Mysterious Animal-Shaped Structures Are Oldest Known

Source

Manmade mounds shaped like orcas, condors and even a duck may be the oldest evidence of animal mounds outside of North America, according to former University of Missouri anthropologist.
Writing in the magazine Antiquity, Robert Benfer, a professor emeritus, describes a series of mounds, some more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) across, in coastal valleys in Peru. Archaeological evidence at the sites pegs some at more than 4,000 years old.

This new discovery shows that the ancient inhabitants of Peru were building structures on the ground that were large enough to see from extremely high altitudes 2,000 years BEFORE the Nazca Lines were formed.

This is the smoking gun for contact with ancient aliens IMO. I cannot for the life of me come up with any other explanation as to why the people building these monuments needed them to be seen from the sky. To appease their gods? To replicate the constellations?

And another quote that caught my eye from the article:

Next to the condor is a second mound, this one oriented toward the spot where the sun rises on the day of the June solstice, the start of summer. This 1,062-foot-long (324 m) mound appears to be a combination puma and alligatorlike cayman, Benfer reported. Stone pillars, plastic structures and ancient ceramics are associated with all of the sites.

Maybe I am misinterpreting the quote, but plastic structures?? Plastic as in a bio-engineered substance that the ancients discovered by accident or was it supplied by someone else? Last I heard plastic was invented around 1860?

What does ATS think? What is the significance of the discovery of these mounds? Should we be questioning modern science, or just listen and believe everything that we are told?

I don't see animal shapes there.

I just see piles of rock which can be interpreted as somewhat animal-like when viewed from a specific angle and using your imagination.

Cool discovery, but not animal-shaped. Just rocks.

Duck Mound


Orca Mound


"Monster" Mound


Condor Head

I believe this is the same phenomenon as "cloud pictures". Also, I heard if you stare at a grilled cheese long enough you will see Jesus Christ himself, even the virgin mary

Originally posted by AllUrChips
I believe this is the same phenomenon as "cloud pictures". Also, I heard if you stare at a grilled cheese long enough you will see Jesus Christ himself, even the virgin mary

I once stared at a grilled cheese and saw the sonogram picture of sweet baby Jesus in Mary's womb.

You seriously don't see the duck in the top photo? The eye of the duck is a charcoal mound that could have been a fire pit for an ancient ritual/ceremony.

Oh, I see the resemblance of a duck like aquatic creature, however, I do not believe it a man(or alien made) structure. I heard of some mountains in N.Dakota they say actually look like presidents of the united states!

It appears to me to be an excellent example of pareidolia.

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse.

I wish it weren't, though. I find it to be particularly interesting.

reply to post by olliemc84

I cannot for the life of me come up with any other explanation as to why the people building these monuments needed them to be seen from the sky.

This is an argument from ignorance. Simply because you don't know the answer, and can't immediately think of an alternative explanation that makes sense to YOU PERSONALLY, you fill in the blank with aliens.

The article talks about structures made to look like animals. One might consider it a form of nature worship, perhaps they are honoring the spirits of these animals and the animals are there gods? That's arguably fairly plausible wouldn't you say? So, for the life of me, it took me about half a second to come up with a more plausible explanation than aliens.

Of course another explanation for these mounds is one big case of Pareidolia, like the whole "face on Mars" thing that excited people decades ago, until we went back and got better images and realized we'd been fooling ourselves. The human mind looks for patterns, sometimes where there are none to be found.

reply to post by Titen-Sxull

This is an argument from ignorance. Simply because you don't know the answer, and can't immediately think of an alternative explanation that makes sense to YOU PERSONALLY, you fill in the blank with aliens.

You can think whatever you want to think and I guarantee I wouldn't call you ignorant.

The ideas that you presented did cross my mind. But aren't their other ways of honoring your god, mother earth, or the animals you find sacred then by building structures that are over 1,000 feet across and can be seen from the sky? Couldn't they have saved some time and energy by painting them on the side of walls?

Why did they feel the need to do what they did? Can you tell me without a shadow of a doubt that you know the truth behind the Nazca Lines and these "supposed" animal mounds? I bet you can't.

I just wanted to put my idea and feeling out there. No need to name call.

I think there might be some by Ica Peru as well.

I think I can see an alligator or a cayvman or something in this satellite image.

www.flashearth.com...

reply to post by olliemc84

You can think whatever you want to think and I guarantee I wouldn't call you ignorant.

I never said you personally were ignorant. You were making an ARGUMENT FROM IGNORANCE, which is a type of logical fallacy, here's an example:

I can't think of a better explanation than X therefor X is the answer.

I don't know what the answer is, there is a gap in my knowledge, I will fill that gap with explanation X.

In your case ALIENS are the X and you are essentially admitting that because you're not sure what else it could be you think aliens is the best explanation or because you are not personally satisfied with down-to-Earth explanations for these mysterious monuments that aliens is more plausible. It is the argument itself that is ignorant, not you.

