Older than Egypt?: This submerged structure in Japan could expose a forgotten civilization
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Underwater Giant
Lying just 82 feet below sea level, the Yonaguni monument’s massive stone steps and pyramid shape have baffled divers since 1986.
Prehistoric Puzzle
Radiometric dating suggests the stone is over 10,000 years old—older than the Egyptian pyramids or Stonehenge—hinting at a civilization lost to time.
Ice Age Origin
Dr. Masaaki Kimura believes Yonaguni was built when sea levels were 400 feet lower, before the end of the last Ice Age—making its builders truly ancient.
Man vs. Nature
Geologist Dr. Robert Schoch argues it’s natural sandstone erosion. But can mere geology carve near-perfect steps and corners underwater?
Atlantis Echoes
Dubbed “Japan’s Atlantis,” the monument fuels theories about long-lost civilizations wiped out by rising seas—a tale eerily similar to Plato’s.
Sharp Debate
With sharp-angled terraces and platforms, Yonaguni looks sculpted—not random. Even skeptics admit its regularity is “striking.”
Göbekli Connection
If man-made, Yonaguni would predate Göbekli Tepe, Turkey’s 12,000-year-old temple site, possibly redefining the timeline of advanced human culture.
Global Mystery
Yonaguni may not be alone. It joins a growing list of ancient anomalies challenging mainstream history from Asia to South America.
Rewriting History
If proven artificial, Yonaguni could reshape our understanding of civilization’s origins—suggesting humans mastered architecture far earlier than believed.