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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