The debate about whether the existence of Atlantis was a reality or a beautiful legend has not subsided for many centuries. On this occasion, a large number of the most controversial theories were put forward, but they were all based on information obtained from the texts of ancient Greek authors, none of whom personally saw this mysterious island, but transmitted only information received from earlier sources. So how true is the legend of Atlantis and where did it come from in our modern world?

An island sunk into the sea

First of all, let us clarify that the word "Atlantis" is commonly understood as some fantastic (since there is no direct evidence of its existence) island located in the Atlantic Ocean. Its exact location is unknown. According to the most popular legend, Atlantis was located somewhere near the northwestern coast of Africa, bordered by the Atlas Mountains, and near the Pillars of Hercules, framing the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

It was placed there in his dialogues (works written in the form of a conversation of historical or fictional persons) by the famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato. On the basis of his works, a very popular legend about Atlantis was subsequently born. It says that around 9500 BC. e. in the above area there was a terrible earthquake, as a result of which the island forever plunged into the abyss of the ocean.

On that day, an ancient and highly developed civilization, created by the islanders, whom Plato calls "Atlanteans", perished. It should be noted right away that, due to similar names, they are sometimes mistakenly identified with the characters of ancient Greek mythology - mighty titans holding the vault of heaven on their shoulders. This mistake is so common that when looking at the sculptures by the outstanding Russian sculptor A. I. Terebenev (see photo below), decorating the portico of the New Hermitage in St. Petersburg, many people associate with heroes who once sunk deep into the seas.

A mystery that excites the minds of people

During the Middle Ages, the works of Plato, as well as most other ancient historians and philosophers, were forgotten, but already in the XIV-XVI centuries, which received the name of the Renaissance, interest in them, and at the same time in Atlantis and the legend associated with its existence , increased rapidly. It does not weaken to this day, giving rise to heated scientific discussions. Scientists around the world are trying to find real evidence of the events described by Plato and a number of his followers, and to answer the question of what Atlantis really was - legend or reality?

An island inhabited by people who created the highest civilization at that time, and then swallowed up by the ocean, is a mystery that excites the minds of people and encourages them to look for answers outside the real world. It is known that even in Ancient Greece the legend of Atlantis has given impetus to many mystical teachings, and in modern history it has inspired theosophical thinkers. The best known of these are H. P. Blavatsky and A. P. Sinnett. The authors of various kinds of near-scientific and simply fantastic works of various genres, which also turned to the image of Atlantis, did not stand aside.

Where did the legend come from?

But let us return to the writings of Plato, since they are the primary source that aroused centuries-old disputes and discussions. As mentioned above, the mention of Atlantis is contained in two of his dialogues, called Timaeus and Critias. Both of them are devoted to the issue of the state system and are conducted on behalf of his contemporaries: the Athenian politician Critias, as well as two philosophers - Socrates and Timaeus. We note right away that Plato makes a reservation that the primary source of all information about Atlantis is the story of the ancient Egyptian priests, which was passed down orally from generation to generation and finally reached him.

The troubles that befell the Atlanteans

The first of the dialogues contains a report by Critias about the war between Athens and Atlantis. According to him, the island, with the army of which his compatriots had to face, was so large that it surpassed all of Asia in size, which gives reason to call it the mainland with full right. As for the state formed on it, it amazed everyone with its greatness and, being unusually powerful, conquered Libya, as well as a significant territory of Europe, stretching up to Tirrenia (Western Italy).

In 9500 B.C. e. Atlanteans, wanting to conquer Athens, brought down on them all the power of their previously invincible army, but, despite the clear superiority of forces, they could not succeed. The Athenians repulsed the invasion and, having defeated the enemy, returned freedom to the peoples who until then had been in slavery to the islanders. However, the troubles did not recede from the prosperous and once prosperous Atlantis. The legend, or rather, the story of Critias, which is based on it, tells further about the terrible natural disaster, which completely destroyed the island and forced it to sink into the ocean depths. Literally within a day, the raging elements wiped out a huge continent from the face of the earth and put an end to the highly developed culture created on it.

Commune of Athenian rulers

The continuation of this story is the second dialogue that has come down to us, called Critias. In it, the same Athenian politician tells in more detail about the two great states of antiquity, whose armies met on the battlefield shortly before the fatal flood. Athens, according to him, was a highly developed state and so pleasing to the gods that, according to legend, the end of Atlantis was a foregone conclusion.

The description of the system of government that was arranged in it is quite remarkable. According to Critias, on the Acropolis - a hill that still towers in the center of the Greek capital - there was a certain commune, partly reminiscent of those that the founders of the communist movement imagined in their imagination. Everything in it was equal and everything was enough in abundance. But it was not inhabited ordinary people, but by rulers and warriors who ensured the maintenance of the order they desired in the country. The laboring masses were only allowed to reverently look at their shining heights and fulfill the plans descended from there.

Arrogant descendants of Poseidon

In the same treatise, the author contrasted the humble and virtuous Athenians with the high-proud Atlanteans. Their ancestor, as is clear from the work of Plato, was the god of the seas Poseidon himself. Once, having witnessed how an earthly girl named Kleito did not live her young body in the waves, he was inflamed with passion and, having evoked reciprocal feelings in her, became the father of ten sons - demigods, half-humans.

The eldest of them, named Atlas, was put in charge of the island, divided into nine parts, each of which was under the command of one of his brothers. In the future, not only the island inherited his name, but even the ocean on which he was located. All his brothers became the founders of dynasties that lived and ruled in this fertile land for many centuries. This is how the legend describes the birth of Atlantis as a powerful and sovereign state.

Island of abundance and wealth

In his work, Plato also gives the dimensions of this legendary mainland island known to him. According to him, it was 540 km long and at least 360 km wide. highest point of this vast territory was a hill, the height of which the author does not specify, but writes that it was located about 9-10 km from the seashore.

It was on it that the palace of the ruler was built, which Poseidon himself surrounded by three land and two water defensive rings. Later, his Atlantean descendants threw bridges over them and dug additional channels through which ships could freely approach the piers located at the very walls of the palace. They also erected many temples on the central hill, richly decorated with gold and decorated with statues of celestials and earthly rulers of Atlantis.

Myths and legends, born on the basis of the writings of Plato, are full of descriptions of the treasures owned by the descendants of the sea god, as well as the richness of nature and the fertility of the island. In the dialogues of the ancient Greek philosopher, in particular, it is mentioned that, despite the densely populated Atlantis, wild animals lived very freely on its territory, among which there were even not yet tamed and not domesticated elephants. At the same time, Plato does not disregard many negative sides the lives of the islanders, which caused the wrath of the gods and caused a catastrophe.

The end of Atlantis and the beginning of the legend

Peace and prosperity that had reigned there for many centuries collapsed overnight through the fault of the Atlanteans themselves. The author writes that as long as the inhabitants of the island put virtue above wealth and honors, the celestials were favorable to them, but turned away from them as soon as the glitter of gold eclipsed spiritual values ​​in their eyes. Looking at how people who had lost their divine essence were filled with pride, greed and anger, Zeus did not want to restrain his anger and, having gathered other gods, gave them the right to pass their sentence. This is where the manuscript of the ancient Greek philosopher ends, but, judging by the catastrophe that soon befell the wicked proud, they were considered unworthy of mercy, which ultimately led to such a sad outcome.

