The Putangirua Pinnacles, New Zealand

The Putangirua Pinnacles are also known colloquially simply as The Pinnacles, which are a geological formation, consists of massive number of earth pillars or hoodoos located at the head of a valley in the Aorangi Ranges in Wairarapa region in New Zealand.  The Putangirua Pinnacles are large crumbly rock stalagmite type structures rising tens of metres into the air, left behind as the surrounding area erodes. Well, this hasn’t confirmed how long the pinnacles have been forming, but researchers believed it would be probably less than 125,000 years old with major erosion probably start 7000 years ago and go faster in the last 1000 years with the deforestation of the area. 

The Putangirua Pinnacles are one of New Zealand's best examples of badlands erosion. The Aorangi ranges were an island somewhere 7 to 9 million years old, when the sea levels were much higher with landmass was eroded as the time passes, large alluvial fans formed on its southern shores. The Island was submerged when the sea level rose again, but after the Ice ages, the sea level go back and old alluvial fans have been unprotected to the erosive forces of wind and water have weathered away the conglomerate. The shapes of the hoodoos gives the sense of the canyon that walked through it certainly gives this area other-worldly feel.  

However at several places, the conglomerate is secure from erosion above by a cap of cemented silt or rock, resulting in the formation of amazing Pinnacles. There are number of prominent fluting caused by rainwater running down their sides during massive storms. This area has been featured in many Hollywood movies. Moreover, there are two tracks here; one goes up the valley at the base of the pinnacles and climbs up in between them.  The hikers can hike up the valley follows a rocky stream bed, and is not the easiest path to see, but as long as you keep going up the valley you’ll be fine.

The Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

The Stone Spheres of Costa Rica is one of strangest mysteries in archaeology was discovered in the Diquis Delta also known as the Sierpe, Diquís, and General River, near the towns of Palmar Sur and Palmar Norte. The hundreds of stone balls have been discovered ranging in size from a few centimeters to more than two meters in diameter. More than 300 stone balls are monolithic sculptures made with human hands. Almost all of them are made of granodiorite a hard, igneous stone. They are in many tons in weighing; the largest ones weigh over 16 tons. These days, people decorate official buildings, hospitals and schools and even find them in museums as well. The stone balls were most expected made by the ancestors of native peoples who lived in the region at the time of the Spanish conquest. The Ball Stones can also find them as ubiquitous status symbols adorning the homes and gardens of the rich and powerful.

These objects are not natural in origin, different the stone balls in Jalisco, Mexico that was described in a 1965 National Geographic article.  These stone balls probably made by reducing round boulders to a spherical shape through a combination of controlled fracture, pecking, and grinding. The stone balls could have been roughed out through the application of heat and cold. When they were close to spherical in shape, they were further abridged by pecking and hammering with stones made of the similar hard material. The spheres are usually attributed to the extinct Diquís culture and are sometimes referred to as the Diquís Spheres have been placed in lines along the approach to the houses of chiefs, but their exact implication remains indeterminate. So nobody knows for what purpose to make these stone balls. Therefore, various myths surround the stones, such as they came from Atlantis, or that they were made as such by nature. Because no one has been able to demonstrate that gabbro, the material from which most of the balls are sculpted, can be worked this way. As early as 1948, the Spheres were deteriorating due to exposure to temperature changes, water damage from rain and irrigation.

The Stone Spheres can found from the bed of the Térraba River, where easily transported by natural processes from sources of parent material in the Talamanca mountains. Interestingly unfinished stone balls were never found there. The stone balls of Costa Rica have been the object of pseudoscientific speculations since the publication of Erich von Däniken’sChariots in 1971. In recent times, they have gained massive attention in many books; have been featured on television, radio, magazines, and web pages, where they do an unbelievable disservice to the public by misrepresenting themselves and the state of actual knowledge about these objects. Although the fact is that they have been recognized to experts since they first came to light during agricultural activities by the United Fruit Company in 1940.

