Презентация на тему: Jonaguni. Point of intersection of cultures

Point of intersection of cultures Jonaguni

…The pyramid and the surprising temple complex which have been found out on a sea-bottom at small island Jonaguni in the western part of the Japanese archipelago, can be considered as the most ancient formation age about 10,000 years… Freak of nature or creation of an ancient civilisation?

The complex was casually found in spring of 1985, by the local instructor of diving Kihachiro Aratake. Near the coast it is literally under a surface of waves he saw the enormous stone monument stretched to visibility limits. The wide equal platforms covered with an ornament from rectangles and rhombuses, passed in intricate terraces, which were going downwards the big steps. The object edge breaks vertically downwards a wall to the bottom on depth of 27 metres, forming one of the walls of the trench which are passing lengthways along the monument. Jonaguni Island, Japan

It seems that design elements had absolutely certain architectural scheme, reminding steps of pyramids of Ancient Sumer – ziggurats.Even if it appeared only freak of nature, Aratake already would worry — he had found the object, worth being seen by even the most captious tourists. But the abundance of correct geometrical forms forced to reflect on possibility of their man-made nature, and Aratake decided to inform experts about the boon. The Japanese newspapers were writing about the sensational discovery. There are a lot of theories about origin of stepped pyramid

Alas… The Scientific community almost completely ignored these messages. The basic reason is simple enough: by the most rough calculations this complex could tower over a water surface not less 10 thousand years ago when the water level in the World ocean was 40 metres lower than at present. Approximately datings of the remains of the vegetation found nearby are of the same antiquity. Historians do not have any information on the culture, capable to create here such design. Therefore they preferred to declare a hypothesis of an artificial origin of an underwater monument of Jonaguni simply a gamble. And quickly enough the discussion about it became property only of exoteric editions and was ignored by an official science.

Only Masaaki Kimura— the professor of University Ryukyu – seriously got interested in it. Kimura — the recognised expert in the field of sea geology and seismology. He has been studying underwater vicinities of Jonaguni for already more than 10 years, has made more than hundred submersions during this time and has become the basic expert on the object. As a result of the researches professor Kimura has decided to go against the overwhelming majority of historians and to risk the reputation, defending an artificial origin of the Monument. It is not known, how long the «silence plot» of Aratake’s discover would continue if it were not Grem Hancock, the convinced supporter of a hypothesis about existence of an extremely antique and advanced civilisation and the author of variety of books on this theme, who in September, 1997 arrived on Jonaguni with a film crew. He managed to interest and involve Robert Shoch into trip — the professor of the Boston University, the geologist known at first because of the conclusion about the well-known Egyptian Sphinx that it is much older, than the official Egyptology considers. And Hancock counted that Shoch would confirm with the authority the artificial nature of Aratake’ discover. But far from it...

“Twins” Gate The matter is that the Monument consists of sandstone and the sedimentary breeds which exposures are visible at island coast nowadays. Under the influence of sea waves, rains and winds they collapse in such a manner that there are the forms similar to steps and terraces. The nature is capable and not of such "whims", and here in addition the structure of adjournment leads to occurrence of almost ideally direct cracks. Moreover, under corners of 90 and 60 degrees to each other that promotes formation of strict geometrical figures: rectangular steps, triangles and rhombuses. All would say that the Monument has a natural origin. The first conclusion of Shoch was like that but he considered also that after a few immersings it is impossible to survey all and they might miss something important. Therefore Shoch decided to meet Kimura. Arguments of Kimura, more familiar with details of object, shook the opinion of Shoch. Arguments were supported with pictures of the details, which Shoch simply did not see at the immersings.

In spite of all similarity of rocks on the island with the Monument between them there are also a lot of strong differences. In the limited site of the Monument, absolutely nearby with each other, there are elements of absolutely different type. For example: a side with sharp edges, round apertures, step descent, ideally direct narrow trench. If the reason was only in natural erosion it was logical to expect identical forms in all piece of a rock. The fact that side by side there are so different elements, is telling argument in favour of their artificial origin. Moreover, absolutely nearby, it is literally in several tens metres on the same rock from the same breed, — the absolutely other landscape. The fact that it is created by the nature, does not cause doubts. But even with open eyes its sharp difference from the processed part of a rock is visible. The next argument: the blocks separated from a rock, do not lie at all in different places under the influence of terrestrial gravitation. Instead they either appear collected in one place, or are absent at all. As on the «district road» where fragments are removed from Monument bottom in 6 metres and more. If the object had been created by erosion at the bottom near to it there would be many fragments, as on the modern coast of island. And here it is not presented... And at last, on the Monument there are deep enough symmetric trenches and other elements which formation, in general, is impossible to be explained as known natural processes.

