Yonaguni pyramids. Underwater Megalithic Complex Yonaguni (Japan) - Earth before the Flood: Disappeared Continents and Civilizations

Mysterious underwater pyramids off the coast of the island of Yonaguni, scientists still cause heated debate - is this a natural phenomenon, or a human creation? Before you is a computer model of a mysterious find.

The history of these underwater pyramids begins in 1986, when divers at a depth of 30 meters discovered an unusual rock formation. Forms of even stepped terraces, pyramids and platforms very quickly interested the public. One of the most high pyramids was 182 meters wide and 27 meters high.

There were traces of processing and carving on the stone blocks, which confirms the theory of scientists that the Yonaguni monument is not a natural formation, but the creation of human hands. Masaki Kimura, a marine geologist at the University of Japan, has been studying underwater pyramids for over 15 years. The scientist believes that this place is more than 5,000 years old, but it was flooded 2,000 years ago during an earthquake.

There is also an opinion that the structure of the mysterious find is much older, and this version is shared by Teruaki Ishi, professor of geology at the University of Tokyo. According to his calculations, the immersion of the terraces under water occurred at the end of the last ice age- about 10 thousand years ago. In this case, the age of the Yonaguni buildings is 2 times the age Egyptian pyramids.

Not far from the pyramids, a man's head carved from stone was found, on which many unknown hieroglyphs were carved. This fact only confirms that the underwater pyramids are not an ordinary natural formation.

With all the similarities of the Yonaguni rocks, there are very strong differences between them. In a limited area of ​​the Monument, elements of completely different type: edge with sharp edges, round holes, stepped descent, perfectly straight narrow trench.

If the reason was only in natural erosion, then it would be logical to expect the same forms in the entire piece of rock. That side by side are so different elements, is a strong argument in favor of their artificial origin.

Moreover, a few tens of meters away on the same rock of the same rock, there is a radically different landscape. There is no doubt that he was created by nature. But even with the naked eye you can see its sharp difference from the processed part of the rock.

The next argument is that the blocks separated from the rock do not at all lie where they should fall under the influence of gravity. Instead, they are either collected in one place or absent altogether. If the object were created by erosion, then there would be a lot of debris on the bottom next to it, as on the modern shores of the island. But here this is not observed.

The meeting of two professional geologists was literally epoch-making for the Yonaguni monument. If earlier Schoch adhered to the version natural nature object, Kimura insisted on its completely artificial origin. As a result of taking into account all the available facts, both specialists agreed on a kind of "compromise", both of them refusing to extreme points vision.

They came to the conclusion that the Monument belongs to the so-called "terra-formations", that is, the original natural "blank" was later changed and finalized by human hands. Such formations are not unusual, they were very common in ancient world

Yonaguni Island is located in the west of Japan - it is the most West Side countries. The area of ​​Yonaguni is only 28.88 km?, and the population is about 2 thousand people. Yonaguni became famous in the mid-80s, when divers discovered mysterious rock terraces and pyramids with sharp corners underwater. There are still disputes, but no one knows what secrets the island holds. Scientists are inclined to believe that these pyramids were created artificially many millennia ago. unknown civilization that disappeared from the face of the earth. I suggest you take a trip to the underwater world of Yonaguni, full of secrets and mysteries.

The mysterious underwater pyramids of Yonaguni Island off the coast of Japan still cause controversy - is this a natural phenomenon, or a human creation? If the monument to Yonaguni is man-made, it will radically change the history of mankind. The history of these underwater pyramids dates back to 1986, when divers discovered an unusual rock formation at a depth of 25 meters underwater. These were rocks in the form of even stepped terraces, pyramids and platforms. One of the tallest pyramids was 600 feet wide and 90 feet high.

There were traces of processing and carving on the stone blocks, which confirms the theory of scientists that the Yonaguni monument is not a natural formation, but artificially created. Masaki Kimura, a marine geologist at the University of Japan, has been studying underwater pyramids for over 15 years. The scientist believes that this place is more than five thousand years old, but it was flooded 2 thousand years ago during an earthquake.

