Top 10 Mysterious World Landmarks
The world is filled with ancient monuments built by master craftsmen in
order to honor everything from kings and presidents to religious figures.
And although most of these landmarks have been carefully studied and
researched by scientists and historians, some are simply so old, incomplete,
or obscure that we still dont know very much about why they were built or
what purpose they served. The following are 10 world landmarks that, whether
by intention or simply due to the passage of time, continue to baffle the
people who study them.
*10. The Cahokia Mounds*
*
Cahokia is the name given to an Indian settlement that exists outside of
Collinsville , Illinois . Archeologists estimate that the city was founded
sometime around 650 AD, and its complex network of burial grounds and
sophisticated landscaping prove that it was once a thriving community. It
has been estimated that at its peak the city was home to as many as 40,000
people, which would have made it the most populous settlement in America
prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The most notable aspect of Cahokia
today are the 80 mounds of earth, some as high as 100 feet, which dot the
2,200-acre site. These helped create a network of plazas throughout the
city, and it is believed that important buildings, like the home of the
settlements chief, were built on top of them. The site also features a
series of wooden posts that archeologists have dubbed woodhenge. The posts
are said to mark the solstices and equinoxes, and supposedly figured
prominently in the communitys astronomical mythology.
*The Mystery*
Although scientists are constantly discovering new information about the
Cohokia community, the biggest mystery that remains is which modern Indian
tribe is descended from the residents of the ancient city, as well as just
what it was that caused them to abandon their settlement.
*9. Newgrange*
*[image: Click here to join nidokidos] *
Considered to be the oldest and most famous prehistoric site in all of
Ireland , Newgrange is a tomb that was built from earth, wood, clay, and
stone around 3100 BC, some 1000 years before the construction of the
pyramids in Egypt . It consists of a long passage that leads to a
cross-shaped chamber that was apparently used as a tomb, as it contains
stone basins filled with cremated remains. The most unique feature of
Newgrange is its careful and sturdy design, which has helped the structure
remain completely waterproof to this day. Most amazing of all, the entrance
to the tomb was positioned relative to the sun in such a way that on the
winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the rays from the sun are
channeled through the opening and down the nearly 60 foot passageway, where
they illuminate the floor of the monuments central room.
*The Mystery*
Archeologists know Newgrange was used as a tomb, but why and for who still
remains a mystery. The painstaking design needed to guarantee that the
yearly solstice event occurs suggests that the site was held in high regard,
but other than the obvious hypothesis that the sun featured prominently in
the mythology of the builders, scientists are at a loss to describe the true
reason for Newgranges construction.
*8.* *The Yonaguni Monument*
Of all the famous monuments in Japan , perhaps none is more perplexing than
Yonaguni, an underwater rock formation that lies off the coast of the Ryuku
Islands . It was discovered in 1987 by a group of divers who were there to
observe Hammerhead sharks, and it immediately sparked a huge amount of
debate in the Japanese scientific community. The monument is made up of a
series of striking rock formations including massive platforms, carved
steps, and huge stone pillars that lie at depths of 5-40 meters. There is a
triangular formation that has become known as the turtle for its unique
shape, as well as a long, straight wall that borders one of the larger
platforms. The currents in the area are known for being particularly
treacherous, but this has not stopped the Yonaguni monument from becoming
one of the most popular diving locations in all of Japan .
*The Mystery*
The ongoing debate surrounding Yonaguni centers on one key subject: is the
monument a natural phenomenon, or is it man-made? Scientists have long
argued that millennia of strong currents and erosion have carved the
formations out of the ocean floor, and they point to the fact that the
monument is all one piece of solid rock as proof that it was not assembled
by a builder. Others, though, point to the many straight edges, square
corners and 90-degree angles of the formation as proof that its artificial.
They often cite one formation in particular, a section of rock that
resembles a crude carving of a human face, as evidence. If they are right,
then an even more interesting mystery presents itself: who constructed the
Yonaguni Monument , and for what purpose?
*7. The Nazca Lines*
**
The Nazca lines are a series of designs and pictographs carved into the
ground in the Nazca Desert , a dry plateau located in Peru . They cover an
area of some 50 miles, and were supposedly created between 200 BC and 700 AD
by the Nazca Indians, who designed them by scraping away the copper colored
rocks of the desert floor to expose the lighter-colored earth beneath. The
lines have managed to remain intact for hundreds of years thanks to the
regions arid climate, which sees it receive little rain or wind throughout
the year. Some of the lines span distances of 600 feet, and they depict
everything from simple designs and shapes to characterizations of plants,
insects, and animals.