The legends of Atlantis (or information about real events - this remains unknown) attracted the attention of many ancient Greek historians and writers. In particular, the Athenian Hellanic, who lived in the 5th century BC. e., also describes this island in one of his writings, however, calling it a little differently - Atlantiad - and not mentioning its death. However, modern researchers, for a number of reasons, believe that his story is not related to the lost Atlantis, but to Crete, which has successfully survived the centuries, in whose history the sea god Poseidon also appears, who conceived a son from an earthly maiden.

It is curious that the name "Atlantes" was applied by ancient Greek and Roman authors not only to the islanders, but also to the inhabitants of continental Africa. In particular, Herodotus, as well as a no less famous historian, so called a certain tribe that lived in the Atlas Mountains near the ocean coast. These African Atlanteans were very warlike and, being at a low stage of development, waged constant wars with foreigners, among whom were the legendary Amazons.

As a result, they were completely exterminated by their neighbors, the troglodytes, who, although they were in a semi-animal state, still managed to win. There is an opinion that Aristotle said on this occasion that it was not the military superiority of the savages that led to the death of the Atlantean tribe, but the creator of the world, Zeus, killed them for their iniquities.

A product of fantasy that survived the ages

The attitude of modern researchers to the information presented in Plato's dialogues and in the writings of a number of other authors is extremely skeptical. Most of them consider Atlantis a legend with no real basis. Their position is explained primarily by the fact that for many centuries no material evidence of its existence has been found. It really is. Completely absent are archaeological data on the existence at the end of the Ice Age, as well as the nearest millennia to it, of such a developed civilization in West Africa or Greece.

It is also bewildering that the story allegedly told to the world by the ancient Greek priests and then passed down to Plato in oral retelling was not reflected in any of the written monuments found on the banks of the Nile. This involuntarily suggests that the ancient Greek philosopher himself composed the tragic story of Atlantis.

He could well borrow the beginning of the legend from the rich domestic mythology, in which the gods often became the founders of entire nations and continents. As for the tragic denouement of the plot, he needed it. The fictitious island should have been destroyed to give the story an external credibility. Otherwise, how could he explain to his contemporaries (and, of course, to his descendants) the absence of traces of his existence.

Researchers of antiquity also pay attention to the fact that when talking about a mysterious continent located near the western coast of Africa, and about its inhabitants, the author cites only Greek names and geographical names. This is very strange and suggests that he himself invented them.

tragic mistake

At the end of the article, we will cite some very amusing statements that zealous supporters of the historicity of the existence of Atlantis come out with today. As mentioned above, today it has been raised to the shield by many supporters of the occult movements and all sorts of mystics who do not want to reckon with the absurdity of their own theories. Pseudo-scientists are not inferior to them, trying to pass off their fabrications as discoveries allegedly made by them.

For example, in recent years, articles have repeatedly appeared on the pages of the press, as well as on the Internet, that the Atlanteans (the existence of which the authors did not question) had achieved such high progress that they were conducting a wide research activities in the field of nuclear physics. Even the disappearance of the continent itself is explained by the tragedy that occurred as a result of their unsuccessful nuclear test.

Briefly about the article: A country that thousands of years ago could have conquered all of Europe. Huge marble palaces, multi-deck ships, tall strong people, hitherto unseen weapons, the mysterious magic of priests, nobility and ambition - all this could become a reality of our history, if not for ...

Lost Civilization

Atlantis - reality or dream?

All that is hidden now will once be revealed by time.

Quintus Horace Flaccus, Epistles, 6:20

A country that thousands of years ago could have conquered all of Europe. Huge marble palaces, multi-deck ships, tall strong people, hitherto unseen weapons, the mysterious magic of priests, nobility and ambition - all this could become a reality of our history, if not for ...

Thousands of books and articles have been written about the ancient country of Atlantis, buried by the deep ocean. What was Atlantis? An ancient and powerful human civilization? Or maybe a refuge for aliens from distant worlds? Why did Atlantis die? Was she the victim of a natural disaster or a devastating war with mysterious weapons?

Other ancient authors also wrote about Atlantis and its inhabitants. True, almost all of them lived after Plato, and therefore, most likely, relied on the data he cited.

The exception is the “father of history” Herodotus (485-425 BC), who mentioned the Atlanteans who lived in North Africa. However, this tribe got its name from the Atlas mountain range.

A surge of interest in the problem of Atlantis falls on the end of the 19th century. In 1882, the American Ignatius Donelly published the book "Atlantis - the antediluvian world", where he argued that this legendary land is the ancestral home of all mankind. To prove the theory, he used the data of archeology, biology and mythology, compared the legends, languages ​​and customs of peoples on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Donelly's work laid the foundation for the modern view of the problem of Atlantis and became a source of inspiration for other authors. The result is more than 5,000 titles of scientific, popular science and fiction books.

Broken phone

As you can see, atlantology is based on a shaky foundation. You are especially convinced of this by a sober analysis of Plato's texts. The philosopher learned about Atlantis from other people's words, and the whole story resembles a children's game of “spoiled phone”.

So what does Plato say? His great-grandfather Critias, being a 10-year-old boy, heard about Atlantis from his then already 90-year-old grandfather, also Critias. And he, in turn, learned the tragic history of the Atlanteans from a distant relative, the great Athenian sage Solon (640 - 558 BC). Solon, on the other hand, received a “relay baton” from the Egyptian priests from the temple of the goddess Neith in the city of Sais (which has not survived to this day), who from time immemorial allegedly kept historical annals in the form of hieroglyphs on temple columns. It turns out quite a long chain of intermediaries ...

Assuming that Plato did not invent anything, there is still plenty of room for error. Critias Jr. claimed that the story of Atlantis shocked him, so he memorized it in detail. However, there are direct contradictions in the dialogue. For example, in one place Critias says that: "... the story is indelibly imprinted in my memory", and in another - that: "... after such a long time, I did not remember the content of the story enough." Further, it turns out that he had some records. Commemorative notes of the grandfather or Solon? Yes, and the grandfather of Kritia in his 90s could well have confused a lot of things, not to mention the fact that many details of the legend of the sunken earth, perhaps, are the fruit of senile boasting. “And I’ll tell you, granddaughter, a great-a-wild fairy tale!”.

So perhaps Aristotle was right, or partly right. Plato could indeed invent the history of Atlantis to illustrate his views (recall Thomas More's "Utopia"). Or, with all his honesty, the philosopher compiled dialogues from some other sources about Atlantis that have not come down to us, historical and geographical works of various authors, legends, myths and his own conjectures. Well, Plato simply could have come up with a chain of narrators for greater reliability.

True, the ending of Critias is most likely lost. Perhaps the "lost files" contained the answers to all questions?