Other scientists believe the structure is much older, including Teruaki Ishi, a professor of geology at the University of Tokyo. He determined that the immersion of the terraces under water occurred at the end of the last ice age - about 10 thousand years ago. In this case, the age of the Yonaguni pyramids is twice that of the Egyptian pyramids. Interestingly, the number of artifacts found was about the same on land and under water. Not far from the pyramids, a man's head carved from stone was discovered, on which many unknown hieroglyphs were carved. It is hard to imagine that this is a natural formation

“There is a land of the Gods called Nirai-Kanai, where the ancient gods live – this unknown distant place is the source of happiness for the whole world”


The opposite point of view was held by Robert Schoch, professor of mathematics at Boston University. He believed that the pyramids of Yonaguni were formed naturally - this is how nature tried. According to him, this is natural tectonic activity, as evidenced by the photograph below, which shows a similar formation on land created by nature. There is also a possibility that the monument was formed naturally, but then was processed by people. Shoch was of this mind until he met Kimura. The arguments of Kimura, who was more familiar with the features of the monument, strongly influenced Shoch's opinion. Moreover, the arguments were supported by photographs of details that Schoch simply did not see during his dives, since he dived only a few times

With all the similarities of the Yonaguni rocks, there are very strong differences between them. In a limited area of ​​the Monument, elements of completely different types turn out to be very close to each other. For example: edge with sharp edges, round holes, stepped descent, perfectly straight narrow trench. If the reason was only in natural erosion, then it would be logical to expect the same forms in the entire piece of rock. The fact that there are such different elements side by side is a strong argument in favor of their artificial origin. Here is an example of one of these formations called Turtle



Moreover, very close, literally a few tens of meters away on the same rock of the same rock, there is a radically different landscape. There is no doubt that he was created by nature. But even with the naked eye you can see its sharp difference from the processed part of the rock.

The next argument is that the blocks separated from the rock do not at all lie where they should fall under the influence of gravity. Instead, they are either collected in one place or absent altogether. If the object were created by erosion, then there would be a lot of debris on the bottom next to it, as on the modern shores of the island. And here it is not...

The meeting of two professional geologists was literally epoch-making for the Yonaguni monument. If earlier Shoch adhered to the version of the natural nature of the object, then Kimura insisted on its completely artificial origin. As a result of taking into account all the available facts, both specialists agreed on a kind of "compromise", both of them refusing extreme points of view. They came to the conclusion that the Monument belongs to the so-called "terra-formations", that is, the original natural "blank" was later changed and finalized by human hands. Such formations are not unusual, they were quite common in the ancient world...

“After meeting with Professor Kimura,” Schoch wrote later, “I cannot completely rule out the possibility that the Yonaguni monument was at least partially processed and modified by human hands. Professor Kimura pointed out a number of important elements that I did not see during my first, brief visit..."

However, the Yonaguni Monument has not been recognized as a site by the Japanese government. cultural heritage, which must be protected and preserved, although the existence of a stone processing industry on the island has been proven. This is confirmed by the ancient catacombs of indeterminate age.


The history of outstanding archaeological finds develops in different ways. Sometimes experts spend decades looking for some kind of treasure or civilization that disappeared from the face of the earth several millennia ago. And another time, it is enough for a lucky diver to go down with scuba gear under the water and - here you are, please - the remains of an ancient city appear before his eyes. This is exactly what happened in the spring of 1985, when scuba diving instructor Kihachiro Aratake dived in the coastal waters of a small Japanese island Yonaguni.


Not far from the shore at a depth of 15 meters, he noticed a huge stone plateau. Wide flat platforms, covered with an ornament of rectangles and rhombuses, turned into intricate terraces running down large steps. The edge of the object was cut vertically down by a wall to the very bottom to a depth of 27 meters.


The diver spoke about his find to Professor Masaaki Kimura, a specialist in marine geology and seismology from Ryukyu University. The professor was interested in the find, but most of his colleagues were skeptical about it. Kimura put on a wetsuit, plunged into the sea and personally explored the object. Since then, he has made over a hundred dives and has become the site's primary expert.


Soon the professor held a press conference, at which he authoritatively declared to the reporter: an unknown to science was found ancient city. Kimura presented photographs of the find, diagrams, and drawings to the attention of the general public. The scientist understood that he was going against the vast majority of historians and was risking his own reputation by defending the artificial origin of underwater structures.


