Atlantis Is Real (Sort Of)

In approximately 360 BCE, the tale of the lost civilisation of Atlantis first made an appearance in the Socratic dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written by the well-known Greek philosopher Plato. The story tells of an ancient island located somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. The island was once a mighty and powerful civilisation, until it attempted to wage war on Asia and Europe, where it was promptly defeated by the superior leadership of the Greek civilisation of Athens, and was swallowed by the ocean, never to be seen again.

While the story is framed like an historical account, passed onto Plato by outside forces, it’s generally agreed that the downfall of Atlantis was never supposed to be viewed as a real-life event. Instead, it was likely intended to be read as a parable about the small but civilised Athens defeating the powerful but ultimately barbaric Atlantis. It’s a classic morality tale of a defensive force overcoming an unjust aggressor. The tale has certainly stood the test of time, but in the end, it has only ever been fiction.

Despite this, we’ve been obsessed with idea of finding the lost nation. Even as late as 2018, just three years ago at the time of writing, a UK group proudly announced their belief that they’d found the ruins on Atlantis near the coast of Spain, much to the annoyance of several professional archaeologists. Most people have now accepted the island as a myth, though this hasn’t stopped the idea of it continuing to persist in our pop culture, now reimagined as a still thriving society, a concept not present in Plato’s original telling.

However, even though the fabled Atlantis may never be found (on the grounds that it never existed in the first place), society may be overlooking a very real lost civilisation, that was taken by the ocean thousands of years ago. Unlike Atlantis, which has been supposedly placed in many locations from Malta to Antarctica, this real-life landmass is very close to my own home country, the UK.

Britain as we know it hasn’t always existed. The only island nation didn’t always stand alone in the sea. Instead, it was connected to what is now mainland Europe by the marshy and wooded Doggerland, sometimes referred to as Dogger Littoral. Though not quite the technologically and culturally advanced society we’ve come to know from Atlantis, Doggerland was far from inhabitable, with evidence suggesting the area was to ancient life. This vast landmass was likely home to migrating hunter-gather tribes, who lived and moved based on the seasons. Signs of their existence has been found on the sea floor in the form of tools, bones, and other fossils.

Of course, Doggerland no longer exists above water. As the climate of the prehistoric world changed, water levels began to rise, and these ancient people were forced to higher grounds, leaving Doggerland behind. Those who lived there would become separated. Some would end up in what is now the UK, while others would live in what would become the Netherlands. This shift is believed to have taken place over six thousand years ago, long before Plato dreamt up the idea of Atlantis.

Doggerland is not the only formerly populated area that now existing below sea level. Natural disasters have caused many formerly thriving societies to become lost to the water. In 1998, French marine archaeologists discovered a sunken palace, believed to have belonged to Cleopatra herself, buried just off the stores of Alexandaria. Unlike the exploration of Doggerland, the team found much more than tools and bones. Columns, statues, and sphinxes were all found largely intact, despite being lost for 1600 years after a tsunami.

So, while we all love the story of Atlantis, perhaps it’s time that we let it go. After all, why search for a fairy-tale when the real historical mysteries are laying right off our coasts?

Sources:

Bhatt, M. (2020, June 06). 6 real Sunken cities that Put Atlantis to shame. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://allthatsinteresting.com/sunken-cities

Geggel, L. (2018, November 28). Atlantis found (AGAIN)! and Exasperated Scientists (AGAIN) raise their eyebrows. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.livescience.com/64176-lost-city-atlantis-spain.html

Gill, N. (2018, October 5). What Plato told us about the Lost continent of Atlantis. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/platos-atlantis-from-the-timaeus-119667

Kessler, B. (2012, November 26). Doggerland - The Europe that was. Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/doggerland/

Misachi, J. (2018, December 04). Where is Atlantis? Is ATLANTIS REAL? Retrieved March 06, 2021, from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/where-is-atlantis-is-atlantis-real.html