- Throughout the world, there are sites shrouded in mystery,
places of ancient origin
containing ruins of ancient cities and monuments
that nobody knows why they exist or who built them.
The following are sites that exist on Earth right now
that remain unexplained.
Here are 10 unexplained mysterious ancient ruins.
(eerie music)
Number 10 is the Yonaguni Monument.
The Yonaguni Monument
is a controversial underwater structure which can be found
just off the coast of Japan's Yonaguni Island.
Debate rages over whether the unusual blocks of sandstone
and mudstone are a natural formation or completely manmade.
Discovered in 1987, the central feature of the site
measures 150 by 40 meters and about 27 meters in height.
Its features include a star-shaped platform,
what appears to be two large stone pillars,
and a wall about 10 meters long.
However, what's most striking about the Yonaguni site
is that it's comprised of
what looks like straight-cut slabs of rock,
like you'd see on an ancient pyramid or other ancient ruin.
Perhaps only time will tell
if this incredible underwater discovery is actually manmade.
If it is, experts believe that it dates back
to at least 8,000 years ago.
Number nine is Pumapunku.
Pumapunku is a large temple complex
which can be found in western Bolivia.
This ruin has generated much debate
and has so far held onto its secrets,
even in the face of modern investigative techniques.
The temple consists of a terraced mound
measuring 167 meters wide and 116 meters long,
with parts of its now-ruined structure
built from huge stone slabs,
the largest of which weighs a massive 131 metric tons.
Built largely from sandstone, when it was completed,
experts believe that it was adorned
with polished metal plaques as well as bright ceramics,
making it one of the most striking constructions in history.
Unfortunately, treasure hunters
have looted much of the site.
This combined with the fact
that there are no written documents describing Pumapunku
and its true purpose renders it a true enigma.
Number eight is the Bimini Road.
The Bimini Road is a fascinating mystery.
It's submerged in the sea surrounding the Bahamas.
At nearly a kilometer in length,
these strange rectangular limestone blocks
seem to have been arranged into a straight formation,
resembling a large road.
Discovered in 1968, the Bimini Road has been studied
by geologists, anthropologists, and marine engineers.
Despite this, no consensus for its age
or origin have been agreed upon.
While some believe that the structure
was produced by unusual yet explainable natural processes,
those who believe it was manmade
have postulated theories about its purpose,
including being a road, a fortification,
a harbor, and even a religious monument.
To this day, only speculation remains.
Number seven is the Lake Kinneret Structure.
In 2003, the Lake Kinneret Structure was discovered
and is a mystery to modern archeology.
The structure is reportedly the size of a Boeing 747 jet
and is submerged nine meters below the surface
of the Galilee Sea in Israel.
Careful sonar measurements of the structure by geophysicists
revealed that it is most probably a large manmade mound.
This in and of itself isn't so surprising,
but the sheer size of it is.
At 10 meters tall and weighing at least 60,000 tons,
it's twice the size of Stonehenge.
Some archeologists believe
that the ruin was built underwater,
while others argue that it was built on dry land
and later covered by the lake.
Estimates of its age range from 2,000
to as old as 12,000 years.
If the older estimations are correct,
then the Lake Kinneret Structure would be
one of the best preserved prehistoric sites in the world.
Number six are the Asuka Stones.
One of the strangest ruins in all of Japan
are known as the Asuka Stones.
These huge structures of solid rock most likely date back
to between the third and sixth century.
But as of yet, no one is sure
why the people of that time built them.
The largest of all the Asuka Stones
is the Masuda no iwafune,
which is known as the Rock Ship of Masuda.
It's a massive 11 meters in length,
eight meters wide, and stands nearly five meters tall.
While some of the Asuka Stones
have elaborate channels carved into them
and others feature large troughs and holes,
no one knows the purpose of these features.
Some believe the stones are astronomical markers
lining up with the sun on a specific date,
while others believe that the Asuka Stones
were once tombs for the dead.
Unfortunately, it may be that their true purpose
will remain a mystery forever.
Number five are the Olmec Colossal Heads.
The Olmec Colossal Heads are 17 huge stone monuments
with an uncertain origin.
The stones were all carved to resemble human heads
and are at least as old as 900 BC, if not more.
Some believe that they were created
by the Olmec civilization,
which flourished throughout Mesoamerica,
an area which includes modern-day Guatemala,
Mexico, and other surrounding countries.
An incredible amount of effort
was invested into carving the heads
and then transporting these colossal pieces of stone
hundreds of miles to their current resting place.
The largest stone head weighs 25 tons
and is nearly three meters tall.
Some experts argue that the heads
depict people of African descent,
which would completely rewrite history.
Then there are others that believe
the stones represent long-forgotten powerful figures
within the Olmec society.
But as of today, debate continues
as to what the purpose of these monuments were.
Number four is Naupa Iglesia.
High in the Andes of Peru,
there lies an ancient ruin steeped in mystery.
The Naupa Iglesia ruins
are among the most advanced structures
discovered in South America, even superseding the technology
of the Inca who came before them.
A ruined stone staircase leads up to a mysterious cave.
Inside, there are large stone carvings
with intricate details and a stone doorway.
There is also what appears to be a ceremonial altar
carved out of granite.
No one is sure exactly how old the ruins are,
but the locals still tell stories about the place.
They believe that the ruins are relics from a previous world
and were inhabited by some strange beings.
Some researchers argue that the Naupa Iglesia ruins
are the last remnants of an ancient civilization
which gave birth to the Inca.
But with so little information to go on,
any explanation is currently speculative.
Number three is the Castle of Lake Van.
Underneath Lake Van in Turkey
sits a large castle-like structure
which has baffled archeologists.
The ruin could date back as far as 3,000 years
or perhaps even more.
The castle-like walls are comprised of huge stone slabs
intricately placed together to create a structure
at least a kilometer long.
But what's so confusing about this structure
is that it appears to contain features
of both medieval construction
and inscriptions from the Urartian civilization,
which prospered in the region thousands of years ago.
One possible solution to this puzzle could be
that people living around Lake Van in the Middle Ages
used parts of a preexisting structure
to build some sort of fortification.
But until archeologists can actively study the ruin,
this mystery will remain unsolved.
Number two are the Stone Gates.
Archeology is being revolutionized
by satellite technology and aerial photography,
which is able to spot
otherwise-hidden manmade features in the landscape.
Using this technology, scientists have recently found
over 400 bizarre ruins throughout the Saudi Arabian desert.
So far, they defy explanation.
Each structure appears to have been built around
a once-active volcano.
While these volcanoes are extinct now,
it's believed that they may have been active
while these structures were built.
While most of them have yet to be investigated,
preliminary studies reveal them to be made of stone,
with some as large as 500 meters.
Researchers have described these structures
as being built in inhospitable regions.
So, the question remains:
Why would people take the time and risk
to build these structures in the first place?
And number one is the Gobekli Tepe.
The Gobekli Tepe is one of the most talked about discoveries
over the last few decades,
mainly because of the mystery which surrounds it.
Located in Turkey,
it's comprised of more than 200 stone pillars,
forming at least 20 circles.
The pillars are made of solid rock
which weighs at least 20 tons each.
Elaborate carvings of animals can be found on these pillars,
depicting dangerous creatures such as crocodiles and lions.
But what makes this structure so mysterious
is that it could completely rewrite history.
Some believe the ruins to be as old as 12,000 years old.
This would mean that humanity
was far more advanced than previously thought at that time.
A few thousand years ago,
people deliberately buried this ruin;
whether to preserve it or to hide it, no one is quite sure.