According to him, this huge complex buildings, which includes castles, monuments and even a stadium, connected by a complex system of roads and waterways. Massive stone blocks, he argued, are part of a huge man-made complex, cut right into the rock. Kimura also found numerous tunnels, wells, stairs, terraces, and even one pool.


Since then, scientific passions have not subsided around the underwater city off the coast of Yonaguni. On the one hand, these ruins are very reminiscent of megalithic structures in other parts of the world, starting from Stonehenge in England and the cyclopean buildings that remained in Greece after the crash Minoan civilization, and ending with the pyramids of Egypt, Mexico and the temple complex of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes.


It is related to the latter by a characteristic terraced landscape and a mysterious statue resembling a human head in a feather headdress, similar to those worn by the inhabitants of pre-Columbian America.


Even the technological features of buildings underwater complex similar to those constructive solutions, which the ancient Incas used in the construction of their cities. This is in good agreement with current ideas about the ancient population The New World, which gave rise to the highly developed cultures of the Maya, Incas and Aztecs, came from Asia.
But why do scientists argue so fiercely about the Yonaguni complex and there is no end in sight to the discussions? The whole snag is in the estimated date of construction of the mysterious city.


It does not fit into modern historical theories. Studies have shown that the rock in which it was carved went under water no later than 10,000 years ago, that is, much earlier than the construction of the Egyptian pyramids and cyclopean structures Minoan era, not to mention the monuments of the ancient Indians. According to modern ideas, in that distant era, people huddled in caves and only knew how to collect edible roots and hunt wild animals.


And the hypothetical creators of the Yonaguni complex at that time were already able to process stone, owned the appropriate set of tools, knew geometry, and this runs counter to the ideas of adherents of traditional historical science. Indeed, it somehow does not fit in my head that the same Egyptians reached a comparable technological level only 5,000 years later! If we accept the arguments of the supporters of the version of Professor Kimura as true, then we will have to rewrite history great.


Therefore, until now, most representatives of academic science prefer to explain the incredible relief of the underwater rock off the coast of Yonaguni as a whim of natural elements. According to skeptics, the bizarre stone landscape arose due to the physical characteristics of the rock that makes up the rock formation.


This is a kind of sandstone, which tends to crack along the planes, which can fully explain the terraced arrangement of the complex and the geometric shapes of massive stone blocks. But the trouble is that the numerous regular circles found there, as well as the symmetry characteristic of stone blocks, cannot be explained by this property of sandstone, as well as the strange binding of all these forms to one place.


Skeptics have no answers to these questions, and therefore the mysterious underwater city off the coast of the Japanese island of Yonaguni has long been a stumbling block for historians and archaeologists. The only thing that both supporters and opponents of artificial origin agree on rock complex: he ended up under water as a result of some monstrous natural disaster, which in the history of the Japanese islands were many.


The world's largest tsunami hit the island of Yonaguni on April 24, 1771. The waves reached a height of over 40 meters. Then, 13,486 people died from the disaster, 3,237 houses were destroyed.


The tsunami is considered one of the worst natural disasters to hit Japan. Maybe, similar disaster ruined ancient civilization who built the city off the island of Yonaguni. Professor Kimura in 2007 presented his computer model of underwater ruins at a scientific conference in Japan. According to his assumptions, there are ten underwater structures near the island of Yonaguni, and five more such buildings are located off the main island of Okinawa.


The massive ruins cover an area of ​​more than 45,000 square meters. Kimura believes the ruins are at least 5,000 years old. His calculations are based on the age of stalactites found in underwater caves, which Kimura believes sank with the city. Stalactites and stalagmites form only above water in an extremely slow process. Underwater caves with stalactites found around Okinawa indicate that once most of this area was on dry land. “The largest structure looks like a complex stepped monolithic pyramid rising from a depth of 25 meters,” Kimura said in an interview. Over the years, he created a detailed picture of these ancient ruins, until he discovered the similarity between underwater structures and those found in archaeological excavations on the land.


