Many authors and experts in ancient civilizations refer to the Yonaguni underwater complex it one of the most significant discoveries of underwater archaeology.

Ever since the mysterious site was discovered by Dive Tour operator Kihachiro Aratake in 1985, The underwater ruins of Yonaguni have been a subject of debate among experts who are unable to agree on whether or not the underwater site is the result of ancient civilizations or mother nature.

The mysterious formation is found off the coast of Yonaguni, the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, in Japan.

The shape of the entire structure, as well as its terraces, walls, and rectangular-shaped structures, have resulted in countless theories about its origin. Some researchers believe that the structures at Yonaguni could be the ancient remains of Mu, a fabled Pacific civilization rumored to have vanished beneath the Ocean.

According to the little research that has been performed on this rather impressive underwater complex, the central “monument” consists of medium to very fine sandstone and mud-stone that belong to the Lower Miocene Yaeyama Group, which researchers believe to have been deposited about 20 million years ago.

Some authors have proposed that if the Yonaguni monument was, in fact, a human-made complex, it was then carved during the last ice age, or between 12,000 to about 10,000 years ago when Yonaguni was part of a land bridge that connected the site to Taiwan.

The entire complex is shrouded in great mystery.

The unique patterns, lines, stairways, and terrace-like structures at Yonaguni hint at a possible man-made structure. However, there are also a few characteristics which may point to its natural origin.

Archaeologists and Geologists remain skeptical in the man-made origin of the complex because most of the formations at the Yonaguni seem to be connected to the underlying rock mass. Thus, they reject the hypothesis that the Yonaguni underwater complex was assembled out of freestanding rocks and deny the possibility that these structures are man-made.

However, that fact does not provide enough evidence to suggest its manmade.

The main feature discovered at the Yonaguni complex is referred to as the “Monument.” It is a rectangular formation that measures approximately 150 meters by 40 meters and is about 27 meters tall.

But what makes the Yonaguni monument so special?

Is it the incredible lines, reminiscent of man-made temples found across the globe? The enigmatic terraces that seem to have been devoured thousands of years ago by the ocean? Or is it the smaller shapes and lines that make this monument stand out from the surrounding ocean landscape.

The complex, as a whole part, screams out ancient civilization.

Check out this beauty from the Yonaguniunderwater complex!Image Credit: XL Catlin Seaview Survey – The Ocean… Posted by Ancient Code on Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Prof. Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist with the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, has spent several years studying the Yonaguni monument.

Kimura argues that the Yonaguni monument is the result of ancient man and that the complex itself offers evidence of an ancient civilization that vanished beneath the ocean tens of thousands of years ago.

According to Prof. Kimura, if someone claims that nature had carved the five layers on the Yonaguni site, you would find debris from the erosion accumulated around the site, but until today no rock fragments have yet been found.

According to Kimura’s research, remains of what appears to be a road are found around the Yonaguni complex. This find offers “tangible” proof” that the construction of this complex can be attributed to ancient man’s ingenuity and advanced methods of construction.

Some of the main features of the Yonaguni underwater monument are described below (Source):

Two closely spaced pillars which rise to within eight feet of the surface;

A 5 m (16 ft) wide ledge that encircles the base of the formation on three sides

A stone column about 7 m (23 ft) tall

A straight wall 10 m (33 ft) long

An isolated boulder resting on a low platform;

A low star-shaped platform;

A triangular depression with two large holes at its edge;

An L-shaped rock.

The above features are some of the main reasons as to why many researchers have compared the underwater complex off the coast of Yonaguni to other ancient sites around the globe. The semiregular terraces of the sunken complex have been compared to other ancient megalithic sites like Sacsayhuamán in Peru.

All theories regarding the Yonaguni monument are split into two; that it is a man-made complex, while the other one opposes this and states that it is a natural geological formation.

Researchers who claim that the Yonaguni underwater complex is man-made, further point to the existence of what appear to be two round holes (about 2 feet wide) “placed” on the edge of the ‘Triangle Pool’ and a straight row of smaller holes that according to researchers support the man-made theory. Some authors have interpreted these features as an abandoned attempt to split off a section of the rock using wedges, as in ancient quarries.

Professor Kimura also states that embedded in the rock formation at the Yonaguni complex we find depictions of animals, particularly a horselike sign that he believes resembles a character from the Kaida script. The Kaida script is a writing system of unknown origin which is believed to have been used in the Yaeyama Islands and on Yonaguni, the southwestern-most of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan.

Best selling author and researcher Graham Hancock supports the idea that the Yonaguni monument is a man-made structure claims that while many of the features seen at Yonaguni are also seen in natural sandstone formations throughout the world, the concentration of so many unusual structures in such a small area is extremely unlikely.

One of the researchers that opposes the hypothesis that the Yonaguni monument is a man-made complex is Robert M. Schoch, who maintains that after conducting studies at the site, he states that the Yonaguni Monument is “primarily natural” or “a natural structure.”

“As difficult as it may be for some to believe, after carefully studying the Yonaguni Monument, I have to report that I do not believe it is an artificial, human-made structure. It is indeed an incredible structure, and well worth seeing, but I must conclude that, based on all of the evidence, it is primarily a natural structure.”– Robert M. Schoch.

Check out more images of the Yonaguni Underwater Complex here.

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