Ancient American geological formation, the Double Arch, suddenly collapsed on Wednesday, the National Parks Service said. Also known as the Toilet Bowl and the Hole in the Roof, the natural structure is located in Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The sudden fall of the 190 million-year-old structure has sparked fears, with a local tribe calling it a “bad omen.”
Fall of ancient structures sparks fear, are dark times ahead?
The massive geological structure that was formed from Navajo sandstone in the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods attracts thousands of tourists every year. Officials suspect the reason behind its sudden fall to be changing water levels and erosion from waves in Lake Powell. Michelle Kerns, superintendent of the recreation area, said in a statement, “These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions.”
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The Double Arch's collapse comes just nine days after an ancient pyramid at the Ihuatzio Archaeological Zone in the Mexican state of Michoacán buckled under intense rain. While increased water levels are suspected to be the culprit behind the fall of Utah's structure, drought conditions may have caused cracks in the pyramid, according to experts, per Mirror. However, Purépecha tribe members have expressed fears that supernatural forces may be at play.
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{{/usCountry}}“For our ancestors, the builders, this was a bad omen that indicated the proximity of an important event,” Tariakuiri Alvarez told The US Sun. The Purépecha defeated the Aztecs and ruled for 400 years before the Spanish invasion in 1519. “Before the arrival of the conquistadors, something similar happened, which for the Purépecha worldview of that time was because the gods Nana Kuerhaepiri and K’eri Kurikweri were displeased,” Alvarez added.