The Samoan Pyramid: The true story behind an extraordinary mystery

by Maya Lynch

"A real-life archaeological thriller!" - Robert Bauval - Author of the Egypt Code, The Orion Mystery

A forgotten pyramid. An ancient curse. A real-life archaeological adventure.

Since the 1800s rumours have circulated about an ancient pyramid, built on an immense scale, hidden deep in the jungles of Samoa. Evidence perhaps of a great forgotten Pacific Empire. And yet there is no mention of the pyramid in the entire pantheon of Samoan myth. Samoan society is steeped in tradition but the local legends are silent on the subject of the pyramid.

"A bold and gutsy adventure" -Christopher Dunn - Author of the Giza Power Plant

When one woman digging into the archives discovers an outlier in the dataset of Pacific history, it is the catalyst for an adventure that takes us on a treasure hunt deep into the jungles of Samoa.
The Samoan Pyramid interweaves the spellbinding stories behind archaeology’s centuries-long quest to find the forgotten pyramid with the author's own journey into the jungles of Samoa as she unravels one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of the Pacific.

Buy the Samoan Pyramid and uncover the secret today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Maya Lynch was born on the west coast of Scotland. She has traveled the world working as a musician, designer, deckhand and club promoter. She studied computer programming in California and has worked for twenty years in the advertising industry. Working both as as a creative promoting big brands and as a strategist advising politicians and NGOs. She has spend the past five years exploring the South Pacific and is currently writing the "Journey to the Heart of a Lost Empire" series of books.

Her influences include the anarcho-punk DIY ethic, Laurent Binet, Yuval Noah Harari, Trent Brooks, Robert Bauval, Christopher Dunn, Hunter S Thompson, Glendon Swarthout, Gerry Rafferty, Greenpeace New Zealand, and more.

Her favourite place is any desert or any library. She doesn't like the Jungle.

Maya lives in New Zealand, with her partner and their two dogs.

Connect with Maya here:

www.facebook.com/MayaLynchAuthor
www.twitter.com/mayatweets

Reviews

[Jennifer S. Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent real-life adventure story describing one woman's journey to find a lost pyramid. The way she tells the story pulls you in and keeps you guessing. Highly recommended!

[Rex Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy non-fiction accounts of things in this world, especially colossal things, that just stump the so-called experts, you will like this. It's written almost like a detective story, complete with threats against the investigator, that will entertain you too. She doesn't solve the mysteries of who did it, or why, or how. But that's why we like these "I didn't know that" stories in the first place.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read. It was written well and was fast paced. I found the story interesting and it is quite an adventure, especially as it's based on a true story, but I found myself getting lost amongst all the back history and science research. I did, however, like how the book ended and the story of the pyramid was intriguing. A good read for those who love history and adventure.

[Jay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting on many levels. It is autobiographical in content, but includes some fictional elements. It was very informative about the evolution of archeology through time and the changes in the conception of Polynesian civilization. The style of writing brings the reader directly into the action, creating a strong emotional involvement. The thrill of reaching the goal is shared with the reader.

