Atlantis - murky mystery
It was not very easy to choose the topic of my work. I thought about it for some days and even weeks. There is enormous number of really interesting and fascinating topics, but I was looking for something special and incredibly mysterious. I wanted to find that one, in which not everything is said. In this way was born the topic of my project – “Atlantis – unsolved secret”. Atlantis has always been an unknown and intangible riddle for me and I wanted to learn more about it, to find out different hypothesis concerning to Atlantis.
Working on my project I disclosed that ancient Greek philosopher Platon was the first, who told the world about Atlantis. He wrote two dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, where the character by name Кritiy informs Socrat a surprising history which has been told “to the wisest of seven wise”, to Solon, by the Egyptian priests from Sais, famous for its wise men. From this story we at the first time find out some information about Atlantis.
Disputes about Аtlantis have inflamed at once after Platon's death. It had joined antique writers and historians. Scientists wrote thousands of books devoted to the problem of Atlantis and they continue to do it. Some of them ruthlessly discredited Platon, others servilely echoed him. The interest to Atlantis did not die away at all times, and sometimes this problem appeared in the center of the attention of the scientific world and the wide public.At times this interest quickened by discoveries, but, unfortunately, more often inventions of journalists and jugglings of pseudo-scientists. Fortunately, last years opening of archeologists, astronomers and oceanologists has caused revival of the interest to Аtlantis.
Searches of Аtlantis, till now not found, gave useful stimulus to development of sciences about the Earth and sciences about mankind. They finally also have led to creation of discipline,which even now has not received the standard name and - for want of something better - is compelled to be content with the term “atlantology”…
In my opinion, the problem of Atlantis is topical in every time. Scientists continue writing books, articles, notes, in which they express their own minds about the problem of Atlantis. In my opinion, the problem of Atlantis will be up-to-date till Atlantis is found or scientists find irrefutable proofs of its inexistence.
The object of the research is theoretical basing of the existence of Atlantis.
The subject – Platon’s dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, which tell us about Atlantis at the first time. I want to compare this two Platon’s works with data of history and Natural sciences.
The purpose of my work is basing or refutation of the hypothesis about presence of facts, which prove the existence of Atlantis.
I am going to answer the following problematic question in my work: Atlantis: a myth or a reality?
Research objectives:
• To investigate the history concerning Atlantis;
• To find facts for and against the hypothesis of Atlantis existence;
• To analyze the existing facts in accordance with up-to-date conception;
• To examine the contemporaries’ opinion about the fact of the existence of Atlantis
The hypothesis is: The irrefutable facts of Atlantis really exist.
I used theoretical and practical methods of research. Among them are comparative analysis of literature, method of control questions, testing, analyzing the results of testing.
My project consists of theoretical and practical parts.
The theoretical part presents the short contents of Platon’s dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, the analysis of these texts in a view of data of history and natural sciences. In this part of my work I also consider opinions of many professors about the basic variants of the Atlantis site and the reasons of its destruction.
The practical part acquaints the reader with the results of sociological survey on revealing the interest of the contemporary society to the problem of Atlantis.
My research paper may be valuable for teachers and students and might well be used at the lessons of history and social science.
1. The literature about Аtlantis. Platon's dialogues.
The word “Аtlantis” has become a symbol of practically unsoluble riddle. The history of disputes concerning to Аtlantis totals almost two thousand years.
Platon's two works - dialogues “Тimey” and “Kritiy” – became the occasion for these disputes. In these dialogues the history of Atlantis is told by Кritiy, Platon’s great-grandfather, who as though literally transfers the conversation of Solon with the Egyptian priest. Kritiy also explains how he learnt this history. It was told to him by his grandfather (he also was called Кritiy), who heard it from Solon, the close friend of his father, Dropides.
