Lost Civilizations

Mythology to Reality: The Legend of Atlantis

"Today, Atlantis is a lost paradise, an undiscovered El Dorado, a perfect utopia for poets, romantics, and dreamers. Will it become the subject of science tomorrow?"

The legend of Atlantis has remained largely unaffected by the changes throughout history. Plato vividly described Atlantis, which existed 9,000 years before his birth and was submerged in water due to a volcanic eruption. Since then, the civilization of Atlantis has adorned the dreams of many writers, poets, painters, and scientists. There are more than 70 books claiming that Atlantis was a real country. Among these, it is essential to mention the work of the 17th-century English philosopher Francis Bacon, titled 'New Atlantis.' Bacon associated Atlantis with North and South America.

Despite numerous books and claims, no one has been able to find Atlantis or determine how it was erased from the surface of the Earth. Many skeptical writers and individuals believe that Atlantis was created by Plato as a preparation for his philosophical ideal city. Leading among these thinkers is the French historian Pierre Vidal-Naquet. According to him, 'The concept of Atlantis fell into the hands of scholars, semi-scholars, and then mythomaniacs over time. Today, there are people around the world chasing the dream of Atlantis from the Sahara to the plains of Siberia, from Lake Titicaca to the plateaus of Tibet. Of course, all the blame is on Plato... The myth he fabricated to impose his ideal city on the early Athens society has become one of the greatest rumors on Earth.'

The author of the book "How the Sea Swallowed Europe?", published by the Italian Ananke Publications, attempts to prove that this lost civilization that sank into the Atlantic Ocean is real. He combines the reinterpretation of old and new archaeological findings with Plato's descriptions of the location of Atlantis. Plato mentioned that Atlantis was beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean) and, 2385 years ago, in the Timaeus dialogue, he wrote about what he learned from an Egyptian priest who knew about ancient events:

"Indeed, at that time, it was possible to sail through that sea because, as you mentioned, there was an island beyond the mouth called the Pillars of Heracles (Hercules). Moreover, that island was larger than the combined landmass of Libya and Asia (Asia Minor: Anatolia) and provided passage for those setting out from it to other islands and from those islands to all the continents that truly constitute the opposite side of the sea. On this island of Atlantis, a king of great and admirable power had emerged..."

According to the research conducted by Vittorio Castellani, a professor of astrophysics and archaeology at the University of Pisa in Italy, the Island of Atlantis should be identified as Great Britain. In fact, one must consider Great Britain in its state from 10,000 to 7,000 years ago. At that time, following the last glacial melting, the island had lightened its load and risen a few centimeters, much like the Scandinavian Peninsula. Additionally, Britain had become detached from the European mainland, which was connected through the frozen English Channel and France.

During the last Ice Age, the sea level was 100 meters lower than it is today, allowing passage from Great Britain to the mainland. According to the words of the priest mentioned by Plato, the people of Atlantis colonized the continent: 'They ruled over other regions as well; from this side of the strait (Strait of Gibraltar) to Libya, to Egypt, and as far as Tyrrhenia in Europe.' According to the priest, this power also clashed with the ancestors of the Greeks and was forcibly halted in its expansion.

As it stands in recent years, the elements of this fantastical scenario align with the geological history of Europe. In Castellani's own words, "Indeed, at the end of the last Ice Age, the melting of the ice raised the sea level, submerging extensive lands in Europe; it reduced the emerged areas on the Great Britain plate and much of England."