[Robert N. List · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading The Samoan Pyramid by Maya Lynch. Chris Dunn wrote the introduction and I can see why. Like Dunn who claims the Great Pyramid was a power plant, Lynch reveals a disturbing magnetic anomaly at a Samoan basalt pyramid. There is a massive pyramid complex called the 'Pulemelei' on the Samoan island of Savai'i. Archaeologists know that the Lapita culture, which dates back to -1300, were on the island circa -800. But no one, including the Heyerdahl Institute, knows who built the basalt pyramid complex that aligns with the Equinox sunrise and sunset. The pyramid is roughly 213 X 197 X 39 feet high. It is built into the side of an active volcano. When Maya Lynch climbed it her compass spun, she saw violet light discharges and she became extremely depressed. A crew with a GPR unit later scanned the flat-topped pyramid for interments and found none. But they did find a mound signature under the base of the pyramid. What is odd about the pyramid is that the Earth's magnetic field is 'wrong' there. Magnetic field lines have been measured globally by the International Geomagnetic Reference Field group. Magnetic field line angles are horizontal near the equator and vertical at the poles. The term 'angle of inclination to the horizontal' is used to calibrate these lines. In the southern hemisphere the values are negative and in the northern hemisphere they are positive. The expected inclination at Pulemelei was minus 13 degrees. But what the GPR crew found was +10 degrees. That's an anomaly of 23 degrees from the expected. The pyramid and volcano sit over a powerful magnetic anomaly. GPR readings did show that the pyramid was built over a mound and where the two meet there is a polarity reversal as if two magnets were pushing apart. The pyramid pushes away from the ground or appears to 'float' over the mound below. John Bierma and I have found similar magnetic anomalies on Beaver Island, Michigan. I own a stone circle site and John and I recorded dowsing rods spinning over the center of the stone circle. See Facebook "Latitude 45 stone circles" We are all studying so-called 'primitive' cultures that knew how to harness earth energy as in the case of Dunn's Giza power plant. Clearly they were not primitive. This anomaly business has got to be figured out. The state of archaeology in Samoa is not much better than in Michigan. Mainstream archaeologists can't explain these oddities, so they are ignoring them except for the Heyerdahl Institute that is regarded as a fringe group by the mainstream. The Samoan Pyramid is a must read for those who can think outside the box. Robert List of the Bierma List Amateur Archaeological group.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Maya's biographical exploration of her obsession with & quest to find the Samoan pyramid.

[Ken Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Presented as a scientific journal reporting the discovery of a pyramid in the jungle of Samoa, the story was interesting, but I found the method of relating it got tedious. Since this is written as a continuing story, its resolution/conclusion left me hanging.

[Stephen O'curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

My type of need to know in print !

I would of gave even higher rate and would think a big plus would of made this book even more !!!! , Rough pictures of the people and enviorment would of been excellent touch !
I visualized working with this person on adventure ,( as if healthy enough) .
Amazing with Maya's short amount of time accomplishments finish .
At first begin read I thought oh oh this is to descritptive ,describing everything in to much detail . That's a filler ,stretcher technique but thankful it read on it's own merits all the way through. Very understandable the people's reactions to gringo asking questions after the negative with big business disliked on a island ,company's without reason . Company's without respect and will pull any nasty diabolical terror, threats ....Sound familier ?, Gas Company's ! , Investments contributed and explored without sourcing profit only for Company and a Country if caught questionable ,illegal then payoff a bit to the Country not the people ! Say it how it is! Keep the truth coming ! .....keep the adventures and exploring coming . Pappy

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great adventure book detailing the author's attempt to find an almost unknown pyramid on one of the Samoan Islands. It is a very cleverly crafted combination of travelogue, historical fact and adventure, I really feel that I now know a lot more about Samoa than I did and I found the descriptions of the various characters that she encounters to be delightful. The details of the various theories about the history of the civilisations in this part of the world, and how they have changed over time are fascinating, and are broken down into small enough chunks that they avoid being dry and boring.
The frustrations that she encountered in trying to find the pyramid and then the exhilaration when she finally reaches it leap from the page due to some excellent writing.
For anyone who loves adventures or is interested in ancient (and modern) civilisations this book will provide a truly engrossing read. I loved it, and was very disappointed when I finished it!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why, but I went into this book expecting it to be a fun fiction adventure. In reality, it's non-fiction (with maybe a pinch of fiction?); one part travel journal, one part history book.

Because of that, I didn't enjoy this book like I thought I would. There was not really any action or conflict. It just went through the motions of the author's trip, with chapters of history lessons in between. The ending also bothered me.

