Impicabadala YaseNan Madol

Obani abakha le ‘Venice Yezilwandle ZaseNingizimu’? Bayakha kanjani? Bayishiyelani?

INGABE uyazithanda izinto eziyimpicabadala—ezivusa ilukuluku? Khona-ke woza siyohlola amanxiwa aseNan Madol, isimanga sasendulo esiyimpicabadala ezivakashini eziningi.

INan Madol iyiziqhingana nemisele yamanzi emazombezombe eyakhiwa abantu eminyakeni eyinkulungwane edlule onqenqemeni lwamanzi angajulile ngasesiqhingini saseMicronesia, iPohnpei.a Njengoba sisondela ngesikebhe, la manxiwa asithwe yizihlahla zomhlume nohlaza oluvundile. Ngokungazelele, njengoba isikebhe sethu siqhamuka ejikeni, sinqwamana nale miklamo yobunjiniyela ebabazekayo.

Izindonga ezinkulu, ezinye ezingangezakhiwo zasedolobheni, zivela kuqala. Lezi zindonga ezinkulu, ezigobile phezulu emakhoneni, zakhiwa ngezinsika ezinkulu ze-basalt ezabekwa zavundliswa lapho kwakhiwa.

Igama elithi Nan Madol lisho ukuthi “Izindawo Eziphakathi,” futhi lokhu kuyichaza kahle imisele yamanzi ezungeze lezi ziqhingi. Amatilosi aseYurophu ngawo-1800 cishe ayengabantu bokuqala ababona iNan Madol. Lokho akubona kwawamangaza kangangokuthi abiza lesi sikhungo sezombangazwe nenkolo ngokuthi iVenice Yezilwandle ZaseNingizimu. Kodwa lawo matilosi awazange abubone ubuhle obuphelele beNan Madol, ngoba yayisishiywe dengwane cishe eminyakeni eyikhulu ngaphambi kokuba afike.

Abaqondisi bethu ababili basitshela ukuthi iNan Madol ihlanganisa indawo engaba amahektare angu-80. Bachaza ukuthi ngasinye seziqhingi zayo ezingu-92 sasakhelwe injongo ekhethekile. Ezinye zazisetshenziswa njengezindawo zokuhlala. Ezinye zazigcinelwe imisebenzi enjengokupheka, ukwakha izikebhe nemikhosi yemidanso. Nakuba lezi ziqhingi zakhiwa zaba nobukhulu nokuma okuhlukahlukene, ngokuvamile ziwunxande olingana nenkundla yebhola likanobhutshuzwayo. Eziningi zalezi ziqhingi zigcwele umeno, kodwa kuyathakazelisa lokho umuntu angakubona.

Inqaba Yamakhosi

Indawo enhle kakhulu yokuhlola impicabadala yeNan Madol yinqaba ephakeme okuthiwa iNan Douwas. Nakuba umuntu enganqamula ngezinyawo emanzini ukuyobona la manxiwa, kungcono ukuhamba ngesikebhe. INan Madol yayakhelwe izikebhe, futhi imisele yayo yamanzi ibanzi ngangemizila emine yomgwaqo. Futhi ayijulile neze. Uma ulwandle lungenisa, amanzi afika okhalweni, okungangabazeki ukuthi kwavikela iNan Madol emikhunjini ehlaselayo emakhulwini eminyaka adlule. Abaqondisi bethu bagwedla ngokucophelela kule misele ukuze bangalimazi amaphini ezikebhe ngamadwala ezixhobo zama-coral angaphansi kwamanzi.

Lapho sesifikile eNan Douwas, sakhuphuka ngezitebhisi eziya ngokuqondile ethempelini lasendulo. Lo mzila wasidlulisa phakathi kwezindonga ezingamamitha amathathu kuya kwamane ububanzi nokuphakama okungamamitha angu-8 kuya kwangu-9. Le mibhoshongo eqinile isike yashaywa yizivunguvungu ezinamandla neziphepho ezinkulu.