It’s a well-known fact, that the time of dialogue is approximately 425 B.C.(for that moment Platon would be about 2 years old). Kritiy-grandson, Platon’s great-grandfather, was about 80 years old, and he has heard the history approximately for 70 years earlier ( that was approximately in 495 B.C.) from Kritiy-grandfather when he was 90. As Kritiy-grandfather heard everything from Solon, who concerned to his father generation, the dialogue of Solon with the priest could happen in 600 - 575 B.C. It turns out, that according to Platon Atlantis destruction has occurred in the middle of 10th millennium B.C.[ 4 ]
1.1. Certificates of “Тimey”.
“ … What event has occurred, whether it was in our region or in any other country, about which we receive news, all it since ancient times is embodied in our records, which we store in our temples. Meanwhile every time as soon as writing and all other will have time to be developed that is necessary for a city life, again and again at the fixed time streams,as a plague, are overthrown from the heaven, leaving from all of you only illiterate and not scientific. And you again begin everything from the beginning, as you have just been born, knowing nothing about the events, which had happened during the ancient times in our or in your country. Even if we take your family trees, Solon, which you have just expounded, in fact they differ almost in nothing from the children's fairy tales. So, you remember only about one flood, and in fact they also were before it. One time the noblest generation lived in your country. All your city and you descend from the small seed left by that people, but you don’t know anything about them, as those who had survived died, leaving no records about themselves. And meanwhile, Solon, before the greatest and destructive flooding that state, which nowadays is known under a name of Athenes, was the first in affairs of military valour, and stood above comparison on perfection of all its laws. The legend attributes to it such acts and establishments which are the finest, that we know under the sky.”
When Solon heard it, he was amazed and hotly asked priests to tell about these ancient Athenian citizens in order and with all thoroughness.
The priest answered him: “It is not difficult to me, Solon. I shall tell you everything for the sake of you and your state, but first of all for the sake of that goddess who has received, has grown and has brought up your and our city. However she has founded Athenes for the whole millennium earlier and later this our city, having took your seed from Gay and Gefest. Meanwhile the antiquity of our city establishments is defined in sacred records in eight millennium. So, nine thousand years ago lived these your citizens, about whose laws and greatest feat
I should in brief tell you …
Some of the great acts of your state are written in our records and serve as a subject of admiration. However between them there is one, which exceeds in greatness and valour all the others. In fact, under the certificate of our records, your state has put the end to impudence of the infinite military forces, which wanted to conquer all Europe and Asia and held the way from the Atlantic sea. In those days it was possible to get across the sea, because there was an island laid in front of that passage which was calle in your language the Heracl's pillars. This island exceeded in the size Libya and Asia taken together. It was easy for travellers to get to the other islands from it, and from islands - to the opposite continent, which covered the sea. On this island, which was called Аtlantis, there was a great and worthy surprise union of tsars, whose authority reached all island, many other islands and a part of the continent. And moreover, on this side of the passage they owned Libya down to Egypt and the Europe down to Tirrenya. And all this rallied power was thrown to cast into slavery both your and our grounds and in general all countries on this side of the passage with one blow. Then, Solon,your state showed to all the world the brilliant proof of the valour and force.Surpassing everybody in determination and experience in military science, at first it took the lead of ellins, but because of betrayal of allies it has appeared given to itself, in loneliness has met extreme dangers and still has overcome conquerors and has erected the victorious trophies. Those who else was not enslaved,it has rescueed from the threat of slavery; all others it has magnanimously made free. But later, when came the term for unprecedented earthquakes and flooding, in one awful day all your military force has been absorbed by the yawned earth. Similarly and Atlantis has disappeared, having plunged into abyss. After this disaster the sea in those places became non-navigable and inaccessible because of shallowing caused by huge quantity of silt which has left after the sunk island ”. [ 1 ]
1.2. Certificates of “Kritiy”.
Platon's other dialogue – “Kritiy” – gives detailed description of Atlantis, its relief, cities, a social order.
When gods had divided all the ground into parts, the island Atlantis was given to Posejdon, the master of the seas. “Having brought into the world five couples of twins of a male, Posejdon grew them up and divided all island Atlantis into ten parts. To the senior son, who was born the first, he gave mother’s the house and neighboring domain as the greatest and the best share, and put his as tsar above the others. To his other sons, arhonts, he gave authority above many people and the extensive country, - tells Kritiy. – he gave to them the following names: to the senior and tsar – that name on which were named both island and the sea, that was called Atlantic, as the name of the one, who the first has received an empire, was Аtlant. To the twin who was born right after him and who received grounds of island from the Heracl’s pillars down to the present Gadir’s country, was given a name, which could be transferred in ellin’s language as Еvmel, and on the native adverb - as Gadir…All of them and their descendants lived there for many centuries, dominating above many other islands of this sea and besides, as it has already been told, extending all their authority from this side of the Heracl’s pillars down to Egypt and Tirrenya.”
