DESIGN

The monument is a massive, circular three-dimensional disc, measuring at least five metres in height. Today it stands partly overgrown with creepers and vegetation native to the cave. Its form strongly resembles that of a Prophecy Disc, leading researchers to conclude that it is essentially an enlarged version of the same artifact type.

At its centre lies the iconic “AW” symbol, with the disc divided into three vertical sections. The smallest section depicts a meteorite blazing through the planet’s atmosphere at immense speed before striking the surface, symbolising the destruction of the Ancient Walker civilization. According to prevailing theories, such events were foreseen by a device of the Ancients known as the Spectre — a machine capable of producing prophetic visions, though little else is known about its true nature.

Engravings on the monument further confirm its link to other known artifacts: depictions of masked figures in robes, the metal “AW” emblem, and scenes consistent with Lily Cadieux’s first discovery in France all appear within the same arrangement.

DISCOVERIES

Lily Cadieux while tracing clues hidden beneath layers of ancient artwork, identified a map that led directly to the cave. Venturing into its depths, she passed numerous inscriptions left by the Ancients before eventually arriving at a raised chamber where the monument revealed itself.

The transition from narrow, lightless passages into a vast open chamber — with the monument rising against a backdrop of stone formations and vegetation — created one of the most striking discoveries in modern archaeology.

LOCATION

The structure stands upon a small, rock-cut platform within a section of Sơn Đoòng known locally as “Doline 1”, also nicknamed “Watch Out for Dinosaurs” due to its untouched, prehistoric landscape. Facing the monument is a natural stone rise, surrounded by rock pillars and the lush vegetation of the cave’s ecosystem. The thickness of the cave walls has sheltered the structure for millennia, preserving it from the destructive forces of nature.

PURPOSE

The true purpose of the Sơn Đoòng Monument remains uncertain. Some scholars propose it served as a ritual site, imagining groups of Ancient Walkers gathered around the disc, clothed in robes and bearing torches. Others view it as an enlarged prophecy disc, its engravings recording visions of catastrophe foreseen by the Walkers.

Whatever its function, the monument stands as one of the most imposing and enigmatic relics of the Ancient Walkers, preserved in the heart of the world’s largest cave...