Micronesia/Pohnpei: Nan Madol Ruins
The ruins of Nan Madol on Pohnpei just blew me away – it’s like the Machu Pichu of the Pacific except more mysterious and at times grander. Easily the most impressive historical site of the Oceania, if not truly a wonder of the world. The ruins of Nan Madol represent an ancient (12th century) mega city of a lost civilization – the city was built on the artificially constructed islands over the coral lagoon and connected by channels. Only chiefs and royalty lived here. The structures are impressive – humongous slabs of columnar basalt form walls rising up to 25 feet high in places with elaborate rooms and tombs in the center of the enclosed and walled off islands. No pictures can do this site justice – it’s spread over 100 artificial islets over 2×1 km rectangle. Jungle is slowly reclaiming this wonder – with moss and wild breadfruit and palms going up everywhere. Now for the mystery – little is known about this civilization, some theories claim this is the lost continent of Lemuria. No civilization of this sophistication existed anywhere around. Furthermore, it’s not clear how the massive columnar basalt slabs were cut, moved, or constructed. No quarry was found or exists on the island. One theory says they were floated over open ocean but not clear how or from where. The local legends attribute it all to black magic. Locals believe that these people came from the island of Kosrae, however carbon dating points to the opposite.