From Atlant descended “an especially numerous and esteemed kin, in which the oldest always was a tsar and transferred an imperial dignity to the senior from his sons, from generation to generation keeping authority in the kin. They saved up such riches, which have never belonged to one imperial dynasty in the past and hardly probable will belong in the future, as in their order there was everything, that was produced both in the city and in the all country. Many things were imported to them from the other countries, but the most part of necessities for a life was given by island. First of all there were any kinds of mineral firm and fusible metals, and among them were minerals,which nowadays are known only under the name and then existed in practice: native оrihalk, taken from the bowels of the earth in different places of island. The wood delivered in abundance everything, that was necessary for building,for profeeding house and wild animals.On the island also lived enormous number of elephants, because it was enough food not only for all alive creatures occupying bogs, lakes and rivers, mountains and plains, but also for those animals, the biggest and gluttonous of all the animals”.
Atlantis earth was plentiful in all aromas, “whether they were in roots, in grasses, in wood, in flowers or in fruits”. And “any fruit fostered by the human, cereal, which we use in food or for cooking bread, different sorts of vegetables, any tree bringing viands or drinks,were produced by this sacred island fine, amazing and rich. Using these gifts of the earth, tsars built sanctuaries, palaces, harbours and shipyards and have put in order all the country, having attached to it the following appearance.
First of all they threw bridges across the water rings surrounded the ancient mother country, having constructed a road from the capital and back to it. They built a palace, where was a dwelling of the god and their ancestors, and then, taking it in the inheritance, one after the other decorated the palace more and more, every time endeavouring to surpass the predecessor, and eventually they have created amazing on size and beauty building … So has been arranged the place where lived tsars . If to pass three external harbours, there was a circle wall, which began from the sea and on its extent defended from the biggest water ring and from harbour on fifty stages; it was closed near the channel entered into the sea. The area near it was densely populated, and the channel and the greatest harbour were overcrowded by ships, on which from everywhere arrived merchants, and there were so many merchants there, that voicest, noise and knock were heard even in the afternoon and at night .”
Further Кritiy describes “the nature of the countryside and how it was arranged”. All the region laid very highly and abruptly broke to the sea. But the plain surrounded the city and surrounded by mountains, represented a smooth surface: “it showed an oblong quadrangle, generally rectilinear, and at the places where its form was broken, it was corrected, having dug round from different sides by the channel”. The length on the perimeter of the quadrangular plain was ten thousand stages. Each site of the plain “would deliver a one soldier-leader, and the size of each site was ten on ten stages. There were sixty thousand sites. And that incalculable number of simple soldiers, who came from mountains and from other countries, was distributed between leaders”.
Laws in Atlantis were established according to instructions of god Posejdon and traced “by the first tsars on the orihalk wall, which stood in the center of the island - inside of the Posejdon temple”. In this temple all ten tsars of Atlantis gathered once in five or six years “to confer with each other about the general cares, to assort, whether one of them has admitted any infringement, and to judge”. Before starting court, they armed only with sticks and lassos, caught a bull in the grove near the Posejdon’s themple. Then “the bull was brought to the wall and pinned up above its top so that blood flew down on letters”, tsars took an oath, “that they will administer the court according to the laws written down on the wall”.Having dressed black attires, tsars “took seats on the ground near the oath fire and at night, having switched off the lights in the temple, did the court”.
But “the nature inherited after the god” was exhausted. Then atlants “weren’t able to bear the riches and lost decency”,having lost the finest of the values though they “seemed to be more perfect and the happiest just when impetuous greed and force boiled in them”.
