Atlantis Quest

by Rod Martin, Jr.

Plato (c.427–c.347 BCE) was a Classical Greek philosopher, writer, mathematician, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Picture courtesy Wikipedia.org.

We can't interview Plato, because he died nearly two and a half millennia ago. He told us more than once in his dialogs, Timaeus and Critias, that the Atlantis story was a true one. Certainly, he could have lied. He could have made up the story. Many scholars think this is likely. Some skeptics are certain this is the case. I chose to restrain from making any judgments until some of my own questions are answered. As far as I'm concerned, the Atlantis Quest has barely begun. Only in recent years have we gained enough insight — in archaeology, geology and genetics — to assess more confidently the Atlantis story.

The Atlantis Quest is one that includes many disciplines.

• Geology
• Oceanography
• Paleo-Climatology
• Archaeology
• Linguistics
• Cultural Anthropology
• Genetics

One of the building blocks of Earth's geography, the mountain. Picture courtesy GraphicsHunt.com.

Geology of Atlantis

Geology is perhaps the biggest concern in our Atlantis Quest. Was such a catastrophe as mentioned by Plato even possible? If it was possible, what mechanisms could have created the lost island? And what geological forces could have destroyed it? We're also concerned in finding any evidence in the region Atlantis supposedly existed that indicate that it might have been a reality. What would we look for? What trail of bread crumbs did it leave for us? See Atlantis: Was it Geologically Possible?

The ocean, the major component of Earth's geography. Picture courtesy GraphicsHunt.com.

The Impact of Atlantis on the Oceans

Take anything out of the water and the water level goes down. That's simple physics. Currently, we have one scrap of evidence on this aspect of our Atlantis Quest. It sorely needs corroboration. One scientific article included a graph which shows such a drop, but was the drop the right size? It is a rather simple calculation to determine how much of a drop in sea levels we could expect from the demise of Atlantis. Though the exact size of Atlantis is not known, we have a plausible range based on Plato's description. By rough figures, we could expect the subsidence of Atlantis to have caused a drop of between one and ten meters. We have data which suggests this happened, but we need other data to confirm that suggestion. The original data on sea level drop is discussed in greater detail in Atlantis Proof.

Advertisement This episode of A&E's "Ancient Mysteries" series concerns Atlantis: The Lost Civilization. The program explores the myths and legends surrounding the fabled underwater city parsing out facts historical stories and present-day speculation.

What else could we expect from the Atlantis subsidence? The overnight collapse of a Texas-size island would likely result in at least one mega-tsunami. Would such a massive wave have left any evidence for the approximate date 9600 BCE? Certainly, more can be done to investigate this possibility. Yet, Plato may have confirmed his own story. He may not have understood such things as geology and geologically created waves, but he mentions that the proto-Greeks of prehistoric Athens suffered a massive flooding and earthquakes at the time Atlantis was swallowed by the sea. The same tectonic boundary which ran through Plato's Atlantis runs adjacent to Greece. A major shock on one part of that boundary may have translated into vibrations felt farther down that boundary at prehistoric Greece. Also, the massive wave, which could have been between one and three kilometers high at landfall, might have traversed the Mediterranean and wiped out the brave defenders who had fought against Atlantis.

Storm clouds, one of the many elements that make up the Earth's climate. Picture courtesy GraphicsHunt.com.

Atlantis and Climate

Before Plato's date for the destruction of Atlantis, the world was locked in a miniature Ice Age which lasted 1,300 years. This was the Younger Dryas. The abrupt end of this "big freeze" coincided with Plato's date. Our Atlantis Quest is concerned with determining the relationship between the two events, if any. The analysis of this relationship can be found in Atlantis Proof.

Ruins in Athens, Greece, the city considered to be the cradle of Western civilization. Picture courtesy World-in-Picture.com.

Atlantis and Archaeology

For many years, scientists were inclined to ignore the story of Atlantis because there was no evidence that any kind of civilization existed that far back. Recently, however, ruins at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, which date to about 9,500 BCE, turn that cause for reticence on its ear. But is there anything else that can be done in this field to aid in our Atlantis Quest. Most assuredly, there is.

Ruins in Hatra, Iraq. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.org.

