In his old writings like Timaeus And CritiasThe Greek philosopher Plato described the mythical lost city of Atlantis in his famous words. Now researchers in Spain may have found evidence of the existence of this legendary island. The findings come from a robot that dived 2,500 meters below the ocean’s surface.
What is Atlantis?
National Geographic points out that around 360 BC, the Greek philosopher Plato described the story of Atlantis, a legendary island founded by beings who were half god, half human.
According to Plato, these founders created a utopian society and a powerful navy that resided on a series of concentric islands connected by canals and surrounded by moats. The islands were rich in gold, silver, and exotic wildlife, and had a large capital at the center.
Source: World History Encyclopedia | Plato
Plato claimed that Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his time and that its history was passed down through poets, priests and other storytellers.
However, Plato’s reports are the only known records of Atlantis.
According to his writings, the entire island sank into the sea in a single day due to the moral decay of its inhabitants.
But the secret of Atlantis has been shrouded in intrigue and speculation ever since.
What have researchers discovered about Atlantis?
There are numerous theories about the location of Atlantis – from the Mediterranean Sea to the coast of Spain and even under Antarctica. A recently published promising discovery suggests that the legend of Atlantis may have its roots in the area off the coast of Lanzarote in Spain.
Researchers working on the Atlantis Project, part of IGME-CSIC, believe they may have found the lost city.
Using an underwater robot, they explored a chain of sunken islands off the east coast of Lanzarote and dived 2,500 meters below the sea surface to collect samples from a presumably sunken island.
Photo credit: World Atlas | Atlantis
The area is now called “Lost Atlantes”.
Marine researcher Luis Somoza of the Spanish Geological Survey told Live Science: “This could be the origin of the Atlantis legend.”
He explained that they had identified features such as beaches, cliffs and sand dunes on top of the submerged land.
Contrary to legend, these islands did not sink all at once, but gradually over time, as volcanic activity ceased and the lava hardened, causing them to sink into the sea.
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