence that somehow confirms the existence of the lost civilization of Atlantis (Danver 154). The Bimini Road actually has an elaborate structure. According to a 1976 statement by Valentine, one of its discoverers in 1968, the Bimini Road is actually an underwater megalithic complex that has a “convincingly artifactual pattern” formed by the rather accurate alignment of the flat stones of either rectangular or polygonal shapes and are of different sizes and thickness (Danver 154). Moreover, this rather accurate structure measures around 1,900 foot J-shaped parallel stone walls formed in the shallow water near Bimini at a depth of around 6-30 meters. The rocks were confirmed to have been “perfectly cut” with each one 5-meter wide square weighing 15-25 tons (Danver 154). Moreover, the rocks were not directly connected to the seafloor but were found to be resting on bedrock while others were even held by short columns (Danver 154). Similarities between the Bimini Road and other underwater archaeological discoveries were somehow confirmed when the former was compared with some ancient man-made harbours in the Mediterranean. The Bimini Road also has a similar structure to the large stones on the island in Crete known as Dias, as discovered in 1976. Although the suspicion was that the Bimini Road was a remnant of the legendary capital of Atlantis known as Poseidonia, the Atlantis theory was not confirmed. Moreover, although some experts theorized that the Bimini Road was a festive road that once belonged to a Maya town, the original age of the roads was older than the Mayan Pyramids as the Bimini Road walls were built around 10,000 to 7,000 BCE (Danver 154). Much of the alleged purpose of the Bimini Road can be understood from its comparison with similar structures in its vicinity. One of these is the Andros platform located in the Andros, which is the largest island in the Bahamas. The Andros platform is actually made up of massive blocks of limestone similar to the ones that make up the Bimini Road. From the alleged purpose of the Andros Platform, the Bimini Road may have acted as harbours similar to those 8,000-year-old harbours found in the Mediterranean. Moreover, this is similar to its suspected age of around 7,500 years when the melting of the Ice Age glaciers actually buried it in the water (Danver 154). Furthermore, considering that the Andros Platform is similar to the Temple of Turtles of Uxmal, an ancient Mayan city located in Yucatan which is made up of a 100-foot-tall outcrop of limestone, it could be that the Bimini Road was “a lookout point over the ocean” (Danver 155). The function of the Bimini Road was also considered as one of the most mystical and is often associated with the lost city of Atlantis. The Bimini Road was also mentioned by the seer Edgar Cayce as having power crystals buried underneath it in order to provide electromagnetic energy in the Atlantis. However, one interesting and more believable revelation of Cayce was that the Bimini Road was once the mountain top of the lost city of Atlantis (Kox 15). The Yonaguni Monument The Yonaguni Monument is an “impressive” underwater structure found underneath the Yonaguni, which is the westernmost island of Japan (Danver 155). The Yonaguni Monument, which is allegedly 8,000 years old while its pillars were around 10,000 years old, is somehow akin to a pyramid. It measures 120 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 20 to 25 meters high (Danver 155). The origins of the Yonaguni Monument may actually be linked to Plato’s account of Atlantis in his book Critias. Based on Plato’s description of architecture of the Atlantis, the Yonaguni Monument may have actually been gates and towers that guarded the passage to the ancient city, or it may have been a wall surrounding each of the city’s rings (Danver 155). However, since the theory of the Atlantis is not confirmed, then these speculations actually do not have that much substance. Nevertheless, if Plato were actually right in his estimates, then somehow the Yonaguni Monument may have been a gate or a similar structure that protected any ancient city against a possible entry of undesirable people. Still, origins of the Yonaguni Monument may be similar to those of ancient tombs. According to Dr. Shoch, who claimed that the Yonaguni Monument was a natural structure, believed that the structure of the monolith used in the monument is similar to the tomb architecture of the Yonaguni Island itself. Thus, there was a possibility of humans imitating the monument when they designed their own tombs. It is therefore also possible that the tomb makers used the monument as a quarry from which blocks of similar stones were cut (Mutton). The Yonaguni Monument, due to its location along the coast, may have also served as a natural boat dock for the ancient seafarers. Perhaps, then, there were tools that were used to reshape the original stone structure of the monument in order for it to appear like a natural dock (Mutton). Moreover, the Yonaguni Monument may have been considered during its time as a religious structure. The reason for this is that the monument has been compared with various other temple and pyramidal structures located in the Americas. One of these was the Temple of the Sun in Northern Peru, specifically near Trujillo (Mutton). The Kerama