"Pros and cons"

Plato describes the land of the ancestors of the Hellenes as follows: "It stretches from the mainland far into the sea ... and is immersed on all sides in a deep vessel of the abyss." But the ancient Greeks did not know about the presence of depths greater than a few tens of meters! Atlantologists believe that Plato's words about the "deep vessel of the abyss" are evidence of knowledge preserved from the time of the Atlanteans. However, Plato could use this turn as a poetic comparison. Or, based on the presence of the steep coasts of Attica, independently conclude that if the rocks abruptly break into the sea, it must be very deep there.

On the other hand, the war of the ancient Hellenes with Atlantis is very reminiscent of the wars of the Greeks with the Persians. The thought involuntarily creeps in that the philosopher projected the events of real history onto the distant past. The description of Atlantis in terms of relief and natural data resembles the island of Crete. The Temple of Poseidon, the main religious building of the Atlanteans, is very similar to the sanctuary of Aphrodite in Cyprus. The sculpture of the god of the seas on a chariot drawn by six winged horses resembles a very real statue of Poseidon by Skopas (4th century BC). Coincidence or fraud?

Where is this street, where is this house?

Atlantologists also argue about the location of the legendary land, although it would seem from Plato's dialogues that it is extremely clear that the island was located precisely in the Atlantic.

Plato says that to the west of the Pillars of Hercules (the ancient name of the Strait of Gibraltar) lay a huge island, larger than Libya and Asia combined, from which it was easy to cross the other islands to the “opposite mainland” (America?).

Therefore, many of the atlantologists believe that traces of Atlantis must be sought somewhere at the bottom of the ocean of the same name. Perhaps next to the now existing islands, which could be the high mountain peaks of the sunken earth.

At the same time, atlantologists stubbornly ignore the simplest fact - if an asteroid capable of flooding a hefty island crashed to Earth, this would cause such an increase in atmospheric temperature that almost all life on the planet would be destroyed.

Myths of the peoples of the world

Donelly, the "father" of atlantology, and his followers consider mythology to be the key proof of the existence of Atlantis, or rather, several legends that coincide among many peoples.

First, there are the legends about the flood, which are found in almost all mankind. The gods, tired of human mischief, flood the whole earth with water, adding a number of weighty means of re-educating sinners - in the form of a fiery rain, for example.

Secondly, legends about aliens from distant lands (not to be confused with aliens!). From somewhere far away, an unknown person arrives, speaking in an incomprehensible language and teaching the natives various useful things.

Thirdly, legends about cosmic cataclysms. Something hefty is falling from the sky - a stone, the Moon, the Sun, a Dragon. Nothing good people it doesn't bring. The people left out of business disperse, who goes where ...

Atlantis in the Mediterranean?

In addition to the Atlantic Ocean, the sunken island is placed in other parts of the world. The Mediterranean Sea enjoys special love.

Upon closer examination, this theory does not look like nonsense at all. Plato wrote that after Atlantis sank, “the sea in those places became ... unnavigable and inaccessible due to the shallowing caused by the huge amount of silt that the settled island left behind.” It is unlikely that in the Atlantic Ocean, with its considerable depths, muddy shallow waters would have served as a serious obstacle to navigation. But in the Mediterranean there are plenty of such places. And the nature of Atlantis may well be correlated with almost any Mediterranean island.

The god of the seas, Poseidon, fell in love with a simple girl, Kleito, who gave birth to him 5 pairs of twins, who laid the foundation for the people of the Atlanteans.

The Atlantean state was similar to Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea - an archipelago of several islands, the main of which was 1110 km long and 400 km wide. The climate is supposedly tropical, as elephants were found on the island. On the south side of Atlantis was its capital - the city of Poseidonis with a diameter of about 7 km. In the center of the city there was a lake, in the middle of which lay an island 965 meters in diameter, riddled with canals, with the Acropolis palace complex, surrounded by two earthen ramparts. The outer shaft was covered with copper, the inner - with tin, the walls of the acropolis were lined with orichalcum (metal unknown to us). The structure of the Acropolis included the joint temple of Kleito and Poseidon, surrounded by a golden wall, and the temple of Poseidon himself with a huge statue of the sea god inside. Outside around the temple were images of the wives and relatives of the kings of Atlantis, offerings from their vassals.

The population of Atlantis was about 6 million people. The state system is a monarchy: 10 kings-archons, the highest of which bore the title "Atlas" and lived in Poseidonis. Every 5-6 years, councils-assemblies were held - "courts" of kings, before which "bull sacrifices" were organized (a similar custom existed in Crete).

The Atlantean army numbered 660,000 men and 10,000 war chariots. The fleet - 1200 combat triremes with a crew of 240 thousand people.

Atlantes - the ancestors of the Russians?

Some scientists go their own way, placing the legendary land in the most exotic places. In 1638, the English scientist and politician Francis Bacon in his book "Nova Atlantis" placed Atlantis in Brazil, where, as you know, there are many wild monkeys. In 1675, the Swede Rudbeck argued that Atlantis was in Sweden, and Uppsala was its capital.

Recently, due to the lack of virgin places, they turned to our boundless expanses - the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, the Black and the Caspian Sea, too, were honored to accept the completely lost Atlantis into their arms. There is also a charming theory that the Atlanteans are the ancestors of the ancient Russians, and the legendary land of Plato ... sunken Kitezh-grad! True, after the stories that Adam and Eve were from somewhere near Moscow, the Russian-Atlantic version no longer looks sensational enough.

R. Silverberg in "Letters from Atlantis" shows the events of a thousand years ago through the eyes of modern man, whose mind has moved into the body of the Prince of Atlantis (an obvious remake of Hamilton's "Star Kings"!).

A time traveler can also witness the events of the past ("Dancer from Atlantis" by P. Anderson, "Atlantis Endgame" by A. Norton and S. Smith).

Sometimes the Atlanteans became aliens from outer space (A. Shalimov, “The Return of the Last Atlantean”), or they were the first earthlings who came into contact with an alien mind (V. Kernbach, "The Boat over Atlantis"; G. Martynov, "Spiral of Time") . Perhaps it was vile aliens who destroyed Atlantis? Here is the hero of the cycle "Atlantis" by G. Donnegan, the tough commando Eric, together with his comrades from the "fur seals" detachment, is trying to stop the insidious alien-sheds who once treacherously drowned the unfortunate Atlanteans.

Many books tell about the adventures of outcasts who survived the catastrophe. Some have preserved the remains of civilization under water (“Atlantis Under Water” by R. Kadu, “Maracot Abyss” by A. Conan Doyle, “The End of Atlantis” by K. Bulychev). Others slipped away. To America (“Temple. A Manuscript Found on the Yucatan Coast” by H. F. Lovecraft), to Africa (“Tarzan and the Treasure of Opar” by E. R. Barrows); to Spain (“This distant Tartessus” by E. Voiskunsky and I. Lukodyanov); even to Britain ("Stones of Power" by D. Gemmel). For some Atlanteans, the shock from the death of their native side turned out to be so strong that other planets seemed to them the best refuge (A. Tolstoy, “Aelita”; A. Shcherbakov, “Cup of Storms”).

