Make sure you see Nan Madol! There's nothing like it this side of the Pyramids. |
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how were the rocks transported ? |
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Commoners showed their respect by crawling through holes in the walls.
Nan Madol is made of natural basaltic "logs". Some are 30 feet long and weigh over 50 tons.
The basaltic logs (some of them 50 feet long) were laid abreast of each other and coral rubble was piled between them.
By putting the outer end of the short pieces on the outer-most log, and the inner end sitting on the rubble, an inward pressure is created.
Nan Madol is truly out of this world ... this was the most enjoyable vacation we have ever taken. Mark and Sandra Fredricks
Nothing prepared us for what we saw. Nan Madol was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Charles & Julie Feinberg
According to the oral history of Pohnpei, Nan Madol was built by two brothers - Olosipa and Olosopa.
An old Japanese childrens story tells of two brothers, also named Olosipa and Olosopa, who were among the merchants who traded with natives along the coast of the Americas.
When trading was finished, the ships didn't have enough fresh food and water for the long trip, so sailing across the Pacific was hard to do.
You decide. Was Nan Madol meant to be just a watering station for merchants returning to the Orient?
Only the Saudeleurs were allowed to use the front entrance.
The rear courtyard of Nan Dowas has an underground hole big enough to hold several people
Some say it was a place for meditation. (It looks more like a Saudeleurs prison to some.)
But the most important mystery still remains -
Nan Madol
Maps
This inward pressure produced is what keeps the walls standing.