Ancient City of Nan Madol | Lost Cities With Albert Lin

TL;DR

Nan Madol was a vast ceremonial center built from basalt pillars for the Soudelor rulers, but exactly how its enormous stones were raised remains unknown. More than 90 man-made structures extend across almost half a square mile, much of it hidden by mangroves. Albert Lin’s team plans more than 40 drone flights using LIDAR to map the city, making the evidence and enduring mysteries worth exploring further.

Transcript

[dramatic music playing] MALE SPEAKER: This is it, Albert. Welcome to the jungle. We are on sacred grounds right now. You're just beginning to see part of the structures. ALBERT LIN: I've never seen anything like this. MALE SPEAKER: Welcome to Nan Madol. ALBERT LIN: (VOICEOVER) Only a tiny fragment of the legendary Soudelor city can still be seen. ... Read More

Key Insights

• 📏 Nan Madol was a hierarchical society ruled by a single individual, similar to a dictator.
• 😒 The use of drones and LIDAR technology has been instrumental in mapping the full extent of Nan Madol.
• 😒 Nan Madol's construction methods still remain a mystery, with legends suggesting the use of magic.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the ancient city of Nan Madol?

Nan Madol was the main ceremonial center of the Soudelor city and contained a temple to the island’s ancient rulers. Built from pillars of basalt rock, it was known as a “city in the sea,” with an outer wall reaching the edge of the reef.

Q: How was Nan Madol constructed?

The people of the island were commanded by their ruler to assist in building Nan Madol. However, the physics of carrying and raising the massive basalt stones remains unclear, while one oral legend says magic made the rocks fly into place.

Q: How large is Nan Madol?

Nan Madol extends across almost half a square mile, described as twice the size of Vatican City. The site contains more than 90 man-made structures stretching south through an area now heavily covered by mangroves.

Q: Who ruled Nan Madol?

Nan Madol was ruled by the feared Soudelor kings. According to the transcript, this was the only period in the island’s history when one person ruled almost like a dictator and could command the population to help build the city.

Q: What was Nan Madol like 800 years ago?

About 800 years ago, Nan Madol would have been busy with hundreds of priests, attendants, and Soudelor kings. Its main ceremonial area was reserved for the elite.

Q: Why is so little known about Nan Madol’s builders?

Their ideas and history were not preserved through a written system but passed down through oral tradition. The stories remain fragmented because of a belief that anyone who tells the entire story will die.

Q: How are drones and LIDAR being used to explore Nan Madol?

The team plans more than 40 drone flights to scan almost half a square mile from above. LIDAR is intended to digitally strip away the jungle canopy and mangroves so researchers can map the city’s hidden features and full extent.

Q: Why are so many Nan Madol structures hidden?

Mangroves grew across the site after it had been abandoned for a long time. They now choke much of the remaining city, leaving only a tiny fragment visible from the ground.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Nan Madol is an ancient city in Micronesia, constructed from pillars of basalt rock, and was the ceremonial center for the island's ancient rulers.

• The city is thought to have been built by the elite ruling class with the assistance of the entire island population.

• New technology, including drones and LIDAR, is being used to map the full extent of Nan Madol and reveal its hidden structures.