For example, a semi-circular cutout on a rocky platform corresponds to the entrance to the castle, which is located on land. Nakagusuku Castle in Okinawa has a perfect semi-circular entrance, typical of Ryukyu castles in the 13th century. The two underwater megaliths—huge, six-meter-high, vertically placed rocks side by side—also bear a resemblance to twin megaliths in other parts of Japan, such as Mount Nabeyama in Gifu Prefecture. What does it say? It seems, underground city near the island of Yonaguni was a continuation of a whole complex of ground structures. In other words, in ancient times the ancestors modern Japanese built up the islands at their own discretion, but a natural disaster, most likely a giant tsunami, destroyed the fruits of their labors.


One way or another, the underwater city of Yonaguni turns our ideas about historical science upside down. Most archaeologists believe that human civilization arose about 5,000 years ago, but few scientists believe that "advanced" civilizations may have existed as early as 10,000 years ago and were wiped off the face of the earth as a result of some kind of catastrophe. And the underwater city of Yonaguni testifies to this.

Off the coast of the westernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, there is a rock mass that is equally popular among both divers and scientists of various fields. In the world, the mysterious object is known as the Yonaguni Monument. What's so special about it?

The underwater world of the Japanese island of Yonaguni is quite picturesque. Divers are attracted Coral reefs and diversity local fauna. Therefore, it is not surprising that the discovery of mysterious formations off the coast of the island belongs to the experienced diver Kihachiro Arataka.

In the spring of 1985, while exploring new places, Kihachiro accidentally discovered stone objects of an unusual shape and size. Outwardly, they resembled stepped pyramids. He was so amazed by the find that he immediately reported it to the authorities and the press. And I didn't guess. Since its opening, the Yonaguni complex has become a real sensation. The study of formations continues to this day.

General information about the Yonaguni complex

The stone formations at Yonaguni occupy a vast area near south coast islands. They are located at a depth of 30 m. Most of all, a stone mass with a complex structure stands out, the basis for which is a platform 183 m long, 150 m wide and 42 m high. The object has flat terraces descending in steps. Guided by the latter characteristic, some researchers compare this monument with the pyramids of the ancient Incas and Sumerians.

At the very top of the massif, you can see a small "pool", and next to it - a formation that scuba divers call "turtle". At the base of the object, you can see a stone-paved path. The latter leads to a rounded 2-ton megalith.

Near the monument, a stone "fence" of huge rock blocks was found, as well as small "pyramids" with a height of 10 m. The age of terraced formations near the Ryukyu Islands ranges from 10-16 thousand years.

The origin of the Yonaguni monument continues to be controversial. Some scientists believe that this object has natural origin, others provide evidence in favor of human creation. In addition, there is an assumption that this is an ancient city.

Assumptions of scientists about the origin of mysterious stone formations

Hypothesis of Robert Schoch. This is a geologist from Boston University who participated in the study of the complex in 1997. In his opinion, we are talking about a miraculous structure.

Schoch notes that the smooth lines and sharp corners of the monument are due to the fact that the monolith consists of sandstone, which tends to crack along the planes. The named feature of the sandstone is enhanced by the high seismic activity of the area. Later, the German geologist Wolf Wichmann agreed with Schoch's conclusions.

At the same time, the American geologist noted that the formations are not devoid of partial manual processing. So, in ancient times it could be a quarry, a quarry or a natural boat dock. Despite the fact that at first Schoch rejected the possibility that this was an underwater city, he later made very unexpected suggestions.

In one of the publications, Professor Schoch noted that there are a number of ancient graves on the island of Yonaguni, the architecture of which in some places resembles the underwater monument under study. Perhaps, when constructing burials, people imitated it, or maybe the monument itself was rebuilt by people. Thus, Schoch admits that the people who inhabited the island could partially change the natural structure of the massif.

Hypothesis of Masaaki Kimura. The named scientist works at Ryukyu University. Professor of marine geology Kimura, together with his students, made more than a dozen dives in the study area. In the end, he came to the conclusion that the Yonaguni monument - man-made structure. In his opinion, the object was carved into the rock during the period when it was still above the water. Kimura offers the following arguments in favor of his hypothesis:

  • on the northern corners of the monument, symmetrical trenches are visible, which could not have been formed as a result of natural processes;
  • traces of markings;
  • continuity of the array structure from the underwater part to the ground;
  • traces of the use of fire;
  • stone tools found underwater and on land;
  • one of the stones is decorated with a relief depicting an animal;

Kimur's hypothesis was generally supported by the Indian archaeologist Sundaresh. According to him, the terrace formations at Yonaguni are undoubtedly man-made. Sundaresh believes that before sinking to modern depth, the structure could have served as a pier for loading and unloading operations.