In V. Panov's recent novel "The Chair of Wanderers", the ancient artifact of the Atlanteans Throne of Poseidon turns out to be a catalyst for powerful forces. Even Batman ("The Black Egg of Atlantis" by N. Barret) enters the battle for the Atlantean legacy when Penguin Man tries to take possession of an ancient item that gives dark power.

Why did Atlantis die?

There is also no agreement in ascertaining the reasons for the death of the island.

In addition to the basic, albeit absolutely unreal version about the fall of a giant meteorite, the hypothesis of a powerful earthquake is very popular. In history, there are cases of a sharp subsidence of the earth by several meters as a result of such a natural disaster. For example, the death of the pirate capital of Port Royal in Jamaica in 1692, when the city plunged into the sea by 15 meters. Strong earthquakes, especially those with an epicenter on the seafloor, can cause tsunamis. A typical example of such a disaster is the tsunami resulting from the eruption of the Krakatau volcano in Indonesia in 1883, when the wave height was about 40 meters. Such a wave is quite capable of burying a coastal zone of the mainland or even an entire island under it.

Except more or less scientific explanations, there are also occult-fantastic theories about Atlantis, sometimes very specific. For example, members of the Rising Atlantes sect, founded in the 70s of the last century, believe that the Atlanteans are the descendants of aliens, who then laid the foundation for the Egyptian civilization.

The bestsellers of ophthalmologist Ernst Muldashev, who is terribly popular among some Russians, also contain amazing discoveries. It turns out that the Atlanteans possessed extrasensory perception, and 75,000 years ago, with the help of psychokinetic energy, the Egyptian pyramids were erected. A number of great personalities - Krishna, Buddha, Christ - were also Atlanteans. And somewhere in the depths of Tibet in the caves, the surviving Atlanteans are still sleeping in a special form of suspended animation - samadhi.

Atlantis - a myth?

With all the many disagreements, the only thing that cements the discordant ranks of atlantologists is the idea that Atlantis really existed. However, there are many who say: Atlantis is a myth!

These are their main arguments. Firstly, apart from the dialogues of Plato, there are no other reliable references to Atlantis. Secondly, the island had to be too big, and it is not easy to stick it somewhere in terms of geography. Thirdly, modern geological and oceanographic studies do not confirm the sinking of a large part of the land to the ocean floor. Fourthly, 10 thousand years ago there was no developed human civilization. But for any of these arguments, if desired (and many have it!) No less logical counter-arguments are easily found.

The most impartial scholars nevertheless admit that Plato's dialogues contain a rational grain and they describe real natural disasters that have befallen the Mediterranean - the same Crete.

The only thing that can draw a line under many years of discussion, indisputably proving the veracity of the legend, is the discovery of the remains of Atlantis on the sea or ocean floor. But is it possible?

Remains of former luxury

Scientists from many countries are constantly exploring the seas and oceans, making the most valuable archaeological discoveries from time to time. True, nothing has yet been found that would prove the existence of a sunken mainland or a huge island. Given the constant improvement of the technical equipment of such expeditions, landmark discoveries may not be far off. Another question - what can scientists find at the bottom?

The main building materials of antiquity were marble, granite, basalt and sandstone. Over thousands of years, most of the buildings will completely dissolve in sea water, except for some of the marble structures. In addition, some types of mollusks and the presence of strong underwater currents can be destructive to sunken buildings.

In salty sea water, metals undergo accelerated corrosion. Iron oxidizes after 200 years at sea, copper and copper alloys disappear after 400 years. True, if copper products have big sizes(bells, cannons, anchors), a layer of carbonates is formed on their surface that can protect the object. But high-grade gold can lie in the water for a very long time.

Wooden objects die in a couple of centuries, and high-quality ceramics lie at the bottom for millennia. At the same time, many items, if they are quickly overgrown with corals, are also able to be stored for a long time - however, it is difficult to detect them in this case. In general, some of the heritage of the Atlanteans is theoretically able to survive to this day.

Perhaps a miracle will still happen, and humanity will take a fresh look at its history? Schliemann was once also made fun of, but he, in spite of everything, discovered the legendary Troy ...

The mystery of Atlantis is described in many works, both adventure novels and serious ones. scientific research. To date, scientists and enthusiastic researchers have put forward more than 1,700 hypotheses about the location of this mysterious continent and the reasons for its disappearance without a trace. However, not so unimportant.

One of the most prominent scientists of ancient Greece, Plato, in the works "Critias" and "Timaeus", mentions Atlantis, referring to data from the diaries of his great-grandfather, the no less famous Athenian poet and statesman Solon. An Egyptian priest told him about the existence of a large country of the Atlanteans, which fought with the Greeks as far back as 9000. According to this fragmentary information, the land of the Atlanteans was somewhere on the other side of the Pillars of Hercules. According to Plato, according to Solon, Atlantis was a large and rich country with big cities and a very developed economy at that time. The picturesque territory of the country, covered with dense forests, was cut by numerous irrigation canals. Atlantis was a federation of ten kingdoms. The Atlanteans hoped to expand their territory and tried to enslave Athens and Egypt, however, they suffered a crushing defeat in the fight against the Athenian army. According to the same data, as a result of a terrible earthquake during the day, the mighty Atlantis disappeared forever under water.

Scholars to this day have not come to a consensus regarding Plato's account of this mysterious country. Perhaps Atlantis was just a product of one of the ancient Greek legends? This assumption is supported by the fact that not all of Plato's stories were believed even by his contemporaries. According to these scientists, in such ancient times, 9000 years before the birth of Plato, such a highly developed culture could not have existed. It could not for the simple reason that at that time the end of the ice age had just come. Many scientists agree that at one time cavemen and highly developed Atlanteans could live. And can it be that an entire country suddenly disappeared without a trace. However, most scientists argue that Atlantis could well exist in reality, because the legends had to have at least some basis, and most of the myths reflected the events that took place in reality.

After all, the ruins of the once mythical ancient Troy, which was also considered a figment of the fantasy of blind Homer, were found by archaeologists. And not so long ago, the fact was scientifically proven that the ancient Greeks could make quite long long journeys on their ships, and, like Odysseus, reach the shores of Colchis, the country of the Golden Fleece. As for the huge and destructive power of earthquakes, then, according to geologists, it is really capable of a short time bury a huge area.

True, if we assume that Atlantis really existed, there is one more enough important question. Where should researchers go, where should they look for this mythical land? Scientists from different times and countries could never come to a consensus. Some of them believed that the mysterious Atlantis sank to the bottom of the central part of the Atlantic Ocean - somewhere between two continents, Europe and North America. This statement is based on the words of Plato, who noted that the mysterious land was located in front of the strait, called the Pillars of Heracles (framed by the rocks of Abilik and Kalpa), which was located near the Strait of Gibraltar. In addition, many of the same species of animals and plants live in these lands. In addition, not so long ago, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, located in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, was discovered. A vast plateau with a number of ridges adjoins the ridge, the peaks of which form the Azores.