And then Zevs, the god of gods, thought“about the most generous generation, which has run into so pity depravity, and decided to impose a punishment on it to learn it comeliness. Therefore he called the gods to the most beautiful of his monasteries, situated in the center of the world, and has addressed to them with the following words …”
On these words the text of “Kritiy” breaks: Platon has suddenly died, not having finished the dialogue.Other ancient sources about Аtlantis,except for “Timey” and “Kritiy”, do not remain. It also wasn’t possible to find out the texts speaking about Atlantis in Sais and in other cities of Egypt.[ 2 ]
1.3. The analysis of Platon’s texts.
We have been already convinced that the responsibility for occurrence of the Atlantis problem was born only by Platon and by his dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”. Now, if we wish to be convinced of truthfulness of the Atlantis description we should analyse Platon’s texts. Having analysed them, we shall try, according to the information in them,to recreate Atlantis history and to define, where Atlantis was situated, and also to find contradictions in texts and to compare them to new data of archeology, geology, ethnography and other sciences.
We shall begin the narration with the analysis of divergences in texts, but at first we shall try to understand Platon. Is he guilty that dialogues have so much mistakes? Perhaps, Platon strictly adheres to Solon’s text. However, he speaks about it himself. And maybe, Solon was incorrectly informed by the Egyptian priests from Sais(Solon visited Egypt presumably in 593-584 B.C. or in 570-560 B.C.).Or maybe the chain of informants was more longer and texts were deformed by someone before priests and Solon. And do we know, whether dialogues “Timey”and “Kritiy” were deformed after Platon's death and how the meaning of some phrases changed while translating them into Latin?
Not only I noted divergences in texts of dialogues, about which it will be a question below. Other authors also speak about them. Thus some of them reject Platon, others protect him, as it tried to do and I. We shall begin with those divergences to which Atlantis opponents refer more often:
In dialogue “Timey” the Egyptian priest from Sais tells us, that “nine thousand years ago lived these yours citizen, about whose laws and about whose the greatest exploit I want to tell you in brief …” In dialogue “Kritiy” Platon says: “First of all we shall remember, that, according to the legend, nine thousand years ago there was a war between those people, who lived on that side of the Herakl’s pillars and all those who lived on this side …” Here it is again told about 9000 years, but action occurs for 100 years earlier or later, during a holiday in port Peraeus. Platon forgot, that there was a difference in 100 years. It is possible to object, that the difference is not too great. If we speak about events, which have occured 9000 years ago, 100 or 200 years do not play a role. Other contradiction is more important. Was there an Egyptian state 8000 years ago, how about it tell Solon and the Egyptian priests? And whence did those sacred books and manuscripts appear? And if they existed, whether it is possible to lean on them?
“… According to the legend, nine thousand years ago there was a war between those people who lived on that side of the Herakl’s pillars and all those who lived on this side…”; “… In one awful day all your military force has been swallowed up by the yawned earth: similarly and Аtlantis has disappeared, having plunged into abyss”.
The first citation is taken from the dialogue “Kritiy”, the second is the story of the Egyptian priest to Solon. Having compared both citations, we see, that Platon, actually, does not say, when there was an accident. From them we find out, when there was the war.But the island Atlantis has plunged on the bottom of the sea "later". We do not know, whether it was right after the war, during it or much later. Probably, it would be told about it in more detail in the termination of the dialogue “Kritiy”. However, according to the context, Zevs wished to call gods and to tell them that they have to punish аtlants for their arrogance. Punishment should be both a defeat in the war and immersing of the island into the sea. And though it is not spoken about it directly, nevertheless there is an interrelation between the atlants aggression, their defeat in the war and immersing of the island. Therefore the word “later” in the text we interpret as “directly after that”.
In the description of the conflict between atlants and great-athenes there is one divergence to which till now nobody paid attention. In dialogue “Timey” Platon writes, that аtlants have established the domination down to Egypt and Tirreniya, and in “Kritiy” it is spoken, that great-athenes owned all the grounds up to the Herakl's pillars. And it means, that great-athenes have attacked the first and were aggressors as all the countries were under the authority of Athenes before the main atlantes attack. Nevertheless this contradiction is serious.
We have already considered in brief only divergences from the text of dialogues. But already these some pages testify that contradictions in the text are, and everyone should agree, that they reduce truthfulness of dialogues. And if to concern to them more strict it is possible to tell, that they not only reduce value of dialogues, but also do them almost improbable.[ 5 ]
1.4. Platon's dialogues in a view of data of history and natural sciences.
And now we shall consider the most important parts of Platon’s dialogues. First of all we shall consider those parts of the texts, where Platon "has hit the nail on the head",those parts where his texts amazingly coincide with historical,geographical, geological and other data.