Stone massifs similar to the Yonaguni monument have been found near Chatan Island in Okinawa, which raises additional questions and new assumptions. Who knows, maybe we are talking about a secret that will cross out existing ideas about ancient history Japan.

Yonaguni Island is located in the western part of Japan. Its area is 28.88 square kilometers. The population is about 2,000 people. Yonaguni became famous in the 80s when divers discovered mysterious rocky terraces and ledges resembling pyramids underwater.

The complex was accidentally discovered in the spring of 1985 by a local diving instructor K. Aratak. Not far from the shore, literally under the surface of the water, he saw a huge stone monument. Wide flat platforms turned into interesting terraces running down large steps. The edge of the object was cut vertically down by a wall to the very bottom to a depth of 27 meters, forming one of the walls of the trench running along the entire monument.

The structural elements seemed to have a very definite architectural scheme, somewhat reminiscent of the stepped pyramids of Ancient Sumer.

Even if it turned out to be only a game of nature, Arataka was already lucky - he found an object worthy of surprise even for the most picky tourist. But the abundance of regular geometric shapes made us think about the possibility and man-made nature, and Aratache decided to report his find to the experts.

"There is a land of the Gods called Nirai-Kanai, where the ancient Gods live - this unknown distant place is a source of happiness for the whole world."

Alas… The scientific community has almost completely ignored these messages. The main reason for this is quite simple: according to the most rough estimates, this complex could rise above the surface of the water less than 10,000 years ago, when the water level in the oceans was 40 meters below the current one. Approximately the same antiquity is evidenced by the dating of the remains of vegetation found nearby, characteristic of dry soil, and not the seabed. Historians have no information about the culture capable of creating such a structure here. Therefore, the hypothesis of the artificial origin of the underwater monument of Yonaguni was declared mere speculation and everything was written off as a bizarre game of nature. Quite quickly, the discussion of the find became the property of only esoteric publications, ignored by official science.

Only Masaaki Kimura, a professor at Ryukyu University, took the discovery seriously. And in this, the Monument was very lucky, since Kimura is a recognized specialist in the field of marine geology and seismology. He has been studying the underwater surroundings of Yonaguni for more than 10 years, during which time he has made more than a hundred dives and has become the main expert on the object. As a result of his research, Professor Kimura decided to go against the vast majority of historians and risk his reputation by defending the artificial origin of the monument.

Over time, Graham Hancock, a staunch supporter of the hypothesis of the existence of a highly developed civilization in ancient times, and the author of
a number of books on the subject.

In September 1997, he arrived in Yonaguni with a film crew. He managed to interest and attract to the trip Robert Schoch, a professor at Boston University, a geologist, known primarily for his conclusion that

What is the real age of the famous Egyptian Sphinx much more than official Egyptology believes. And Hancock expected that Schoch would confirm with his authority artificial nature finds of Aratake. But it was not there…

During the first trip in 1997, Schoch did not find unequivocal evidence of the man-made nature of the object. Rather the opposite...
The fact is that the Monument consists of sandstone and sedimentary rocks, outcrops of which are still visible on the coast of the island. Under influence sea ​​waves, rains and winds, they are destroyed in such a way that forms arise like steps and terraces. Nature is not capable of such "quirks", but here, in addition, the very structure of the deposits leads to the appearance of almost perfectly straight cracks. Yes, and at angles of 90 and 60 degrees to each other, which contributes to the formation of strict geometric shapes: rectangular steps, triangles and rhombuses. Everything seems to speak for the fact that the Monument has natural origin.

This was the first conclusion of Shoch. although he took into account that in a few dives it is impossible to see absolutely everything and it is quite possible to miss some important details. So Shoch decided to meet with Kimu Roy. The arguments of Kimura, who is more familiar with the details of the object, greatly shattered Shocha's opinion. Moreover, the arguments were supported by photographs of details that Schoch simply did not see during his dives. For all the similarities of the rocks on the island with the Monument, there are very strong differences between them. In a limited area of ​​the Monument, elements of completely different types turn out to be very close to each other. For example: edge with sharp edges, round holes, stepped descent, perfectly straight narrow trench. If the reason was only in natural erosion, then it would be logical to expect the same forms in the entire piece of rock. The fact that there are such different elements side by side is a strong argument in favor of their artificial origin. Moreover, very close, literally a few tens of meters away on the same rock of the same rock, there is a completely different landscape. There is no doubt that it was created by nature. But even with the naked eye you can see its sharp difference from the processed part of the rock.