Circles The Kerama Stone Circles or the Labyrinths of Kerama are another underwater structure located on the southern end of Okinawa. The structure, which was discovered by divers 30 meters below the water surface, was believed to have been formed by humans because of the organization and structure of the stones. Moreover, the Jomon culture, who lived during the Ice Age, built similar stone circles above water, and perhaps they have built the Kerama Circles and fashioned its architecture when it was still above water (Mutton). The Kerama Circles were originally thought of as wells or shaft graves. When the Kerama Circles were still above water, they were possibly thought of as wells especially because of the holes at the centre of the rocks. On the other hand, the Kerama Circles may have just been thought of as shaft graves that could possibly accommodate two burials one after the other (Mutton). Adam’s Bridge Adam’s Bridge is a submerged chain of limestone shoals located between Pamban or Rameswaram Island, which is situated off Tamil Nadu in the southern part of India, and Mannar Island in the northern part of Sri Lanka. It is a 30-mile long, or 48-km long, bridge that is located 3 feet to 30 feet underwater. Moreover, the unique curvature of the bridge as well as its composition of limestone somehow suggests that Adam’s Bridge is man-made (Agarwal 71). Some sources, however, say it is 30 kilometres long (Mutton). Furthermore, the bridge’s age seems to be the same as time of the first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka, which corresponds to 1,750,000 years ago. Nevertheless, the report by the Geological Survey in India pointed out that the bridge only became functional 7,000 to 10,000 years ago when it was used as a land route that connects India and Sri Lanka (Agarwal 71-72). Still, in 2001, the Express News Service said that the bridge was only 3,500 years old (Mutton). Nevertheless, with a breadth of 2.5 kilometres, Adam’s Bridge is made up mostly of sandbanks that always connected India to Sri Lanka until 1480 when a cyclone destroyed the connection (Garg 142). The supposed function of Adam’s Bridge is legendary but ancient literature points out that it is a bridge between India and Sri Lanka, with a greater emphasis on the direction from India going to Sri Lanka, and not the other way around. Moreover, the name “Adam’s Bridge” probably took its name from the belief that Adam crossed the bridge to reach Adam’s Peak, a conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka, in order to stand on one foot there for a thousand years while repenting on one’s sins. On Adam’s Peak, there is a hollow mark that resembles a footprint, which is said to belong to Adam. However, the Buddhists believed it belonged to Buddha while the Hindus believed it was Shiva’s. Moreover, Adam’s Bridge is also called Rama’s Bridge, in order to identify it with the bridge that was, according to legend, built by Rama’s monkey army when they decided to reach Sri Lanka (Agarwal 71-72). The Atlit-Yam The ancient Neolithic city of Atlit-Yam which was submerged in the coastal plains of Cyprus, must have been built between 8,000 and 7,000 BC, although some sources say it is between 9,500 and 8,000 BC. It is shallow at 8 to 12 meters beneath but with a wide area of around 40,000 square meters. The Atlit-Yam contains structural foundations, water wells built from stone, remains of flora and fauna including pig, dog and cattle, and human burials. The Atlit-Yam is believed to be a type of Mediterranean Fishing Village with inhabitants that subsisted on agricultural production and exploitation of resources coming from the sea (Knapp 79). Moreover, the Atlit-Yam was founded during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period, and was believed to have been abandoned because of rising sea levels and a possibility of being covered with sand dunes at that point in time, which actually happened immediately after the inhabitants abandoned the site (Mithen & Black 199). Based on the known mode of living of people from the Neolithic Age, the people of Atlit-Yam lived in a coastal community where they grew cereals and kept pigs, goats and cattle. They also subsisted on fishing, and that everyday boats tried to net the triggerfish on the coast’s sandy and rocky seabed. Before the town submerged, the Atlit-Yam had a path that was imprinted with goat tracks and which passed through fields planted with wheat, barley, lentils and peas. Before one reaches the centre of the town, one passes through a valley known as the Wadi Zarqa, which is made up of stepping stones that cross the river, which is in turn a place for tethering several goats (Mithen 83-84). The function of the Atlit-Yam is basically that of a village but its elaborate architecture suggests its use in feasting, funerals and other ceremonial activities. The Atlit-Yam is made up of cemetery areas located near each other, funerary architecture made up of bounding walls and plastered surfaces, monoliths and post-holes, midden deposits derived from ceremonial activities like feasting, as well as numerous burials (Bocquet-Appel & Bar-Yosef 265). Thus, the elaborate nature of this underwater architecture somehow explains to the reader that the submerged ancient structure was once as elaborate as modern-day society, and that