Technology
From Japanese pyramids to the ‘underwater kingdom of Wales’ – Cool submerged cities lost to the waves
THE legend of Atlantis describes a fictional utopia whose greedy and corrupt citizens fell victim to the cruel wrath of the gods.
But while the tale of the sunken metropolis is pure fiction, there are many real ancient cities across the globe that truly were lost to the sea.
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Underwater Kingdom of Wales
A mysterious prehistoric forest recently rose again on a Welsh beach thanks to a heavy storm.
The collection of ancient tree stumps was buried under water and sand more than 4,500 years ago and now people are connecting it to an ancient legend about a “sunken civilisation”.
The forest is being associated with a 17th Century myth called “Cantre’r Gwaelod”, or the “Sunken Hundred”.
It is thought that the trees belonged to the ancient forest of Borth, which once stretched for two to three miles along the shore between Ynys-las and Borth in Wales.
Storm Hannah and low tides helped to reveal what remains of the prehistoric trees[/caption]
This area is believed to have been a town surrounded by fertile land for farming and protected by floodgates.
An ancient legend dictates that the land was drowned when a priestess called Mererid neglected her duties at the fairy well she was in charge of and allowed it to overflow.
Britain’s Atlantis
Britain’s very own ‘Atlantis’ has been found deep in the North Sea after scientists discovered what they believe to be two Stone Age settlements.
Two stone artefacts that could be over 10,000 years old were recently recovered on the banks of a submerged ancient river.
A team of archaeologists from the UK and Belgium travelled 25 miles north of a village in Norfolk called Blakeney and found the two stone artefacts, which they consider to be highly significant evidence of the settlements, near each other under the sea.
The potential settlements could have existed for a long time before they were eventually drowned and could be dated anywhere between 8200 and 7700 BC.
Sediments samples taken from the North Sea revealed prehistoric stone artefacts[/caption]
Sediment samples have provided pollen and other environmental evidence that suggest that the now submerged areas would have once been vast landscapes of plants and animals.
There is evidence that the UK was once connected to Europe by land during the Stone Age but all these areas soon became submerged underwater as the Earth warmed up naturally.
Ancient Egyptian City of Heracleion
This Egyptian city was believed to be a myth for centuries until underwater archaeologists stumbled across it in 2001.
Heracleion is said to be home to the temple that Cleopatra was crowned queen in.
It is believed to have plunged into the sea off the coast of Egypt nearly 1,200 years ago, potentially due to an earthquake.
Lots of the artefacts found there are still intact including giant pharaoh statues, 64 ancient ships and gold coins.
A statue discovered at Heracleion[/caption]
Lion City of Quiandao Lake, China
This ancient city found under a man made lake in China is known as Shi Cheng.
It is as big as 62 football pitches and still contains lots of amazing archaeology.
The city was built around 25–200 AD and the area was flooded in the 1950s to create a dam.
The Pyramids of Yonaguni-Jima, Japan
The Yonaguni in Japan is an underwater spectacle that causes a lot of debate.
This is because some people think that the pyramid shaped rock formations there were formed naturally, some argue that they are clearly man-made stepped monoliths and others think it was a natural site that was slightly altered by ancient humans.
The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs does not deem the area to be of enough cultural significance to investigation.
However, many divers enjoy going there to explore the huge stone slabs.
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In other news, a rare photo has shown that Stonehenge was built like Lego using carved studs and holes.
The mystery over who built Stonehenge may finally have been solved after experts uncovered “Britain’s first city” a mile away.
And, the face of a 1,000-year-old Viking warrior woman with a gruesome battle wound across her skull has been revealed.
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