It is likely that this area was once land and about 12 thousand years ago, during a geological catastrophe, it sank to the ocean floor. This period just coincides with the alleged time of the existence of Atlantis. After that, the warm Gulf Stream finally reached the shores of Northern Europe, and as a result, the ice age ended in our part of the world. This version of warming in Europe was put forward by the Russian scientist N.F. Zhirov, as well as some other researchers. It is likely that the Azores and the island of Madeira are the very remnants of the lost mainland. According to some scientists, not all the inhabitants of Atlantis died during the collapse of their mainland - some survivors reached the shores of America, while others reached Europe. It was they who laid the foundation for the greatest civilizations of Mexico and Peru, as well as Egypt and Mesopotamia. This explains the striking similarity in their architecture, traditions and religions, all the more surprising because the countries were far from each other.

Indeed, the inhabitants of both sides of the Atlantic equally worshiped the Sun, and believed in the myth of the global flood, which was widespread both in Mesopotamia and among the Indian tribes that inhabited South and North America. It is amazing that the language of the Basques living in the north of Spain in the Pyrenees mountains is absolutely different from other European languages, but at the same time it is very similar to the languages ​​of some Indian tribes. And the ancient pyramids created by our ancestors in Mexico and Egypt have a lot in common.

In addition, in both countries there is a custom of mummification of the dead, moreover, the same objects are placed in their graves. But the main thing is that in the places where the burials of the Mayan tribes are located, archaeologists find jewelry made of green jade, the deposits of which simply do not exist in America. Maybe he got there from Atlantis?

According to a legend widespread among the Indians of Peru and Mexico, which tells about the white god Quetzacoatl, he arrived on the mainland on a sailboat from the edge of the early sun - that is, from the east. God taught the Indian tribes construction and craft, revealed laws and religion to them, and then mysteriously disappeared. The Peruvians, who did not know about the existence of the Aztecs, believed in the same legend, with one amendment - their god was called Viracocha. Perhaps these people came from Atlantis? It is believed that their images are found on the walls of the cities of Chichen Itza and Tiguanacu.

Scientists refer to the evidence of the existence of Atlantis and the ruins of ancient Indian cities, the remains of which are located in the Peruvian Andes and the impenetrable jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula.

In the autumn of 1970, while inspecting the coastal waters of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean from a seaplane, D. Rebikov, a French archaeologist and aquanaut, noticed strange ruins of some buildings on the ocean floor near the island of North Bimini. Divers who went down under the water found giant walls more than a hundred meters long. They were built from giant blocks, each of which weighed about 25 tons. By whom were they built? Perhaps Atlanteans? True, it was soon discovered that these "walls" arose as a result of cracking of coastal rocks that had gone under water due to the gradual sinking to the bottom of the Bahamas.

They are also looking for Atlantis in the Mediterranean. The most plausible is the opinion of the Russian scientist A. S. Norov, who considered the island of Crete and many small Greek islands to the north of it to be the remnants of a continent that had sunk into oblivion. The well-known Soviet geographer L. S. Berg agreed with this opinion. Today, this theory is supported by the vast majority of scientists. This version is supported by recent studies in this area and in the Atlantic Ocean.

When studying the area of ​​​​the alleged death of Atlantis at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists found that the average thickness of sedimentary rocks in this zone is about 4 meters. At the same time, at the current rate of accumulation of such rocks, which is 10-15 mm per thousand years, this will require at least 300 thousand years, and certainly not 12 thousand, as argued by supporters of the Atlantean origin of the mysterious Atlantis.

In addition, according to evidence from oceanographic studies of recent times, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the result of a geological event during which the continents of Africa and South America. Scientists separately noted the features of the coastline pattern: the western line of the African mainland and the eastern line of the South American.

Accordingly, in order for Atlantis to be located in the Atlantic Ocean, there is simply no place in it. But then what to do with Plato's message about where the disappeared country is located, allegedly located in front of the Pillars of Hercules, that is, the Strait of Gibraltar? Under the name "Pillars of Hercules" before Plato could mean a completely different place. What is it? Disputes of researchers do not subside until now.

Regarding the Mediterranean location of Atlantis, assumed by most scientists, they provide a number of fairly weighty evidence.

For example, it has been established that on the island of Thira (Santorini), located in the Aegean Sea, about 3.5 thousand years ago, there was a volcanic explosion of destructive force, similar to the one that was noted in 1883 on the island of Krakatau, which in South-East Asia, among the islands of Indonesia. Apparently, it was the greatest geological catastrophe in the entire history of our planet.

In terms of its strength, the explosion of the Santorin volcano was equal to the explosion of about 200 thousand atomic bombs, identical to those that were once dropped on Hiroshima.

Scientist Garun Taziyev gives the approximate date of the explosion - 1470 BC and claims that as a result, about 80 billion cubic meters rose into the air. m crushed rock, and the waves that arose in the process reached 260 m. Danish scientists reasonably believe that the explosion took place in 1645 BC. e., - almost 150 years earlier.

Just at that time, the islands located in this part of the Aegean Sea were ruled by the Minoans, who achieved great success in science and handicrafts. As a result of a powerful volcanic explosion, as it was found, one of the developed cities on the island of Thira and the center of the civilization of the Minoans, located on Crete - Knossos, perished.

Most of the territory of the state was absorbed by the Aegean Sea. Probably, it was this event, the echo of which reached Plato through the centuries, and was reflected in his story about the country of the Atlanteans. True, in the interpretation of Plato, the size of the sunken continent is much larger, and the time of the catastrophe is shifted many thousands of years ago.

In other words, according to the opinion of the fans of this hypothesis, in the descriptions of Plato we are talking about the state of the Minoans. Indeed, according to his data, Atlantis was a developed maritime power, and the same could be said about the country of the Minoans, which had an impressive navy. Plato said that fat herds of sacred bulls grazed on the island of Atlantis, of which the Minoans had a lot, and they were also considered sacred. A ditch was discovered on the seabed near Tyra, similar to the one that, according to Plato, protected the fortress in the capital of Atlantis. Now the island of Thira is a fragment left after the explosion of a giant volcano. Excavated in 1967, the ruins of the Minoan city lay under a thick layer of volcanic ash and, like Pompeii, are perfectly preserved. Archaeologists have found many colored frescoes and even wooden objects here.

In 1976, the famous French scientist and aquanaut Jacques Yves Cousteau discovered the remains of an ancient Minoan civilization at the bottom of the Aegean Sea near the island of Crete. According to his calculations, it was destroyed during the crushing eruption of the Santorin volcano, which occurred in 1450 BC. e. Nevertheless, Cousteau always considered Atlantis a beautiful fairy tale by Plato.

The authority of Cousteau's opinion forced many scientists to "return" again to the hypothesis of the Atlantic Atlantis. The impetus for this decision was the discovery of a group of seamounts to the west of Gibraltar, which have table-like peaks, located only 100-200 meters below sea level. Many scientists consider these mountains to be the remains of a vast archipelago that sank in ancient times.

