ATLANTIS

Despite significant progress in understanding our past, there is still much we do not know about the history of ancient civilizations. Ancient civilizations such as the Mayans and the Egyptians offer a wealth of unexplained knowledge and incredible structures that require further exploration. Among the most mysterious of these civilizations is Atlantis, which has been the subject of stories for over 2,000 years.

The first records mentioning Atlantis were two Socratic dialogues written by Plato, a Greek philosopher, around 360 BC. The dialogues were meant for a speech to be delivered during festivities in honor of the goddess Athena. The dialogues included stories that Socrates had heard from guests, including one about a powerful ancient civilization based on an island in the Atlantic Ocean that ruled over several other islands, as well as lands across Africa and Europe.

According to the story, the city of Atlantis was built in concentric rings of land and water, with elaborate baths, a huge harbor, and well-equipped barracks. The Atlantians’ knowledge of engineering was second to none, and their society was structured like many others at the time, with kings, a civil administration, and a formidable military. Their power led them to wage war across the rest of Asia and Europe. At the time, Athens was the only state that had the resources to stand up against this invasion and was able to repel the attacks. Soon after this, earthquakes and floods caused Atlantis to be swallowed up by the sea and lost forever.

Many historians believe that Plato used the story of Atlantis to make a point and that the story is not factual. The idea of an all-powerful aggressor being fended off by a weaker force is a classic tale of hope in the face of adversity. Some historians believe that the barbarian-like behavior of the Atlantians is actually a reference to the acts of the Persians or Carthaginians at the time. The idea of an island violently disappearing could have been inspired by the eruption of Minoan Santorini, which took place at around 1600 BC and destroyed the island of Thera, impacting settlements on nearby Crete and as far away as Egypt.

Despite these theories, some believe that Plato’s writings are much more accurate historical records than initially thought. He said that it was a true story and even gave a precise date as to when Atlantis fell to the waves. His record of events stated that Solon, who lived 200 years earlier, had directly asked an Egyptian priest in the city of Saïs when it had happened. According to the writings on the walls of the temple, it happened 9,000 years previously, which puts the date at around 9,600 BC. This date coincides with a massive geological phenomenon known as “Meltwater Pulse 1b,” a global event triggered by the release of water from the ice sheets in the poles, which saw a sea level rise of about 14 meters. Evidence of this event has been found in the Caribbean, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and across the world and could have been enough to destroy low-lying island communities.

The Egyptian Atlantis must have lasted long enough in history to become part of Egyptian culture. Funerary texts mention it quite often. The Egyptian Atlantis "Aha-Men-Ptah" corresponds to the West and means "The West" in Egyptian. West is also where the dead are buried, and many deaths are associated with going towards the West. There is still much we do not fully understand about Ancient Egypt, particularly how they built the pyramids and the Sphinx. The pyramids were covered in white limestone, which has since fallen away, but could there be a clue in some early descriptions of Atlantis? Atlantis was referred to by some as the "white island" and described as having numerous pyramids