Scientific evidence of previous Earth civilization discovered? By onyxruby Wed Jun 5th, 2002 at 11:21:20 AM EST
	Cosmiverse, Pravda and Outside Asylum have a rather interesting series of articles about some stone maps that have been found in China that may date to some 120 million years ago. The map appears to be a topographical relief map done on a scale 1 : 1.1 Kilometers. To blockquote: The map indicates the use of civil engineering to create a system of channels about 12,000 km in length and 500 meters wide, and 12 dams that are 300-500 meters wide. Their work is being peer reviewed in the scientific community, so there is some hope and reasonable possibility that this is not a hoax.

 

The map was found by scientists who were working on researching possible Chinese immigration to Ural and Siberia. When this was originally found, it was thought that it had been carved by hand and was some 3000 years old. Upon examination, it became obvious that this was machine made. It was also discovered upon x-ray examination that the map is made up of three layers, including a layer of a type of ceramic that has never been used in China. To blockquote the article: "During the searches, notes dated the 18th century were found in archives of Ufa governor-general. They reported about 200 unusual stone slabs which were situated not far from the Chandar village, Nurimanov Region. Chuvyrov and his colleague at once decided that slabs could be connected with Chinese migrants. Archive notes also reported that in 17th-18th centuries, expeditions of Russian scientists who investigated Ural Region had studied 200 white slabs with signs and patterns, while in early 20th century, archaeologist A.Schmidt also had seen some white slabs in Bashkiria. This made the scientist start the search." If these are indeed the same slabs that were referred to in the 18th century, then the technology available then simply would not have been capable of making such a map. Even the technology available today for information needed for such a map is only under the development phase by the US and is not expected to be finished until the year 2010. These are excellent signs against an elaborate hoax. To quote one Pravda article At first we thought that the stone was about 3,000 years. Though, that age was gradually growing, till we identified the shells ingrained in the stone to sign some objects. Though, who could guarantee that the shell was alive while being ingrained in the map? The map's creator probably used a petrified find." ... While examining the stone, two shells were found on its surface. The age of one of them - Navicopsina munitus of Gyrodeidae family - is about 500 million years, while of the second one - Ecculiomphalus princeps of Ecculiomphalinae subfamily - is about 120 million years. If the dating is correct, and it is not a hoax, then it could not have been man-made. This means either an advanced civilization whose remains have just been found, or interstellar travelers. In either case, it would be an unprecedented and terribly interesting find. I think it is perfectly reasonable that a civilization could have evolved here naturally, and died off well before humans evolved. Consider that involved in a time span of about 250,000 years, and first branched off from chimpanzees about 6 million years ago. For something that is 120 million years old, that is more than ample time for such a previous species to have risen and fallen. Consider the asteroid that wiped out 99% of life on Earth 65 million years ago, and you have a perfectly plausible reason said species was wiped out in totality. The obvious response to this would be to ask why we haven't found artifacts from such a society yet? If the date of 120 million years ago is correct, than it would be difficult for anything to have survived time, the asteroid blast that wiped out the dinosaurs, weathering, and tectonic forces. To put this in perspective, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the more popular found dinosaurs, has only been found a few hundred times over the years worldwide - with most of these finds only fragmentary. To date this in comparison, T Rex lived 75 million years ago. In short, I am saying that it is reasonably possible for a species to have lived and simply not be found yet. New species of dinosaurs are discovered on a consistent basis, and many of them lived for tens of millions of years. According to the Cosmiverse article, the map was carved into a stone and discovered upside down. If one wanted to make something last a very long time, this would be an excellent way to do it. By putting the stone upside down, the map is protected from the elements and erosion. It is of course possible that tectonic forces ripped it apart and placed it upside down. One theory is that this may possibly be one of 348 pieces, making a total map of 340 x 340 meters in size. One obvious clue as to authenticity would be to examine the maps for tectonic changes. Mountain ranges may seem eternal to us, but they rise and fall like the tides by a geological standard. Simply put, look for the mountain ranges, and use those to obtain secondary dating. Indeed, this type of secondary dating is present. To blockquote: "How did we manage to identify the place? At first, we could not imagine the map was so ancient. Happily, relief of today's Bashkiria has not changed so much within millions of years. We could identify Ufa Height, while Ufa Canyon is the main point of our proofs, because we carried out geological studies and found its track where it must be according to the ancient map. Displacement of the canyon happened because of tectonic stabs which moved from East. The group of Russian and Chinese specialists in the field of cartography, physics, mathematics, geology, chemistry, and Old Chinese language managed to precisely find out that the slab contains the map of Ural region, with rivers Belya, Ufimka, Sutolka." Thus, the map has the appropriate tectonic changes that would be required for this to indeed be accurate for a date of 120 million years ago. Is this for real? That is an answer that can only come from credible third party Scientific review. Luckily said review is already underway. To blockquote the review process: What could be the destination of the map? That is probably the most interesting thing. Materials of the Bashkir find were already investigated in Centre of Historical Cartography in Visconsin[Sic], USA. The Americans were amazed. According to them, such three-dimensional map could have only one destination - a navigational one, while it could be worked out only through aerospace survey. In the meanwhile, Bashkir scientists send out information about their find to different scientific centres of the world; in several international congresses, they have already given reports on the subject: The Civil Engineering Works Map of an Unknown Civilization of South Ural." If this is real, the implications for the likelihood are enormous that life has evolved on other planets, for it means either that intelligent life could strike twice on one planet, or the map came from an extraterrestrial source. Personally, I am much more inclined to believe in life evolving here naturally. All block-quotes are from any of the three already referenced articles.