Nan Madol: 750,000-ton Pacific coral reef complex defies conventional construction explanation

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Key facts

• Located on Pohnpei island in Pacific Ocean, built on coral reef in shallow waters
• Consists of 92 artificial islets connected by network of canals lined with stone
• Massive walls rise nearly 60 feet high, up to 17 feet thick
• Stones weigh 5 to 50 tons each
• Estimated 750,000 tons of stone used in construction
• Conventional dating places construction around 1180 AD by Sordel dynasty
• Basalt columns transported from distant quarries across rugged terrain and water
• Bamboo raft experiments showed even smaller stones would sink
• Population of Pohnpei at time estimated only 20,000-30,000 people
• Local legend attributes construction to brothers Olyipa and Olopa with ability to fly stones
• Anthropologist John Kubari explored site in 19th century, collected artifacts, ship wrecked on return
• German governor Victor Berg reportedly found enormous skeletal remains of 10-foot-tall giants in sealed tomb in 1907, died next day
• Japanese investigators claimed to find platinum coffins with giant skeletons on ocean floor
• Explorers report underwater pillars, tunnels, caves, and stone structures extending beneath ocean
• Some theories link site to legendary lost continent of Moo
• Basalt magnetic properties and location in typhoon zone led some to propose ancient energy or weather control installation theory

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