12,000-Year-Old Underwater Pyramid Near Japan Sparks Buzz About Lost City

Off the coast of Japan lies a mysterious 90-foot underwater pyramid that has captivated the world's imagination and sparked intense debate for over four decades. This enigmatic structure, hidden beneath the waves, has the potential to challenge our current understanding of ancient civilizations and rewrite the history books. Found in 1986, the stone monument is situated 82 feet beneath the sea off the coast of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The monument with sharp-angled steps and an estimated height of about 90 feet has left scientists puzzled, who think that it might be man-made due to its shape and structure.

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Known today as the Yonaguni Monument, this massive 50m-long-by-20m-wide behemoth is one of the world's most unusual underwater sites.
Nicknamed Japan's Atlantis. Some mainstream scholars claim this is to be a natural site, while others claim that statement to be illogical... pic.twitter.com/Yy9pk8Xr8W

— Billy Zig (@BillyZigouras) March 13, 2023

But the tests on the stone indicate that it is more than 10,000 years old, and this is problematic. If the monument was actually constructed by human beings, it would be more than 12,000 years before the submergence of the region. This chronology puts the construction of the monument far earlier than other well-known ancient monuments, such as the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge.

Usually, scientists think the building of such massive structures emerged with the rise of agriculture roughly 12,000 years ago. But if a sophisticated society was constructing huge step pyramids well before this time, it would necessitate a complete rewriting of history and could point towards a lost world, much like the fabled Atlantis.

The Yonaguni Monument is often referred to as 'Japan's Atlantis', but sceptics still wonder if the structure was actually manmade or naturally created. 

According to The New York Post, the sunken stone sparked fresh debate when author Graham Hancock and archaeologist Flint Dibble clashed over the site on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience.

"I've seen a lot of crazy natural stuff and I see nothing here that to me reminds me of human architecture," Dibble said on the podcast in April 2024.

Hancock, a well-known proponent of lost ancient civilizations, fired back: "To me, Flint, it's stunning that you see that as a totally natural thing, but I guess we've just got very different eyes."

Hancock pointed to what he says are clear signs of intelligent design - including what appears to be carved steps, megaliths, arches, and even a face-like engraving etched into stone.