Japan's Underwater Pyramids

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Steps on underwater pyramid off Yonaguni island

Japan's Underwater Pyramids or Ruins as they have become to be known are a mystery. In all, around eight sites have been discovered.

1 Introduction
2 Ruins
3 Geologists' and archaeologists' views
4 See also
5 External links

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Introduction

The island of Yonaguni, near Okinawa, Japan has long been a favorite diving spot for swimmers try to get a glance of the numerous hammerhead sharks that swim there. However, in 1995 underwater explorer Kihachirou Aratake found a very large, strange structure under the water. Lying about 60 feet deep, the structure appeared to be man-made. Large steps could be seen, blocks of rock cut at right angles and smoothed. The discovery would send shock waves through the archaeological world.

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Ruins

Japan's Underwater Pyramids or Ruins as they have become to be known are a mystery. In all, around eight sites have been discovered. There are certain features that are very hard to dismiss as natural occurrences. Such as a large, semi-circular structure [1] that almost looks like a park bench. Then there is a large head [2] which appears to have hair and a head dress carved into it. There are also numerous round holes carved into the rock, including some that look as though they were made to support large wooden poles [3]. Again, these are just hard to dismiss, including this head with eyes carved out of it [4]. As stated, the structures are lying on the seabed, around 60 to 100 feet below the surface. So who created them? The last time that these areas were not covered by the ocean was between approximately 8 to 12 thousand years ago, during the last ice age when much of the sea was caught up in the ice caps. At the time Yonaguni formed a landbridge with Taiwan, leading many to speculate that the area is part of the lost continent of Mu, or Lemuria.

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Geologists' and archaeologists' views

Many geologists and archaeologists contend that the structures are fully natural phenomenon. They point out to the fact that above the sea surface, examples of erosion causing the rocks to form right angles can be seen now. Also they cite that there have been no tools found at any of the pyramids, which would pretty conclusively show that the structures were made by human hands. Also of interest, is that the structures, if man-made, would predate any man-made structures found in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China. This has many archaeologists and historians upset, as it would mean that the accepted chronological series of human civilization and developement is wrong. It is also noted that skeptics of the pyramid theory say that the rocks have been smoothed by coral. There is one big problem though with the natural formation theory, and that is that there is no rubble to be found at the bases of these structures, which would be expected if erosion was shearing the rock at right angles.

Another theory that is forwarded is that much of the structures are indeed naturally formed, and that early humans used them and did do some carving on them. It is argued that the most of the steps on the pyramids are much too large for people to climb as well.

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