*The Mystery*
Scientists know who made the Nazca Lines and how they did it, but they still
dont know why. The most popular and reasonable hypothesis is that the lines
must have figured in the Nazca peoples religious beliefs, and that they made
the designs as offerings to the gods, who would ve been able to see them
from the heavens. Still, other scientists argue that the lines are evidence
of massive looms that the Nazcas used to make textiles, and one investigator
has even made the preposterous claim that they are the remnants of ancient
airfields used by a vanished, technologically advanced society.
*6. Goseck Circle*
One of the most mysterious landmarks in Germany is the Goseck Circle , a
monument made out of earth, gravel, and wooden palisades that is regarded as
the earliest example of a primitive œsolar observatory. The circle consists
of a series of circular ditches surrounded by palisade walls (which have
since been reconstructed) that house a raised mound of dirt in the center.
The palisades have three openings, or gates, that point southeast,
southwest, and north. It is believed that the monument was built around 4900
BC by Neolithic peoples, and that the three openings correspond to the
direction from which the sun rises on the winter solstice.
*The Mystery*
The monuments careful construction has led many scientists to believe that
the Goseck Circle was built to serve as some kind of primitive solar or
lunar calendar, but its exact use is still a source of debate. Evidence has
shown that a so-called œsolar cult was widespread in ancient Europe . This
has led to speculation that the Circle was used in some kind of ritual,
perhaps even in conjunction with human sacrifice. This hypothesis has yet to
be proven, but archeologists have uncovered several human bones, including a
headless skeleton, just outside the palisade walls.* *
*5. Sacsayhuaman*
Not far from the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu lies Sacsayhuaman, a
strange embankment of stone walls located just outside of Cuzco . The series
of three walls was assembled from massive 200-ton blocks of rock and
limestone, and they are arranged in a zigzag pattern along the hillside. The
longest is roughly 1000 feet in length and each stands some fifteen feet
tall. The monument is in astonishingly good condition for its age,
especially considering the regions propensity for earthquakes, but the tops
of the walls are somewhat demolished, as the monument was plundered by the
Spanish to build churches in Cuzco . The area surrounding the monument has
been found to be the source of several underground catacombs called
chincanas, which were supposedly used as connecting passageways to other
Inca structures in the area.
*The Mystery*
Most scientists agree that Sacsayhuaman served as a kind of fortress of
barrier wall, but this has been disputed. The strange shape and angles of
the wall have led some speculate that it may have had a more symbolic
function, one example being that the wall, when seen next to Cuzco from
above, forms the shape of the head of a Cougar. Even more mysterious than
the monuments use, though, are the methods that were used in its
construction. Like most Inca stone works, Sacsayhuaman was built with large
stones that fit together so perfectly that not even a sheet of paper can be
placed in the gaps between them. Just how the Incas managed such expert
placements, or, for that matter, how they managed to transport and lift the
heavy hunks of stone, is still not fully known.* *
*4. The Easter Island Moai*
One of the most iconic series of monuments in the Pacific islands is the
Moai, a group of huge statues of exaggerated human figures that are found
only on the small, isolated island of Rapa Nui , or Easter Island . The Moai
were carved sometime between 1250 and 1500 AD by the islands earliest
inhabitants, and are believed to depict the peoples ancestors, who in their
culture were held in the same regard as deities. The Moai were chiseled and
carved from tuff, a volcanic rock that is prevalent on the island, and they
all feature the same characteristics of an oversized head, broad nose, and a
mysterious, indecipherable facial expression. Scientists have determined
that as many as 887 of the statues were originally carved, but years of
infighting among the islands clans led to many being destroyed. Today, only
394 are still standing, the largest of which is 30 feet tall and weighs over
70 tons.
*The Mystery*
While there is a fairly solid consensus on why the Moai were erected, how
the islanders did it is still up for debate. The average Moai weighs several
tons, and for years scientists were at a loss to describe how the monuments
were transported from Rano Raraku, where most of them were constructed, to
their various locations around the island. In recent years, the most popular
theory is that the builders used wooden sleds and log rollers to move the
Moai, an answer that would also explain how the once verdant island became
almost totally barren due to deforestation.
