Inside ‘lost' 6,000-year-old underwater city on coast of Cuba with stone structures 2,000ft below sea's surface
Marine engineer Paulina Zelitsky and her husband, Paul Weinzweig, stunned the world in 2001 when sonar scans revealed huge stone formations on the seabed near the Guanahacabibes Peninsula.
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The images showed what looked like pyramids, circular structures, and massive blocks 'reminiscent of an urban development,' according to BBC News.
Some of the stones measured up to 10 feet and appeared deliberately stacked.
'It's a really wonderful structure which really looks like it could have been a large urban center,' Zelitsky said at the time.
The Canadian team, from Advanced Digital Communications (ADC), estimated the ruins could be more than 6,000 years old — making them older than the Egyptian pyramids.
But despite the jaw-dropping find, no follow-up expedition has ever been carried out.
While social media users today speculate the ruins are proof of Atlantis, experts remain cautious.
'It would be totally irresponsible to say what it was before we have evidence,' Zelitsky warned back in 2001.
Cuban geologist Manuel Iturralde-Vinent, from the Natural History Museum, admitted the structures were 'extremely peculiar' but stressed the depth posed a major problem.
'It's strange, it's weird; we've never seen something like this before, and we don't have an explanation for it,' he told The Washington Post.
Iturralde estimated it would take up to 50,000 years for the seabed to sink that far, far earlier than any known advanced civilization.
Michael Faught, an underwater archaeology expert at Florida State University, agreed.
He said: 'It would be cool if Zelitsky and Weinzweig were right, but it would be really advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame.
'The structures are out of time and out of place.'
Other scientists have argued the formations are likely natural rock structures.
Despite skepticism, the discovery continues to fuel conspiracy theories online.
'Civilizations that existed before the ice age, perhaps multiple civilizations that rose and fell... The historical knowledge that has been lost (or hidden),' one person posted on X.
Another claimed: 'There is so much hidden history. Finding it so fascinating. Everything we been taught is a lie.'
Funding problems and Cuba's strict control over foreign expeditions have also been blamed for the lack of further investigation.
A planned dive in 2002 was scrapped, according to US oceanographer Sylvia Earle.
Weinzweig himself once insisted: 'The structures we found on the side scan sonar simply are not explicable from a geological point of view.
'There is too much organisation, too much symmetry, too much repetition of form.'
Another underwater enigma often compared to Cuba's 'lost city' is the Yonaguni monument off Japan's coast.
Discovered in the 1980s, the massive stone formation sits around 90 feet underwater and features sharp-angled steps and terraces that appear man-made.
Tests of the rock show it could be more than 10,000 years old.
If carved by humans, it would date back to a time before the last ice age — a theory that, like the Cuban ruins, continues to divide experts over whether it's a natural formation or evidence of a vanished civilisation.
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Discovery of 6,000-year-old underwater city prompts historical rethink
However, an even bigger mystery unfolded after the discovery: no one ever went back to examine the alleged lost city in more than two decades. One factor that has held back further research has been the fact that fellow scientists have continued to voice their skepticism about the sunken city, saying it would have taken up to 50,000 years for a city to sink that far underwater. Other critics have contended that the 'structures' are natural rock formations, arguing that an entire city wouldn't have been so well preserved if it sank during a catastrophic seismic disaster. The neglected underwater structures have recently resurfaced on social media, with many people claiming that the explorers found the ruins of Atlantis. However, Cuban geologist Manuel Iturralde-Vinent of Cuba's Natural History Museum was one of the skeptics who cautioned that the stone structures could be natural formations. 'It would be totally irresponsible to say what it was before we have evidence,' Zelitsky added in a 2001 interview with BBC. Unfortunately, more evidence was never gathered, as a follow-up expedition to Cuba's Guanahacabibes Peninsula never took place. Social media users have continued to question why the research into this mysterious site was abandoned, with some claiming the implications of a city predating the ancient Egyptians have triggered a cover-up. 'Civilizations that existed before the ice age, perhaps multiple civilizations that rose and fell... The historical knowledge that has been lost (or hidden),' one person on X said. 