The World's 8th Continent has just been Discovered

 Flame Rozario  September 06, 2023  Discoveries , New Continent , Zealandia

 

A new continent has just been discovered.  This groundbreaking scientific discovery rewrites the maps as we expand our understanding of Earth's geology. The discovery of the continent of Zealandia, hidden beneath the waves of the South Pacific Ocean, is opening new frontiers in geological research and our perception of what constitutes a continent.

 

 

 Zealandia has long been suspected to exist, but it wasn't until now that scientists have gathered enough compelling evidence to confirm its status as a separate continent. This discovery includes a culmination of decades of research, seismic studies, and underwater exploration. The journey to recognizing Zealandia as a continent was a complex and collaborative effort involving geologists, oceanographers, and marine biologists from various countries.

 

 

 The History of Zealandia

Interestingly, the concept of Zealandia wasn't entirely new, even in Roman times. While the ancient Romans didn't have the scientific tools and knowledge we possess today, there are historical records that suggest they theorized the existence of distant lands beyond known continents. Roman authors like Pliny the Elder and Pomponius Mela wrote about the idea of terra australis incognita, a vast and mysterious southern land that they believed balanced the Earth's northern continents. Although their understanding was more mythological than scientific, it's fascinating to consider that Zealandia's existence may have been pondered by ancient thinkers long before modern science confirmed its reality.

 In the realm of exploration and discovery, it's worth mentioning the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who played a significant role in uncovering parts of the South Pacific that would later become linked to the Zealandia continent. In the 17th century, Tasman's voyages to the region revealed islands like Tasmania and New Zealand, which now border Zealandia. Although he never set foot on Zealandia itself, his expeditions helped pave the way for future exploration and understanding of this submerged continent.

 

Zealandia and the Continental Drift  

The theory of continental drift was proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century. This theory posited that continents were not fixed but moved slowly over geological time. While Wegener's idea initially faced skepticism, it eventually gained acceptance as scientists gathered more evidence supporting the idea of tectonic plate movement.

Zealandia's existence as a continent was first hypothesized in the mid-20th century when geologists noticed similarities between the geology of New Zealand and New Caledonia, which suggested a submerged landmass connecting them. However, confirming Zealandia's status as a continent required more than just surface-level similarities.

One crucial piece of evidence came from seafloor mapping and bathymetry studies. Advanced sonar technology allowed scientists to create detailed maps of the seafloor, revealing vast underwater plateaus, mountain ranges, and continental crust. Zealandia's unique geological features, including its distinct crust, were gradually unveiled through these mapping efforts.

 

 

 

 

What Makes Zealandia a Continent?

 

One of the key factors that set Zealandia apart from mere underwater landmasses was its well-defined and separate crust. While underwater regions like the Sargasso Sea have been identified, Zealandia exhibited the characteristics of a continent, including a stable geological structure, a clear separation from surrounding tectonic plates, and the presence of both continental and oceanic crust.

Additionally, geological sampling provided further evidence of Zealandia's continental status. Rock samples collected from the seafloor confirmed the presence of continental material, including granite and sedimentary rocks, which are typically found on continents rather than on the seafloor.

The discovery of Zealandia had significant implications beyond just updating world maps. It shed light on the complex processes of plate tectonics and the evolution of continents. Scientists could now study Zealandia to better understand the mechanisms driving continental drift and the history of Earth's geological evolution.

Furthermore, Zealandia's recognition as a continent sparked discussions about maritime boundaries and resource management in the region. Countries like New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Australia found themselves at the center of debates regarding jurisdiction, fishing rights, and potential mineral resources within Zealandia's continental shelf.

The 2023 discovery of Zealandia is a monumental moment in the field of geology, confirming the existence of a new continent beneath the waves of the South Pacific Ocean. It represents the culmination of decades of scientific inquiry, technological advancements, and international collaboration. Zealandia's recognition not only expanded our understanding of Earth's geology but also raised important questions about resource management and territorial boundaries in this newly acknowledged part of our planet. This discovery will undoubtedly continue to shape scientific research and international relations in the years to come.

 

 

 

Article

https://www.cryptoanthropologist.com/2023/09/new-continent-zealandia-found.html

 

The True Story of Christmas (and Why we Celebrate it)

 Flame Rozario  December 18, 2017  Christmas , Roman , Sol Invictus , Sun God

 

What is the actual history of Christmas and why do we celebrate it? Many will say its “celebrating the birth of Jesus,” which – fair enough, that’s the most recent reason. Others may say it originated from a “pagan” holiday – a word I would prefer not to use. Seriously? Anyone from another religion is a “pagan?” Moving on… 

Yes, I edited it. Didn't really want nudity in my thumbnail. Besides, everyone loves beach shorts! (Even Romans?)

  Christmas is not the only holiday that has been “hijacked” from other religions, but before going into what the holidays were previously about, one might question why steal someone else’s holiday?

I will take this moment to note that while some of this is based on fact, other parts are completely my own interpretations of things that I’ve read. I will also note that this is by no means making a mockery of or attempting to “debunk” religion of any kind – merely some musings about history.

When did “Christmas” begin?

Christmas did not actually exist during the first several centuries of Christianity. So when exactly did people start celebrating December 25th as the birth of Christ? 

“Christmas” as we now know it was first declared a holiday around 300 AD, shortly after Emperor Constantine (Rome’s first Christian Emperor) declared Christianity as the official religion of Rome. So, an empire that was recently non-Christian converted to Christianity and later ann

It may be fair to mention that a different calendar was used in those days, but the difference between the “Julian” calendar which was used then and the “Gregorian” calendar which we use now is fairly insignificant – about 49 minutes per year.

