top 10 mysterious sites Document

8/7/2019 top 10 mysterious sites Document

1/12

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 theselandmarks have been carefully studied and researched by scientists and historians, someare simply so old, incomplete, or obscure that we still dont know very much about whythey 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 peoplewho 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
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


2/12

its complex network of burial grounds and sophisticated landscaping prove that it wasonce a thriving community. It has been estimated that at its peak the city was home to asmany as 40,000 people, which would have made it the most populous settlement inAmerica prior to the arrival of the Europeans. The most notable aspect of Cahokia todayare 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 importantbuildings, like the home of the settlements chief, were built on top of them. The site alsofeatures a series of wooden posts that archeologists have dubbed woodhenge. The postsare said to mark the solstices and equinoxes, and supposedly figured prominently in thecommunitys astronomical mythology.

The MysteryAlthough scientists are constantly discovering new information about the Cohokiacommunity, 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 toabandon their settlement.

9. Newgrange
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


3/12

Considered to be the oldest and most famous prehistoric site in all of Ireland , Newgrangeis a tomb that was built from earth, wood, clay, and stone around 3100 BC, some 1000years before the construction of the pyramids in Egypt . It consists of a long passage thatleads to a cross-shaped chamber that was apparently used as a tomb, as it contains stonebasins 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 thisday. Most amazing of all, the entrance to the tomb was positioned relative to the sun insuch a way that on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the rays from the sunare channeled through the opening and down the nearly 60 foot passageway, where theyilluminate the floor of the monuments central room.

The MysteryArcheologists know Newgrange was used as a tomb, but why and for who still remains amystery. 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 thatthe sun featured prominently in the mythology of the builders, scientists are at a loss todescribe the true reason for Newgranges construction.

8. The Yonaguni Monument
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


4/12

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 wasdiscovered 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 scientificcommunity. The monument is made up of a series of striking rock formations includingmassive 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 inthe area are known for being particularly treacherous, but this has not stopped theYonaguni monument from becoming one of the most popular diving locations in all of Japan .

The MysteryThe ongoing debate surrounding Yonaguni centers on one key subject: is the monument anatural 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 theypoint to the fact that the monument is all one piece of solid rock as proof that it was notassembled by a builder. Others, though, point to the many straight edges, square cornersand 90-degree angles of the formation as proof that its artificial. They often cite oneformation 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: whoconstructed the Yonaguni Monument , and for what purpose?

7. The Nazca Lines
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


5/12

The Nazca lines are a series of designs and pictographs carved into the ground in theNazca Desert , a dry plateau located in Peru . They cover an area of some 50 miles, andwere supposedly created between 200 BC and 700 AD by the Nazca Indians, whodesigned them by scraping away the copper colored rocks of the desert floor to exposethe lighter-colored earth beneath. The lines have managed to remain intact for hundredsof years thanks to the regions arid climate, which sees it receive little rain or windthroughout the year. Some of the lines span distances of 600 feet, and they depicteverything from simple designs and shapes to characterizations of plants, insects, andanimals.

The MysteryScientists know who made the Nazca Lines and how they did it, but they still dont knowwhy. The most popular and reasonable hypothesis is that the lines must have figured inthe Nazca peoples religious beliefs, and that they made the designs as offerings to thegods, who would ve been able to see them from the heavens. Still, other scientists arguethat the lines are evidence of massive looms that the Nazcas used to make textiles, andone 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
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


6/12

One of the most mysterious landmarks in Germany is the Goseck Circle , a monumentmade out of earth, gravel, and wooden palisades that is regarded as the earliest exampleof a primitive solar observatory. The circle consists of a series of circular ditches surrounded by palisade walls (which have since been reconstructed) that house a raisedmound of dirt in the center. The palisades have three openings, or gates, that pointsoutheast, southwest, and north. It is believed that the monument was built around 4900BC by Neolithic peoples, and that the three openings correspond to the direction fromwhich the sun rises on the winter solstice.

The MysteryThe 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 exactuse is still a source of debate. Evidence has shown that a so-called solar cult was widespread in ancient Europe . This has led to speculation that the Circle was used insome kind of ritual, perhaps even in conjunction with human sacrifice. This hypothesishas yet to be proven, but archeologists have uncovered several human bones, including aheadless skeleton, just outside the palisade walls.

