The mysticism of the mysterious "tree of life" in the USA has been solved

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the 12th century BC, when the world was ruled by pharaohs and kings, representatives of the Indian culture of Anasazi lived in the American states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

They are known for having built the huge city of Pueblo Bonito, on the main square of which a 6-meter pine tree grew. Since there were no other trees growing nearby the settlement, it was believed that the giant pine was sacred to the Anasazi people and was used for religious purposes. However, this assumption was recently rejected because American scientists found that the tree originally grew in a completely different place.

Computer-generated image of Pueblo Bonito with a huge pine tree in the main square

Anasazi is a prehistoric Indian culture that originated in what is now the Southwest United States around the 12th century. The village of Taos Pueblo, created by representatives of culture, is still inhabited by people and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The tree of life in the USA

How scientists managed to dispel myths about the "tree of life" of the city of Pueblo Bonito, was described in the scientific journal ScienceAlert. The 8,000-square-meter settlement, comprised of over 650 rooms, was first discovered in 1849 by US Army Lieutenant James Simpson. Initial excavations took place from 1896 to 1900, during which archaeologists found rooms and other parts of the city. The remains of a tall tree of the species Oregon pine (Pinus ponderosa), which was given the name "tree of life", were found only in 1924.

The pine tree was found under the topsoil and scientists were surprised that the tree survived well even after several hundred years. The leader of the expedition, Neil Judd, shared that the tree had huge roots, so in those days scientists were sure that the tree originally grew in its place. However, then the researchers came to the conclusion that they were dealing only with parts of the roots, and not the entire root system. In addition, at the time of discovery, the tree was lying on the ground, so it could be assumed that it did not have any sacred status and the ancient inhabitants of Pueblo Bonito dragged it from a completely different place.

This assumption was proved after scientists studied the growth rings inside the trunk and found evidence that the tree grew in the Chuska mountain range. It is located about 80 kilometers from Pueblo Bonito, so researchers cannot even imagine how ancient people managed to move a huge pine tree so far. Most likely, the representatives of the ancient culture did not cut down the tree, but it fell on its own. One would assume that the trunk was subsequently dragged, but archaeologists did not find any such traces nearby. They also do not know in what position the tree was placed inside the city - it could stand like a pillar or lie together with other logs intended for construction.

Riddles of antiquity

Be that as it may, at the moment the myth about the sacredness of the tree inside the city of Pueblo Bonito can be considered dispelled. But not only the tree was shrouded in riddles, but the settlement itself. The fact is that people clearly did not live in it on a permanent basis, because no objects were found on earth that representatives of the Indian culture of the Anasazi used daily. It turns out that people visited this place only on special occasions and temporarily lived in hundreds of small "houses", some of which were multi-storey. Most likely, during mass meetings, people shared sacred knowledge and performed rituals.

In general, the city of Pueblo Bonito can be called the same important historical site as Stonehenge in the UK. But it has not survived as well as it could have, because it was built in a very dangerous place. Next to the building was a 30-meter rock, part of which weighed more than 30 thousand tons and for many centuries risked collapse. That is why it was known as Threatening Rock, which can be translated as "threatening rock". The collapse eventually occurred in 1941 and the rock damaged one of the city's large walls and damaged some dwellings.

In general, on our planet there is a huge variety of historical sites surrounded by secrets. For example, on Easter Island, located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, there are more than 800 huge statues called moai. Locals still believe that they contain the supernatural power of their ancestors. But recently, scientists have found that they were used by ancient people for other purposes.