1.4.1. Concurrences of Platon’s data to our knowledge.
The great-athenes earth was described so: " All it lasts from the continent far in the sea as cape, and from different directions it is shipped in a deep vessel of abyss ". Ancient Greeks could not even assume the presence of depths of more than several tens meters. Probably, Platon, proceeding from presence of abrupt coast, has done a correct conclusion, that in places, where rocks sharply break into the sea, there should be greater depths.
At the beginning of the dialogue “Timey” it is spoken: “ In Egypt, at the top of Delta, where Nile misses on separate streams there is Sais region; the main city of this region is Sais... The Patroness of the city is a certain goddess who is in Egypt dialect called Nejt...”. This decrisption completely corresponds to the validity.
In dialogue “Kritiy” Platon writes: “... The waters, which are every year given vent from Zevs, did not perish, as now, flowing down from the bared ground into the sea, but were absorbed in the ground, filtered from above into emptiness of the ground and were saved up in clay boxes. That is why there was no lack of sources of streams and the rivers everywhere ”. And again Platon shows such knowledge, which in ancient Greece could not be.
In the description of the Atlantis destruction Platon puts beside two spontaneous disasters - earthquake and flooding. The modern geology says, that they occur together during a tsunami. Approximately in XV century B.C. there was an explosion of a volcano on the island Tira, which is situated in the Aegean Sea. The greate wave of a tsunami has reached continental Greece, Crete, Egypt and other parts of the East Mediterranean. In opinion of some researchers, memories about this accident have been to Platon a source for the description of the Atlantis destruction.
Platon’s description of wars of great-athenes with atlants reminds wars of Greeks with Persians. Athenes were compelled to be one at the war, Persians also wished to subordinate Greece “with one blow” and Greeks also released Asian Greek cities from the Persian yoke.
“There was also a temple, devoted to Posejdon which had stages at length, three pleters at width and height respective it”. It means, that at length the temple had 190 meters, and at width - 90 meters. The proportion 2:1 is usual enough for the Greek temples. V.Brandenshtejn results figures 69х31 for Parthenon and 109х51 for Apollo's temple in Miletus. About the Posejdon themple Platon writes, that it was surrounded by the gold fencing, but the same was spoken and about the temple of Aphrodite on Chyprus.[ 3 ]
1.4.2. Discrepancies of Platon’s data and data of
Historical science.
Let's note also discrepancies of Platon’s data with data of the historical science.
We find out from Platon's dialogues, that 11500 years ago existed a developed civilization on the island Atlantis and in Greece. However, the most ancient civilizations, known to the science, are civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, concerning to the beginning of the fourth millennium B.C. Platon writes about atlants writing, but the most ancient monuments of writing also concern to IV millennium B.C. and also to Egypt and Mesopotamia. Z.Demyul cites data that the most ancient settlement in Greece, which inhabitants were engaged in cattle breeding, concerns to the middle of the eighth millennium B.C.
According to Platon, atlants knew gold, tin, silver, copper, оrihalk and iron. But it means they lived during the epoch of iron, and their soldiers were armed by the iron weapon. Therefore great-athenes were also armed by the iron weapon; differently how have they won аtlants? But we know precisely, that in Greece iron has appeared not earlier than in XI century B.C.
Platon writes, that the kilometer channel was dug from the main Atlantis city to the sea. It was about hundred meters in width and about 30 meters by depth. The hight of the largest ocean courts makes 10 meters, and the largest ship canals have depth of 12 meters.
Platon writes, that the island had a rectangular form with the sides of 2000 stages and 3000 stages (579 х 386=223'494 км2). Before it he writes, that the island was more than Libya (Africa) and Asia (Asia Minor) taken together. It is also an obvious discrepancy. Even if we take geographical knowledge not ancient Greeks, but more ancient great-athenes,it turns out,that even the part of Africa known by them was too large.
