The Underwater Ruins of Japan: Yonaguni Monument

Immersed Ruins – Southern Coast - Japan

An immersed ruins estimated to be about 10,000 years old is said to be lying towards the southern coast of Yonaguni, in Japan. There is a lot of controversy doing the rounds on the immersed ruins between experts who were of the opinion that it was man-made while more conservative scientists debate that it had been carved by natural phenomena.

This overwhelming site had been identified by a driver who had ventured as far off the Okinawa shore in the year 1995 and had been spell bound on discovering the sunken planning of the monolithic blocks. It seemed as if the immersed ruins had been terraced into the side of a mountain. This amazing discovery sparked immediate argument drawing many diving archaeologists, curious hobbyists and media who were unable to arrive at a valid conclusion of its existence.

Several attempts were also made later in the year to assemble data and map out the structure. These discoveries exposed several astonishing things inclusive of what seems to be huge arch or gateway of enormous blocks. These appeared to be fitted together precisely, at right angled joins, carvings and the same seemed similar to stairways.

This gave rise to crossroads and paved streets with grand staircases giving way to plazas surrounded by couple of towering landscapes similar to pylons.

Peculiar Formation

The teams on utilising grid search patterns, discovered five sub surface archaeological sites near three offshore islands as they drifted out from the south coast of Okinawa. It is said that the locations of the immersed ruins tend to differ at depths from 100 to only 20 feet.

Supporters of view of the site stating that they are man-made point out features like two round holes which are said to be around two feet wide, and a straight row of smaller hole which seem to be attempts of splitting off a portion of the rock through wedges, similar to ancient quarries. Marine seismologist of the University of the Rykyus, Professor Masaaki Kimura, pointed out various signs like plus sign and V shape which seems to indicate that humans had worked and which could have been made by wedge-like tools considered to be known as kusabi.

Though most of the features at Yonaguni have been seen in natural sandstone formations all over the world, the awareness of the various peculiar formations together with 90 degree angles in such a manners seems strange.

Tectonic Movement

Inspite of the several features presented at Yonaguni, there are yet some group of scientists who had researched the formation and are still obstinate on the natural formation of the large blocks, could be the outcome of tectonic movement together with the other natural occurrences.

One of the scientist, Geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University is of the opinion that the structures had been formed naturally, acknowledging that they could have been utilised or modified by humans ages ago. Moreover he also pointed out that the site seemed to be situated in an earthquake prone region which fractured the rocks regularly.

John Anthony West was also of the opinion that the so-called walls were natural horizontal platforms which fell in a vertical position when rock beneath seemed to wear away while the alleged roads tend to be channels in the rock. The other instances of natural formation having flat faces together with sharp and straight edges are said to be the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway and the natural staircase formation on Old Rag Mountain.

Search On For More Evidence

Several scientist continue to prevail in their searches for more evidence of their man-made nature, presuming that the stone structures could be the remnants of an ancient city which could have been existed 10,000 years back. This could have been there when the level of the sea had been much lower that what it is at present.

Graham Hancock an explorer and researcher had mentioned in his named `Underworld’, wrote that “It was the submerged structures of Japan that first awakened me to the possibility that an underworld in history, unrecognized by archaeologist, could lie concealed and forgotten beneath the sea”.

 He draws the similarity between Yonaguni together with the other immersed ruins found below the waters of Lake Titicaca and in Dwarka. This is, off the coast of India offering additional proof in the existence of a huge underwater world comprising of structures extending back to the vaguest chapters of human ancient times.

Presuming the structures of Yonaguni are the remains of a prehistoric city, one possibility of the prehistoric inhabitants of Japan could be called the Jomon. They existed from 12,000 BC to around 300 BC and established a stylish culture.

Investigations are still on with the immersed ruins by scientists which has overwhelmed them on how they relate to the ancient past and to solve the mysteries with regards to their origins.

5 Amazing Medical Techniques

No one can dispute that science and medicine do not mix when you consider some of the amazing medical advancements made in the last 40 years. Consider for example the development of balloon angioplasty, a minimally invasive surgical technique where a medical balloon is guided through a major heart blood vessel then inflated to allow the blood vessel, previously restricted by plaque, to pump more blood.

Balloon Angioplasty 

Established in the late 1970s, balloon angioplasty, together with a small wire mesh tube called a stent, has led to thousands of heart patients getting the procedure to skip bypass heart surgery.

Not only has balloon angioplasty become a very popular and potentially life-saving surgery for heart patients, but in 2005, the FDA approved the same general idea for sinus sufferer's called balloon sinuplasty.

Medical Supplies 

Of course, with medical advancements come risks. That's why surgeons and their staff wear medical masks designed to reflect debris during laser surgery, such as those from a surgical supply store. USA Medical and Surgical Supplies is an all-inclusive medical supply store, which helps doctors or hospitals stock and re-stock medical supplies quickly. They carry products that the medical field has developed to help their patients in so many different ways.

Laser Surgery 

Another highly popular device is the use of a laser for surgery. A laser, which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, is a device designed to put all the phases of a light's electric waves into a similar and narrow pattern so that the laser produces a very bright, very narrow, and precise beam of light.

Again, cardiologists were the first to use a laser for surgery, dating as far back as 1960, but it was an ophthalmologist, Dr. Gholam Peyman, who patented the use of lasers to correct eye problems that people are most familiar with.

According to Stanford University, laser surgery today, in addition to vision correction and the removal of cataracts, are used to remove tumors, seal blood vessels during surgery, and to remove warts, tattoos, birthmarks, and wrinkles.

