Ancient ruins in South America, dated back to 12000 BC.

[Chaosblade02]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDI9wSJGGA4&feature=player_embedded

 

Here is the video, tell me what you think.

 

I think there is a lot we are missing about human history, I don't even think we have the tools or the knowledge to recreate some of this stonework today. In many ways these are more impressive than the Pyramids. What impresses me the most is the sophistication of these blocks, these are sharp corners, inside and out. These blocks are made of granite, and also diorite, the hardest stone on Earth, and also the heaviest. They were also crafted to stack on top of each other and lock together kinda like legos. Also the nearest quarry sites for granite and diorite were more than 50 miles away, over rugged mountain terrain.

 

After seeing something this old, this sophisticated, I don't think the Atlantis theory is too far fetched at all.

[Kendo 2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumapunku

 

Uhm...no real mystery here. A.D. 536–600. But 30 square miles of complex built by hand is very impressive.

[ub3rman123]

I always wonder why ancient peoples built their stone structures so far from any quarry. For challenge or something? Would make sense for it to be right beside it. Maybe they exhaust a quarry that's right beside it and it can't be seen today...

[Vindekarr]

Well, in some cases it's because there isnt a big enough area near the quarry to set the foundations. The bigger the building, the bigger the solid stone/contrete/packed earth/bedrock slab needed to build it on. So I usualy just assume that they built it where they did because the quarry was too boggy.

 

And also maybe religion, or scenery. Maybe the quarry was a really ugly place compared to where they built it? or maybe they have some bizaar tenent in their religion that if you build temples(or other large structures) next to quarries then the Lovecraftian bacon monster will eat your breakfast for the next 3 years.

 

Whatever the reason, that's bloody impressive. Especialy the thought involved in the design, It's not something tossed together by the ineducated primitives we so often think of ancient humans as being. No, it was designed with an eye to practicality. I mean, it takes some forthought to make the bicks with joints in them, Ikea style, so it all fits together, some modern builders arent bright enough to do that!.

 

Firstly, they'd have to be pretty advanced scientists to work out how to machine those two stone types. They wanted this monolith to last, that's for sure. And that bespeaks of real forthought. Secondly, they deliberately picked out the stones most suitable for doing that, which implies a large amount of knowledge and science. Thirdly, they assembled it efficiently and with a great deal of structural integrity, this implies a high degree of engineering prowess.

 

For such a long time ago, they were awefully advanced, it does lend some more credibility to the Atlantis theory, but also begs the question: how did that knowledge get lost?

[Chaosblade02]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumapunku

 

Uhm...no real mystery here. A.D. 536–600. But 30 square miles of complex built by hand is very impressive.

 

Um, many different sources suggest Puma Punku is anywhere between 12000-17000 years old.

 

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ancient-Mysteries-Puma-Punku-in-Tiahuanaco

 

http://www.atlantisquest.com/prehistcity.html

 

Archaeologists working for the History channel also dated the site to around that time.

 

And to be fair, there is no actual way to carbon date these blocks themselves, but what they do know is people have been using this site, evidence was found of bones and tools dating back to 12-17000 years on this site.

 

Also it was known that there was a flood that went through this region around 12000 years ago, there are blocks scattered for miles around completely out of place. This would give some evidence for these blocks being there before the flood occurred 12000 years ago. And a complex build of such large megalithic stones interlocked in place? How many ways is there to destroy such a complex in that kind of manner except for a massive flood? The entire site was completely trashed like it got hit with an A bomb, or a massive flood.

 

Another thing I would like to point out is Modern Humans have existed for around 60000 years, these Humans think the same way we do, and solve problems the same way, even 20000 years ago, they already have had 40000 years to learn and obtain knowledge. In certain places, especially in this particular region close to the equator, it would have been sub tropical during the last Ice Age, with Ice only in the higher elevations, humans could have thrived here even when most of the rest of the Earth was a frozen hell. The oldest bones go back to 17000 years at this site, suppose that is when they first got here, and then the flood happens 5000 years later, they had plenty of time to develop in this 5000 year time frame and obtain the skill to craft these blocks.

 

I would be willing to bet there is evidence of other advanced civilizations, when the sea levels rose after the last Ice Age, the sea would have claimed a lot of former coastal land, and given enough time under the bottom of the ocean, very little would be recognizable from anything else and be covered with sediment and sea vegetation, and be heavily eroded. If NYC was on the bottom of the ocean for 10000 years, you would be hard pressed to find any evidence of anything that wasn't made out of solid stone or precious metals, concrete and steel would have eroded and rusted into dust and scattered by the sea current.

 

I think much of this knowledge was lost, because in this period of time, the majority of the Human population was hunter/gatherer, with exceptions of a few surviving in the more moderate climates around earth, like near the equator. And when the Ice age ended, sea levels rose, there were massive floods all around the world, that would have washed away civilizations build up, and also killed many, there were probably pockets of people who survived, and I would guess some of this knowledge found its way to ancient Egypt. It is written that Egypt had a great library in ancient times, full of scrolls of knowledge from ancient times, to this day, it has never been found. It could have been sacked/burned by the Greeks/Romans and lost forever. I also believe the Mayans inherited their knowledge of astronomy from whatever civilization built these blocks. Because they were clearly more advanced than the Mayans.

[Keanumoreira]

This discovery is signifigant though because civilization was previously thought to be around for only 10,000 plus years...

