Latest news with #pyramid
The Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Sun
‘World's most stubborn neighbour' builds giant PYRAMID on top of his home after developers demolished village around him
A STUBBORN homeowner turned his humble adobe into a towering pyramid after his village was flattened to create a luxury resort. Chen Tianming, 42, ignored demolition orders and built a 10-storey ramshackle tower in his village in southwestern China. 4 4 4 Chen has spent seven years and over 100,000 yuan (£10,300) building his towering labyrinth, according to AFP. Authorities flattened most of Chen's village in 2018 to make way for an 800-acre luxury resort, complete with a theatre and artificial lake. His hometown of Xingyi, nestled in Guizhou province, is famed for its lush rice paddies and idyllic mountain views. Despite promises of compensation, Chen's parents refused to give up on their home - built by his grandfather in the 1980s - and Chen vowed to protect it. So Chen took a stand, slowly stacking the stone bungalow higher and higher. He now boasts a 10-storey, pyramid-shaped maze of staircases, wooden beams, balconies and improvised add-ons. Chen told AFP: "I started building out of practicality, trying to renovate and expand our home. "But then it became more of an interest and hobby that I enjoyed." His lack of building permits and refusal to obey demolition notices has sparked multiple run-ins with the local government. But Chen claims he does not mind - his worries disappear when he's up in his bungalow, gazing at the mountains and distant buildings. He said: "People often say it's unsafe and should be demolished... but I'll definitely never let anyone tear it down." While the resort project was eventually scrapped, Chen's neighbours had already moved out, their homes razed to the ground. Despite this, Chen says he continues to receive demolition threats. Last August, authorities declared Chen's towering home an illegal construction and ordered him to tear down everything - except the original bungalow - within five days. Chen says he has lost several preliminary hearings and spent tens of thousands of yuan battling the notices in court. He awaits his next hearing. He said: "I'm not worried. Now that there's no one developing the land, there's no need for them to knock the place down. Lighten up with decorative lanterns at night, his house has unsurprisingly become a tourist attraction. Local resident He Diezhen told AFP that she finds the home "beautiful", adding, "if there are no safety issues, it could become an (official) local landmark". Chinese media have compared the whimsical tower to creations made by the legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. It comes as another stubborn homeowner built a tall, narrow house to spite his neighbours who tried to get him to sell. Developer John Atkins built the eyebrow-raising structure in Jacksonville, Florida, deliberately to look over neighbours' gardens and block their views. The new owner, Mike Cavanagh, 51, is defiantly proud of the nuisance it has caused.
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Inside ‘gateway to underworld' underneath 1,800-year-old city which holds ‘toxic' secret that scientists ‘can't explain'
AN ANCIENT pyramid thought to be a 'gateway to underworld' was discovered to contain a hidden secret. The historic site, located in an ancient city, is thought to house a supernatural secret. 6 6 6 Quetzalcoatl Temple in Mexico, also known as the Feathered Serpent Pyramid is thought to have been built around 1,800 to 1,900 years ago. During an excavation project researchers discovered large amounts of liquid mercury in 2015. Its something experts believe means the structure was used to 'look into the supernatural world.' They also believe its presence could indicate that a king's tomb or ritual chamber could be lying underneath the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The pyramid was originally unsealed in 2003, allowing researchers like Dr Sergio Gómez to spend six years excavating the tunnel. During this excavation, researchers uncovered three chambers at the end of a 300 foot tunnel. In addition to the liquid mercury, they also found artefacts like jade status, jaguar remains, and a box of carved shells and rubber balls. The tunnels and adjoining structures lie 60 feet below the temple. In their 16 years excavating the temple, the research team uncovered over 3,000 ceremonial and ritual artefacts. They have used their discoveries to create a comprehensive survey of the pyramid and tunnel using LiDAR scanners and photogrammetry. Liquid mercury is not an uncommon discovery - with Dr Rosemary Joyce saying that archaeologists had found the substance in three other sites around Central America. Its believed that mercury symbolises an underworld river or lake. Dr Annabeth Headrick agreed with this interpretation, telling the Guardian that the the qualities of liquid mercury might appear to resemble "an underworld river, not that different from the river Styx. "Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future. "It could be a sort of river, albeit a pretty spectacular one," Dr Headrick added. The Quetzalcoatl Temple is located around 12 miles northeast of Mexico City in Teotihuacán - the heart of the Mesoamerican Teotihuacan universe. Around 4.5 million people visit the temple - which is the third largest in the city - every year. