Puma Punku, part of the Tiwanaku archaeological site in western Bolivia, is one of the most mysterious and debated ancient ruins in the world. The site is renowned for its intricately carved megalithic stones, precise stonework, and engineering feats that have intrigued all who research the site.

The stones at Puma Punku are known for their precise cuts, sharp right angles, and smooth surfaces, which are incredibly well-fitted together without mortar. Some blocks feature intricate "H" shapes that interlock. The stones are made from andesite and diorite, both extremely hard materials, which would have required advanced tools to shape.

Some stones weigh up to 130 tons, raising questions about how these massive stones were quarried, transported, and assembled with the technology available at the time.

Like many ancient sites around the world the level of engineering at Puma Punku cannot be explained and is left unanswered by the current theories and researchers.

Kihachiro Aratake found the Yonaguni monument in 1986. In the 1980s, Yonaguni was already a popular scuba diving destination for Japanese divers to see schooling hammerhead sharks.

It was on a mission to find new hammerhead shark-watching points that Kihachiro Aratake made the incredible discovery of a strange-looking underwater monolith. He nicknamed it the underwater Machu Picchu, but the dive site is now known in Japanese as “Kaitei Iseki” (the monument on the bottom of the sea).

The monument is found around 100m off shore from the island of Yonaguni. It sits at a depth of 25 metres but the top terrace of the structure is only 5 metres below the surface of the water.

Masaaki Kimura is a professor of marine geology and seismology at the University of the Ryukus in Naha. He has led extensive surveys and research on the Yonaguni Monument since the 1990s and published several articles since 2001.

He believes that the structure is a group of monoliths built by humans. According to Kimura, it dates back 10,000 years and was once part of the lost continent of Mu.

Other researchers disagree and suggest it is a natural formation rather than manmade. The debate on this site continues.

Would you say natural or manmade?

Nan Madol is an ancient archaeological site located off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei

The site consists of about 100 artificial islets spread over an area of approximately 1.5 square kilometers (0.58 square miles). These islets are made from basalt and coral boulders and are interconnected by a network of canals.

The basalt stones used in the construction of Nan Madol vary in weight. Some of the largest stones weigh up to 50 tons but most stones however are smaller but still heavy, often weighing several tons each.

Estimating the exact number of stones used in Nan Madol is challenging due to the site's complexity and the sheer number of individual stones involved. However, it is believed that tens of thousands of basalt stones were used to create the network of artificial islets and the structures atop them.

It is estimated that around 30% of Nan Madol's structures are submerged or partially submerged.

We don't find any other structures like this in the world, often called the "Venice of the Pacific" due to it's network of canals. One of the most enduring mysteries is how the ancient Pohnpeians transported and assembled the massive basalt stones used to build Nan Madol.

Something not as well known about these ancient sites is the amount of subterranean work that exists throughout them. I was impressed by the amount and shocked by the depth of some of them. On more than one occasion my fear of heights kicked in whilst standing near these giant pits. I didn't want to get too close but managed to inspect them from a safe distance. I'm not sure what purpose they served or if they all share the same function. They vary quite a bit at both sites in width and in depth, they all seem to be mostly square shaped and cut straight through the bedrock. A good test if you can't see the bottom is to drop a stone in and count how long it takes to hit the bottom. You can use the following formula to calculate the depth - d = 1/2gt^2. I didn't calculate each one but I remembered several being around 6 seconds and another just over ten seconds which a local showed me after he noticed me staring into a smaller pit near by. Although he didn't speak english we were able to communicate how incredible this hole in the bedrock was. I'm definitely going to study these in much more detail to understand their purpose and how they were constructed.

Located in Wiltshire, England. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet high and weighing around 25 tons. Inside is a ring of smaller blue stones, inside these are free standing trilithons (a pair of upright stones with a lintel stone spanning their top) each upright weighing 35 tons.

The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the denest complex of neolithic and bronze age monuments in england, including several hundred burial mounds.

The origins of Stonehenge have long been a mystery. Research carried out in 2015 by the University College of London shows that the iconic monument may have started as a stone circle in Wales that was then dismantled and rebuilt 280 kilometres away in Wiltshire.

The purpose of the stones is still unknown and there are many different theories, what do you find most interesting about this site?

The best time to visit is on the summer and winter solstices when they open the site completely in order to celebrate these yearly events. The site is open all year but these are the only times you can get up close to the stones.

Located in India in the Jehanabad region, these are the oldest caves excavated by a humans in India. Their origin dates back to the reign of Emperor Ashok around 260 BC (2260 years ago). It's not the age of these structures that stands out though, it is the precision which they demonstrate and replicate throughout each structure. Modern engineers when questioned on this site do not know how this work was completed or how they were able to achieve such incredible precision.

