[Update II] The Megalithic Crystalline Geopolymer Blocks of Peru (A Hypothesis)
A Geopolymer Mix Incorporated Into A Crystalline Structure Could Explain Some Of Their Features
The Bulge
The outward bulge on the face of these stones is interesting in that, when looked at through the lens of a poured geopolymer, it seems to negate some possible techniques of construction. For instance, whatever the makeup of the geopolymer mix, it was clearly not a wet mix which would have slumped outwardly towards the bottom.
Nor was it a perfectly mixed ‘True” slump in which the bulge would have been equal on all sides (not just the front), meaning that the sides of the stone where it abutted other stones to the left or right would not have created a straight seam; the seam would be bowed outward from one stone with an accommodating bow the opposite way by the other.
The bulge also suggests that these stones were not poured and tamped into a frame, form or mold which would have resulted in a straight and even, non-bulging, frontal face similar to the “Zero” slump above.
It occurs to me then, recognizing that the material did not slump in a standard way, that the bulge on these stones may be the result, not of pouring, forming and tamping, but of crystallization and expansion into a solid similar to the way water does when it becomes ice. I’ve seen similar bulging on coke cans that have been frozen.
The megalithic blocks of Peru are made of ‘green diorite’, a stone that is visibly crystalline in nature. Is it possible to grow a crystalline matrix while incorporating the component materials of diorite (hornblende and sodic plagioclase) in such a way as to allow the mixture to crystallize into a stone?
Though the technology of ‘growing’ crystalline stones is currently unknown to us, it is an intriguing possibility and should be considered as an area for research.
The Nubs (Out There)
This may be a bit ‘out there’, but if these stones were created by man, they would have required some some kind of power source which would have allowed the crystalline matrix to form. Is it possible that the nubs were where the anode and cathode posts of a battery were connected to the container of the geopolymer mix? The voltage coming in from these connections could have provided the current which allowed the mix to form into an organized matrix, much like liquid crystal displays (LCDs). With the electricity holding the matrix the component materials could have been added, perhaps with a catalytic agent such as Calcium or Sodium Hydroxide, which would then have solidified into the matrix and formed diorite. It is possible that if the mix were hot enough when liquid, that it would have expanded as it cooled and solidified (see graph below).
Batteries (Way Out There)
Batteries exhibit properties similar to the frozen coke can when they ‘explode’.
The nubs, reminiscent as they are of battery posts, also raise another intriguing possibility: that the stones themselves are the solidified remnants of ancient batteries. It would be a battery type, for sure, that we are unfamiliar with today. Yes, I know, that this is even farther ‘out there’, but let’s entertain the thought any way.
If they did have battery technology in ancient times, and if that technology was insufficient to supply a great enough voltage in small form, then it may have been necessary to construct massive batteries. If these batteries then solidified in place when expended then a very neat solution would have been to construct those batteries where they would also provide a use after they were expended. A wall would have been a perfect utilization for the carcasses.
It is also possible that the walls were also a massive bank of batteries connected in parallel or in serial to provide a greater charge or a longer life. This might explain the ‘single-nub’ stones which would allow for current to flow one way in or out of the battery. Interior connections to other stones that allowed for current flow might explain the ‘no-nub’ stones.
Summary
Whether the above ideas have any merit or not might only be found by suspending disbelief and making an attempt to grow a crystalline geopolymer ourselves, or by considering what type of battery the constituent materials of diorite might be able to make. In the attempt, while these ideas may be validated or not, perhaps other new ideas will rise and some light will be shed on the mystery.
Update:
Mel Surbrook left a comment below which led to me to look for ‘water activated batteries’. These are a type of battery that are inactive until salt water is added, at which point they provide a very good source of power. The amount of power and length of supply, of course, depends on numerous variables, but I was able to find a list of modern salt water activated batteries, their components and attributes. If you click on the link at the bottom of that page for Cell Chemistry Comparison Chart, you will download a PDF file of various types and their attributes. Notice that the attributes of the Nickel/Zinc battery includes ‘dendrite growth’. Dendrites are, according to the dictionary, ‘a crystal or crystalline mass with a branching treelike structure’.
Just so I’m not mistaken here, I’m not saying that this nickel/zinc was the exact battery used. What I am saying is that we know batteries like this are possible, are fairly simple to build, and with the right materials can cause crystalline grown and solidification.
Thanks Mel for your comment!
Update II — Further contemplations:
It has always struck an odd chord to me that there should exist a secret society based on a stone working guild, i.e. the Freemasons. What possible secrets could there be in working stone that are so valuable that a secret society was required to preserve the knowledge? I have read some of the various hypothesis on the history of the Freemasons, but it always, always has struck me as odd and unexplained — why a stone workers guild? The most popular theory is that the Freemasons originated with the Templars and the sacking of Jerusalem after the first crusade. What the hell does that have to do with stone working? Why not a mercenary guild, or a sailor’s guild, or a money lender’s guild- the Templars were involved in all three to some extent.
With our re-discovery of geopolymers, though, perhaps we now have a better answer. It seems imminently possible to me that the secret of creating the ancient megaliths has been (or had been) preserved through teachings handed down through the generations. With time these teachings became less and less understood and more and more mythological, until at last they were considered more in a religious sense than in a functional sense. These secrets were now more about power and wealth than knowledge. Eventually, even the understanding of what the real secrets were was lost to time, giving over to silly ceremony and pomp.
Is it possible that there is a forgotten scroll in an ancient language in the corner of some old Freemason library that lays out the ingredients and methods for creating these types of stones?
I wonder.
