Information AboutYonaguni |
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is the name of the westernmost island of Japan , as well as the language spoken there (see Yonaguni Language ). This island is best known for massive sunken rock and stone structures which surround the island. Divers also congregate to the island in winter due to the large population of Hammerhead Shark s found nearby. GEOGRAPHY Yonaguni is located at and lies 125km from the east coast of royal court in 1610. HISTORY Yonaguni was part of the continent until the last Ice Age . In the 12th century, it was incorporated to the Ryukyu Kingdom until the 17th century and then incorporated into the Japanese Han of Satsuma . By 1879, the island was formally incorporated into Japan. Until the early 20th century, Yonaguni was part of the larger Yaeyama village, which included the neighboring Yaeyama islands, but then became an independent village in 1948. From 1945 to 1972, it was occupied by the United States and was then returned to Japan to form a part of Okinawa Prefecture . SEABED RUINS The Seabed contains what appear to be ruins of a previous glacial age and traces of terrestrial flora, fauna and Stalactite s that form only on the surface. These suggest that these alleged ruins are more than 3,000 to 10,000 years old, which would make them the world's oldest. The fame of Yonaguni island began in 1985, when a Japanese marine explorer, KihachirÅ Aratake , by chance discovered a set of very singular Architectonic structures allegedly belonging to an ancient civilization and previously unknown in Archaeology and history. Shortly thereafter, a group of scientists directed by Misaki Kimura, of the University Of The Ryukyus , confirmed the existence of the vestiges. They appear, at least superficially, to be comparable to the pyramids of Egypt , Mesopotamia , Mexico , and Peru . On May 4 , 1998 , a part of the island was destroyed by a submarine earthquake. Several analyses indicated that a certain structure, which measured 120 m in length, 40 m wide and 20–25 m high, was 8000 years old. This would make it much older than the first constructions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China . This antiquity has created discord and controversy among historians and archaeologists since it goes against the accepted chonological history of humanity. Several noted archaeologists, including John Anthony West and Robert Schoch argue that under inspection, the "ruins" turn out to be largely explicable by ocean erosion and coral reef settlements. Most geologists familiar with the area also maintain that the structures are mere geologic processes of natural origin and consistent with other known geological formations. They point to the fact that local rocks above the surface have right angle cleavages, and that aquatic flora and fauna have smoothed out much of the surface of the alleged monument. Furthermore, no Tools have been found at the site, which would positively identify human settlement. At the alleged time that it was constructed, the affected area of Yonaguni composed a Land Bridge between the islands of Taiwan , Ryukyu , and Japan with Asia in the days of the ice age. The level of the sea was lower than at present because of the ice accumulated in the temperate zones. The alleged construction cannot be attributed to the Ryukyu Kingdom which existed only (relatively) recently in the 12th-17th centuries. Attribution is also difficult since no tools have yet been discovered. The alleged structures are believed by Geologist Teruaki Oshii , to have been constructed before the end of the glacial era. In addition to scientific explanations, other esoteric theories are that Yonaguni was part of the legendary ancient civilizations of Mu ( Lemuria ), whose fate it shared with Atlantis or Thule , as an ancient advanced civilization which sank into the sea. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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