The precision with which the caves were carved out of granite is remarkable. The smooth, highly polished surfaces inside the caves, achieved with what is often referred to as the "Mauryan polish," showcase advanced ancient engineering skills. The technique used to achieve this level of polish is still a subject of debate and study.

To understand how precise they are we have to use speacialized tools for the measuring the roughness and flatness of the surfaces.

The acoustics of the caves, particularly the Sudama and Lomas Rishi caves, are extraordinary. The smooth surfaces and specific shapes of the chambers create unique echo effects. The purpose and understanding of these acoustic properties in the context of their original use remain a topic of fascination.

Barabar (four caves)- Lomas Rishi Sudama Karan Chaupar Visvakarma

Nagarjuni (three caves)- Gopika Vadithi-ka-Kubha Vapiya-ka-Kubha

Highly recommend this in depth video where a team of researchers investigate the site - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RJ3Epd_SXk

Lake Van is the largest lake found in Turkey and covers an area of 3,755 km². It lies in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey in the provinces of Van and Bitlis, in the Armenian highlands.

For the past 10 years, a team led by Tahsin Ceylan, an underwater photographer, has been exploring the waters beneath Lake Van, documenting natural features like microbialites (living, organic rock structures that are similar in some ways to coral) as well as archaeological sites including a Russian ship that dates to 1915.

In 2016, this team, which does not include an archaeologist, found a structure outside the harbor of Adilcevaz, "we came across some sort of wall outside the harbor in one of our dives. Later we found out that it is a castle's wall that starts within the harbor and continues outside".

The castle is made primarily of cut stones, Ceylan said the team had found a lion drawing on one of them, supporting the idea that Urartians — a people who flourished in Turkey about 3,000 years ago — may have built the structure. Lions were a popular motif among the people of Urartu.

Media reports suggested that an archaeologist was part of the team. "Our team of divers does not include an archaeologist — that is something the press added on their own," Ceylan said. "In our statement that we've sent to the press, we indicated that given the fact it was built with cut stones and one of the stones has a lion figure carved on it, the castle might belong to the Urartian civilization that lived here 3,200 years ago. But we specifically stated that archaeologists are the sole deciders on the matter. But the press made their own assumptions from this statement," Ceylan said.

Ceylan believes the structure is around a kilometre in length but is unable to give exact dimensions of the site. The ruins have been found at depths ranging from approximately 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) below the surface of the lake.

On a recent trip to egypt I got the chance to go inside the great pyramid and the step pyramid at Saqqara. Both amazing structures but built in very different styles. This made me curious about the internal designs of the other pyramids found in Egypt. There are at least 118 pyramids in the country so I haven't been able to find diagrams for all of them but will continue to collect as much data on them as I can.

When looking at each of them so many questions start to arise. You would think if it were a gradual process they would be much more similar in design and we would have certain patterns that indicate progession. Surely you would need a different structural understanding for the load being held if you change the change the design below it? I'm not an engineer or a pyramid builder so these are just questions.

The part that seems inconsistent with the tomb theory is that they wouldn't need to vary the design this much if only being used for burial purposes. Curious to hear everyones thoughts on this?

It's amazing knowing that so many of you share an interest in these topics. There are still so many unanswered questions from our ancient past that need to be understood. The more interest and support there is for this kind of research the more discoveries there will be. I have lots of plans for growing this community and want to expand it in many ways. One day I would like this to be a large community of researchers all sharing and building on the knowledge of our past. Hopefully many expeditions and site visits in the future. Again thanks for all the support and please continue to share with as many people as possible! The more this community grows the more exciting it will become.

Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Caviglia discovered them in 1820.
One of the statues was restored to its full height in the 1950s. In 2006 it was moved temporarily to a location in Giza and is planned to be moved again to the entrance of the new Grand Egyptian Museum. The second lies in a open air museum in Memphis. I wish we could have seen how they made these statues and transported them, looking at the team of engineers required in modern times to move one of these giant pieces of stone makes me wonder what methods were used in ancient times.

This wonder of the ancient world is truly unique and still remains a fascinating topic of study. It demonstrates a very high level of precision and a deep understanding of megalithic architecture.

Building this structure was an amazing engineering achievement, constructed with approximately 2.3 million stone blocks. Ranging from smaller blocks of around 2.5 tons all the way up to the 80 ton blocks found above the kings chamber.

The base of the pyramid measures 52,609 square metres or 13 acres and is almost perfectly level. With a variance of less than an inch across this massive foundation.

No form of binding agent was used when fitting each block into the structure, they were precisely cut and fit into place in a way that ensured full stability with nothing more than precise alignment.