The next argument is that the blocks separated from the rock do not at all lie where they should fall under the influence of gravity. Instead, they are either collected in one place, or absent altogether. Ka

to on the “circumferential road”, where the debris is removed from the foot of the Monument by 6 meters or more. If the object were created by erosion, then there would be a lot of debris on the bottom next to it, as on the modern shores of the island. And here it is not...
And finally, there are rather deep symmetrical trenches and other elements on the Monument, the formation of which is very difficult to explain by known natural processes.

“After meeting with Professor Kimura,” Schoch later wrote, “I cannot completely rule out the possibility that the Yonaguni monument was at least partially processed and altered by human hands. Professor Kimura pointed out a number of important elements that I did not see during my first, brief visit…”.

The meeting of two professional geologists had for the Yon monument

Aguni is literally epoch-making. If earlier Shoch adhered to the version of the natural nature of the object, then Kimura insisted on its completely artificial origin. As a result of taking into account all the available facts, both specialists agreed on a kind of “compromise”, both of them refusing extreme points of view. They came to the conclusion that the Monument belongs to the so-called "terraforming", that is, the original natural "blank" was later changed and finalized by human hands. Such "terraforming" is not something completely unusual, but was quite common in the ancient world...

The materials of the 1997 expedition were included in documentary"Search Lost Civilization”, shown by British television and accompanying the release of Hancock's next book, Mirror of Heaven. The film and book received a wide response. The information blockade around the Yonaguni megalith was broken, and science community was forced to respond. 13 years after the opening of the Monument, in July 1998, a decision was finally made on its cross-sectoral scientific research. Led by diver and certified archaeologist Michael Arbuthnot, a group of specialists attempted to solve the mystery of the object. The group included geologists, underwater archaeologists, experienced divers, and even anthropologists with linguists. Shoch was also invited to the expedition, who had the opportunity to satisfy his desire to re-examine the Monument and to be convinced of the fruitfulness of his “compromise” approach with Kimura. The group members spent 3 weeks diving and exploring. And, perhaps, the opinion of its leader speaks very eloquently about the results of the expedition. At first, Arbuthnot was skeptical of Kimura's theory of the artificiality of the Monument, but in the course of research he was forced to

abandon your skepticism.

“I was convinced of the handling of the Yonaguni object by human hands,” he concluded. — We have studied the natural geology near the find, but there are no such uniform external forms, and therefore the probability of human processing of the monument is very high. There are also many such details that exclude the version of the formation of the object in a natural way. Kimura's report at a conference in Japan in 2001 was a kind of intermediate result of research that continued after the expedition.

Teruaki Ishi, a professor of geology at the University of Tokyo, determined that the terraces were submerged at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. In this case, the age of the "pyramids" of Yonaguni is twice that of the Egyptian pyramids. Interestingly, the number of artifacts found was about the same on land and under water.

While there were disputes between supporters and opponents of the artificial origin of the Monument, searches in the coastal waters of Yonaguni continued. It soon became clear that this is not the only contender for the title of the ruins of an ancient civilization.

200 meters southeast of the Monument is an object called the Stadium. It really looks like a kind of stadium, representing a clean area about 80 meters in size, surrounded by stepped structures resembling spectator stands.
Although the "tribunes" themselves are very similar to purely natural formations, in

they also meet cut gutters and "paths".

In the end, an object was also found, from a distance something resembling the wheelhouse of a large submarine. But as you get closer to this "cutting house", it turns into ...

7-meter human head!!! She is sometimes referred to as a "moai-like figure" in reference to the statues of distant Easter Island. And if desired, a certain similarity can be found, although very distant.

In principle, the “head” itself may well be a purely natural formation. But it seems that the recesses that form the mouth and eyes show signs of, if not artificial, then clear refinement. In addition, the remains of a bas-relief are visible on the side of the head, in which some catch a detached resemblance to an Indian feather headdress. To be honest, the "similarity" is so-so ... Unless you turn on unlimited imagination ...

