Given that approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is water, and mankind has been navigating that watery surface as long as his species has existed, there are many mysteries that could be solved if the man-made items claimed by the oceans were all known. The linked article is a list of just that: long lost, man-made items that have been discovered in water. One majestic discovery on the list is the lost Pagodas of Mahabalipuram. For ages, the people of Mahabalipuram, India told stories of seven pagodas that were supposedly so magnificent that "the gods became jealous and had six of them swallowed by the sea." Historians, though, focusing on the one pagoda on land in the region, believed the stories to be the stuff of legend.
Yet amazingly, when a 2004 tsunami caused water in the area to recede by 1,650 feet, sediment that once covered the structures was removed and the pagodas saw the light of day. When the ruins were exposed and dive teams began examining the site, they were shocked as to the size and significance of the find. Expedition leader Monty Halls said,
“The initial feeling was one of disbelief. The sheer scale of the site was so impressive.”
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