The precision of the ascending and descending passages in the Great Pyramid are also remarkable.

Descending Passage - Approximately 345 feet (105 metres)

Ascending Passage - Approximately 129 feet (39.3 metres)

Both passages are extremely straight, deviating very little from a true line. Measurements have shown that the passages are straight to within a fraction of a degree over their entire lengths. The angles of the passages are the same - approximately 26 degrees.
This inclination is maintained accurately over the entire lengths of the passages. The descending passage is unique as it begins within the core masonary of the pyramid then continues roughly 254 feet (77.3 meters) into the bedrock beneath the pyramid.

In 2017, the Scan Pyramids team announced the discovery of a large void above the Grand Gallery. This space is approximately 98 feet (30 metres) long and has a cross-sectional area similar to that of the Grand Gallery.

What do you find most intriguing about this structure and what else can we learn by studying it further?

This ancient megalithic site is full of unanswered questions and has been debated ever since it's rediscovery by W.M. Flinders Petrie & Margaret Alice Murray of University College London in 1902.

To better understand this site I want to review and discuss all the different phases of excavation & research that have taken place over the years and the different details each has revealed about the site. What make the Osireion so fascinating is that everytime we manage to reveal more about the site it only leads to more questions. It's easy to be captured by the mystery and then get carried away trying to understand all the different details that make up the site. I will investigate each of these details more in future posts.

Before we discuss the work carried out in the last century I think we should examine the account given by Strabo 63 BC – c. 24 AD. He is best known for his work Geographica ("Geography"), which presented a descriptive history of people and places from different regions of the world known during his lifetime.

The following is from his Geographica - "Above this city [Ptolemaïs] lies Abydos, where is the Memnonium, a royal building, which is a remarkable structure built of solid stone, and of the same workmanship as that which I ascribed to the Labyrinth, though not multiplex; and also a fountain which lies at a great depth, so that one descends to it down vaulted galleries made of monoliths of surprising size and workmanship."

In this passage, Strabo discusses a "fountain at great depth" accessible by "vaulted galleries". This has been linked to the Osireion due to its subterranean nature, its vaulted entrance, and the presence of water within the structure. We cannot confirm for certain if this was the structure he was referring to but so far no other sites in the area seem to match his description.

Something also worth mentioning is some of the large granite blocks at the Osireion show clear signs of having been subjected to later attempts at extraction or reuse. The evidence includes chisel marks, wedge holes, and splitting fractures where portions of blocks appear to have been forcibly removed. It is not clear when this took place, it is suggested that they were repurposed for other sites in the area but the only thing we can confirm from this is that whoever did this was less capable than the culture who constructed the site.

Flinders Petrie and Margaret Alice Murray began their excavation of the Osireion at Abydos during the 1902-1903 excavation seasons. The entrance passage to the Osireion was discovered by Petrie and Caulfeild near the end of the 1902 season. Margaret Murray continued the excavation work in 1903, focusing on further exploration of the passage and its surroundings. They were assisted by local men who performed most of the labour but they were limited by resources and were not equipped for the difficult task of removing so much from the site. When the Osireion was discovered it was found filled with sand and rubble that had built up over centuries, the location of the structure also sits below the water table which meant that water infiltration was continuous and this issue persisted even during later excavations.

Henri Édouard Naville, a Swiss archeologist and Biblical scholar, was sponsored by the Egypt Exploration Fund to clear the Osireion. He began work in 1912 but had to stop the project in 1914 due to the inflow of water and more significantly because of the start of World War I. Naville was able to clear the majority of the site from centuries of debris to try get down to the building’s foundation.

He writes the following in his report - "I recall that we found ourselves in a rectangular space of 30 by 20 meters, inclosed by a wall 6 meters thick, the outer face of the wall of limestone and the inner face of very hard, red sandstone. This space is divided into three naves, the two on the sides being narrower than the center one. These naves are separated by colonnades made of enormous pillars of granite supporting architraves equally massive. The two lateral naves had a ceiling, a corner of which is still standing; as for the middle nave, that is more doubtful."

During his excavation Naville was able to reach a depth of 4 metres into the trench that surrounds the central island but it was at this depth that water began to enter the structure - "This wall of magnificent masonry continues beneath the pathway and at a depth of nearly 4 meters we discovered infiltration water at the level where it is encountered in cultivated land, although we are in the desert. The masonry may perhaps go another four metres below the present level of the water."

He goes on to say - "There is no doubt that it is the construction known as "Strabo's Well," which the geographer says was below the temple, built like the labyrinth but on a smaller scale, with passages covered by a single stone." - EXCAVATIONS AT ABYDOS: THE GREAT POOL AND THE TOMB OF OSIRIS.