Platon writes, that the army of the main island Atlantis consisted of 840`000 soldiers, 120`000 horsemen and 10`000 chariots, the fleet totaled 1200 ships with 240`000 sailors. Herodot cites about Persian Kserks army the following data: 1`700`000 pedestrian soldiers, 80`000 horsemen, 1200 large ships, 3000 small ships. However, the majority of historians consider, that these figures are obviously exaggerated. In D.Kagan's opinion, the question is about 180`000 soldiers and 800 ships. So, probably, Platon took the description of army from Herodot.
According to the forces of army it is possible to reason about the population of Аtlantis. It turns out about 20-30 million people while scientists consider, that the general population in those times was about 1,5 million people.
We have considered those parts of dialogues which are the most contrary to the conventional historical facts. But the main discrepancy is time discrepancy. Everyone who is interested in the history of the appearance and development of ancient civilizations cannot agree with the fact of the existence of Аtlantis 11 500 years ago. Maybe, Platon was mistaken in dating, having added a superfluous zero. And maybe he counted the time on lunar years, instead of solar.
Let's distract from the specified assumptions and try to find a place in real history for that Аtlantis which was described by Platon.[ 7 ]
2. The basic variants of the site
of Atlantis.
1.The Atlantic ocean
From the text of Platon’s dialogues it is absolutely clear, that Аtlantis was situated in the Atlantic ocean. According to priest, the atlants army “headed from the Atlantic sea”. The priest says, that a big island laid opposite the Herakl's pillars. The island was more “than Libya and Asia taken together”, and it was possible to get across from the island “to the all opposite continent”, in which America was easily guessed.
Therefore many professors, especially those who trust date 9500 years B.C., consider, that one time Аtlantis was situated in the Atlantic ocean, and it is necessary to search for its traces either on the bottom of the ocean, or near to existing islands which 11500 years ago were high mountain tops.
In 1665 in the book “Mundus subterraneus” (“The underground world”) German Jesuit Athanasius Kirkher proved, that Аtlantis existed in the Atlantic ocean and showed a map with its outlines. It is very interesting to know,that these outlines precisely correspond to lines of ocean depths, unknown to people in that time.
In XIX century I.Donnelly wrote the book “Аtlantis, the antediluvian world”, considered “a bible” of atlantologs. He places Atlantis in the same place where Kirkher, but, having reduced it in the size.For Donnelly Аtlantis was a bible paradise, a place of the Greek gods staying and the country of the Sun cult!
2.The Mediterranean Sea
About two and a half thousand years ago in the Mediterranean Sea there was the strongest accident in the all history of mankind. Explosion of the volcano Strongile was in three times stronger, than eruption of the volcano Krakatau. This explosion generated a wave of tsunami in height of some tens, and even hundred meters which have fallen upon the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists consider, that this accident was the reason of the destruction of cretemickens culture existed 3000 years ago. It is not surprising, that so grandiose natural cataclysm the attracted attention of many researchers. Some of them came to the conclusion, that, describing Аtlantis, Platon described Tira (where volcano Strongile was) or Crete.
Islands of the Mediterranean Sea perfectly correspond to all details of Platon’s texts. However, the Mediterranean Sea is not so extensive, as “Libya and Asia taken together”. But the Central Atlantic also isn’t so large. Well, it becomes clear, that it is conscious and very strong exaggeration.
3.The Iberian Peninsula
The name of one of the first ten Atlantis tsars – Gadir - has reached to our time in the name of the Gadir area. Gadir is a Phoenician settlement, present Kadics. This name gave the basis to some researchers to consider, that Atlantis was situated on the Iberian Peninsula near a mouth of the river Kvadalkvivir.
Near Gadir laid other known city, Tartess. Its inhabitants were etrussky and they proved, that their state was 5000 years old. German K.Shulten (1922) considered, that Tartess was Аtlantis. In 1973 near Каdics on the depth of 30 meters they have found the rests of ancient city.
About one million Basques live now in the north of Spain.Their language is not similar to one of the known languages of the world. The certain similarity is between it and languages of the American Indians. It gives the basis to assume, that Basques are descendants of atlants.