In the spring of 2004, a film crew from the program "Underwater World of Andrei Makarevich" visited Yonaguni, and they were able to meet directly with Massaki Kimura, as well as with Kihachiro Aratake, the discoverer of these underwater megaliths, who also acted as a diving guide, showing him almost everything that he was found in the waters off the coast. Thus, the information was obtained from the most first-hand.
As a result of the trip, a two-part film "Secrets of Yonaguni" was created. The film crew of Andrei Makarevich came to the conclusion that the local Monument has clear signs of man-made impact. And to argue that the megalith is of a purely natural origin, only one who has not seen anything with his own eyes can ...

There are several different versions of the destination underwater Monument. But closest to the observed features of this ancient monument it turns out that Shoch's version, according to which the Monument served as just a kind of quarry - a rock from which they cut off piece by piece. There was, for example, an artificial gutter cut into the rock mass. At the ends of the gutter, even the markings are clearly visible, apparently intended to continue it. Similar gutters are found not only on the Monument itself, but also on the "Stadium" and next to the underwater "stone head".
Where the huge stone blocks were taken out and what they were built from is unknown.

Maybe for construction mysterious pyramid, which Aratake saw at the eastern cape of the island? .. Due to the strong current and great depth He didn't even take a picture of her. So it is not clear whether this pyramid exists at all ...

At the "Stadium" Kimura, who accompanied the film crew " underwater world”, triumphantly demonstrated a perfectly rectangular hole in a stone monolith, going somewhere deep into an incomprehensible distance. A hole the size of an ordinary brick, if you look at this brick from the end. As if someone was laying some kind of cable here. And this - at a depth of about 40 meters! .. By the way, nearby on one of the terraces of the "Stadium" there was a site that gave the impression of being built of bricks exactly the size of the hole mentioned above.

One of these “bricks”, with the consent of Kimura, was delivered to Moscow, where it was presented to a geologist for identification. Alas, the "masonry" turned out to be an illusion generated by specifically straight cracks local breed. "Brick" clearly had a completely natural origin. (At the same time, the “brick” also refuted the version of some members of the expedition, who believed that the underwater objects of Yonaguni could be made of concrete.) Unfortunately, it was not possible to photograph the underwater stalactites, according to which the dating of the Monument was carried out. Just a few years ago, in the cave where these stalactites are located, three Japanese divers got lost and died. And for the Japanese, such a place becomes sacred. And to protect it sacred place from outsiders, they blocked the entrance and placed commemorative sign. After some time, the entrance completely collapsed, crushing the sign that had fallen at the same time and closing it tightly. Nature herself finished what the people who followed local tradition. The underwater stalactite became inaccessible, and only its photographs remained ...

There were some embarrassing moments. During the expedition, it turned out that some photographs of Yonaguni objects published on the Internet were clearly retouched in order to give greater “credibility” to the artificiality of their origin: the edges of the chute on the top platform of the Monument are excessively sharpened; the bas-relief on the “underwater head” is painted on to make it look more like an Indian headdress of bright feathers and the like. Such techniques do not help supporters of the ancient history of Yonaguni underwater objects, but only discredit their arguments and mislead the uninitiated. I had to abandon the version of the artificial origin of the "arched gate". On the Internet, their photos are most often published only from one side and from an advantageous angle so that one gets the impression of their man-made creation by someone from huge stones. However, the view from the other side of the “gate” makes one very, very doubtful about this: nature is capable of even more than that…

At a 2001 conference in Japan, there were reports that a giant stepped structure similar to the Yonaguni Monument had been discovered off Chatan Island in Okinawa; near the island of Kerama there are mysterious underwater "mazes"; and near the island of Aguni, cylindrical depressions similar to those found in the “triangular pool” of the Monument were found. On the other side of Yonaguni, in the strait between Taiwan and China, underwater structures resembling walls and roads were discovered ...

At the moment, these listed objects, unfortunately, lack scientific data. Their research has not really begun yet. But one can hope that it will still take place without such long breaks, as was the case with the Yonaguni Monument, which is still the most exciting find in the region.

Taken from "Discoveries and Hypotheses"