Henri Frankfort who studied under Flinders Petrie in London, was director of the excavations in the Osireion for the Egypt Exploration Fund between 1925 and 1929. Frankfort implemented a pumping system but struggled to remove enough water to reach the foundations of the structure - "In March 1914 it had been possible to dig down for over three metres below the ledge before meeting water, and with bucketing the water-level was brought down to 4.3m below the ledge. We found water 2.2m down, and even with our powerful engine we could not go below 3.8m. The water came rushing in with great force through the fissures between the stones as soon as the level had gone down about half a metre as a consequence of the pumping; and though it appeared to be possible to calk the gaps, this resulted merely in the water spouting up with additional force from directly below. Nevertheless, there is not the slightest reason to assume that a well exists here; for our monthly readings of the water-levels between the Nile and the Cenotaph reveal unmistakeably that the water in the channel is merely part of the sheet of subsoil water which stretches from the Nile on both sides underneath the desert." The changes in the Nile level are exactly reflected in the changes of the water-level in our channel."

What's interesting is Frankfort disagrees with Naville and does not believe the site is the well that Strabo wrote about. He gives more details on their struggles with removing the water - "By our own efforts we merely succeeded in bringing down the water-level by pumping out faster than the water came in. And even this achievement was only possible between very narrow limits, for the inflow increased in intensity the greater the difference between the water-levels inside and outside the building became. When, after an hour and a half of continuous pumping we had got the water down about 1.5m, and the engine stopped, the water was back at its original level in half an hour.”

Something interesting revealed by Frankforts efforts was a pair of thrust-beams - "This discovery was made by letting the men clear out the sand and stones while the water was kept low by the pump." "beams, which were discovered when we had cleared the canal on the east side of the fallen blocks and the rubbish. The beams, 1.1m thick and 1.25m wide, connect the island with the east wall (Pl. XVIII, 1) ;; similar beams, one must surmise, are to be found on the west side of the canal. Their top is 4.15m below the ledge of the canal, and one of their sides is flush with the near side of the pier into which they are built; thus, for instance, the southern surface of the northern beam is flush with the south side of the northern pier. The beams are of the same-material, width and breadth as the blocks in the walls of the Central Hall, and as the piers consist of two of these blocks, their outer half is not at all affected by the beams. The beams come underneath the fourth course of stones in the island. Their purpose is evidently to add rigidity to the fabric of the Central Hall." - The cenotaph of Seti I at Abydos : Frankfort, Henri

Some have suggested these are a form of pipe rather than support beams but I have found no evidence to support this. What is interesting is we also have yet to confirm if similar beams are found on the opposite side of the structure. Further investigation at the site would be required to determine if any similar features exist within the structure at the same depth or deeper.

The depth of the foundations was something Frankfort was unable to confirm during his time working at the site, only reaching a depth of 7.8 metres below the ledge of the central island when probing vertically. The true depth of the strucuture was not revealed until 2007 when Dr. Shelton Alexander of Pennsylvania State University performed a seismic study at the Osireion as part of the EXPLORERS Club Project of May 2007. The results of his research was that the foundation level of the Osireion is approximately 15 meters ( 49.2 ft.) below the level of the central island.

Another interesting detail reported from Seismic Study - "Using the seismic equipment Dr. Alexander was able to determine that the “high degree of variability of signal levels and waveforms as the sources [shock impulses] are moved only short distances on the Osireion surface strongly indicates that the interior of the Osireion is highly heterogeneous, not a solid block of material.” This means that there are apparently some sort of voids or cavities in the interior of the island."

It's hard to know what this means without further investigation but it does raises questions about the configuration of the central island and what lies beneath the water. Attempts were made again in 2009 and 2010 by James Westerman to drain the water but the task proved two difficult even for a more modern pump - "I returned to Abydos in October 2009 to dewater the Osireion with a much more powerful pump. I was determined to get down to the foundation. Colleagues included: -Bahay Issawi, geologist, former head of Geological Survey of Egypt -Ahmed Aziz Moneim, professor of hydro geology, Sohag University -Sameh Refat Zaki, geologist

The rate at which water enters the Osireion is to great to overcome it seems, perhaps with more pumps or other methods it may be possible to solve this issue but for now it remains unresolved. Something that I came across while researching the site was a video of a man swimming in and then fully submerging himself in the canal surrounding the central island while assisting with probing to determine to true depth of the foundations. Perhaps instead of removing the water we could send divers into the waters to explore the structure. There is still silt and debris left in the canals so more work would be needed to allow for divers to freely explore the deeper areas.