4.Brazil
In 1638 the English scientist and politician Frensis Bacon Verulamsky identified Brazil with Аtlantis in the book “Nova Atlantis”. Soon was published the new atlas with the map of America, made by the French geographer Sanson. In that map even provinces of Poseidon’s sons in Brazil have been specified. In 1762 Robert Vogudi published the same atlas. They say, that when Volter saw those maps he was laughting.
5.Scandinavia
In 1675 Swedish professor Оlays Rudbek proved, that Аtlantis was in Sweden, and its capital was Uppsala. As he said, it with evidence appeared from the Bible.
6.Africa
Herodot, Pomponiy Mela, Pliniy the Senior and some other antique historians wrote about the atlants tribe,living in Northern Africa in the Atlas.As they said,atlants didn’t see dreams, didn’t use names, didn’t eat anything alive and damned the rising and setting sun.
On the basis of these messages Borhardt approves, that Аtlantis was situated on the territory of modern Tunis, in desert Sahara.In its southern part there are two lakes, which, according to modern data, are the rests of the ancient sea. Atlantis would be in this sea. [ 5 ]
In general Atlantis was found in all parts of the Earth.We shall not stop in detail on these theories, but it was found in Central America, in passage La Manche (F.Gidon), in the Pacific ocean, on Cuba, in Peru, in Great Britain, in the area of Great Lakes in the USA, in Greenland, in Iceland, on Spitsbergen, in France, in the Netherlands, in Denmark, in Persia (Pierre-Аndre Latrej, France, XIX century), on the Bermudas, on the Bahamas, on the Canary Islands, on the Antilles Islands (John Mak-Kyulokh, Scotland),on the Azores, in the Azov, the Black and the Caspian seas, in Palestin and in many other places. [ 9 ]
3. Is there a hope to find Аtlantis?
Only the find of the Atlantis rests on the sea-bottom can finally solve the problem of the Atlantis existence. If this event will happen, most likely it radically will change all representations of mankind about own history.
Most likely it is possible to find sunk Atlantis at the top of underwater mountain or on underwater plateau. However, the presence of an underwater mountain somewhere does not prove the existence there the rests of an ancient civilization.
Scientists can receive the information about the sea-bottom in several ways: personally having visited the bottom with aqualung (not deeper than 100 meters), in the diving suit (up to 160 meters) or in the operated underwater devices (up to 500 meters), by means of soil tubes, drags or bottomladles, underwater photographing or TV.
• An aqualung - is the most convenient for the archeologist, however it is useful only for small depths; research of the bottom by means of an aqualung takes a lot of time.
• A diving suit - is inconvenient, as on great depths it strongly limits freedom of actions and freedom of movement of diver.
• Underwater devices - are convenient for search, however don’t provide the due freedom of actions.
• Soil tubes - cannot give representation about the objects which on the sea-bottom, describe only small part of the bottom, do not work on firm rocks (or buildings and roads).
• Drags or bottomladles – don’t give representation about the position of the objects on the sea-bottom, and also about the rests of architectural constructions.
• Underwater photographing or TV - are the most convenient for the search of sunk Аtlantis.
And nevertheless even the latest modern technics cannot replace human eyes. So praised underwater TV will not show us everything that a geologist or an archeologist will see on the sea-bottom through a window of the underwater device.
Using these ways, scientists investigate the World ocean. Repeatedly they did valuable archeological finds, but for all this time has not been found anything, that would prove existence of the sunk continent. Rates of underwater researches increase all the time, so from the technical point of view, the hope to find some objects in the ocean is. [ 3 ]
4. Chances for preservation.
In fresh water all metals have chances for preservation, but in salty sea water their chances are more illusive, because metals are influenced with salts. Salt exerts destructive influence on metals, besides process of decomposition is accelerated by the action of galvanic currents. Pure copper and copper alloys disappear in 200 - 400 years. However, if thickness of copper object is significant, on a surface the layer of carbonates, protecting an object, can be formed. Gold is stable, if it is pure gold. Some metals can be kept, if seaweeds or corals will quickly cover them. But in this case detection of these objects becomes almost improbable.
Well, and how do other materials behave in the sea? The wood is extremely unstable in seawater and almost nothing remains after it in 100 – 200 years. The ceramics can sustain some thousand years, but only in that case if the surface of amphoras or other objects is carefully polished and not damaged. Nothing remains in some decades from not burnt bricks. Dead pearls also do not maintain the influence of seawater and break up. Bones are also astable. Only the ivory can sustain rather long period of staying under the water.