But aren't their other ways of honoring your god

Well yes of course there are. But then you could say that about almost any religious practice. In modern times some Pentecostal churches handle poisonous snakes and drink poison on purpose during their religious services to prove the power of their God. Surely they could think of better ways to honor Jesus right? The fact is that there isn't always a logical or practical reason for religious practice or ritual. You have to admit there are also BETTER ways of honoring or communicating with aliens than building a giant whale out of dirt or carving one into the ground.

I bet you can't.

One doesn't need to know the real reason to know that aliens is a poor explanation. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and as such there is no evidence for alien involvement with any ancient culture. I'm not absolutely certain of anything nor would I claim to have any deep insight into these cultures. I do, however, understand the way arguments are made, and the difference between a plausible explanation and one that is based on poor reasoning and lacks all evidence.

No need to name call.

Lucky then that no one did any name-calling.

Originally posted by olliemc84

Next to the condor is a second mound, this one oriented toward the spot where the sun rises on the day of the June solstice, the start of summer. This 1,062-foot-long (324 m) mound appears to be a combination puma and alligatorlike cayman, Benfer reported. Stone pillars, plastic structures and ancient ceramics are associated with all of the sites.

Maybe I am misinterpreting the quote, but plastic structures?? Plastic as in a bio-engineered substance that the ancients discovered by accident or was it supplied by someone else? Last I heard plastic was invented around 1860?

Yes you're misinterpreting the quote, it is using the word to mean molded, or formed by manipulation of materials...here...

plas·tic (plstk)
adj.
1. Capable of being shaped or formed: plastic material such as clay. See Synonyms at malleable.
2. Relating to or dealing with shaping or modeling: the plastic art of sculpture.
3. Having the qualities of sculpture; well-formed: "the astonishing plastic beauty of the chorus girls" (Frank Harris).
4. Giving form or shape to a substance: the plastic forces that create and wear down a mountain range.
5. Easily influenced; impressionable.
6. Made of a plastic or plastics: a plastic garden hose.
7. Physics Capable of undergoing continuous deformation without rupture or relaxation.
8. Biology Capable of building tissue; formative.
9. Marked by artificiality or superficiality; synthetic: a plastic world of fad, hype, and sensation.
10. Informal Of or obtained by means of credit cards: plastic money.

www.thefreedictionary.com...

reply to post by Titen-Sxull

One doesn't need to know the real reason to know that aliens is a poor explanation. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and as such there is no evidence for alien involvement with any ancient culture.

Yes but aliens isn't a poor explanation TO ME!
2nd

reply to post by Biliverdin


Ok thanks for clearing that up.

reply to post by Skepticesque


Excellent reply for a new member. I agree. Those shapes are just too random, and there's no sharp lines to denote anything except a randomization from an old culture.

However, that's not an Orca at all, that's clearly a depiction of a Bottlenose Dolphin.

I think i saw a bull head, a bear head, a boomerang shape aeroplane...uhh whats the name ? parephelia ? Is it infectious ?

Maybe "plastic" should read "plaster" (?)

While I'm not discounting the extraterrestrial theory, I can remember seeing a video on YouTube a while ago, (I'm trying to find it at the moment, but having no luck) about some gold figurines in the shape of aircraft from South America, where the design was successfully replicated as a working remote controlled aircraft.

I interpreted that as evidence that someone (I don't know if it was the Maya; I can't remember who they said made the figurines) had working air flight at the time they were made. Assuming that that is true, I think it is possible that these animal mounds, and other things like the Nazca lines, were actually made as guiding monuments, not for aliens in UFOs, but for ancient human beings who had their own planes.

I will say something else, here. I know that the reason why many of us think that these ancient peoples were "primitive," was because of the fact that their buildings and such were made of stone, whereas we had what we think today, are more technologically advanced materials. Yet when I look at it, I don't think we're really more intelligent than they are, but less. All of the learning I've been trying to do about technology, for close to the last 20 years or so now, has told me that most of the time, the approach which is both the simplest, and uses the least amount of energy to produce, is generally also the most effective, and the one which will last the longest.

So while we have reinforced concrete skyscrapers now, and we think we're so intelligent because of that; the Egyptians and Mayans had stone buildings which we still don't know how to build today, and those have lasted anywhere up to eight thousand years, depending on who you ask. We don't even really know how old they are, they've been there that long.

I think if humanity is going to survive, we need to start to re-assess everything we think we know about what technology really is, and how it works. We need to stop thinking we know so much, and start admitting and realising that we really don't.

Originally posted by NullVoid
I think i saw a bull head, a bear head, a boomerang shape aeroplane...uhh whats the name ? parephelia ? Is it infectious ?

I don't think so.

Didn't they worship wearing giant carp suits or something? If you find yourself going around wearing a giant carp, then you should maybe reassess your position then.

I see a Condor! Right in front of that guys head!

www.flashearth.com...

I am not quite sure what this one is in Nazca but it might be an albatross.
www.flashearth.com...