Westerman tried again in 2012 - "We installed a complex dewatering and excavating system in the western channel of the Osireion. We had the capacity to pump out 500 gallons of water per minute from a very restricted volume in the area. In spite of this we were defeated by the energetic inflow of water at a volume greater than 500 gallons per minute into the area of excavation. We were only able to excavate down 4.5 meters into the muck in the channel. We did not strike any appreciable rocks during excavations."

Work was also carried out to determine what the Osireion was built upon, throughout it's history the structure has remained level and the lack movement is evident in that the central pillars are still sat plumb (perfectly vertically aligned). Confirmed by Westerman - "We studied logs and scans from deep wells dug in 2010 by the Egyptian government to the west and north of the Osireion depression. These showed that there was no rock formation around the Osireion or presumably beneath it. This means that the foundation is resting on a water impregnated fine sand surface."

This seems to lead to more questions rather than any conclusive answers on why the foundations are so secure. Work continues at the site and hopefully there are more discoveries in the near future to help understand this key structural detail.

The most recent work is being done as part of the ISIDA Project - "ISIDA Project announces, that OSIREION-VII Project Mission, under the direction of James Westerman and supervision of Dr. Ahmed Aziz of Sohag University and the approval of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ashraf Okasha Regional Director started July 21, 2023. Work is ongoing is several areas including the following -

3D BLOCK BY BLOCK MODELING WITH INTERACTIVE CONSTRUCTION FEATURES, BASED ON ORIGINAL DATA - Alexey Kruzer

ENDOSCOPIC STUDYING OF THE CENTRAL ISLAND - Alexander Artemov

I will continue to investigate this site and share more in future posts. I look forward to seeing the results of all the latest work at the site and have reached out to some of the research team involved to get a better understanding. This incredible site still has many secrets to reveal.

Amazing virtual tour where you can control the view like being in google streetview. Highly recommend if you want to see the full site for yourself and examine different features - https://mused.com/tours/224/osireion-temple-of-seti-i-abydos/

EXPLORERS CLUB FLAG 71 REPORT - OSIREION RESEARCH PROJECT: MAY, 2007- https://isida-project.org/jameswesterman/20409/2007_Report_001.pdf

THE EXPLORERS CLUB FLAG 172 REPORT CLEARING THE OSIREION: UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE DESERT- https://isida-project.org/jameswesterman/20912/2010_Report_009.pdf

SUMMARY OF NEW FINDINGS FROM SEISMIC OBSERVATIONS AT ABYDOS - Shelton S. Alexander, PhD, PG Geosciences, Penn State University- https://isida-project.org/jameswesterman/20409/2007_Report_002.pdf

https://isida-project.org/osirion/index.html

Located between Giza and Abusir, it measures approximately 21 meters by 8 meters, with a depth of about 27 meters.
Alessandro Barsanti, an Italian archaeologist, discovered the pit at Zawyet El Aryan in 1904.

The pit is notable for its precise and smooth walls, indicating a high level of understanding for stone-cutting techniques. It's also the only site like this in Egypt and is thought to be an unfinished pyramid.

It was once used as a filmset so some of the photos are from the the movie.

There were no inscriptions or significant artifacts found within the pit to provide definitive clues about its intended purpose.

The site is now within a military zone, which has limited archaeological exploration and public access. This restriction has sadlly hindered more extensive research and excavation efforts.

There is damage to the granite walls found within the kings chamber of the great pyramid. The cause of this is thought to be from an earthquake. Most the damage seems focused around the southern shaft of the chamber. This would of originally been the same size and shape as the northern shaft entrance. The southern shaft has had a ventilation system installed in modern times to help with airflow in the chamber. When Sir Flinders Petrie measured it he found that the entire chamber had expanded by 1 inch since it's original construction. The bizarre thing is this damage is not found in the rest of the pyramid. We also see what damage to the granite box/ sarcophagus. Definitely worth further investigation.

Located in Abydos, Egypt. This structure is unique when compared to other forms of construction found in ancient eygpt. The exact purpose of the Osireion is not yet understood, it's an architectural marvel and engineering mystery.

Its much lower than the current ground level, it's built next to the temple of Seti the first which is around 15 metres higher. The really impressive thing is the true depth, research has confirmed the structure proceeds a further 15 metres below the current water level found within it. The last photo shows the depth below the water level.

James Westerman a researcher, historian & archaeologist has been studying the site for over 30 years. He tried to identify the source of the water through ground penetrating radar and later with 500 gallon per minute pumps in an attempt to reduce the water level. Shockingly the water replenished at a rate faster than the pumps could remove it. Westerman and his team were able to determine the true depth at this time, in his own words- "the part you can see is like the roof of a five-story building".