Pictures taken by a researcher at the Institute of Oceanology of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1973 became a sensation. At that time, he took part in an expedition on the vessel "Akademik Kurchatov". Looking at eight underwater photographs taken by him, you can see the ruins of the fortress wall and other buildings on top of one of the seamounts.

As a result of the conducted in 1983-1984. research, scientists of the research vessels "Akademik Vernadsky" and "Vityaz" with the help of underwater vehicles "Paisis" and "Argus" confirmed that Mount Amper is an extinct volcano that once sank to the ocean floor. Well, the notorious ruins are far from the creations of human hands, but ordinary natural formations.

This means that the unsuccessful search for Atlantis in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean only confirms the conclusions of scientists looking for traces of her presence in the Aegean Sea. True, some disagreements arose in their orderly ranks. The reason for this in 1987 was the Russian scientist I. Mashnikov. He logically rethought the works of Plato and put forward a new hypothesis.

First of all, he disputes the time of the death of Atlantis, as well as some other data of Plato. For example, the number of land and sea forces of the Atlanteans. Judging by the words of Plato, the Atlanteans had a huge armada - 1200 ships, as well as an army, according to experts, amounting to more than a million soldiers. Accordingly, the Greek army that defeated the Atlanteans should have been no less numerous. According to Mashnikov’s quite logical reasoning, during the ice age such a huge army simply had nowhere to come from, given that at that time the number of inhabitants of the entire planet was no more than 3-4 million people, while being at a fairly low level of development.

Accordingly, we are most likely talking about a different, much later time. Mashnikov says that ancient people recorded nine thousand as ten thousand minus one thousand, and, accordingly, nine hundred as one thousand minus one hundred. In the system of calculus adopted in Egypt, a thousand was denoted by the sign "M", and in the ancient Greek system "M" meant ten thousand. Apparently, Solon simply rewrote the Egyptian signs from ancient Egyptian documents, and Plato understood them in ancient Greek. Thus, 9000 appeared instead of 900.

Considering that Solon "stayed" in Egypt (560 BC) 900 years after the death of Atlantis, the approximate date of the disaster is 1460 BC. e. plus a possible error of 100-150 years.

Scientists, looking for Atlantis in the Atlantic, according to Mashnikov, took a false trail, because they did not doubt that the Platonic Pillars of Hercules, behind which this land was located, is the Strait of Gibraltar. But, under the Pillars of Hercules, apparently, some other place was meant. However, Plato has direct indications that allow you to determine the location of Atlantis. Plato says that along the Pillars of Hercules the maritime border between the country of Atlantis and the Athenian state was laid. And this means that these pillars could only be in the Aegean Sea. In another place of his story, Plato directly indicates that Athens opposed the state of the Atlanteans, which can be interpreted not only as a war, but also as a geographical one, that is, they were on the other side - on the peninsula of Asia Minor. At that time there was the land of the Hittites. In addition, according to the author, only here the cities were built according to a circular plan, creating canals, as if outlined by a compass.

But after all, Plato spoke of Atlantis as a large island that sank to the bottom of the sea. It can be assumed that part of this state was indeed located on an island, though not as large as Plato claimed. Probably, it was this island, and by no means the whole country, that perished as a result of a volcanic eruption or an earthquake, as a result of which only a chain of islands remained, which is now called the Sporades. It turns out that Atlantis is actually Hittia or its island part. In addition, Plato, in his retelling of Solon, claimed that Atlantis was at war with Athens. And from the sources it is known that in the XIV century. BC e. Egypt waged war with the Hittites, and after a while Athens entered the war, according to the historian Herodotus, inflicted a heavy defeat on the Hittites and captured 13 of their cities. Subsequently, the Hittite empire collapsed.

According to I. Mashnikov, the war between the Hittites and Athens is the key to unraveling another mystery. Obviously, "Atlanteans" is not a nationality, but a contemptuous name for an enslaved people. The sculpture of the enemy, who became a slave and propped up the cornice, was a symbol of the courage of the winners and the humility of the vanquished. The defeated Hittites were turned into slaves and became Atlanteans, their fallen state began to be called Atlantis. "Perhaps these arguments are not far from the truth.

An unusual version of the origin of Atlantis was put forward in 1992 by the German scientist Zangger. Some researchers consider his book about the secrets of Atlantis simply brilliant. According to Zangger, Plato's narrative is a distorted memory of the once fallen Troy. This ancient city, which was located near the Dardanelles and was described by Homer in the XII century. BC e. as fallen under the onslaught of the Greeks, was considered a myth. But, in 1871, the ruins of Troy were found by the German scientist G. Schliemann. At the same time, Zangger provides quite a lot of weighty evidence for this hypothesis, especially if we take into account the coincidences in the descriptions of Homer and Plato of the area in which Troy was located.

But what about the fact that Plato does not speak of a plain, but of a large island? Zanger believes that Solon is to blame for this. When reading hieroglyphic inscriptions on a pillar when visiting the main temple in the residence Egyptian pharaohs posted in Saisi, he made a mistake. Allegedly, these hieroglyphs denoted a sandy strip or coast. A serious mistake was also made in the designation of the place where Atlantis was located on the other side of the Pillars of Hercules. It is possible that this name was borne by the Dardanelles.

According to the author of this version, another serious mistake crept into Plato's story, which consisted in incorrectly determining the time of the catastrophe. After all, on the column of the Egyptian temple, a story is written that nine thousand years ago the Greeks overthrew a powerful state - Atlantis. This hypothesis has weak side- discrepancies that the author explains by the mistakes of the ancient sages. In addition, the justification for determining the date of the war is rather unconvincing.

In general, each of the hypotheses has a certain rational grain, and which of them will eventually turn out to be true, only time will tell. Or a new hypothesis - after all, the mystery of Atlantis has not been solved so far.

Atlantic Ocean

From the text of Plato's dialogues it is absolutely clear that Atlantis was located in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the priest, the Atlantean army "led its way from the Atlantic Sea." The priest says that opposite the Pillars of Hercules lay big Island, more than Libya and Asia combined, from which it was easy to cross over to other islands "to the entire opposite continent", in which America is easily guessed.

Therefore, many of the atlantologists, especially those who believe the date of 9500 BC, believe that Atlantis was once located in the Atlantic Ocean, and traces of it should be sought either at the bottom of the ocean or near the existing islands, which were 11500 years ago high mountain peaks. The main hypotheses related to the Atlantic Ocean will be considered in more detail below.

Mediterranean Sea

About two and a half thousand years ago, the worst catastrophe in the history of mankind occurred in the Mediterranean Sea. The explosion of the Strongile volcano was three times stronger than the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. This explosion generated a tsunami wave several tens or even a hundred meters high, which hit the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists believe that this catastrophe was the cause of the death of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture that existed 3000 years ago. It is not surprising that such a grandiose natural cataclysm attracted many researchers, some of whom came to the seemingly strange idea that when describing Atlantis, Plato described Thira (where the Strongile volcano was located) or Crete.

