The largest and tallest tree in the world...
Sequoia Tree and Redwood Tree
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Sequoia Tree and Redwood Tree
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Tucked away, between and on the peaks of these mountains in the coastal deserts of Peru, were these unlabeled and undeniable ancient structures. Join me as I trek to capture them!
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Archeologists discover 9000-year-old ‘Stonehenge-like’ structure in Lake Michigan
Story by Joseph Shavit• 8h • 4 min read
The picturesque waters of Grand Traverse Bay have long harbored stories of maritime history. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0)©The Brighter Side of News
Grand Traverse Bay, renowned for its calm waters and maritime legacy, hides a fascinating past beneath its surface. Over the years, explorers have uncovered numerous shipwrecks that reflect the bay’s significance as a hub for 19th and 20th-century trade. Now, a groundbreaking discovery is adding a prehistoric twist to its historical narrative.
Dr. Mark Holley, an underwater archaeology professor at Northwestern Michigan University, has unveiled an ancient structure beneath the bay. Dubbed by some as "Michigan's Stonehenge," this discovery is sparking intrigue and reshaping perspectives on the region's distant past.
The structure lies about 40 feet below the surface of Lake Michigan. While smaller than its namesake in England, the stones are carefully arranged, suggesting intentional placement. Stretching over a mile, the stones vary in size—from basketball-like dimensions to as large as compact cars—forming a sinuous line.
One stone, in particular, has captured the spotlight. Measuring 3.5 to 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide, it bears a carving of a mastodon, offering a glimpse into a time when these ancient creatures roamed the area. This remarkable artifact bridges the gap between human history and the prehistoric world, deepening the mysteries of Grand Traverse Bay.
Situated approximately 40 feet beneath Lake Michigan's glistening waters, within the heart of Grand Traverse Bay, this enigmatic discovery was to forever rewrite our understanding of the region's ancient past. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0)© The Brighter Side of NewsThe stones are estimated to be around 9,000 years old, predating Stonehenge by about 4,000 years. This period follows the end of the Ice Age and the formation of Grand Traverse Bay, when the lake bed had not yet been submerged.
Charting Grand Traverse Bay
Stretching 32 miles in length and 12 miles in width, Grand Traverse Bay is nestled in the northeastern arm of Lake Michigan, bordered by Michigan's lower peninsula. Known for its underwater shipwreck dive sites, the bay attracts tourists who come to explore these sunken vessels with snorkels and fins.
The exact location of the Stonehenge-like structure remains a closely guarded secret. After his discovery, Dr. Holley informed the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa tribes to show respect for their ancestral heritage and protect the site from damage. Consequently, the coordinates of this archaeological wonder are not disclosed to the public.
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The submerged nature of the stones poses a significant challenge for archaeologists. Since their discovery in 2007, progress in studying the site has been slow, leading to widespread speculation about its significance. Researchers have looked to other regional stone formations for potential correlations, hoping to unravel the secrets of these underwater stones.
Similar stone structures in the vicinity provide tantalizing clues about the purpose of the Grand Traverse Bay arrangement. Dr. John O'Shea from the University of Michigan has studied a rock formation in Lake Huron, dating back 9,000 years.
Situated 120 feet below the surface along the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, this stone assemblage is believed to have been used for ancient hunting practices, possibly to channel caribou.
Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan, also holds ancient stone formations. On the island's west side, along the Reddings Trail, a circle of glacial boulders is found, some marked with inscriptions. One stone even features a carved hole, suggesting it had a functional use.
Sonar Image of the stones. Stonehenge Beneath the Waters of Lake Michigan. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0)© The Brighter Side of NewsAlthough formal analyses like carbon dating are lacking, these stones are thought to have been significant to the Native American communities that once inhabited the island, possibly serving as calendrical markers or celestial observation points.
Unraveling the Mysteries
The purpose of the Grand Traverse Bay stone arrangement remains speculative. It could have been used by ancient caribou hunters, similar to the Lake Huron formation, or it might have served as an ancient calendar, aligning with celestial events like Stonehenge. The ambiguity highlights the need for further research and analysis, which is complicated by the underwater setting.
As technology advances, new methods of underwater exploration and analysis emerge, bringing us closer to understanding these ancient structures. Each discovery adds to our knowledge of the past, allowing us to glimpse the lives and practices of those who lived thousands of years ago.
A boulder about three and a half to four feet high and five feet wide was found with a prehistoric carving of a mastodon etched into the stone. Both animals have been extinct for about 11,00 years. (CREDIT: CC BY-SA 4.0)© The Brighter Side of NewsIn the coming years, the secrets of Grand Traverse Bay are likely to unfold further, providing invaluable insights into prehistoric life and the ancient peoples who once called this region home. Through meticulous research and respectful preservation, we honor their memory and enrich our understanding of the world’s ancient past.
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Archeologists discover 9000-year-old ‘Stonehenge-like’ structure in Lake Michigan
The name Madagascar has multiple origins and meanings:
Marco PoloThe Venetian explorer Marco Polo is credited with first using the name "Madageiscar" in the 13th century. However, Polo likely confused the island with Mogadishu, a Somali port, and the name is a corrupted transliteration of Mogadishu. MalagasyThe name of the island in Malagasy is Madagasikara, where the "i" and final "a" are voiceless. When translated into English and French, the voiceless vowels were not written, which is how the name became "Madagascar". PortugueseThe Portuguese named the island São Lourenço (Saint Lawrence) after Diogo Dias sighted the island in 1500.