The Birth of the Sun and the Birth of the Son (of God?)

 

Prior to Rome being declared Christian and Christmas being declared a holiday, December was already a festive month for the Romans. During the 3rd week of December, from the 17th till the 23rd, Roman’s celebrated Saturnalia with feasting, partying and gift-giving. Saturnalia was held in honor of the god Saturn and of the Winter Solstice. 

The Winter Solstice marks the day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night, signifying the middle of winter. Following the Winter Solstice, the days begin to lengthen again. This was celebrated as “Dies Natalis Solis Invicti,” or “Birth of the Unconquered Sun.”

A Sol Invictus Temple. Interesting how Jesus also comes with those lights around his head? Image source.

 

Perhaps it is just coincidence that Romans celebrated the Birth of the Sun on December 25th and later celebrated the Birth of Jesus on the same day. More likely, Romans simply converted their old festivals upon converting to Christianity. 

Bonus Information about the Gregorian Calendar, in case anyone is interested.

 

How often does a leap year occur? If you said every 4 years, you'd be wrong. (who knew? I just found this out today.)

According to the Julian Calendar, implemented by Julius Caesar, the leap year took place once every four years, effectively making each year 365.25 days long. However, due to a slight discrepancy with the solar calendar, this was later replaced by the Gregorian Calendar which we now use today. The Gregorian Calendar is approximately 10 minutes shorter than the Julian Calendar. 

In case you are curious about the Gregorian leap years, they occur in any non-century year that is divisible by four. For centurial years, they will only be a leap year if they are also divisible by 400. Meaning the years 1600 and 2000 would be leap years, whereas 1700, 1800, and 1900 would not. 

 

 

Article

https://www.cryptoanthropologist.com/2017/12/the-true-history-of-christmas.html

 

Scientists discover lost ancient colony off Australia’s coast

Scientists have stumbled upon what they think is massive forgotten colony off the coast of Australia, which could’ve once been home to hundreds of thousands of people.

Katherine Donlevy

 

less than 2 min read

 

December 24, 2023 - 7:51AM

Article

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/archaeology/scientists-discover-lost-ancient-colony-off-australias-coast/news-story/52bf061ee7b635a02ba51437a56be6d5

 

New Hopewell find called 'archaeological gold'

 

 

 

Chris Balusik

 

Chillicothe Gazette

 

 

CHILLICOTHE - To the lay person, it may look like nothing more than a well cut hole in the ground at the Hopeton Earthworks.

 

 

To those with the National Park Service and others who study the Hopewell Culture, what the hole signifies is a significant step forward in the understanding of that culture. For the community at large, it means the strengthening of the argument for World Heritage Site status and the expected surge of visitors to accompany it.

The hole in question was excavated earlier this summer as part of an ongoing project begun around 2014 when World Heritage Site designation was emerging as a real possibility. Since that time, National Park Service employees locally have been working with scientists, several visiting from overseas, to get a better idea of what's just under the surface at some of the area's earthworks sites.

 

"They weren't just static piles of earth, these were active places and there was a lot of wooden architecture associated with them — shrine buildings, wooden post circles. There was a lot of architecture out there to support a wide variety of ceremonies and rituals, so these would have been very active places that were used over generations."

The technology Ruby references involves the use of magnetometer arrays that can be pulled across the properties to create a magnetic scan image of what may lie under the soil. In addition to providing a visual representation of where structures and mounds once sat on the property, the technology also helps scientists to pick out specific features to excavate. That's what led to this summer's discovery that had officials posting on their Facebook page that they'd hit "archaeological gold."

The magnetic imaging completed at the Hopeton Earthworks revealed previously unseen holes around the outer edge of a very large circular formation on the property. The array was similar to one discovered in the magnetic survey of the Hopewell Mound Group site.

The holes appear to have served as holders of very large, likely ceremonial wooden posts. Because of the fact they run completely around the sizable circular formation at each of the two sites, Ruby and archaeological technician Timothy Everhart see the find as very significant.

What makes the latest find even more significant in terms of understanding the Hopewell culture is that the excavated hole had nothing but charcoal in it, suggesting that it had once been used to hold a post but that the post had been removed and the hole filled in for other purposes. That adds to the belief that the Hopewell culture was a more complex society than originally thought.

 

 

"We were starting to see a pattern that these wooden post circles are a common element of Hopewell architecture that we just had no way of detecting until we had this new technology," Ruby said.

The discovery, Ruby said, should only further enhance the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks' application for World Heritage Site designation. Such a designation, which is being eyed now as being a possibility sometime around 2020, is expected to spark a significant boost in tourism to the local area.

"One of the things you need to demonstrate to become a World Heritage Site, you need to demonstrate the site has integrity and that the archaeological record is intact," he said. "This builds our case that even though these places may be plow-damaged, the archaeological record beneath the surface is intact, it's rich, it's complex, and we're learning that what we know about it is just the tip of the iceberg.

"The second thing it's showing us is it speaks to the creative genius of these people who built these places. These places are more complex than we ever thought."

 

 

Article

https://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/local/2017/07/14/new-hopewell-find-called-archaeological-gold/460059001/

Chillicothe had the largest population in history north of Mesoamerica. Cahokia was perhaps the second largest in history however both cultures grew to their heights in different time periods.

Enormous ancient quarries of island Favignana Second part

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