'There is so much hidden history. Finding it so fascinating. Everything we been taught is a lie,' another person claimed. Despite rampant speculation of an archeological conspiracy, scientists have argued that there are legitimate reasons why the lost city of Cuba isn't real. In 2002, Iturralde noted that the structures were so deep underwater, it would have taken much longer than 6,000 years for this area to sink nearly half a mile due to shifting tectonic plates. If this were a sunken city that took roughly 50,000 years to reach these depths, it would completely change our understanding of human evolution. Currently, scientists have concluded that modern humans (Homo sapiens) were hunter-gatherers 50,000 years ago, since there's no evidence they created urban societies or sophisticated buildings. 'It's strange, it's weird; we've never seen something like this before, and we don't have an explanation for it,' Iturralde told The Washington Post. Michael Faught, a specialist in underwater archaeology at Florida State University, also shared his doubts that these structures were man-made. 'It would be cool if Zelitsky and Weinzweig were right, but it would be really advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame. The structures are out of time and out of place,' Faught told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The unexplored city isn't the first mysterious structure to potentially rewrite human history. Archeologists have actually found several allegedly man-made temples which significantly predate the Egyptians, including Göbekli Tepe in Turkey - a site believed to have been inhabited from around 9500 BC to at least 8000 BCE. That's over 5,000 years before the Egyptian pyramids were built and roughly 6,000 years before Stonehenge. Another underwater structure discovered near Japan, called the Yonaguni monument, features several sharp-angled steps that stand roughly 90 feet tall and appear to be made entirely of stone, leading many to believe it was man-made. Tests of the stone have shown it to be over 10,000 years old, meaning if a civilization built this pyramid by hand, it would have taken place before this region sank under water - more than 12,000 years ago. Along with scientists widely discounting the findings in Cuba as a natural phenomenon, its location so close to the socialist national have made returning to the site politically difficult. Advanced Digital Communications, the Canadian company that was mapping the ocean floor in Cuba's territorial waters, entered into a contract with the government of President Fidel Castro to conduct the original expedition.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside ‘lost' 6,000-year-old underwater city on coast of Cuba with stone structures 2,000ft below sea's surface
Dating back to more than six millennia, these ruins could be older than the Egyptian pyramids SEA FOR YOURSELF Inside 'lost' 6,000-year-old underwater city on coast of Cuba with stone structures 2,000ft below sea's surface Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MYSTERIOUS 'lost city' lying 2,000 feet beneath the waves off Cuba has baffled scientists for more than two decades — with claims it could rewrite the history of human civilisation. Marine engineer Paulina Zelitsky and her husband, Paul Weinzweig, stunned the world in 2001 when sonar scans revealed huge stone formations on the seabed near the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Mysterious stone structures 2,000ft down off Cuba have baffled scientists for two decades Credit: YouTube/Ancient Architects 5 Sonar scans revealed huge stone formations on seabed near Guanahacabibes Peninsula, which appeared to have pyramids, circular structures, and massive blocks Credit: ADC via Morien Institute 5 Aerial view of the Guanahacabibes peninsula, in Cuba Credit: Getty The images showed what looked like pyramids, circular structures, and massive blocks 'reminiscent of an urban development,' according to BBC News. Some of the stones measured up to 10 feet and appeared deliberately stacked. 'It's a really wonderful structure which really looks like it could have been a large urban center,' Zelitsky said at the time. The Canadian team, from Advanced Digital Communications (ADC), estimated the ruins could be more than 6,000 years old — making them older than the Egyptian pyramids. Read more Science stories MAGIC MONSTER Extinct creature found INSIDE 'magical' Ancient Roman amulet in 'world first' But despite the jaw-dropping find, no follow-up expedition has ever been carried out. While social media users today speculate the ruins are proof of Atlantis, experts remain cautious. 'It would be totally irresponsible to say what it was before we have evidence,' Zelitsky warned back in 2001. Cuban geologist Manuel Iturralde-Vinent, from the Natural History Museum, admitted the structures were 'extremely peculiar' but stressed the depth posed a major problem. 'It's strange, it's weird; we've never seen something like this before, and we don't have an explanation for it,' he told The Washington Post. Iturralde estimated it would take up to 50,000 years for the seabed to sink that far, far earlier than any known advanced civilization. Mystery new 'city' found underneath Egypt's Pyramids stretching 6,500ft BELOW surface in shock discovery, scientists say Michael Faught, an underwater archaeology expert at Florida State University, agreed. He said: 'It would be cool if Zelitsky and Weinzweig were right, but it would be really advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame. 