PiratesSailors sometimes called Madagascar the "Island of the Moon". In the late 17th century, Captain Misson and his pirate crew allegedly founded Libertatia, a pirate utopia, on Île Sainte-Marie, a small island off the northeastern coast of Madagascar.The official name of the country is the Republic of Madagascar.The capital is Antananarivo, which means "City of the Thousand".The official languages are Malagasy and French.
Austronesians discovered Madagascar as early as 500 BC and they originated from Southern Borneo of Indonesia.
A Madagascar woman of Austronesian descent
Did you know there's a group of people in Madagascar who actually moved into a volcanic crater? It's pretty wild, but they chose this spot because the soil inside the crater is super fertile, perfect for farming. They’ve built a whole community there, living among the lush, green landscape. The crater walls offer some protection from harsh weather, too. But what was the main reason they moved there, far from civilization? Let's find it out!
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Anosibe Ambohiby is a village founded in 2008 in Madagascar situated within the crater of an extinct volcano called the "Ambohiby Massif," meaning the village resides inside a volcanic crater in the central highlands of Madagascar; the crater is a result of the geological separation between Madagascar and India, creating a unique landscape around the village. Anosibe translates to "Big Island".Key points about Anosibe Ambohiby:
- Location: Central Highlands of Madagascar
- Volcanic feature: Located inside the crater of the Ambohiby Massif, an extinct volcano
- Population: Around 300 people and 50 houses, mostly from the Betsileo ethnic group
- Interesting fact: The village is quite isolated, with the nearest town being several kilometers away.
Wikipedia
We could learn something from these people that lives inside the crater. The soil found in the volcano craters are fertile which is ideal for farm production resulting to a steady growth in population.
Madagascar is well-known for their Madagascar Vanilla which is considered the Gold Standard. Madagascar is the dominant vanilla producer exporting over 80% of the world's vanilla.
What is the best vanilla in the world?Although it is not native to the country, vanilla produced in Madagascar is considered the gold standard. Vanilla grown outside of its native Mexico must be pollinated completely by hand during a five- to six-hour window of blooming. Once pollinated, beans take about three to four months to mature.
What is so special about Madagascar vanilla?Vanilla's leading flavor is due to the presence of vanillin, an organic compound that delivers those signature sweet, warm, and creamy flavors. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries, another reason why Madagascar vanilla beans are so richly flavored. Mar 20, 2022
What's the difference between Madagascar vanilla and regular vanilla?The difference is that in Madagascar, the pollination is done by bees rather than human hands. Madagascar vanilla traces its roots back to 1800, where the orchard was introduced to Madagascar from Mexico. The product is also referred to as Bourbon vanilla, but it is not made with bourbon whiskey. Sep 15, 2020
A similar example is a coffee plantation in the vicinity of the Poas Volcano in Costa Rica as shown in the picture below.
Poas Volcano, Costa Rica
Perhaps in the near future, Astronauts will one day reside inside the craters of our moon.
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Chilean Scientists in Antarctica made a jaw-dropping discovery: a giant, mysterious egg buried in the icy depths. At first, they weren’t even sure it was an egg—it looked like a deflated football but way bigger. After some testing, they realized it belonged to a prehistoric marine creature, possibly something like a mosasaur, which ruled the oceans millions of years ago. What’s wild is that this egg, which is soft and leathery, is the largest of its kind ever found. For the record, the second largest egg ever discovered, only the Madagascan egg is larger. It’s like a snapshot of ancient life, perfectly preserved in the freezing Antarctic conditions. Who knows what other prehistoric surprises are still hidden under all that ice?
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Antarctica Mosasaur Egg (2nd largest egg found)
Antarctica Mosasaur, 66 million years old Dinosaur
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Madagascan Elephant Bird Egg from Madagascar Island (largest egg found and larger than any Dinosaur eggs)
Madagascan Elephant Bird Egg (left)
Ostrich Egg (middle)
Chicken Egg (right)
Elephant bird eggs were the largest eggs ever laid by an animal, and were much larger than dinosaur eggs:
Wikipedia
Elephant birds are extinct flightless birds belonging to the order Aepyornithiformes that were native to the island of Madagascar. They are thought to have gone extinct around AD 1000, likely as a result of human activity.
UsesThe eggs were used by the Madagascan natives for domestic purposes, such as holding liquor and in religious ceremonies. They have also been a novelty item for collectors since the 13th century.
Can you still find elephant bird eggs?Humans pillaged the elephant birds' nests, which likely played a role in driving the animals towards extinction. Today, few of the bird's gargantuan eggs survive; fewer than 40 are known to exist in public institutions. Some eggs were auctioned and sold for thousands of dollars.
What is the largest bird to ever exist?After taxonomic reshuffling and examination of collected elephant bird remains, researchers say that a member of a previously unidentified genus of the birds could have weighed more than 1,700 pounds, making it by far the largest bird ever known.Some forms of Aepyornis attained very large size, approaching 3 metres (10 feet) high.