 

Not anymore. :cool:

[brokenergy]

Great discovery of sorts. I hope it will expand more about some of the forgotten cultures that have not being discovered. Yay for discovery :biggrin:

[Lisnpuppy]

Let me just say that because I am REALLY tired I will not be writing the post I want...I will save that for later.

 

However as to this library that has never been found in Egypt...well you make it sound like a big mystery...and it is not.

 

The library is well know as the Library of Alexandria. It was burned to the ground in the time of Cleopatra's rule about year 40 BC. It was a font of knowledge of all kinds and scientist have estimated that learning and civilization may have been set back by a thousand years. They have never said we lost "advanced cultures." They have never found the area for sure as some of the land is now underwater and also has thousands of years of Egyptian cities and civilization built on the area.

 

Also Puma Punku is in the very HEART of the ancient alien theory. Scientist are of course intrigued but I know of no serious and reputable scientist that adheres to the ancient civilization/alien/Atlantian theory. As a person with a history degree and once had illusions of teaching it and also being an archaeologist, well....I read a great deal on these things. I will bore you all later when I am more awake with a longer post on this subject.

 

Aren't you all excited? :P

[Harbringe]

Well have watched the entire History Channel special relating to Puma Punku and in it there was no reference made to any radio carbon dating that it was 12000 years old but the reliefs on the stonework do relate to animals that existed at the end of the Pleistocene era which was 12000 BCE and the fossils found in what was supposed to be an ancient coastline also date to the same era.As for the site itself it is a puzzle ,that diorite stone to have such precise lines cut into it defies logic for what was supposed to be a prehistoric age.According to our own modern day engineering the only way it could be accomplished is with machine tooling , like a lathe or cutter of some sort and diorite stone is the second hardest substance next to diamond , so it would have to be a diamond encrusted machine tool of some sort ,that one leaves you scratching your head.

 

Also looked into was there any geological events that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene era and yes there was ,apparently a meteorite came in over Canada and exploded and broke into 5 pieces ,2 impacting in Canada, 3 in the US .This wiped out a people known as the Clovis culture and the mega fauna that existed at that time (Sabertooths ,Mastadons ,Giant Sloths etc) and caused what became known as the Younger Dryas cooling event. Basically extended the Ice Age for about 1500 years.On an interesting note that may relate to Puma Punka ,it is theorized that the 2 that hit Canada may have had geological consequences for the rest or maybe just certain parts of the Earth. Canada is the original bedrock of the Earth (Precambrian Shield) and all the rest of the Earths land masses are blocks that formed due to volcanic outflow from the Precambrian Shield.So the theory works like this ,when Canada got hit it being the primary block bumped into those next to it ,which in turn bumped those next to them and so on until the energy from the original impact is absorbed and dissipated ,this could explain why Puma Punka was one moment next to the ocean ,then not.

[Vindekarr]

I back the most logical theory, always, but to be honest, I think that 60,000 years is just too long for humanity to have been progress-free.

 

Look at it this way:

 

1900 AD: basic electricity, basic radios, extremely basic automated land vehicles. Imperialism standard.

 

1920 AD: fairly advanced electricity, nearly human-portable radios, television, reliable flying vehicles, land vehicles though still simplistic, are lightyears more advanced. End of imperialism.

 

1945 AD: reliable jet aeroplanes, television, basic computers, RADAR, atomic science, nueclear reactors providing highly advanced electricity, nearly all humans own a car, vehicle transport system streamlined, efficient. Downfall of facism, previous notions of segregation due to race, gender, ect, are now seen as negative cultural influences.

 

1970 AD: supersonic jet aeroplanes commonplace in military use, ramjet technology fully functional, scramjets theorised. early internet planning begining, highly advanced electrical systems, fully functional ikranoplans, ship portable nueclear technology, spaceflight, commonplace civilian use of jet aeroplanes, households becoming increasingly automated, basic robotics, basic computers Democracy standard, activism becoming increasingly obvious and free spoken.

 

2010 AD: fast reliable global internet, nueclear ships commonplace in navies, advanced particle science, basic single particle teleportation research, advanced robotics, automated factories, hypersonic aircraf(17,000 MPH+ speed)t possible and under development, doppler RADAR commonplace and portable, transition towards re usable, sustainable energy, nueclear fusion research reaching the cusp of full functioning reactors. Movement towards global unification governments, huge governmental blocs taking over from nation states.

 

Thats was 110 years, now, what could have happened in 60,000 eh? A lot.

 

Another thing that promotes the atlantis theory atleast is this: under the mediterranean sea is a really huge volcano, as in, yellowstone sized. If that monster had have erupted, it would have leveled everything on the coast, and vaporised anything unlucky enough to be in the ocean. Atlantis was said to be in that afformentioned volcano's crosshairs.

 

Im not saying I believe in this sort of stuff, but In my admitedly so far short career as an author, I too have done a huge amount of research, mostly on history, including folklore, even ufological folklore and alien theories, and some of the stuff I've seen, well, trust me when I say it's just not an academic would call normal.

 

As far as Im concerned, we know absolutely nothing about truly ancient history, and thus we should never think we do. We'll not likely know one way or other just how advanced these people were, but if we can go from sword wielding barbarians to a global culture of olive branch brandishing wimps in 110 years, I doubt that our ancestors could/would have done less.

 

Humans evolve their technology very rapidly, and while aliens are unlikely, advanced civilisations are certainly a possibility, depending on what you call advanced. I mean, look at the romans for goodness sake, they're ancient, but a hella lot more than barbarians.