it celebrated death and life in the same way that people do now. The Mound of Bethsaida The Mound of Bethsaida is a massive circular stone structure discovered by scientists 30 feet below the Sea of Galilee in 2003. This structure is made up of basaltic rocks which make it twice the size of the Stonehenge in England. It is located in the alluvial plain called Beteiha, thus the name Mound of Bethsaida. The mound is 400 meters long, 200 meters wide and 165.91 meters below sea level for its highest point. It was created from the same lava flow that gave rise to the Golan Heights (Baima 94). Based on research, the main function of the Mound of Bethsaida is as a burial site or a ceremonial site. This is so because the basic structure of the mound is similar to the features of several ancient burial sites found around the world. However, the sheer size of the Mound of Bethsaida somehow lends doubt to experts as to whether it is really just a burial site. Moreover, the Mound of Bethsaida somehow has a structure that corresponds to a large complex complete with an extensive city wall, a gate with four chambers, a palace complex and a temple. The architecture and pottery are Geshurite in origin and is shared by the surrounding regions. The word “Geshurite” comes from Gesher, which in Hebrew means a “bridge.” Thus, another possible function of the Mound of Bethsaida was that it was a bridge that connected Israel and Mesopotamians, as the Geshurites come from Mesopotamia (Baima 95). However, other experts believe it is the site of a fishing community as it is mentioned in the Bible, but eventually succumbed to periodic seasonal flooding as well as occasional inundation of catastrophic tsunami waves, thus causing the structure to submerge (Savage 165-166). Conclusion The mystery of the ancient underwater structures may actually be only explained through assumptions from historical and archaeological data. Most of these structures have nothing really particularly special about them such as Adam’s Bridge, the Atlit-Yam and the Mound of Bethsaida, which may actually be only remnants of ancient civilizations. However, as the origins of Adam’s Bridge are only found in Hindu literature, and the Mound of Bethsaida is mentioned in the Biblical Gospels, there is therefore a possibility that these structures were actually different in nature and function from what is presently known about them. The Atlit-Yam was a Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age community and most of its ancient features are presently known but still there is no answer as to whether the abandonment of the community by its inhabitants was really due to the rise in sea level or something else. Other structures like the Bimini Road, the Yonaguni Monument, and the Kerama Circles are actually more mysterious than others because most of their origins can hardly be traced to neighbouring structures or perhaps because each of them existed alone and far away from the closest structure. Nevertheless, although the origins are unknown or unexplained, the Bimini Road, the Yonaguni Monument and the Kerama Circles are believed to have been built by particular ancient tribes that lived during the approximated date of the structures’ origins. However, since only very little is known about these ancient peoples or whether they practiced a particular form of divination or adopted a particular philosophy, there is but very scarce information on the archaeological structures. The structures remain as a mystery perhaps for the future generations to find out and draw out something good from. However, for now, experts have to be satisfied with the available information and should therefore respect the mystery behind as well as the alleged sacredness of these ancient archaeological structures. Top of Form Bottom of Form Works Cited Agarwal, M. K. The Vedic Core of Human History. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse LLC, 2013. Print. Baima, Thomas A. A Legacy of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue: The Cardinal Bernardin Jerusalem Lectures. Chicago, IL: Archdiocese of Chicago Liturgy Training Publications, 2001. Print. Bocquet-Appel, Jean-Pierre & Ofer Bar-Yosef. The Neolithic Demographic Transition and its Consequences. Springer, 2008. Print. Danver, Steven L. Popular Controversies in World History. Sta. Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2011. Print. Garg, Ganga Ram. Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company, 1992. Print. Knapp, A. Bernard. The Archaeology of Cyprus: From Earliest Prehistory Through Bronze Age. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print. Kox, Norbert H. A Speck of Atlantis: The Top of God’s Mountain. New Fraken, WI: Apocalypse House, 2010. Print. Mithen, Steven & Emily Black. Water, Life and Civilization: Climate, Environment and Society in the Jordan Valley. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Mithen, Steven. After the Ice: A Global Human History, 20,000-5,000 BC. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Mutton, Karen. Sunken Realms: A Complete Catalog of Underwater Ruins. Kempton, IL: Adventures Unlimited Press, 2009. Print. Savage, Carl E. Et-Tell (Bethsaida): A Study of the First Century CE in the Galilee. Ann Arbor, MI: Proquest Information and Learning Company, 2008. Print. “ Read More