Afarensis is a 3.5-2.8 million year old hominin from the Kada Hadar member of the Hadar formation in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. He is approximately 41 inches tall, weighs approximately 60 pounds and has a cranial capacity of a whopping 410 cc (approximately). Afarensis is currently considered to be transitional between apes and humans and displays some traits of both. Since he spends a lot of time on the couch watching monster movies, some observers question whether he is an obligate biped (although no one has observed him climbing a tree). He also has a blog called 
And not the lost city of Paititi. According to National Geographic Peruvian archaeologists have examined the site. Findings include:
Natural chemical and physical processes, including seismic activity, created the stone blocks found at the site, causing them to "appear to be walls or surfaces made by hand," the report states.The team found "no evidence of archaeological structures or buildings ... that could suggest a human presence," it adds.
*snip*
"The stones do not show signs of wear or of intervention from the hands of men from the act of cutting stone," it states.Scientists also found no mortar on the corners or sides of the stone blocks.
"Additionally no evidence exists that in any moment the sector in question could have been used as a stone-working site for the preparation of stone elements," it says.
Basically, then, the forces of nature mimicked the complexity found in, designed, urban centers. Am I shocked? Nope. Humans tend to mistake angular formations for cities, forts, and such all the time. Something in the way visual perception is wired in the human brain causes humans to mistake stuff like this:
For stuff like this:
You'd have to talk to a neuroanatomist or gestalt psychologist to find out why though.
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
Not surprising at all. This is just like the alleged sunken Japanese pyramid off the coast of Yonaguni Jima. Sandstone tends to break along bedding planes, that is, layers that form as sediments settle and become compressed into rock, and these resulting planes can be straight and parallel, making the structure look artificial to the untrained eye. Such fractures are especially common in areas with faults and tectonic activity, and Peru has a major fault system, the Incapuquio fault system. Adding to the drama is the fact that the local mayor owns a tourism business, so it was financially beneficial for him to declare this site was the ancient (and perhaps mythical) city of Paititi. Sorry, Mr. Mayor, your "lost city" is just a natural sandstone feature in a region full of sedimentary rocks.
Posted by: Ellery | February 25, 2008 10:33 PM
That would've fooled me. I think it's an obvious, and sensible, first assumption. And it points out why we need to check our assumptions with investigation, like science does, rather than just build elaborate edifices on out assumptions, like psuedoscience, fringe science (or religion) does.
Posted by: QrazyQat | February 25, 2008 11:15 PM
Yeah, I was thinking of the Japanese thing when I wrote this. There is also the site in the Caribbean.
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | February 26, 2008 12:04 AM
Is the Caribbean thing something more than the Bimini road? I wasn't aware of other formations - are there? Just curious, 'cause that would be cool to look into.
Posted by: Badger3k | February 26, 2008 12:08 AM
I guess when they asked Sherlock Holmes to look into this, his conclusion was "it's sedimentary, Dr. Watson".
Posted by: Bob O'H | February 26, 2008 12:58 AM
Should have got your buddies over at the disco 'tute to run it through their nixplanitory filter! I'm sure it would have a much lower CSI than say, the Cahokia Mounds...
;)
Posted by: Reed | February 26, 2008 3:02 AM
Badger3k - the Bimini road is what I was thinking of, just drew a mental blank at the time and couldn't remember the name.
Reed - Or Noah's Ark.
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | February 26, 2008 8:12 AM
Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | February 26, 2008 10:01 AM
Giant's Causeway.
Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | February 26, 2008 10:02 AM
It is not necessary to show effects of the "hands of men" if the walls were designed by He whose name may not be spoken in public, and "poofed" into existence.
Like the pyramid in Bosnia.
Posted by: mark | February 27, 2008 8:27 AM
I beck ur pardon misters, but I might officialy announce to this website your mistakes.:)
How the heck do u think that those limestones and angular blocks have not been made from men... neither would've been made by extraterrestrial existence!
Those constructions idealize the great past of human culture's architecture as for incas and any other civilization.
Some of u who response that these were "natural formations" honestly need Gestalt tests.
Good Afternoon
Posted by: Alexander | June 23, 2008 6:06 PM
Actually, it is just a simple matter of empirical evidence. Perhaps, you should acquaint yourself with the concept.
Posted by: afarensis, FCD | June 24, 2008 12:03 AM
Ok that's pretty good :)
Posted by: Alexander | June 24, 2008 4:17 PM