The world is still young and mysterious. There are countless landmarks left by civilizations from ancient times that are both profound and weird at the same time. These landmarks are either built to provide significance to their culture or are simply there for an unknown purpose. These landmarks have left mysteries in their wake. Here are the top 5 mysterious landmarks.
1. Yonaguni Monument
The Yonaguni Monument is a mysterious rock formation off the coast of the island in Japan. Yonaguni is the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. The rock formations have been the center of debate for many years. It was either believed that the rock formations have been modified or if the site is completely natural, or if it is a man-made artifact. The site is now protected and is called the Yonaguni Submarine Ruins. It was discovered in 1987 when a group of divers who were off to observe hammerhead sharks when they stumble upon the ruins that have solid rock formations such as massive platforms, carved steps, and stone pillars that run from 5 to 40 meters underwater. Although the current is very tremendous in the Yonaguni Ruins, it didn’t stop divers from experiencing what may have been ruins of an ancient civilization.
The continuous existence of the debate of whether it is man-made or natural has sparked a worldwide phenomenon. Several scientists believed that the ruins were naturally made sense most of the formations are the extensions of the Sanninudai slate which was part of the Earth’s surface. Others believe that it was man-made and that it was built around 10,000 BCE right around the Ice Age where the sea levels were much lower than they are today. There is also an existence of an ancient stoneworking tradition in Yonaguni and other Ryukyu islands that are found similar to the ruins underwater.
Some of these are found in tombs and stone vessels. But the most mysterious of them all is who constructed the formation if they were man-made, how they were formed if they were naturally constructed, and what purpose does it serve still remains the question.
2. Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are ancient geoglyphs found in the Nazca Desert in Peru. They are found almost 400 km south of Lima, the capital of Peru. The Nazca Lines have been proclaimed as a Heritage Site in 1994. The Nazca Lines are a series of carved soil that when looked up high above they would form different images such as flowers, fish, monkeys, lizards, and spiders. The lines are shallow designs made in the ground by removing the topmost portion of the soil thus exposing the more grayish to whitish sediments. Most of the shapes are animals but there are also others that form trees and flowers. Overall, the Nazca Lines still remain a mystery as to how they are able to provide an image that can only be seen from up above. But, generally, they have been accepted as some form of religious significance to the civilization that perpetuated them.
The Nazca Lines are fortunate enough to withstand withering and soil erosion. The climate and the isolation of the geoglyphs were the perfect places for preserving these ancient images.
But in recent years, the Nazca Lines are slowly deteriorating due to the rapid influx of squatters that may threaten the eradication of the geoglyphs. Scientists have studied the purpose of the Nazca Lines and have hypothesized that the Nazca people created them to be seen by their gods and honor them.
3. Moai
The Moai are monolithic human figures carved by an ancient civilization on Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. There were almost 887 statues but most of them were destroyed due to the breakdown of civilization within the island while others were destroyed or cast down after war within the clans. When the Europeans arrived on the shores of the island, the Moai’s were thought to be the living faces of their ancestors who went to become deities. Tribes within the island believe that these structures signify their ancestors and honor them. What makes them mysterious is that they all have the same undecipherable facial expressions. What makes them even more mysterious is how they were built and transported.
Scientists have discovered that these Polynesian people carved the statues from tuff which is a byproduct of a volcanic eruption. They were supposed to be transported using a wooden sled or rolled in logs. Most of them weigh tons and tons and are almost 10 meters high. One unfinished structure would have broken the record for weighing almost 270 tons and with a height of 21 meters.
4. The Great Sphinx of Giza
Sphinx are massive statues made of stone. Sphinxes are found all over the world and all of them have their mysterious origins. How can someone from different regions of the world have the same structure as a man with the body of an animal? It is as if the sphinx is depicted as a creature guarding something very important. It is said in mythology especially in Egyptian and Greek mythology that the Sphinx guards a certain artifact. The sphinx would then ask a riddle and if no one can answer it will devour them. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a stone statue that is 240 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 66 feet tall. It is a symbolic guardian of the Great Pyramids.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is said to be created by the Pharoah Khafra and that the creature’s head is his but there are certain scientific findings that the sphinx itself predate any Egyptian dynasty.
It is also unknown when and how the sphinx was built and who built it and for what purpose. There is no written inscriptions as to who constructed the sphinx or its general purpose nor does it appear in any scriptures in their times.
5. Stonehenge
Out of all the mysterious landmarks in the world, none is more mysterious than Stonehenge. Found in Wiltshire, England, this prehistoric monument was somehow believed to be erected some 3,000 years ago.
The large circular structures filled with monoliths were believed to be a place where human remains were found. Deposits continued at the Stonehenge for at least 500 years. Scientists believe that it may be a place for human sacrifice. The Stonehenge is now part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
The Stonehenge was produced by a culture that had no written records. Many believe that Stonehenge was built as a place for healing and that it is also a place for peace as the place also serves as the burial grounds for many. Another theory sought to believe that the monument was built with the intention to unify the different people of the British island.