Friday, October 26, 2012

The Yonaguni Monument


Author: Jake Corbin

Still today, scientist are trying to discover what this structure really is.
The Yonaguni Monument, first discovered in 1987 by local Yonaguni diver Kihachiro Aratake, is located just off the coast of Yonaguni, Japan, in the Ryukyu Islands in the East China Sea (Knight-Jadcyzk).  Many scientists and historians question how the large underwater structure was developed.  It appears to some as a lost city, another Atlantis  in Japanese waters that sank during an earthquake about two thousand years ago (Ryall).  There have already been stories and legends created by many about how the structure came to be.  However, no one has yet to discover what it really is.
            The structure seems very unnatural.  It has precisely cut ridges and holes, which inspires the belief of it being an underwater manmade structure.  Those who believe this, believe that either the structure was used as a resource for building materials, or as an actual above water structure.  It is huge and has a certain look to it that resembles a pyramid
The mysterious structure expands 250 feet long, 90 feet wide, and measures 45 feet high.  The top, barely reaches the surface of the ocean by about 16 feet (Kenyon 173).  The unique thing about the Yonaguni monument, which is why it resembles a man-made structure, is that it is cut into precise geometric terraces, which nearly proves that the structure had to have been shaped by man.  According to some researchers, the Yonaguni Monument was last above sea level around 6000 to 8000 B.C. (Schoch and McNally).
            The Yonaguni Monument appears as part of a step pyramid.  The steps on the monument range in size from a foot to a foot and a half, which seems like a staircase that only a giant could climb.   Supposedly, the steps are natural works from the water breaking down the structure over time during underwater erosion (Danver).
According to Dr. Robert Schoch, the geometric figure could not have been created by man due to one reason: it is a large single piece.  If it had been made by man, it would have been built from several small pieces.  The only thing that can prove this wrong is the thousands of years of the water melting the sandstone and mudstone pieces together.  To Schoch, this structure is like nothing ever seen before.  He ponders whether or not it is a natural formation, how was it formed, and what could it be?  (Schoch and McNally)
To some, the Yonaguni Monument resembles a tomb.  Others believe that it may have been the “go to” object, used to cut blocks from to build other structures with.  The controversial subject of whether or not the Yonaguni Monument is a natural formation or was man-made, will never end.  The questions still remain today: Why is this significant structure sitting in the East China Sea, and how did it come to be?


Works Cited:

Daichi, Shun. Yonaguni Monument: Underwater Ruins off Yonaguni Island in Japan. DiveJapan.com, 20 may 2011. Web. 22 Oct 2012.
Danver, Steven L. Popular Controversies in World History: Investigating History's Intriguing Questions. Broomfield, United States: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Google Books. Web. 10 Oct 2012.
Kenyon, J. Douglas. Forbidden History: Prehistoric Technologies, Extraterrestrial Intervention, And The Suppressed Origins Of Civilization. Rochester, United States: Inner Traditions - Bear & Company, 2005. Google Books. Web. 13 Oct 2012.
Knight-Jadczyk, Laura. The Secret History of the World and How to Get Out Alive. Grande Prairie, Canada: Red Pill Press, 2005. Google Books. Web. 14 Oct 2012.
Ryall, Julian. Japan's Ancient Underwater "Pyramid” Mystifies Scholars. 19 Sep 2007. NationalGeographic.com. Web. 14 Oct 2012.
Schoch, Robert M and McNally, Robert Aquinas.  Voyages of the Pyramid Builders. New York, United States: Penguin, 2004. Google Books. Web. 14 Oct 2012.

Links for further research:

Yonaguni
Explains Kihachiro Aratake’s discovery of the Yonaguni Monument.

Yonaguni Monument: The Japanese Atlantis
Describes the Yonaguni Monument.

The Official Website of Robert M. Schoch: Yonaguni, Japan
Describes Robert M. Schoch’s opinion of the Yonaguni Monument.

How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?
Explains how the Egyptian pyramids were built.


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