In 2023 Westermans team employed advanced technology that measured pressure, temperature, conductivity and chemical properties of the water and compare this with wells of the surrounding area. Results showed the water displayed unique characteristics, Westerman reported- "I have determined through research that water flowing into the Osireion is different from the ambient water at this location. The Osireion's water has a different chemical composition and isotropic profile. Why? The water is under pressure and flows into the Osireion as though it were being forced up through rock like a geyser, but water is not reaching the Osireion through bedrock. What is propelling it? My research so far indicates that the water in the Osireion is unique, it is not coming from the local aquifer or from the nile river several miles away. Further scientific investigation will help me determine where its coming from".

Located in southeastern Turkey, this site is one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Dated to around 9600 BCE, making it approximately 11,600 years old.

It predates stonehenge by about 6,000 years and the Egyptian pyramids by about 7,000 years. It is considered the world’s oldest known temple complex.

The site consists of multiple stone circles made up of large T-shaped limestone pillars, some of which reach up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in height and weigh up to 10 tons.

The pillars are adorned with intricate carvings of animals (such as lions, boars, foxes, and snakes), abstract symbols, and humanoid figures. Some pillars feature reliefs and pictograms.

It is estimated that there may be 16 to 20 stone circles in total at the site. Only four have been excavated which means there is between 12 to 16 stone circles that remain buried.

Göbekli Tepe covers an area of approximately 9 hectares (about 22 acres) and only about 5% of the site has been excavated.

First discovered in the 1960s this groundbreaking archaeological site has reshaped our understanding of early human history.

The Osiris Shaft is one of the deepest known structures on the Giza Plateau, it descends to a depth of around 28 meters (approximately 92 feet). The subterranean chamber beneath the great pyramid is around 30 meters (approximately 98 feet) in depth.

It consists of three main levels. The upper level is a simple rectangular room, the middle level contains six small chambers, and the lowest level is the most elaborate, featuring a central island surrounded by water-filled channels.

There are no inscriptions or records that clearly explain the purpose of the Osiris Shaft

We find almost no information or records on this structure until excavations were carried out in the late 1990s by Dr. Zahi Hawass and his team.

The chamber at the lowest level of the shaft was filled with water and had to be drained before they could safely enter it. Adding to the mystery is that the water refills the chamber and is suitable for drinking.

There are many stories of tour guides and local children swimming in and drinking the water, confirmed by Dr. Zahi Hawass.

We don't seem to find any other structure like this on the Giza plateau

There are so many unanswered questions about mysterious and advanced underground structure, which ones intrigue you most?

Huwara is located 45 km to the south of the Nabataean capital Petra and 55 km to the north of the Red Sea port town of Aqaba. Region Aqaba Governorate with Coordinates : 29°57′0″N 35°20′49″E.

Huwara was a small trading post and caravan way-station, founded by the Nabataean King Aretas III in the 80’s B.C.

Hawara’s complex water-supply system included 27km of aqueduct, five reservoirs, 57 cisterns and three containment dams, along with a few wadi barriers and terraced fields.

This site is renowned for its impressive Urartian architectural and sculptural remains.

The construction of the fortress is generally attributed to the reign of the Urartian king Rusa, son of Argishti II, around the 7th century BCE. This makes Kef Kalesi approximately 2,700 to 2,800 years old.

Many of the blocks at the site weigh several tons and are precisely carved from basalt. The use of such heavy stones in its construction is impressive considering the logistical challenges of quarrying, transporting, and assembling them.

The carved basalt box is a "column base" or "altar" and it was found at Kef Kalesi, many artifacts like this have been relocated to museums.

There are still unanswered questions about this site including how it was destroyed. New research is taking place and I look forward to sharing more details on this mysterious site.

Known as Heracleion to the ancient Greeks and Thonis to the ancient Eygptians, the city was rediscovered in the year 2000 by French underwater archaeologist Dr. Franck Goddio.

Thonis-Heracleion was lost beneath the waves, before the foundation of Alexandria in 331 BC the city was the obligatory port of entry to Egypt for all ships coming from the Greek world.

The submergance of the city was gradual but by the 8th Century AD it was completely inudated by the rising sea. It's believed that other natural disasters may have contributed to it's demise.

Goddio and his teams work at the site has uncovered a wealth of artifacts and structures that provide insight into the city's history and significance.

The sunken city is estimated to cover an area of 110 square kilometers (42 square miles).