5. Sacsayhuaman


7/12

Not far from the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu lies Sacsayhuaman, a strangeembankment of stone walls located just outside of Cuzco . The series of three walls wasassembled from massive 200-ton blocks of rock and limestone, and they are arranged in azigzag pattern along the hillside. The longest is roughly 1000 feet in length and eachstands 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 wallsare somewhat demolished, as the monument was plundered by the Spanish to buildchurches in Cuzco . The area surrounding the monument has been found to be the source

of several underground catacombs called chincanas, which were supposedly used asconnecting passageways to other Inca structures in the area.

The MysteryMost scientists agree that Sacsayhuaman served as a kind of fortress of barrier wall, butthis has been disputed. The strange shape and angles of the wall have led some speculatethat it may have had a more symbolic function, one example being that the wall, whenseen next to Cuzco from above, forms the shape of the head of a Cougar. Even moremysterious 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 thatfit together so perfectly that not even a sheet of paper can be placed in the gaps betweenthem. Just how the Incas managed such expert placements, or, for that matter, how theymanaged to transport and lift the heavy hunks of stone, is still not fully known.

4. The Easter Island Moai


8/12

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, isolatedisland 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 peoplesancestors, 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 allfeature the same characteristics of an oversized head, broad nose, and a mysterious,indecipherable facial expression. Scientists have determined that as many as 887 of thestatues were originally carved, but years of infighting among the islands clans led tomany being destroyed. Today, only 394 are still standing, the largest of which is 30 feettall and weighs over 70 tons.

The MysteryWhile 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 scientistswere 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 recentyears, the most popular theory is that the builders used wooden sleds and log rollers tomove the Moai, an answer that would also explain how the once verdant island becamealmost totally barren due to deforestation.


9/12

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 bya man who went by the pseudonym of R.C. Christian. A local mason carefully crafted itso that one slot in the stones is aligned with the sun on the solstices and equinoxes, andone 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 asthe 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 likeprize truthbeautyloveseeking harmony with the infinite, to very specific commands like maintain 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 evenvandalized by groups that would like to see them demolished.

The MysteryFor all their controversy, very little is known about who built the Guidestones or what
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


10/12

their true purpose is. R.C. Christian claimed he represented an independent organizationwhen he commissioned the landmark, but neither he nor his group has spoken up since itsconstruction. Since the monument was built during the height of the Cold War, onepopular theory about the groups intentions is that the Guidestones were to serve as aprimer 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 headand face of a human. The figures are found all over the world in different forms, but theyare most commonly linked with Egypt , which features the most famous example in theform 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 thebiggest monument of its kind in the world. Historians largely accept the function of theSphinx to have been that of a symbolic guardian, since the statues were strategicallyplaced around important structures like temples, tombs, and pyramids. The Great Sphinxof Giza appears to be no different. It stands adjacent to the pyramid of the pharaohKhafra, and most archeologists believe that it is his face that is depicted on that of thestatue.
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/


11/12

The MysteryDespite its reputation as one of the most famous monuments of antiquity, there is stillvery 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 inmystery. The pharaoh Khafra is the main suspect, which would date the structure back toaround 2500 BC, but other scientists have argued that evidence of water erosion of thestatue suggests that it is much older and perhaps even predated the dynastic era of theEgyptians. This theory has few modern adherents, but if true it would mean the GreatSphinx 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, thelandmark 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 randomdesign. The site is surrounded by a small, circular ditch, and is flanked by burial moundson all sides. Although the rock formations that still remain are undoubtedly impressive, itis thought that the modern version of Stonehenge is only a small remnant of a much


12/12

larger monument that was damaged with the passing of time, and it is largely believedthat 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, andover the years the many gaps in the history of its construction, the nature of its use, andthe true identity of its builders have become known as The Mystery of Stonehenge. TheNeolithic people who built the monument left behind no written records, so scientists canonly base their theories on the meager evidence that exists at the site. This has led to wildspeculation that the monument was left by aliens, or that it was built by some eons-oldsociety of technologically advanced super-humans. All craziness aside, the most commonexplanation remains that Stonehenge served as some kind of graveyard monument thatplayed a role in the builders version of the afterlife, a claim that is backed up by itsproximity to several hundred burial mounds. Yet another theory suggests that the site wasa place for spiritual healing and the worship of long dead ancestors.
http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/http://www.getnidokidos.com/

Documents

top 10 mysterious sites Document