Newly discovered underwater structure may change what we know about human history
In this DML Report…
Researchers have identified a 90-foot-tall underwater structure off Japan’s Yonaguni Island, discovered in 1986 by diver Kihachiro Aratake, which they believe could be a man-made pyramid dating back 12,000 years. A study in the Journal of Archaeological Science, led by Professor Teruaki Ishii from the University of Tokyo, suggests this sandstone formation—featuring flat surfaces, sharp edges, and a stepped design—may predate Egypt’s pyramids by over 5,000 years and Stonehenge by 6,000 years. Located 60 miles east of Taiwan at a depth of 80 feet, the structure aligns with the end of the last Ice Age, when sea levels were 130 feet lower, potentially exposing it as a land-based site before submersion around 10,000 BC.
The Yonaguni Monument, as it’s called, spans 165 feet long and 65 feet wide, with geometric features like a 33-foot-wide platform and a carved trench, prompting debate over its origins. Ishii’s team argues it shows signs of human construction—tool marks and a nearby stone wall—suggesting an advanced society existed in East Asia earlier than previously thought, rivaling Turkey’s Göbekli Tepe, dated to 9600 BC. However, skeptics, including marine geologists, contend it’s a natural formation shaped by tectonic activity and ocean currents in the seismically active region, with no definitive artifacts like pottery or tools recovered to confirm human involvement.
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This discovery challenges the timeline of human civilization, traditionally tied to agriculture’s rise around 12,000 years ago. If proven artificial, it could indicate complex societies predated that shift, possibly linking to myths of lost civilizations like Atlantis—earning it the nickname “Japan’s Atlantis.” Ishii’s team used sonar mapping and dive surveys from 2022-2024, but the absence of peer-reviewed consensus keeps the structure’s origins disputed. Further studies, including underwater excavations planned for 2026, aim to settle whether it’s a geological oddity or a historical game-changer.