This second version, one of the two most popular, I will also consider in more detail.

The Iberian Peninsula

The name of one of the first ten kings of Atlantis - Gadir - has come down to our time in the name of the Gadir region. Gadir is a Phoenician village, the current Cadiz. This name gave reason to individual atlantologists to believe that all of Atlantis was located on the Iberian Peninsula near the mouth of the Quadalquivir River.

Near Ghadir lay another famous city, Tartessus. Its inhabitants were Etruscans and claimed that their state was 5,000 years old. The German H. Schulten (1922) believed that Tartessus is Atlantis. In 1973, near Cadiz, at a depth of 30 meters, the remains of an ancient city were discovered.

About a million Basques now live in northern Spain. Their language is not like any of the known languages peace. There are certain similarities between it and languages American Indians. This suggests that the Basques are direct descendants of the Atlanteans.

Brazil

In 1638, the English scientist and politician Francis Bacon of Verulam in his book "Nova Atlantis" identified Brazil with Atlantis. Soon a new atlas with a map of America was published, compiled by the French geographer Sanson, in which the provinces of the sons of Poseidon in Brazil were even indicated. The same atlas was published in 1762 by Robert Vaugudi. It is said that at the sight of these cards, Voltaire was shaking with laughter.

Scandinavia

In 1675, the Swedish atlantologist Olaus Rudbeck argued that Atlantis was located in Sweden, and Uppsala was its capital. According to him, this was evident from the Bible.

Herodotus, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder and some other ancient historians write about the Atlantean tribe living in North Africa near the Atlas Mountains. Atlanteans, they say, don't dream, don't use names, don't eat anything alive, and curse the rising and setting sun.

Based on these reports, P. Borchardt claims that Atlantis was located on the territory of modern Tunisia, in the depths of the Sahara Desert. In its southern part there are two lakes, which, according to modern data, are the remains of an ancient sea. In this sea was supposed to be the island of Atlantis.

At the end of the 19th century, the French geographer Etienne Berlu placed Atlantis in Morocco, in the region of the Atlas Mountains.

In 1930, A. Hermann stated that Atlantis was in the Shatt-el-Jerid lowland, between the city of Nefta and the Gulf of Gabes. True, this territory does not fall, but rises ...

German ethnographer Leo Frobenius found Atlantis in the Kingdom of Benin.

Other options

In 1952, German pastor Jurgen Spanut discovered Atlantis on the island of Helgoland in the Baltic Sea.

In general, Atlantis was found in all parts of the Earth. We will not dwell on these theories in detail, but it was found in Central America, in the English Channel (F. Gidon), in pacific ocean, in Cuba, in Peru, in Great Britain, in the Great Lakes region in the USA, in Greenland, in Iceland, in Svalbard, in France, in the Netherlands, in Denmark, in Persia (Pierre-André Latreille, France, XIX century), on Bermuda, Bahamas, Canaries, Antilles (John McCuloch, Scotland), Azores, in the Azov, Black, Caspian Seas, in Palestine and in many other places.

Evidence for the existence of Atlantis in the Atlantic

An advanced civilization once existed on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. The inhabitants of this country taught the ancient Egyptians and Mayans how to measure time, build pyramids and much more. It was the Atlanteans who laid in the Egyptian pyramids many of the most different numbers, as if addressing this message to posterity.

But 11,500 years ago, a meteorite (or comet) fell to Earth, causing the death of Atlantis. The fall of the meteorite awakened dormant volcanoes. Eruptions and earthquakes began. The fall of the meteorite and the departure of Atlantis under the water caused giant wave, which temporarily flooded Europe, Egypt, Asia Minor, America, South and East Asia. This wave killed mammoths in distant Siberia, laying them in "cemeteries". Due to the fall of the meteorite, the earth's axis shifted, which caused strong climatic changes. The surviving Atlanteans scattered around the world, spreading the story of the death of Atlantis.

This is the version of the death of Atlantis, which can be considered canonical for the supporters of Atlantis in the Atlantic.

In 1665, in his book "Mundus subterraneus" ("Underworld"), the German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher showed that Atlantis existed in the Atlantic Ocean and provided a map with its outlines. It is very interesting that these outlines exactly correspond to the lines of the depths of the ocean, unknown at that time.

In the 19th century, I. Donelly wrote the book "Atlantis, the antediluvian world", which was considered the "bible" of atlantologists. He places his Atlantis in the same place as Kircher, but reduced in size. For him, Atlantis was the biblical paradise, the seat of Greek gods and the country of the cult of the Sun!

Donelly considers mythology to be one of the main pillars of the version of the existence of Atlantis. Fairly objectively the mythological aspect of Atlantis is described in the book by L. Stegeni.

Mythological evidence for the existence of Atlantis

Flood legends

They are found in almost all mankind, with the exception of Africa, except for Egypt, Australia and the northern part of Eurasia. In almost all these myths, the gods (God) once flooded the whole earth with water (beer) (usually for sins), a fire starts (the sky falls, the earth cracks, a mountain appears, spewing flames) and all people drowned (turned into fish, turned into stones ), except for one (two) people whom the gods (God) usually warned about the flood, because they led a righteous life. These people (or one person), usually a husband and wife (or brother and sister, or Noah and family), get into a boat (box, ark) and swim. Then they (not always) sail to the mountain, release the birds for reconnaissance (this is in many cases a skillful introduction of biblical motifs by Christian missionaries into pagan myths).

Legends about aliens from the West (Old World)

They are found among some peoples of the Old World, in particular, among the Egyptians and Babylonians.

An unknown person arrives from the West, speaking in an incomprehensible language. He taught people how to make tools (build cities, use the calendar, make wine, brew beer).

Legends about coming from the East (New World)

Found in some peoples of America.

They say that this people once came from the East (from the island), perhaps some cataclysms occurred at that time (the gods punished humanity), but someone from humanity escaped and came to the West, where he founded this country (city , people).

Legends of space disasters

Found in some nations.

A stone fell from the sky (Moon, Sun, Serpent, Dragon, something else), after which a fire started (flood, the earth shook, something else). Then it all ended and people dispersed around the world.

Encountering such a legend, atlantologists begin to look for (and find) in it proof of the existence of Atlantis. For example, having learned that the Kalevala mentions an earthquake and high tides (usually the height of the tides in the Baltic is several centimeters), atlantologists concluded that a long time ago the Earth captured the Moon, which caused high tides, which people remembered. Myths often give atlantologists the opportunity to "prove" any, even the most insane, statements, adjusting ancient myths to suit them.

Similarity of cultures on both sides of the Atlantic

Atlantologists pay attention to the fact that in Egypt and Mexico they build pyramids, make stone sarcophagi, mummify the dead, use a similar hieroglyphic script, in Egypt and Mexico there is a separate caste of priests, the cult of the Sun, a similar time number system and quite developed astronomy.