In 1950’s, archaeological excavations undertaken at sites with stone balls found them to be associated with pottery and other materials typical of the Pre-Columbian cultures of southern Costa Rica. These stone balls have been endangered, by destroyed dynamited by treasure hunters or cracked and broken for agricultural activities. They appear to have been made by hammering natural boulders with other rocks, then polishing with sand. The placement of the Spheres was of great significance were carved was quarried many miles away. The labor required to transport it testify to a highly advanced society. Thus, a sense of inviolability and ritual permeates places where the Spheres were initially placed. It is even possible that they are an earthly map of the night sky millennia past. www.charismaticplanet.com

 

The Standing Sotnes of Stenness, Scotland

The Standing Stones of Stenness is a Neolithic monument 5 miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. The Standing Stones of Stenness are actually a circle of 12 stones with a diameter of 30m and comprises of 4 uprights. The circle is surrounded by a rock-cut ditch approximately 2m deep, 7m wide and 44m in diameter. The excavation has exposed a square setting of stones and bedding holes for further uprights, either stone or wooden. The circle was constructed somewhere 3000 BC, older than several Henge monuments in the British Isles. An 18th century antiquary, Dr. Robert Henry, describe the site was used once for the Temple of the Moon, and the Ring of Brodgar as the Temple of the Sun. The Neolithic quarried thousands of tons of fine-grained sandstone, trimmed it, properly shaped it, and then transported it quite a few miles to a grassy promontory with commanding views of the nearby countryside. Their workmanship was extremely immaculate.

The stones themselves are very impressive, but why the Standing Stones of Stenness were erected is still a mystery. The possible judgement is that, they were doing numerous activities, ceremonies, and celebrating the life with relationship between living and past communities. The remnants of domestic animals, such as sheep, cattle, and dog’s bones were found in the ditch. The Standing Stones of Stenness form part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage site in December 1999. The name comes from Old Norse meaning stone headland suggesting that this area had particular importance. The Standing Stones are lacks of encircling ditch and bank these days, but excavation has shown that this used to be a Henge monument. There are many stones still standing in the area, originally associated with Stennes Stones. However one famous stone Odin was destroyed in 1814, while collapsed the other stone that was part of the ring. The Stone of Odin was a sad loss, because it had a circular hole, through which local lovers plighted their troth by holding hands. The stone that had toppled was re-erected, discovered lying under the turf. This rather small and misshapen stone has been the subject of controversy ever since, but it remains standing today.

Moreover, the history showed, men, women, children and families approaching Stenness at certain time of year, carrying bales of bones, skeletons of corpses skulls, mandibles, long bones, skulls of totem animals, and herding a beast to be slaughtered for the feasting that would accompany the ceremonies. The stones are thin slabs, approximately 12 in thick with sharply angled tops. However, four, up to about 16 feet high, were initially elements of a stone circle of up to 12 stones, laid out in an ellipse about 105 feet diameter on a levelled platform of 144 feet diameter surrounded by a ditch. The ditch is cut into rock by 6.6 feet and is 23 feet wide, surrounded by an earth bank, with a single entrance causeway on the north side.

The Stones of Stenness are terrifically located with brilliant views over the surrounding countryside extending to the hills of Hoy. Therefore, the perfect time to pay the visit in summer, and try to very early morning or late in the day, to observe the majestic view of stones against the sunrise or sunset, and maybe even have them to yourself. The Stones of Stenness can be seen right by the roadside, among popular stopping spot for visitors. Hence, there are no restrictions, you can go right up to them and touch them; and see the ruins of some other Neolithic houses and central house, these are not as well advertised as those at Skara Brae, but are still captivating if you like to muse on their history.  Source: CP

Japan’s First Ever Glass Travel Train

Japan is introducing First Glass Travel train that has Windows instead of walls, giving passengers remarkable view of its volcanic landscape. The country has majestic scenery in the world, offering a new experience to its passengers. The modern design by Ichibansen, that carriage are same to glass tubes, now rail passengers will able to see in all its glory mainly thanks to a train that has big windows instead of walls. In addition, driver’s room is also glass; enable the passengers to see the inner working of train travel. Moreover, there are two carriages to the glass train, the first carriage is dedicated to offering majestic viewpoints, and however the second houses a French restaurant. The enthusiast’s passengers will have unhindered views of Japan’s volcanic landscape. There are 45 seats available with the options of meal (costs £100) and without meal (£40) on the Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka. 