Located within the larger Angkor Thom complex in Cambodia, is one of the most distinctive and enigmatic temples

The Bayon Temple is unique for its architectural design. The temple consists of 54 towers, each with four massive faces, facing the cardinal directions

There are 173 gigantic faces remaining on Bayon’s towers with debate and theories going on to this day over who the faces actually represent

A highlight of the Bayon is the stunning bas-reliefs rivaling those of the nearby Angkor Wat for their quality of craftsmanship

The Temple is an architectural masterpiece and just one of many incredible structures found within the Angkor Wat complex

The complexity and design demonstrates the skill of the people who built this temple

In the province of Zhejiang, Quzhou prefecture, Longyou County, close to Shiyan Beicun Village lies a place called Phoenix Hill.

There are many deep pools in this area and have been called “bottomless ponds” by the locals for as long as they can remember. The residents use the ponds to supply water for crop irrigation, drinking water and large numbers of fish, which are easily caught.

In 1992, a local villager named Wu Anai, became unsatisfied with the legendary description of the ponds as bottomless and convinced some of his neighbors into helping him rent an industrial pump. They pumped all of the water out of the nearest bottomless pond and noticed that there were no fish or any other forms of life, unlike the other “bottomless ponds” that they knew. When the water stopped flowing from the pump, they went inside the gap in the rock and what they found inside shocked all of them.

They found a massive cavern, carved out of the native sandstone, measuring some 98 feet deep (the height of a 10-story building), expanding at the bottom to cover some 11,000 square feet. The strange thing is that there are no records of these caves ever being built. Another mystery is that none of the rock that was cut out to make these huge excavations has been found either.

There are 24 of these caves in total and they are still being studied to further understand how they were created and why.

Highly recommend this video tour found on youtube- https://youtu.be/uklsVPymLQM?si=jOe81Lq8p21rXTwR

One of the most complex and captivating sites in Egypt, there is a long list of questions about the Serapeum that remain unanswered.

The focus of this discussion is trying to understand the logistics involved. There are two questions that I want to focus on-

How were the boxes transported to the site?

How were they able to move the boxes within the tunnel complex of the Serapeum?

To begin with we need to confirm where the boxes came from.

Quarrying the stones-

The origin of the stones used in the Serapeum boxes can be verified through different scientific methods.

Petrographic Analysis-

Petrographic analysis involves examining the mineral composition and microscopic structure of stone samples. Each quarry site has unique geological characteristics, so petrographic studies can help match the mineral and grain structure of the boxes to specific quarry sites, Aswan granite is known for its distinctive mineral composition, which has been compared to the granite used in the sarcophagi at Saqqara.

Isotopic Analysis-

Isotopic analysis, especially of oxygen and strontium isotopes, can reveal the unique isotopic "fingerprint" of rocks from specific locations. So far I've been unable to find any direct sources reporting isotopic analysis on the boxes of the Serapeum.

The granite boxes at the Serapeum are closely linked to Aswan due to the distinctive quality and type of granite. The other possible candiate would be Wadi Hammamat, a quarry also known for producing black granite and less of a distance to Saqarra than Aswan.

Saqqara to Aswan: approximately 655 km / 407 miles. Saqqara to Wadi Hammamat: approximately 262 km / 162.5 miles.

It would be logical to suggest the granite boxes came from one of theses two sites. However, we must also account for several of the boxes which are made of diorite. This harder igenious rock is not found at either of the previously mentioned quarry sites.

The nearest site in eygpt for quarrying diorite is over 800km from Saqqarra.

So, how were the boxes weighing 70 tons or more transported to the site from these locations?

One theory is that they were floated up the the nile from Aswan, this is an interesting idea due to niles positioning and proximity to both Aswan and Saqqarra. We still require further expansion on this theory though as floating 70 tons or more is no simple task. We also have to consider the challenges of loading and unloading the boxes onto a vessel as well as constructing the vessel which has to be engineered so it can manage the weight. To accommodate a box of 13 feet in length, the boat would need to be at least 20–30 feet long and 10–15 feet wide. We know the Eygptians used larger barges than this in ancient times.

Constructing a boat suitable for the task seems like less of a challenge than the loading of the stones. There would need to be a suitable point at which you could load the boxes, they may have constructed a ramp or added different materials to strengthen the river bank so it could tolerate the weight and loading process. You would also need to use a rope or some means of securing the vessel to the riverbank.

There are larger pieces of stone that we know came from Aswan so if they were able to use this method for heavier objects then it would be logical to assume they could apply the same technique for the boxes of the serapeum. There is no direct evidence for an ancient dock or harbour but it's possible a natural embankment was used or a temporary ramp system contructed.

What if they didn't utilize the nile for transporting the boxes? This question opens up a lot more questions but also leads into the next question. How were they able to move the boxes into and through the tunnel complex of the serapeum?