Perhaps the most expensive undertaking would be that of an extensive survey of the ocean floor in those areas most likely to contain the former city of Atlantis — its capital, sometimes called "Poseidon." Why is it so expensive? The likeliest spots are roughly three kilometers deep. Yet, there are less expensive options. According to Plato, the Atlanteans had colonies both across the great ocean (Atlantic) and within the Mediterranean. Because sea level was approximately sixty meters lower back then, we would have to look off the current coast for those colony locations, perhaps under many millennia of silt. Advanced sonar imaging techniques might need to be employed to speed the survey.

Language, the currency of understanding. Here we see haggling in the market in Morocco. Picture courtesy PicturesFree.org.

Atlantis and Language

Linguists may not be much help on our Atlantis Quest. Comparative linguistics is as much an art as a science, and the professionals in this field are likely averse to making connections between languages where proof is skimpy at best. We do have some interesting tidbits, though. By themselves, they are nothing more than a curiosity suggestive of some unknown connection, but far from proof of anything. If Atlantis had colonies and refugees, we would expect that their languages would be connected. Native North American tribes spoke agglutinative languages, as do the Basques of Northern Spain and Southern France. This was true of the Etruscans of Northern Italy (the "elder brother" civilization of Rome), of the Finns, of the Sumerians, the Georgians, Dravidians of India, and the Mon-Khmer of Southeast Asia. That all of these are agglutinative types means little. It's like saying all of these people drove cars. There are many makes and models of cars that are unrelated, yet some models are related by manufacturer. Investigating a little further, we see faint signs that there may indeed be a relationship here.

Some linguists of the past have found affinities between Basque and Tamazight (the "Berber" language of the Amazigh), as well as between Basque and Georgian. Modern linguists have discounted these as unproven. But it must be noted that these supposed relationships cannot be disproven, either. There may be a valid relationship, just nothing we can prove through modern linguistic techniques. However, looking at perhaps the two most sentimentally favorite words in any language — "mother" and "father" — we see a pattern across Eurasia within these supposedly related cultures.

Helmeted statue of Athena. Roman, first century (Louvre Museum). Picture courtesy Wikipedia.org.

The Children of Atlantis — Cultural Aspects

Not all cultural aspects persist over time, but story-telling might be one vital clue to the past in our Atlantis Quest. The stories to which I am referring are ancient myth. We already have several myths which have proven to have some basis in fact:

• Troy and the Trojan War
• Mycenaean Greece
• Minoan Crete
• Amazon warriors
• The real island of Ithaca, home of Ulysses

Advertisement The original Atlantis story. "Timaeus and Critias," two dialogs by Plato, tell of the rise and fall of this ancient, mighty and prosperous empire, which ultimately sank into the sea. Expertly translated by Sir Desmond Lee.

Myth can be viewed as possibly a distorted lens onto the past. Certainly, some myths can be completely fiction, but understanding the mechanics of any distortion may help us understand the possible truth behind any myth. So, what are these mechanics? Quite simply, they are a lack of vocabulary in a primitive society. Imagine never having seen an airplane. You might describe such a thing as a great, shiny bird which roars thunderously. If you live in a small band of hunter-gatherers, the concept of "empire" would be completely foreign to you. You might describe the empire as a "god," perhaps with many arms or even many heads, or simply with great magical powers that one mortal individual could never have. Some of our ancient myths may be related to the empire of Atlantis. One in particular — the birth of Athena — may be a clue to the social structure of Atlantis and of its refugees. They may have been matriarchal! They may have been ruled by women. Many of the Native North American tribes along the Eastern coast were matriarchal or matrilineal. And there are other supportive clues found in Eurasia.

DNA double helix. Picture courtesy Wikipedia.org.

Atlantis and Genetics

Our Atlantis Quest takes us to the science of biology. The citizens of Atlantis, and the refugees who escaped, may have had a high prevalence of type "O" and Rh-negative blood. Other clues, such as mitochondrial DNA link the Basques with the Finns and some of the Native North American tribes. In fact, the mtDNA haplogroup X linking Basques with Native Americans show a genetic separation of at least 12,000 years. The latest date of separation is the date of Plato's destruction of Atlantis.

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Advertisement A Soviet scientist examines geology, climate, oceanography and attempts reconstruction of Atlantis. Illustrated with maps, charts, tables, illustrations, seismic data, sonar images and more.