IZU PENINSULA, Japan (4 Feb 2004) -- Archaeologists say they may have found ruins of a submerged city from the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture. They say numerous stone structures at depths of 20 to 50 meters unlikely occurred naturally and appear to have been made deliberately. Archaeologists pinpointed about 20 sites of interest covering a 1-square-kilometer area. While no one is certain, historical evidence points to an ancient city having existed in this part of Sagami Bay. Hyakurensho, a record of the Kamakura Period, describes land sinking in 1247 in what is now the southeastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu islands. Scuba diving instructor Hidenori Kunitsugu, 54, began his own research in 1975. He found what appeared to be steps carved from stone as well as flagstones and stone walls. The site lies between 100 meters and 1 kilometer off the coast of Atami. | | Atami, Izu Peninsula ''As far as I can see from photographs, these structures were not created naturally,'' said Torao Mozai, an underwater archaeologist and professor emeritus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. ''The evidence points to artificial construction.'' SOURCE - Asahi Shimbun |
