was discovered under the water in the Sea of
Galilee. The size and shape indicate that it is human made. Scuba divers who inspected the site suggest that it is an ancient cairn, or burial mound.
|Pic from MSNBC Science|
The mysterious structure is cone shaped, made of "unhewn basalt cobbles and boulders," and weighs an estimated 60,000 tons, the researchers said. That makes it heavier than most modern-day warships. Rising nearly 32 feet (10 meters) high, it has a diameter of about 230 feet (70 meters). To put that in perspective, the outer stone circle of has a diameter just half that with its tallest stones not reaching that height.
"Close inspection by scuba diving revealed that the structure is made of basalt boulders up to 1 m (3.2 feet) long with no apparent construction pattern," the researchers write in their journal article. "The boulders have natural faces with no signs of cutting or chiselling. Similarly, we did not find any sign of arrangement or walls that delineate this structure."
They say it is definitely human-made and probably was built on land, only later to be covered by the Sea of Galilee as the water level rose. "The shape and composition of the submerged structure does not resemble any natural feature. We therefore conclude that it is man-made and might be termed a cairn," the researchers write.
The water level and coastline of the Sea of Galilee has changed throughout history. The ancient city of Bethsaida, for instance, was once closer to the sea shore, but shifting coastlines and water levels has caused the water to move away from the city. In the 1980's a drought led to the discovery of the ancient Galilee boat more popularly known as the "Jesus Boat."
Thankfully archaeologist were able to study the mound before it reached the media. Otherwise we might be reading about the alien space craft that brought the beings that helped build the pyramids and eventually crash-landed in the sea.