Nexus - 0227 - New Times Magazine-pages

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According to the Maoris, an extensive tract of land beyond Cape Reinga (the northernmost tip of the north island), called the land of Whainga-roa, was once submerged by the sea in a disaster in which whole populations perished together with their cultural cen- tree Such evidence leads me to believe that Australia may hold the answers to many mysteries concerning human migrations even before the dawn of recorded history. At a central western Queensland site, remains of walls and buildings have been unearthed below surface soil deposits. They are constructed of bricks of a triangular shape whose mortar seems more durable than the bricks themselves. Similar ruins exist in Western Australia and on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Other mysterious ruins have been reported found in the Papua New Guinea hinterland. A number of overseas archaeologists, anthropologists and eth- nologists who have undertaken extensive field research over the years have come to this general agreement: based upon present- day New Guineans’ ancient relics, customs and beliefs, and their knowledge of agriculture which they practised over a wide area for thousands of years before the coming of Europeans, a super- civilisation of highly advanced megalith-building people may once have existed in New Guinea and left its mark upon the Melanesians. , Other mysterious ruins which have raised much speculation exist near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. They consist of four terraces up to 40 feet tall. The terraced walls are constructed of large stone blocks closely fitted together in a way not unlike the mysterious stone walls of Tiahuanaco, Peru. Similar stone walls form the ruins which lie submerged off the Queensland coast north of Brisbane. In the late 1970s, similar stone ruins were reported found in Western Australia. In the New England district of northern New South Wales exists a series of apparently astronomically aligned stone arrangements scattered over a wide area. Consisting of often monolithic granite boulders of incredible weight, the ancient technology once employed to drag them into position remains a mystery. Also in the New England district, near Armidale, a local resi- dent many years ago discovered two sets of fossilised human foot- prints. Preserved in mudstone dated around 25,000 years old, they pose a puzzle: for while one set is the bare tracks of a child, the second set is impressions made by an adult's sandals! Ata South Australian site in the Flinders Ranges district, anoth- er set of sandalled human tracks has been found preserved in mud- stone dated at 10,000 years. tres. buildings have been unearthed below surface soil deposits. They Archaeologists have been searching for years for the submerged _are constructed of bricks of a triangular shape whose mortar seems remains of an island which native tradition says once existed more durable than the bricks themselves. Similar ruins exist in somewhere between Papua New Guinea and Australia and was | Western Australia and on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Other mysterious ruins have been reported found in the Papua During the mid-1970s, divers uncovered a number of large, | New Guinea hinterland. carved stone heads. Nearby, on one small island, remains of tem- A number of overseas archaeologists, anthropologists and eth- ples were found. In more recent years, submerged remains of a _nologists who have undertaken extensive field research over the large crumbling pyramidal structure have been located in the same —_ years have come to this general agreement: based upon present- region. day New Guineans’ ancient relics, customs and beliefs, and their Other native traditions maintain that the former Australian land- knowledge of agriculture which they practised over a wide area bridge link—of which Torres Strait and its islands were once _ for thousands of years before the coming of Europeans, a super- part—was the location of a civilisation whose now-submerged civilisation of highly advanced megalith-building people may ruins near Port Moresby are but a remnant. once have existed in New Guinea and left its mark upon the Most ancient traditions persisted across Asia of a vast southern Melanesians. continent so plentiful in gold and other precious minerals and jew- Other mysterious ruins which have raised much speculation els that it surpassed all other lands. Its inhabitants were said to be —_ exist near Alice Springs, Northern Territory. They consist of four builders in stone and experts in astronomy. These traditions were terraces up to 40 feet tall. The terraced walls are constructed of passed down to the ancient Chinese who eventually undertook large stone blocks closely fitted together in a way not unlike the extensive voyages to this wondrous land. mysterious stone walls of Tiahuanaco, Peru. Who were these mysterious people? Certainly not the Similar stone walls form the ruins which lie submerged off the Australian Aborigines who were never astronomers nor builders in | Queensland coast north of Brisbane. In the late 1970s, similar stone. However, their traditions are full of “culture heroes" who stone ruins were reported found in Western Australia. came from far across the sea at various times to impart elements of In the New England district of northern New South Wales exists their cultures upon the Aborigines. These culture heroes included _a series of apparently astronomically aligned stone arrangements visitors from the Middle East and Mediterranean region, the Near _ scattered over a wide area. Consisting of often monolithic granite East and China. However, there are other culture heroes the boulders of incredible weight, the ancient technology once Aborigines say came from out of the Earth—in other words, from employed to drag them into position remains a mystery. Australia itself. Also in the New England district, near Armidale, a local resi- Like other culture heroes who came from across the sea, it is | dent many years ago discovered two sets of fossilised human foot- said that the mysterious Australian race also “carved out the _ prints. Preserved in mudstone dated around 25,000 years old, they mountains and hills" and “rolled great stones about the land". pose a puzzle: for while one set is the bare tracks of a child, the According to the Aborigines, these people were pale-skinned. _ second set is impressions made by an adult's sandals! They erected "sacred stones" and other structures across the conti- Ata South Australian site in the Flinders Ranges district, anoth- nent and "worshipped the stars". er set of sandalled human tracks has been found preserved in mud- Knowledge of this archaic civilisation had certainly spread far stone dated at 10,000 years. across the Pacific Ocean beyond Polynesia to the Americas where the Inca and Maya certainly had knowledge of the great land sit- uated in the southern region of the great ocean. This would help to explain certain enigmatic relics as Mayan jade implements, not to mention Incan items, dug up in Papua New Guinea, Cape York and other areas of the Australia-New Guinea region. Two small Easter Island-type stone heads were recovered at Emerald in far north Queensland in the 1970s. Similar heads have turned up in the Whitsunday Passage off the north Queensland coast. An enor- mous Mayan-style stone head was dug up near Campbelltown, south of Sydney, in the mid-1970s. Incan rites and beliefs have been claimed identified among central Australian Aborigines. All these disclosures, and more, demon- Strate the navigational abilities of the ancient Amerindian peoples who spanned the Pacific [Altar stone at the base of a 21-fo: Il menhir, located at the "Bathurst Stonehenge" site. Ocean in their balsa-wood rafts in ages past. & : > NEXUS ¢ 33 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1995