Ngaphakathi kwalezi zindonga, kukhona igceke elivulekile elinomhume owakhiwe ngamatshe. Le ndawo enesithunzi iyindawo yasebukhosini yokugcina izidumbu, lapho amakhosi ayelilelwa khona. Uma siqhubeka, sathola okwakubonakala kuwumhubhe ongaphansi komhlaba. Abaqondisi bethu basikhuthaza ukuba singene ngesikhala esincane esisemadwaleni, futhi ngokushesha sase sisemhumeni omncane omnyama, ongaphansi komhlaba. Omunye umqondisi wachaza: “Lapha nisejele. Yilapho kwakuvalelwa khona iziboshwa zaseNan Madol.” Uma sicabanga ukuthi isiboshwa sasizizwa kanjani lapho “umnyango” usuvalwe ngedwala elingamathani amabili, sajabula kakhulu ukuphumela ngaphandle.

Amatshe Okwakha Angavamile

Ukuhambahamba emanxiweni aseNan Madol kwasisiza ukuba siqaphele umzamo owawuhilelekile ekwakhiweni kwayo. Imfucumfucu yama-coral iyizisekelo zesiqhingi. Zakhiwa ukuba zikwazi ukuthwala izingqimba ezisindayo zezinsika ze-basalt. Lezi zinsika zinhle kangangokuba izivakashi zasendulo zazicabanga ukuthi ziqoshwe ngesandla. Kamuva, kwatholwa ukuthi ngokwemvelo, insika ngayinye inezinhlangothi ezinhlanu kuya kwezingu-8.

Kwadingeka ukuba kuthuthwe izinkulungwane zezinsika ezinkulu—ezinye ezingaba amamitha amahlanu ubude futhi zinesisindo esingaphezu kwamathani amahlanu. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi elinye lamatshe esisekelo linesisindo esingamathani angu-50! Njengoba emanzini angajulile isihlenga sasingacwila ngenxa yesisindo esingaka, siyazibuza, ‘La madwala amakhulu athuthelwa kanjani eNan Madol futhi abekwa endaweni yawo?’ Phela, umthombo oseduze we-basalt uqhele ngamakhilomitha amaningi—cishe ungalé kwesiqhingi sasePohnpei!

Iminyaka eminingi, imfihlakalo yeNan Madol iye yabangela imilando ecatshangelwayo. Okunye ukulandisa kuthi emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka adlule izelamani ezimbili zaphiwa ngonkulunkulu amandla omlingo “okundizisa” amadwala asindayo aye endaweni yokwakha. Omunye umlando uthi iPohnpei yake yaba nezakhamuzi ezazazi imfihlo yokulawula amaza omsindo, okwazisiza ukuba zithuthele la madwala amakhulu endaweni yawo.

Abaqondisi bethu basinikeza incazelo ecace kakhudlwana—ukuthi iNan Madol yakhiwa yizisebenzi eziningi futhi kwathatha amakhulu eminyaka ukuyiqeda. Ngokunokwenzeka izinsika ze-basalt zathwalwa ngezandla, kusetshenziswa iziqu zezihlahla zesundu ezigobile njengezinto zokuthutha. Kodwa noma kunjalo, siyabuza, “La madwala asindayo athuthelwa kanjani eNan Madol?”

Ingabe Le Mfihlakalo Iyoxazululeka?

Akukho muntu ongasho ukuthi iNan Madol yakhiwa kanjani, noma okumangalisa nakakhulu, ukuthi kungani yashiywa dengwane. Abaningi bathi iNan Madol yahlaselwa futhi yanqotshwa. Abanye bathi izihambi zafika nezifo ePohnpei, okwaceka umphakathi wakhona. Omunye umbono uthi isiphepho esinamandla sabhubhisa amasimu alesi siqhingi, abantu baphoqeleka ukuba basishiye. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyini isizathu, sekuyiminyaka okungenani engu-200 iNan Madol yashiywa.

Ngakho, lesi simanga sasendulo sisishiya nemibuzo eminingi kodwa nezimpendulo ezimbalwa. Njengoba isikebhe sethu sasifulathela, sazibuza umbuzo, Ingabe ukhona oyoke axazulule impicabadala yaseNan Madol?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IPohnpei

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Itheku nomzila oyinhloko ongena embhoshongweni

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Udonga olukhulu olubiyele

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Indawo yokungcwaba eyakhiwe ngamatshe

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Eminye yemisele yamanzi engama-hektare angu-80 eyakhiwa ngezandla

[Umthombo]

© 2000 Nik Wheeler