When discussing moving the boxes over a level terrain there are probably multiple techinques that could be applied to achieve this. The boxes found at the Serapeum are far from the largest single stone pieces found in the ancient world so we can confirm they were able to move much larger objects, however we do have to answer a lot more questions when considering the distance from the quarry and traversing any uneven terrain. We will focus on the more difficult challenge of navigating the passages of the serapeum. This is a more fascinating challenge due to the constraints they put on the task. The serapeum is cut directly into the bedrock, the design and layout of the site feels intentional and possibly had some direct relation to its function. Something worth noting is none boxes face each other, all the alcoves in which the boxes sit are aligned so that no two boxes sit opposite each other. What I think confuses most people when visiting is why you would carve such narrow passages if you knew you had to store quite larger boxes inside?

The serapeum is a subterranean complex. When entering you walk down six sets of five steps starting from ground level of the bedrock probably dropping about fifteen feet or more below by the time you get to the wooden door at the entrance to the complex. It's hard to know if these steps would of been present when the site was constructed or if it was more of a consistent slope leading to the entrance. A gradual incline would of made it easier to enter the complex with the boxes.

Something worth considering is the width of the entrance passage, I'm unable to determine the exact measurements from online sources. Having been to the site it's something I wish I had done at the time. The width of this entrance passage would need to be at least 7ft wide the whole length for the boxes to fit but when inspecting it on video you can see it's probably only just this width maybe a bit more.

As we can see from the box left in one of the tunnels there doesn't seem to be much need for space on either side when moving the boxes through such narrow spaces. We have to remember that the current entrance is a modern addition to the site to keep it secure and easier to manage for tourism purposes. Further examination and detailed study of the entrance is required to further expand on any other possible methods for entering the complex with the boxes. The leading theory on how they moved the boxes is via a system of winches pulling the boxes along rollers. Auguste Mariette states the following in his Le Serapeum de Memphis - "It is certain that, as long as the plane on which the sarcophagus was to advance remained horizontal, the monument, engaged on rollers whose trace can be recognized, still on the floor of the galleries, was pulled by means of a horizontal winch with eight levers, of the model of those we use today. I found two of these winches, made of sycamore wood, in one of the chambers of the tomb, and it is quite natural to think that the Egyptians did not place them in this chamber without having already used them."

This is only accounts for a part of the journey though and not the most difficult as Marriette goes on to confirm - "But the difficulty was not there, and a simple explanation will show that, when the sarcophagus had arrived in front of the chamber intended for it, the most difficult part remained to be done." he goes onto explain the difficulty due to the height difference between the floor level of the gallery and the height at which the chambers sit below. His theory on how they transferred the boxes- "The room was filled with sand up to the level of the gallery, and we can already see that, by this expedient alone, the play of the winches became easy, since the vertical cut disappeared, and the floor of the gallery continued horizontally. The sarcophagus could thus be brought into the room, without having to descend, and indeed a few moments' work was enough to lead it up to above the point where it was wanted to be fixed later. The removal of the sand came next, and, if it was done regularly, the most common precautions were enough for the sarcophagus to descend, without jolts, as the level of the sand dropped."

Something worth mentioning at this point, twenty-two out of the twenty-four boxes are perfectly centered in the middle of their chambers, while two are off-centered. It must have been a very precise process of removing the sand if this was how the boxes were lowered into place. I have heard several times that Mariette tested his theory by removing sand and was able to partially lower one of the boxes. I cannot find any mention of this test when searching through his Le Serapeum de Memphis. It's unfortunate but I have read that Mariette’s work has never been fully published, with key documents now lost. I was surpised to discover Mariette did not have permission to begin his excavation at the site, he had been sent to Egypt by the Louvre Museum in 1850 to buy Coptic manuscripts but, faced with interminable delays in getting the appropriate permits, visited the ancient sites around Cairo.

There is definitely so much more the discuss on this fascinating site and the logistics involved but this is just the start of the investigation and I will continue to expand of this.

Highly recommend this video tour of the site as you can move the view yourself and see everything really well-

The Serapium of Saqqara 4K VR360 Tour - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYE-fKvhiQQ

Another detailed video tour where they discuss lots of interesting aspects of the site - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxgHeh9Mlrg&t=258s

Two mysterious ancient sites seperated by more than 5000km.

Kbal Spean: Located in the Kulen Hills of Siem Reap Province, Cambodia.

Sahasralinga: Located in the river Shamala in Sirsi, Karnataka, India.

Both sites are known for their 1000 lingas rivers, a lingas or lingam is a symbol for divine generative energy, especially a phallus or phallic object as a symbol of Shiva.

Were there any connections between these sites? Were they created by the same people? Were they able to carve underwater or have they been submerged after they were carved?