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and was listed on the World Monuments Watch in 2004 as tourist visitation led to the site's deterioration. More than a hundred human remains, which may have been sacrificial victims, were found under the structure in the 1980s. The Aztecs believed it was the place where Gods were created, with sacrifices being made as tributes. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Pyramid built by forgotten civilization' in Amazon rainforest may be the world's tallest ancient structure
A strange peak in the middle of the Amazon rainforest may actually be the largest pyramid ever built in the ancient world. Known as Cerro El Cono, the massive, pyramid-shaped formation is cloaked in mystery due to both its striking structure and the extreme difficulty of reaching it. The 1,310ft pyramid-shaped hill sits in Peru's Sierra Del Divisor National Park, near the Ucayali River in the Amazon. Unlike other mountains, however, this extremely steep peak has a set of distinct flat surfaces - like the Great Pyramid Of Giza - which have been covered by vegetation over the centuries. Moreover, this one great peak sticks out from the completely flat rainforest around it, adding to speculation that Cerro El Cono may not be a natural formation. While scientists believe the giant hill is just a geological oddity, possibly a volcano or natural rock formation, local Indigenous tribes view Cerro El Cono as a sacred mountain spirit which protects their communities, calling it 'Andean Apu'. This ancient tradition of worshipping mountain spirits dates back to a time before the Inca Empire, between 500 and 1000 CE, but another theory surrounding Cerro El Cono predates even these ancient myths. Although the few studies of this area have yet to find evidence to prove it, local legends claim that Cerro El Cono sits on the ruins of an ancient pyramid built by a long forgotten civilization that lived in the Amazon. According to Peruvian news outlet La Republica, fringe researchers have picked up on the local folklore of the Indigenous tribes, believing that Cerro El Cono is a man-made structure just like the Great Pyramid at Giza. If this were proven true, it would make Cerro El Cono the tallest ancient structure in history, soaring past Giza's 481ft. In fact, this incredibly steep structure would stand more than three times taller than any other ancient pyramid or temple that has been discovered. Cerro El Cono may one day join the growing list of mysterious ancient structures, some of which predate the Egyptian pyramids. One of these ancient structures is Gunung Padang, first re-discovered by Dutch explorers in 1890, and said to be the world's oldest pyramid. Studies show that the 98ft-deep 'megalith' submerged within a hill of lava rock dates back more than 16,000 years. In 2023, scientists said the structure promises to upend the conventional wisdom on just how 'primitive' hunter-gather societies actually were - revealing the true 'engineering capabilities of ancient civilizations'. Another alleged pyramid called the Yonaguni monument sits just 82ft below sea level near the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. This mysterious structure continues to astonish researchers since its discovery in 1986, with new studies revealing that the rocks are roughly 12,000 years-old. However, neither of these ancient monuments would match the height of Cerro El Cono if it is actually man-made, with Gunung Padang being just 312ft tall and the Yonaguni monument measuring only 90ft in height. Despite the local legends and mysterious shape of the massive Amazonian peak, scientists maintain that the likeliest answer is that Cerro El Cono may be an extinct volcano that rose up suddenly in the rainforest. Specifically, it could be a strangely-shaped volcanic cone, volcanic plug, or igneous intrusion which formed millions of years ago. A volcanic cone is a hill or mountain formed by the accumulation of volcanic materials, such as lava, ash, and debris, ejected from a volcano's vent during eruptions. A volcanic plug (also called a volcanic neck) is a solid, cylindrical mass of hardened magma that forms inside a volcano's vent or conduit. After the volcano becomes inactive, surrounding softer volcanic materials like ash erode away, leaving the more resistant plug standing as a distinct hill or peak. An igneous intrusion is a body of molten magma that pushes into or between existing rock layers beneath the Earth's surface but cools and solidifies before reaching the surface. When exposed by erosion, intrusions can form hills, ridges, or peaks, depending on their shape and size. Regardless of how Cerro El Cono came into existence, it is a completely unique formation in the Amazon. In fact, Cerro El Cono rises so steeply out of the flat rainforest that the peak can be seen clearly from over 250 miles away.