*3. The Georgia Guidestones*
While most of the mysterious monuments on this list only became that way as
centuries passed, the Georgia Guidestones, also known as American
Stonehenge, are one landmark that was always intended to be an enigma. The
monument, which consists of four monolithic slabs of granite that support a
single capstone, was commissioned in 1979 by a man who went by the pseudonym
of R.C. Christian. A local mason carefully crafted it so that one slot in
the stones is aligned with the sun on the solstices and equinoxes, and one
small hole is always pointed in the direction of the North Star. Most
interesting, though, are the inscriptions on the slabs, which an
accompanying plaque describes as œthe guidestones to an Age of Reason. In
eight different languages, the slabs offer a strange ten-point plan to
ensure peace on Earth that includes vague proclamations like œprize
truth"beauty"love"seeking harmony with the infinite, to very specific
commands like œmaintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with
nature. Comments like this one have made the Guidestones one of the most
controversial landmarks in the United States, and they have long been
protested and even vandalized by groups that would like to see them
demolished.
*The Mystery*
For all their controversy, very little is known about who built the
Guidestones or what their true purpose is. R.C. Christian claimed he
represented an independent organization when he commissioned the landmark,
but neither he nor his group has spoken up since its construction. Since the
monument was built during the height of the Cold War, one popular theory
about the groups intentions is that the Guidestones were to serve as a
primer for how to rebuild society in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.*
*
*2. The Great Sphinx of Giza*
Sphinxes are massive stone statues that depict the body of a reclining lion
with the head and face of a human. The figures are found all over the world
in different forms, but they are most commonly linked with Egypt , which
features the most famous example in the form of the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Incredibly, the statue is carved out of one monolithic piece of rock, and at
240 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 66 feet tall, it is considered to be the
biggest monument of its kind in the world. Historians largely accept the
function of the Sphinx to have been that of a symbolic guardian, since the
statues were strategically placed around important structures like temples,
tombs, and pyramids. The Great Sphinx of Giza appears to be no different. It
stands adjacent to the pyramid of the pharaoh Khafra, and most archeologists
believe that it is his face that is depicted on that of the statue.* *
*The Mystery*
Despite its reputation as one of the most famous monuments of antiquity,
there is still very little known about the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Egyptologists might have a small understanding of why the statue was built,
but when, how, and by who is still shrouded in mystery. The pharaoh Khafra
is the main suspect, which would date the structure back to around 2500 BC,
but other scientists have argued that evidence of water erosion of the
statue suggests that it is much older and perhaps even predated the dynastic
era of the Egyptians. This theory has few modern adherents, but if true it
would mean the Great Sphinx of Giza is even more mysterious than previously
believed.* *
*1. Stonehenge*
Of all the worlds famous monuments, none has gained as much of a reputation
for pure, simple mystery as Stonehenge . Stonehenge has been inspiring
debate among scholars, scientists, and historians since the Middle Ages.
Located in the English countryside, the landmark is believed to date back to
2500 BC, and consists of several mammoth pieces of rock arranged and piled
on top of one another in what appears at first to be a random design. The
site is surrounded by a small, circular ditch, and is flanked by burial
mounds on all sides. Although the rock formations that still remain are
undoubtedly impressive, it is thought that the modern version of Stonehenge
is only a small remnant of a much larger monument that was damaged with the
passing of time, and it is largely believed that the building process was so
extensive that it could have lasted on and off for anywhere from 1500 to
7000 years.
*The Mystery*
Stonehenge has become renowned for puzzling even the most brilliant
researchers, and over the years the many gaps in the history of its
construction, the nature of its use, and the true identity of its builders
have become known as The Mystery of Stonehenge. The Neolithic people who
built the monument left behind no written records, so scientists can only
base their theories on the meager evidence that exists at the site. This has
led to wild speculation that the monument was left by aliens, or that it was
built by some eons-old society of technologically advanced super-humans. All
craziness aside, the most common explanation remains that Stonehenge served
as some kind of graveyard monument that played a role in the builders
version of the afterlife, a claim that is backed up by its proximity to
several hundred burial mounds. Yet another theory suggests that the site was
a place for spiritual healing and the worship of long dead ancestors.
Secrets of Stonehenge
Many secrets remain surrounding the creation of Stonehenge. Archaeologists
try to unravel the mystery.
watch and
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