Organ Transplants 

Another major advancement in the scientific/medical world is, of course, organ transplants. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the first successful kidney transplant took place way back in 1954, but liver, lung, heart, pancreas, and intestines have been transplanted, particularly since advancements in the late 1980s. These transplants later produced many ways to reduce the rejection of transplanted organs.

One of the problems, of course, is that you need a donor in order to transplant an organ. The majority of these come from accident victims that have consented with their state to be an organ donor in case of catastrophic events. Although you can sign up to be an organ donor in all 50 states, according to organdonor.gov statistics, only three out of every one thousand people die in a way that allows their organs to be used by someone else.

This brings up the future possibility of cloning. Although it seems like a brave new world with many ethical questions to answer, it seems inevitable that cloning, using stem cells to replace organs, will eventually be possible. It may be far into the future, but many forward-thinking scientists believe cloning at least some organs may be possible in the future.

Bionic Eye 

There could be many candidates for number five on our list, but we'll give the nod to the bionic eye.
A bionic eye, otherwise known as a visual prosthesis, is an electrical device that provides artificial vision to people who are currently blind but could previously see. Bionic eyes work by electrically stimulating parts of the brain that show flashes of light, called phospheres, which are flashes of light emitted through the brain, not through natural light. Think, for example, of seeing colors with your eyes closed within your mind.

Currently, a bionic eye provides a very limited image that, through training, allows a blind person with previous sight to be able to determine basic vision tasks such as identifying a person, object or a doorway, But in the future, the need for guide dogs and limited sight may be the prognosis for everyone.

Ancient 3,000 Year Old Tablet Suggests Biblical King Was Real

Meshe Stele – One Metre Tall Black Basalt Stone

According to researcher doing a study, on a 2,800 year old inscribed stone, considered King Balak to be a biblical King of the ancient Hebrews. The Mesha Stele of black basalt stone is said to be one meter tall dating back to the second half of the 9th century BC.

This piece of stone was discovered intact in August 1868, by Frederick Augustus Klien who was an Anglican missionary. It was discovered at an ancient site in Dibon, presently Dhiban, Jordan.The Mesha Stele also considered as the Moabite Stone has inscription which dates way back to 840 B.C.

Mesha Stele, the ancient tablet has labelled several conflicts and conquests which had occurred during that period. Surprisingly, the Mesha Stele is said to be the longest Iron Age inscription ever created in the region and establishes the main indication for the Moabite language and is considered a `corner-stone of Semitic epigraphy’.

King Balak – Main Character in Biblical Parable – Book of Numbers 

Though the inscriptions have been found to be battered and broken, it is said that line 31, earlier considered to refer to ‘House of David’ could in fact be describing King Balak. Three consonants had been observed by the group of researchers from Tel Aviv University, the first be in Hebrew letter `beth’ which sounds like `B’.

The researchers though not sure think it likely that the inscription on the 31st line seen towards the bottom of the Stele could be referring to King Balak. The latest analysis relating to the stone recommends that Balak to be the main character in a biblical parable in the book of Numbers could be stated as challenge to Mesha.

Name with Three Characters 

Israel Finkelstein from Tel Aviv University informed NewsWeek that they have been dealing with a name having three characters starting with `B’. They are aware that Balak was the king of Moab and had ruled from a location in southern Moab, which has been described in the Stele.

However, he has acknowledged that he was not certain and that eventually the reconstruction of the name `Balak’ is incidental.The writers had researched the novel high resolution images of the tablet of the Stele. According to the latest analysis it was mentioned that Balak, being the key personality in a biblical parable in the book of Numbers, Chapter 22 -24, could be considered in the Stele as a rival to Mesha over Moab for power.

According to the story he had asked the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. In Line 31, the seat had asked the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. In Line 31, the seat of the king was at Horonaim. It is a place which has been mentioned four times in the Bible in connection with the Moabite territory south of the Arnon River.

Historical Personality 

The authors have stated that Balak could be a historical personality like Balaam who earlier to the discovery of the Deir Alla inscription had been considered to be an invented figure. The historians have not found any other reference of Balak, outside the Bible and the Stele. The authors in their papers have stated that the new images of Mesha Stele shows that the understanding `House of David’ that has been accepted by several scholars for over two decades, is no more a possibility.

The interpretation `Balak’ instead of `House of David’ eliminates the likelihood that Judahreigned over Moab. This tends to portray Balak as a historical figure according to Mr. Finkelstein. The Mesha Stele is said to be 3 foot-tall stone of black basalt dating back to the second half of the 9th century BC.

Displayed at Louvre – Paris 

The relic was revealed 150 years ago in the ruins of the biblical town of Dibon in Moab, which is presently Jordon and had been on display at the Louvre in Paris. Many westerners after learning about it made attempts to purchase it from the Bedouins who were the owners of the stone.

Due to political relationships, negotiations were ruined between the Bedouins and the prospective buyers, Prussia (North Germany, France and England with an Ottoman official who was unpopular with the Bedouins. This resulted in the Bedouins smashing the Mesha Stele into pieces by heating it up and dousing it with cold water.

Several parts of the ancient stone still tend to be missing. Archaeologists thereafter have been making attempts in reassembling the smashed tablet.This has proved to be wealth of information with regards to the history of ancient Israel. Moreover it has also been a constant source of debate on the truth of the Bible.

In the text there is a mention which dates back to the second half of the 9th century B.C.E. that Moabite King Mesha takes pride in defeating the northern Kingdom of Israel and its deity.