I think this book needs to be more clearly marketed as non-fiction and arguably could do with some edits to take out the little fictional/dramatic paragraphs that feel more appropriate for a fiction novel. We also don't need to know about the random smoke breaks or that time the author drove the wrong way for a few minutes. Unnecessary details.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC by the author. Here’s my own opinion: WOW! A real-life adventure/thriller, wonderfully descriptive scenery, a culturally informative novel about the author finding an obscure mention of a hidden pyramid in Samoa. Maya Lynch's personal quest to find more about the apparently ‘taboo’ subject leads her into the deep jungle. I’m an avid fan of anything Polynesian and Pacific Rim, and can spot inconsistencies in cultural lore, but she seems to be ‘spot on’ here. Very interesting! Looking forward to more about the pyramid!

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! A real-life adventure/thriller, wonderfully descriptive scenery, a culturally informative novel about the author finding an obscure mention of a hidden pyramid in Samoa. Maya Lynch's personal quest to find more about the apparently ‘taboo’ subject leads her into the deep jungle. I’m an avid fan of anything Polynesian and Pacific Rim, and can spot inconsistencies in cultural lore, but she seems to be ‘spot on’ here. Very interesting! Looking forward to more about the pyramid!

[Georganne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure based on research and curiosity. The people of the village completely uncooperative except for one young man. The deep desire to find the pyramid, just to discover if the previous adventurers and scientists were correct in their findings. Was there really a pyramid? A book that is full of adventure, excitement and frustration. Hard to put down. Can't wait for the next adventure.

[Anthony Ambruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a rollicking tale of archaeology!

I fully expected this to be a dry, musty tale about a pyramid out in the Pacific. I was, nevertheless, interested in hearing this tale because I have a personal interest in what this story May be related to. What I got, however, was a well-told, page-page-turning story. I devoured it. I loved it. Even if you have no interest in archaeology, read this book. Wish I could give it more stars.

[Charles F. Weis, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and well written

As a student of anthropology, ex explorer, and avid reader of all kinds of literature related to exploration and discovery; I was enthralled by this read! Read it from start to finish in one sitting !
Written in a way that makes you feel that you had made the journey, and shared the experience.

[Deborah L Redfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating Read!

I could not put this book down! Author Lynch is a gifted story teller. I hope that she will write more about the pyramid. I have been researching a variety of phenomena for many years, but had no idea that there was a pyramid in Samoa's interior.
I highly recommend this book!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding if this was a true story masquerading as a novel or a novel masquerading as a true story! It's a true story. Fascinating book about the author's individual travels and experiences searching for a forgotten pyramid. Loved it!

[Gail French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Armchair Anthropologist

This book is writen ina way that I felt like I was right there with her. If I come back in another life, this is what I want to do. I am a Margaret Mead wannabe.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true adventure told with the enthusiasm and excitement that it deserves

Maya tells this story the way it should be told! Cheers Maya, and thank you for sharing...
People like you are who will bring this world back to where it needs the be...
Thank you

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read

I enjoyed finding out about this pyramid. When she wrote about approaching it and finding the road to it I felt like I was there. Wish she had told us what she learned a year later about her bad dreams. That is why I gave it 4 stars.

[Kate Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Ms Lynch writes with an easy going style that is perfect for subject and experience. She writes with candor and i really wish I could have been there with her. Highly recommend this book.

[BabyLunLun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much!!

It was half autobiographical, reading like a mystery story and half non fiction. It details the author 's journey deep into the jungle to find the Samoan pyramid and in between that the readers are being introduced with all the theories, discovery and speculations about Samoan pyramid.

It was well written and all the information are being given without being too info - dumpy. I find myself totally enthralled with the whole mystery surrounding the Samoan Pyramid and wanting to know more

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I received an advanced copy to review. It was a really good read both educational and entertaining.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting read full of great detail and historical information. this was quite and adventure. I enjoyed reading it.

[Jay B. Halase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

[Paz · Rating 4 out of 5]

En la linea de "El antropólogo inocente"

[Jennifer Dodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real life mystery

I found this book to be interesting I. Every way. The real life aspect of the archeological adventure was wonderful. Hoping the author has written more books!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is perhaps a little rough, however the content literally blew my mind.

[Melissa Hunter-Cheney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great subject


Loved this story. I had no idea there was something like this. Makes me want to see it in person.