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Mystery of towering ‘pyramid-shaped' mountain El Cono in heart of Amazon that locals believe was ‘built for the Gods'
A TOWERING mountain that rises suddenly from the flat Amazon rainforest is cloaked in mystery. Cerro el Cono, the steep pyramid-shaped rock, stands tall and alone - leading locals to believe it was "built for the Gods". 3 3 3 The 1,310ft-tall peak shoots up from Sierra del Divisor National Park in eastern Peru, near the border with Brazil. Its shape is striking similar to the pyramids of Giza - with broad, flat sides that have been covered in vegetation over centuries. Both the clean-cut shape and the random position amid a flat plain have led to various theories about the origin of El Cono. Indigenous tribes worship the structure as a sacred mountain spirit known as "Andean Apu", which they say rose from the ground to protect the surrounding people. The belief dates from a time before the Inca Empire - between 500 and 1000 AD. But another theory predates even that ancient myth. A local legend tells that El Cono sits atop the ruins of an ancient pyramid built by a forgotten Amazon civilisation. Research into local folklore has found that some of the indigenous tribes believe the mountain is man-made, just like the Giza pyramids. If this were proven true, then El Cono would be the tallest ancient structure on Earth - towering over Giza by 481ft. Scientists have less interesting theories about how the mountain came to be - including that it is an extinct volcano or simply an unusual rock formation. PEAK OF RIDDLES Mystery of Pyramid Mountain…the eerily perfect frozen structure 2,000 miles from anywhere at centre of alien conspiracy Cerro El Cono stands adjacent to the Ucayali River - which is a major feeder to the Amazon River. The surrounding jungle is bursting with life and an incredible variety of species - including the elusive giant armadillo and different kinds of monkey. In light of the new research, El Cono could join the growing list of ancient structures that are the subject of imaginative speculation. There is another mountain which has aroused speculation over its perfect pyramid shape. It lies in a very different climate, in a far corner of Antarctica. The snowy structure of the ice-locked continent has a striking resemblance to the great pyramids of Egypt - and has been the centre of eerie conspiracy theories. It was first discovered by the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913, but only became famous in 2016 when its eerie pictures went viral on the internet. People from all around the world put forward their bizarre explanations to justify the shape of Antarctica's pyramid mountain. With a height of 4,150 feet, all four sides of the mountain are steep and appear to be in perfect symmetry. The peak is part of the Ellsworth Mountains - the highest mountain range in Antarctica.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Sacred' pyramid built by forgotten civilization in Amazon rainforest may be world's tallest ancient structure
A strange peak in the middle of the Amazon rainforest may actually be the largest pyramid ever built in the ancient world. Known as Cerro El Cono, this massive, pyramid-shaped formation is cloaked in mystery due to both its striking structure and the extreme difficulty of reaching it. The 1,310-foot-tall, pyramid-shaped hill sits in Peru's Sierra del Divisor National Park, near the Ucayali River in the Amazon. Unlike other mountains, however, this extremely steep peak has a set of distinct flat surfaces - like the Great Pyramid of Giza - which have been covered by vegetation over the centuries. Moreover, this one great peak sticks out from the completely flat rainforest around it, adding to the speculation that Cerro El Cono may not be a natural formation. While scientists believe the giant hill is just a geological oddity, possibly a volcano or natural rock formation, local Indigenous tribes revere Cerro El Cono as a sacred mountain spirit which protects their communities, calling it 'Andean Apu.' This ancient tradition of worshipping mountain spirits dates back to a time before the Inca Empire, between 500 and 1000 CE, but another theory surrounding Cerro El Cono predates even these ancient myths. Although the few studies of this area have yet to find evidence to prove it, local legends claim that Cerro El Cono sits on the ruins of an ancient pyramid built by a long forgotten civilization that lived in the Amazon. According to Peruvian news outlet La República, fringe researchers have picked up on the local folklore of the Indigenous tribes, believing that Cerro El Cono ('Cone Hill' in English) is a man-made structure just like the Great Pyramid at Giza. If this were proven true, it would make Cerro El Cono (1,310 feet) the tallest ancient structure in history, soaring past Giza's 481 feet. In fact, this incredibly steep structure would stand more than three times taller than any other ancient pyramid or temple that has been discovered. Cerro El Cono may one day join the growing list of mysterious ancient structures, some of which predate the Egyptian pyramids. One of these ancient structures is Gunung Padang, first re-discovered by Dutch explorers in 1890, and said to be the world's oldest pyramid. Studies show that the 98-foot-deep 'megalith' submerged within a hill of lava rock dates back more than 16,000 years. In 2023, scientists said the structure promises to upend the conventional wisdom on just how 'primitive' hunter-gather societies actually were - revealing the true 'engineering capabilities of ancient civilizations.' Another alleged pyramid called the Yonaguni monument sits just 82 feet below sea level near the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. This mysterious object also continues to astonish researchers since its discovery in 1986, with new studies revealing that the rocks are roughly 12,000 years-old. However, neither of these ancient monuments would match the height of Cerro El Cono if it is actually man-made, with Gunung Padang being just 312 feet tall and the Yonaguni monument measuring only 90 feet in height. Despite the local legends and mysterious shape of the massive Amazonian peak, scientists maintain that the likeliest answer is that Cerro El Cono may be an extinct volcano that rose up suddenly in the rainforest. Specifically, it could be a strangely-shaped volcanic cone, volcanic plug, or igneous intrusion which formed millions of years ago. A volcanic cone is a hill or mountain formed by the accumulation of volcanic materials, such as lava, ash, and debris, ejected from a volcano's vent during eruptions. A volcanic plug (also called a volcanic neck) is a solid, cylindrical mass of hardened magma that forms inside a volcano's vent or conduit. After the volcano becomes inactive, surrounding softer volcanic materials like ash erode away, leaving the more resistant plug standing as a distinct hill or peak. An igneous intrusion is a body of molten magma that pushes into or between existing rock layers beneath the Earth's surface but cools and solidifies before reaching the surface. When exposed by erosion, intrusions can form hills, ridges, or peaks, depending on their shape and size. Regardless of how Cerro El Cono came into existence, it is a completely unique formation in the Amazon. In fact, Cerro El Cono rises so steeply out of the flat rainforest that the peak can be seen clearly from over 250 miles away.
