Unusual geological formations in Mars's Cydonia region have become the focal point of extraordinary claims suggesting an ancient city once stood along a long-lost shoreline. These theories center on a collection of hills and mesas that some interpret as resembling a human face, a pyramid, and remnants of buildings.
Proponents of the theory point to images captured by NASA's Mars orbiters, which they interpret as showing a distinct boundary between rugged highlands and a smoother basin. This boundary, they suggest, marks the edge of an ancient body of water. Several prominent formations in the Cydonia region, including those dubbed the "Face," the "D&M pyramid," and the "City," appear to be clustered along this purported shoreline.
UFO researcher Jason Martell, a recurring guest on the History Channel's "Ancient Aliens," has drawn comparisons between the arrangement of these formations and waterfront cities developed throughout human history. Martell has proposed that the "Face" formation might have served as a monument overlooking both the hypothetical body of water and a nearby settlement.
The central argument for this theory relies heavily on visual interpretation of the Martian landscape. The claim originated from observations of an apparent topographical change visible in orbital imagery of Cydonia. On one side of the proposed dividing line, the terrain appears elevated and rugged, featuring prominent formations. The other side presents a flatter, smoother expanse, which has been hypothesized as a former seabed or lakebed.
A hand-drawn line has been superimposed on images to illustrate the potential path of this ancient shoreline. The assertion is that the unusual formations align with this boundary in a pattern deemed too striking to be coincidental. If these formations were artificial, their placement alongside a presumed basin would mirror patterns of human civilization development on Earth, which has historically gravitated towards water sources for sustenance, transportation, and trade.
Martell has compared the proposed Cydonia settlement to historical cities such as Venice, Alexandria, and Amsterdam, as well as modern metropolises like Singapore and Dubai. Ancient settlements like Memphis on the Nile and Ur near the Euphrates River are also cited as examples of humanity's tendency to build near water.
This line of reasoning further suggests that significant monuments are often positioned to be visible from surrounding settlements or waterways. From this perspective, the "Face" formation could have been strategically placed to overlook both the basin and the elevated formations interpreted as a city. However, this interpretation hinges on the initial assumption that the Martian formations are indeed monuments and buildings—the very premise the theory seeks to prove.
Scientists caution that a visible change in terrain can arise from numerous natural geological processes, and the smooth basin alone does not confirm the existence of a former ocean or lake. The proposed shoreline was also manually traced, making its precise location subject to individual interpretation. No geological analysis, sediment studies, or measurements have been presented to substantiate that the boundary was formed by water.
Similarly, the apparent alignment of several formations does not definitively prove intentional positioning. The human tendency to perceive familiar shapes and organized patterns in random landscapes, a phenomenon known as pareidolia, may explain why the "Face," pyramid, and supposed buildings appear artificial. These landforms could be natural formations that seem man-made when viewed under specific lighting conditions or from particular angles.
While the original writer acknowledged not being a geologist and deferred to specialists for determining the cause of surface differences, they described the visual evidence as compelling. The idea of Cydonia as a Martian equivalent of prime waterfront property remains an imaginative interpretation of orbital images, lacking concrete evidence of constructed monuments or an ancient civilization on Mars.