The meeting of two professional geologists had epoch-making value. If earlier Shoch adhered to the version of the natural origin of the object, Kimura insisted on its completely its artificial origin. As a result of the account of all available facts, both experts converged on original "compromise", together refused of the extreme points of view. They have came to conclusion that the Monument concerns so-called "terra-formations", that is — initial natural "preparation" was changed and finished further by hands of the person. Such "terra-formations" are not something absolutely unusual, and were rather extended in the ancient world... Materials of the expedition in 1997 were used in a documentary film «Searches of the Lost Civilization», it was shown on the British TV and accompanied release of the next book of Hancock «the Mirror of Heavens». The film and the book had a wide resonance. Information blockade round megalit of Jonaguni was broken through, and the scientific community was compelled to react. In 13 years after Monument opening, in July, 1998 the decision on its interbranch scientific research at last was accepted. Under the direction of the diver and archeologist Mihael Arbutnot the group of experts tried to reveal a secret of the object. The group included geologists, underwater archeologists, skilled divers, and even anthropologists with linguists. Shoch was also invited to take part in the expedition, he had an opportunity to meet the desire of repeated survey of the Monument and to be convinced of fruitfulness of the Kimura’s "compromise" approach.

Participants of the group had spent 3 weeks in immersings and researches. And, perhaps, about results of expedition rather eloquently tells opinion of its head. At first Arbutnot was sceptical about the theory of Kimura about artificiality of the Monument, but during the researches he had to refuse the scepticism. “I was convinced about inartificial origin of Jonaguni monument, — he has concluded. — we investigated natural geology around, but there are no such uniform external forms and consequently the probability of human-made monument’s origin is very high. There are also many details which exclude the version of object natural formation”. Kimura made a report at the conference in Japan in 2001. The general conclusion is that megalit of Jonaguni — the trace of an ancient civilisation, has got support of the majority of the Japanese scientists.

It was obvious to Kimura that the building in a shape of ziggurat is constructed by ancient Asian civilisation, well developed technically. Experts are at a loss with construction dating, however tend to the period 4000-10000 years ago when the water level was much lower regarding to a freezing. It is too big temporal interval, and other experts tried to define the age of the construction more precisely. Geologist Teruaki Ishii declared:" It is surprising. It ascends at least 8000 year B.C. By those times when the ancient people began migrating from a valley of Indus and Mesopotamia . We deal with the most ancient construction of the mankind.” The find causes, however, much wider interest. Until recently experts believed that on the islands belonging today to Japan, human appeared not earlier than last glacial age, approximately 5000 years B.C. Last discoveries prove that on the islands which were once connected through Korea, Manchuria and Southern China with the continent, the human beings appeared in even more earlier time. In any case, this construction is undoubtedly the major find in this region.

What is the origin of an ancient civilisation’s traces discovered in Jonaguni region? There are various theories about that. Kimura and his research group held the opinion that the pyramid of Jonaguni, as well as other finds at the coast of Okinawa, was related to the culture of Ryukyu. Other scientists considered tthe given theory does not to hold water as this civilisation arose much later, than the construction had been built. The following, even more courageous version assumes that the sunk Japanese city was connected with ancient cultures of Peru and Ecuador. In any case, each of these theories confirms existence of an ancient civilisation. The remains are relared to the destroyed architectural complex bordered with hexahedral columns, ladders and other road constructions. All this is cut out from a stone by a human hand and is very exactly oriented. The work is done so purely that even traces of tools usually used for building are not visible. The pyramid was used as a temple for carrying out rituals or religious ceremonies. Kimura mentions Narai-Kanai - a deity worshiped on Okinawa about one thousand of years ago. Head of the Statue

In China there are ruins of pyramids which are at the present a little studied as the Chinese government does not finance such researches and doesn’t let experts from other countries investigate them. The white pyramid which edge’s length is 300 m, is very similar to pyramids of Teotiukan in Mexico. Provided that the Japanese islands were once a part of the continent, it is possible to assume that builders of a pyramid in Jonaguni received this knowledge from China. Meanwhile the Chinese pyramids received are related to the period about 2000 B.C. Therefore there is a question: whether this knowledge came from other ocean coast, from Central America. The possibility of colonisation of the East by America is not so improbable, as it seems at first sight. Similarity between sculptures of temples Angkor (Cambodia) and Tikal (Guatemala), the American peanuts which are about 4000 years old, weren found in a province Zhejiang, and the Chinese objects in America, apparently, speak well for that between two continents there was a communication, and a constant one. Pyramid of the Moon, Teotiukan Great White Pyramid, China

However, this underwater city - a part of ancient culture, a civilisation about which a little is known. In the world there are a lot of such constructions, all of them are united by uncertainty and grandness. Ancient people contrary to our ideas about their development knew and were able to do more than we think. Giant constructions in the form of temples, pyramids and statues (some of which are not able to be constructed even to the modern person today) worldwide force to reflect on a certain system, about something that connected many nations. If not to take into account only architecture it is necessary not to forget that they had similar myths, legends and gods. Even modern cultures and religions have a lot in general. It once again draws our attention to the question about the origin of the person and about our consciousness. And the heritage of our ancestors in the form of ruins is the history in which answers to questions such as who we are, and that probably it is necessary to rethink all, that has been collected for all this time and possibly, we will open something new to ourselves.

Thanks for attention!Project is done by Melnikova OlgaLead Teacher: Sitnikova Elena