Some Atlantologists have decided that the Aztecs, Incas, Mayans and Egyptians were students of the Atlanteans who flew (or sailed) to them after the disaster. (Osiris in Egypt, Quetzalcoatl in America)

The eel mystery

Even Aristotle drew attention to the fact that only female eels can be found in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. There have been many theories about the origin of eels, "fatherless fish". Even at the end of the 19th century, it was believed that eels are born alive, and females of one of the fish species produce them. (!?) Only in 1904, the Danish ichthyologist I. Schmidt solved the riddle of eels. Eels hatch from eggs in the Sargasso Sea. In the second year of life, they set sail for the shores of Europe. There, the females go up the rivers, spend about two years in the rivers, return to the sea and swim into the Sargasso Sea. There is a mating season and the females lay their eggs. This behavior of eels can be easily explained if we assume that thousands of years ago, on the site of the Sargasso Sea, there were the shores of Atlantis, where they spent their childhood. The warm current of the Gulf Stream carried them to the shores of Europe, and then the countercurrent brought them back.

Questions about whether Atlantis existed, about the location of Plato's sunken Atlantis, however, like all the secrets of Atlantis, torment the minds of many generations of seekers. Some researchers have not decided whether it was a large island or a small mainland. Many atlantologists are trying to find evidence of the existence of the island, other representatives of modern science believe that the "city" of Atlantis was located in the west. While still others believe that Hyperborea disappeared along with the disappeared Atlantis.

The first acquaintance with the continent lost more than 10,000 years ago is connected with Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias. This work of Plato allows some scholars to claim that they have found and identified the area of ​​the sunken island, and know where Atlantis sank.

Places on Earth where archaeologists have searched for the ancient sunken Atlantis

It is known about at least five points on Earth where the search for Atlantis was conducted:

• Baltic;
• Eastern Mediterranean;
• Spain;
• Great Britain;
• Bermuda Triangle.

What did archaeologists find in these places?

Secrets of Swedish Atlantis

Swedish archaeologists managed to discover ancient artifacts dating back to the Stone Age at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Apparently, nomads could stop near the place where they were discovered about eleven thousand years ago. The press immediately dubbed this discovery, important for science, the "Swedish Atlantis".

Atlantis of the Eastern Mediterranean

In 2004, the American scientist Robert Sarmast thought he had unraveled the mysteries of Atlantis. He announced the location of the lost city between Syria and Cyprus at a depth of one and a half kilometers. The expedition, which he led, managed to find man-made buildings at the bottom, as well as channels and riverbeds. The scientist claimed that all this coincided with the outline of Plato's Atlantis.

History of Spanish Atlantis

In 2011, already Spanish scientists voiced a version of the location of Atlantis. They believed that the ancient city was washed away by the tsunami off the Spanish coast. Local scientists claimed that at the bottom lies a complex of buildings that also corresponded to Plato's descriptions. With the help of instruments, it was possible to fix the concentration of methane, which in turn may indicate the death of many people.

History of British Atlantis

British scientists did not have to lag behind their colleagues. So, in 2012, they announced the discovery of Atlantis off their coast. The hypothesis was reported that the "British Atlantis" had to go under water about nine thousand years ago. According to this hypothesis, it was a piece of land that stretched between Denmark and Scotland. In the center, this land was the size of modern France, and this whole part of the land was almost 900 thousand square kilometers.

Atlantis Bermuda Triangle

Canadian researchers near the eastern coast of Cuba using a special robot in 2012 photographed some underwater ruins. In the photo, one could see the remains of buildings similar to pyramids, a figure resembling a sphinx, as well as engraved huge slabs. However, later archaeologists considered that this drowned city was not part of Atlantis. It turned out that it was built up to two thousand years ago. Whereas, according to the instructions of Plato, the island of Atlantis plunged into the depths of the sea around 9500 BC.

What did Plato write about Atlantis?

Having found the right places in the text of Plato's dialogues, you can read what he wrote about the civilization of Atlantis, which existed thousands of years ago. The island where it originated was larger than Libya and Asia combined. There arose a great and marvelous association of kings. All their power extended over the island, to many other islands, and also to part of the continent. Moreover, on this side of the strait they were masters of Libya as far as Egypt, and also of Europe as far as Tirrenia.

Some researchers have mentioned Solon, who wrote down the story of the death of Atlantis. He visited the Egyptian city of Sais around 611 BC. There, from the local priests, he learned that a terrible catastrophe had occurred, which occurred nine thousand years BC. e. Then there was a flooding of a huge island, exceeding in size "Libya with Asia."

Scientists, after the necessary calculations, placed an island of such volumes near Gibraltar. They decided that by now only a few islands could remain from this huge island, such as Cape Verde, the Canaries, Madeira, the Azores and others. Thus the vast archipelago was, in fact, the Platonic civilization of Atlantis.

Secret maps of Christopher Columbus

Some believe that Atlantis in ancient times meant the Canaries, and supplements this with the fact that Columbus had accurate navigation charts with the Atlantic ridge in all his four campaigns.

By the way, he was also looking for the remains of the islands of the once-existing empire. Later, some of those maps that were at the disposal of the great commander were captured by the Turks in one of the naval battles, so that they ended up at Piri Reis.

In the maps of Piri Reis that have come down to us, there were no details necessary for scientists. There were no images of the sunken mainland. Nevertheless, this did not prevent us from determining the location of Atlantis; the routes of the Columbus caravels of all four expeditions were known. It should be noted that all four expeditions of Columbus always started from the Canaries.

Mystery of ocean currents

In the last two expeditions, Columbus decided to take advantage of the current that carried his ships in the right direction. Navigators in those days could hardly have been aware of the secret of such a current. However, this secret was well known to Columbus himself, which means that he could find it in secret sources that could come to him along with maps of the disappeared continent.

Nowadays, these ocean currents have received little attention, since the modern fleet is adapted to perform autonomous navigation to any extent. This made the secrets of the currents, which in ancient times ensured the regularity of communications between parts of the world, irrelevant. However, unequivocal evidence can be found in ancient maps that these messages existed.

However, according to some researchers, after the global cosmic cataclysm in 1528 BC. communication between the continents was interrupted. And only because of Christopher Columbus everything returned to normal. The great Genoese possessed cards unknown to science and, indulging in them, made his great discoveries.

Fall of the great Posidonia

According to the ancient philosophers and writers, all its citizens were warned that Atlantis would perish. However, after nothing happened for several years, people continued to "sin" further.

crash great empire Atlas began with the appearance of huge cracks, where rivers rushed. Death went on throughout the state for three days, mountains collapsed and fell into valleys, rivers rushed into the ocean. On the fourth day, such a downpour fell, as if the abyss of heaven had opened up, the terrible roar of thunder did not stop.

Suddenly there was a shudder of the earth, after which part of the land began its dive into the crazy streams. Everything that was on land began to sink lower and lower under the water.

Then everything went silent. No rain, no crushing blows of wind, no downward movement - everything stopped, as if so that the survivors could rest. For several days nothing happened. It seemed to the exhausted people who hid in insignificant shelters that everything was over.