Historic monuments and the mystery behind them

Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire, England; it is a ring of standing stones. Scientists believe that these stones come from Wales, which is far away from Wiltshire.  According to archeologists, it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 B.C.

Some theories suggest that it was used as a worship temple or as an astronomical observatory to predict the seasons. In fact, during the summer, the sun comes through exactly the axis of the monument. Some experts still wonder how they were able to carry those stones.

It is a citadel located on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru. This area is referred to as a fortress because of its location high above Cusco.  It consists of three walls of rock about 154 tons each.

The Inca used ropes to drag the stones to the construction site, and these stones were rough-cut to the approximate shape in the quarries, by using river cobbles.

Trilithon is the most famous monument in the Lebanese city of Baalbek, it is a group of three horizontally lying giant stones, built during the Roman period. These stones are part of the Roman Jupiter temple.

This stone is a Roman monolith also located in Baalbek, the story behind the name says that a pregnant woman tried to trick people into believing that she knew how to move the stone, but she would only tell them if they feed her until she gave birth.

Easter Island has always been surrounded by mystery and is famous for the many enigmatic stone statues located there. These statues are known as “moai" and each one of them can weigh up to 50 tons.

Archeologists don’t know how they were placed in that position. These statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers between the years 1250 and 1500 A.D. How they moved these statues remains a mystery; some scientists say that they were probably moved with ropes.

This is an ancient city located west of Bolivia; it is of the highest urban centers ever built. Scientists wonder how they were able to move stones weighing more than 100 tons.

According to the Inca mythology, Tiwanaku is the birthplace of mankind. The Gate of the Sun is a famous megalithic solid stone arch located in Tiwanaku.

The Nazca Lines became famous after they were discovered in 1939 by a pilot flying above them. There are many theories that try to explain the origin of these lines; some of them represent animals and human figures.

These lines were created by the Peruvian Nazca people, who lived in the area between 400 and 650 A.D. The lines are so perfect that nobody can explain how they were able to create them without having an aerial view.

This is another Inca archeological site. Archeologists wonder how the Inca managed to move such large stones from the mountainside to where they are now located. Another mystery lies in the "Wall of Six Monoliths”, which is a towering section of a wall composed of six large sections, it was abandoned before it was completed, the reason remains unknown.

The construction of the city and fortress of Ollantaytambo has generated many questions among experts. They wonder how they moved such large rocks to the mountain slopes.  Some archeologists say that the rocks could have been transported along a river.

The stone spheres of Costa Rica are a group of more than five hundred petrospheres located mainly in southern Costa Rica. The spheres were made with shell-rich limestone and some others with sandstone.

Archaeologists still don’t know the meaning of these spheres. They were discovered by workmen who were clearing the jungle for the United Fruit Company banana plantation. Some myths say these spheres came from Atlantis.

This is a submerged rock formation close to the Japanese island of Yonagun; it was discovered by Kihachiro Aratake in 1987. Since then, it has become a very popular attraction for divers. The monument consists of sandstones and mudstones.

Many geologists and historians claim that the monument is most likely a natural formation, while others argue that it could’ve possibly been used and modified by humans.