Friday, February 18, 2005

TSUNAMI UNCOVERS ANCIENT CITY

The devastation caused by December's tsunami certainly is heartwrenching, but the giant wave also uncovered a city not seen for hundreds of years:
The deadly tsunami could have uncovered the remains of an ancient port city off the coast in southern India.

Archaeologists say they have discovered some stone remains from the coast close to India's famous beachfront Mahabalipuram temple in Tamil Nadu state following the 26 December tsunami.

They believe that the "structures" could be the remains of an ancient and once-flourishing port city in the area housing the famous 1200-year-old rock-hewn temple.

Three pieces of remains, which include a granite lion, were found buried in the sand after the coastline receded in the area after the tsunami struck....

Archaeologists say that the stone remains date back to 7th Century AD and are nearly 6ft tall.


Myth tell us that tsunamis were not unheard of in India before December:
The myths of Mahabalipuram were first set down in writing by British traveller J Goldingham, who visited the South Indian coastal town in 1798, at which time it was known to sailors as the Seven Pagodas.

The myths speak of six temples submerged beneath the waves with the seventh temple still standing on the seashore.

The myths also state that a large city which once stood on the site was so beautiful the gods became jealous and sent a flood that swallowed it up entirely in a single day.

It's startling to ponder what is lurking out there, under tons of soil and clay. It's likely we'll never find most of it.

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