'The structures are out of time and out of place.' Other scientists have argued the formations are likely natural rock structures. Despite skepticism, the discovery continues to fuel conspiracy theories online. 'Civilizations that existed before the ice age, perhaps multiple civilizations that rose and fell... The historical knowledge that has been lost (or hidden),' one person posted on X. Another claimed: 'There is so much hidden history. Finding it so fascinating. Everything we been taught is a lie.' Funding problems and Cuba's strict control over foreign expeditions have also been blamed for the lack of further investigation. A planned dive in 2002 was scrapped, according to US oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Weinzweig himself once insisted: 'The structures we found on the side scan sonar simply are not explicable from a geological point of view. 'There is too much organisation, too much symmetry, too much repetition of form.' Another underwater enigma often compared to Cuba's 'lost city' is the Yonaguni monument off Japan's coast. Discovered in the 1980s, the massive stone formation sits around 90 feet underwater and features sharp-angled steps and terraces that appear man-made. Tests of the rock show it could be more than 10,000 years old. If carved by humans, it would date back to a time before the last ice age — a theory that, like the Cuban ruins, continues to divide experts over whether it's a natural formation or evidence of a vanished civilisation. 5 Scuba diver exploring the Yonaguni Monument, a submerged rock formation off the coast of Japan Credit: Alamy
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Inside ‘lost' 6,000-year-old underwater city on coast of Cuba with stone structures 2,000ft below sea's surface
A MYSTERIOUS 'lost city' lying 2,000 feet beneath the waves off Cuba has baffled scientists for more than two decades — with claims it could rewrite the history of human civilisation. Marine engineer Paulina Zelitsky and her husband, Paul Weinzweig, stunned the world in 2001 when sonar scans revealed huge stone formations on the seabed near the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. 5 5 5 The images showed what looked like pyramids, circular structures, and massive blocks 'reminiscent of an urban development,' according to BBC News. Some of the stones measured up to 10 feet and appeared deliberately stacked. 'It's a really wonderful structure which really looks like it could have been a large urban center,' Zelitsky said at the time. The Canadian team, from Advanced Digital Communications (ADC), estimated the ruins could be more than 6,000 years old — making them older than the Egyptian pyramids. But despite the jaw-dropping find, no follow-up expedition has ever been carried out. While social media users today speculate the ruins are proof of Atlantis, experts remain cautious. 'It would be totally irresponsible to say what it was before we have evidence,' Zelitsky warned back in 2001. Cuban geologist Manuel Iturralde-Vinent, from the Natural History Museum, admitted the structures were 'extremely peculiar' but stressed the depth posed a major problem. 'It's strange, it's weird; we've never seen something like this before, and we don't have an explanation for it,' he told The Washington Post. Iturralde estimated it would take up to 50,000 years for the seabed to sink that far, far earlier than any known advanced civilization. Michael Faught, an underwater archaeology expert at Florida State University, agreed. He said: 'It would be cool if Zelitsky and Weinzweig were right, but it would be really advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame. 'The structures are out of time and out of place.' Other scientists have argued the formations are likely natural rock structures. Despite skepticism, the discovery continues to fuel conspiracy theories online. 'Civilizations that existed before the ice age, perhaps multiple civilizations that rose and fell... The historical knowledge that has been lost (or hidden),' one person posted on X. Another claimed: 'There is so much hidden history. Finding it so fascinating. Everything we been taught is a lie.' Funding problems and Cuba's strict control over foreign expeditions have also been blamed for the lack of further investigation. A planned dive in 2002 was scrapped, according to US oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Weinzweig himself once insisted: 'The structures we found on the side scan sonar simply are not explicable from a geological point of view. 'There is too much organisation, too much symmetry, too much repetition of form.' Another underwater enigma often compared to Cuba's 'lost city' is the Yonaguni monument off Japan's coast. Discovered in the 1980s, the massive stone formation sits around 90 feet underwater and features sharp-angled steps and terraces that appear man-made. Tests of the rock show it could be more than 10,000 years old. If carved by humans, it would date back to a time before the last ice age — a theory that, like the Cuban ruins, continues to divide experts over whether it's a natural formation or evidence of a vanished civilisation. 5 5