Moreover, Switzerland and Canada are famous for operating trains with similar panoramic carriages. The passengers start the trip through a scenic wonderland of dramatic and diverse wilderness, taking the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver. The tourist can relish gazing through ceiling windows that shows the fast flowing rivers and avalanche-threatened passes. The passengers are advised to keep a lookout for a jaw-dropping range of wildlife on the trip, also includes a visit to Yoho National Park and the Columbia Icefields. 

Likewise, Switzerland's Glacier Express is normally labelled as the slowest fast train in the world as it takes just under 8 hours to travel approximately 180 miles between St Moritz and Zermatt and vice versa. The mountain railway journey also runs from Piz Bernina to the Matterhorn, crosses 291 bridges, 91 tunnels and Rhone and the Rhine. This is probably one of best tail trip in the world, especially journey over the Bernina Pass, with the glacier and mountain scenery made accessible by extraordinary feats of railway engineering.

Newgrange; Stone Age Passage Tomb - Megalithic Ireland

Newgrange; is a famous prehistoric monument in Ireland, located one KM north of the River Boyne. The Stone Age monument built somewhere Neolithic period around 3000 BC to 2500 BC, making it older than English Stonehenge and Egyptian Pyramids. The Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and interior chambers. The Newgrange is actually a man-made mound 85 metres in diameter and 13.5 metres high, along with a 19 meter passage which leads to a chamber with 3 alcoves.

The kidney shaped mound is ringed by “Kerbstones” engraved with artwork, and covered an area of more than one acre. The exact purpose of Newgrange is not confirmed, but speculated that it had been used for religious activities, aligned with rising sun, which lights passes through the chamber on the winter solstice. Therefore, may be more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance. The Newgrange is relatively a modern name, which means New Grange, as outlaying farms were recognized known as granges. The Newgrange is the most famous monument which is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site, having great similarities with other Neolithic constructions in Western Europe, just like “Maeshowe” in Orkney, Scotland and the “Bryn Celli Ddu” in Wales. Majority of Neolithic people were farmers, growing crops, and raising animals, and their tools would have been made out of stone, wood, antler, bones.

It is projected; more than 300 labor force participated in the construction of Passage Tomb at Newgrange for 20 years. However, Newgrange is just a passage tomb and was sealed for many centuries and remained in Irish mythology and folklore. In 1970’s the front of monument was reconstructed, causing a lot of controversial buzz and disputed. These days, Newgrange is one of most popular tourist site, regarded prehistorian as the great national monument and one of most prominent megalithic structures in Ireland and Europe. There are few proofs that Newgrange was used as a burial tomb, and roof of the inner chamber is of corbelled construction, it hasn't leaked in 5000 years.

The estimated weight of circular is more than 200,000 tonnes in total; with a flat topped cairn is almost 0.5 hectares. The Newgrange is made up of water-rolled stones, the terraces of the River Boyne and round granite boulders from the Mourne. Newgrange contains various examples of abstract Neolithic rock art carved onto it which provide decoration They are also marked by wide differences in style, the skill-level, and one of the most notable examples of art at Newgrange is the triskele-like features found on the entrance stone. It has been described as "one of the most famous stones in the entire repertory of megalithic art.

In addition, different archaeologists have guessed as to the meaning of the decoration, supposed them to have some sort of symbolic purpose, as some of the carvings had been in places that would not have been noticeable, such as at the bottom of the orthostatic slabs below ground level. Moreover, excavations have revealed deposits of both burnt and unburnt human bones in the passage, signifying human corpses were actually placed within it, even some of which had been cremated. Besides, various grave goods were deposited alongside the bodies inside the passage. Furthermore, excavations which were taken place in the late 1960s revealed seven “marbles”, four pendants, two beads, a used flint flake, a bone chisel and fragments of bone pins and points.