So, if any ruins have been staying on the sea-bottom for 11.500 years, practically nothing would remain after them. And if they have been rescued by a thick layer of deposits their detection would be too more difficult. [10]
5. Destruction of Atlantis.
Many professors believe that earthquake could be that act of nature, which has lowered Аtlantis on the bottom of the ocean.
The main concussion proceeds for some seconds, and all earthquake can last up to several tens minutes. It means, that the day allocated by Platon suffices for earthquake. During the earthquake the ground sinks on some meters. Ten-meter subsidence was fixed in Japan. In 1692 the city of pirates Port-Roual on Jamaica plunged into the sea on 15 meters. 15 meters are quite enough to hide the most part of flat island under the water. It is not excluded, that during the Atlantis destruction there was too stronger earthquake. The Azores and Iceland in Atlantic and the Aegean sea in Greece are the areas of the raised seismicity.
Earthquakes with an epicentre on the sea-bottom cause a tsunami – another kind of natural accident.
The tsunami literally means “long waves in port” (Japanese). Scientists use this term for designation of huge destructive waves. More often the tsunami arises because of earthquake, but it can be also caused and by underwater eruption of the volcano, and destruction of the coast.
The height of a tsunami wave in the open ocean can be only some meters. Speed of the wave in the open ocean can make 1000 km in an hour.
First the sea recedes; its level goes down. Then runs a wave in a height of some meters. After 5 - 10 minutes runs the second wave, hardly below. And after 10 - 20 minutes comes the third, the highest wave. It can be up to several hundred meters.
Thus, the tsunami can destroy a coastal zone of the continent or even the whole island in two hours.
Strangely enough, something similar has occurred approximately in 1500 B.C. in the Mediterranean Sea, near the island Crete...
It is possible to consider the following version of the Atlantis destruction usual for supporters Аtlantis in Atlantic:
One time there was a developed civilization on the island in the Atlantic ocean. Inhabitants of this country tought ancient Egyptians and Maja to measure the time, to build pyramids and many other things. Atlants have put into the Egyptian pyramids different numbers, as if addressing this message to descendants.
But 11500 years ago a meteorite or a comet fell to the Earth and caused the Atlantis destruction. Falling of the meteorite wakened sleeping volcanoes. Eruptions and earthquakes have begun. Falling of the meteorite and leaving Аtlantis under the water have caused a huge wave, which temporarily flooded Europe, Egypt, Minor Asia, America, Southern and East Asia. This wave killed mammoths in far Siberia, having laid them on “cemeteries”. Because of falling the meteorite the terrestrial axis was displaced and it has caused strong climatic changes. Rescueed аtlants have scattered world-wide, having carried the history about the Atlantis destruction.[ 7 ]
6. Searches proceed.
“The new group of researchers goes on searches of lost Atlantis,” - writes today the British Daily Telegraph. According to the edition, in November the known geologist, professor Jacque Kollin-Zhirar and heads of expeditions to "Titanic" will present in the Royal geographical society (London) the group, which will follow the lead of adventurers, scientists and travellers who made such attempts last two millenium.The rests of the Atlantis, for the first time described by Platon in 360 B.C., they will search in strait of Gibraltar, approximately in 32 km to the southwest from Spanish Tariffs.
The researches sponsored both private and legal persons, will begin in the summer of the next year. Using deep-water devices for studying the underwater world, research mission will search for the rests of buildings, temples, prehistoric tools and weapons on the sea-bottom, marks Daily Telegraph.[ 8 ]
Practical Part
In my practical part I have conducted a sociological survey among the people of different ages.
100 people took part in this opinion poll. I have asked the following four age
groups: 14-17 years, 18-30 years, 31-50 years, 51 year and older. I asked 25 people from each group.
The results I’ve got are as follows:
1.The first question was: Do you believe, that ancient high-developed civilizations existed?
82% of people answered that they believe in ancient high-developed civilizations and 11% don’t believe in them. Some respondents –7% - couldn’t give an answer (Appendix 1).
2. The second question was: How much do you know about Atlantis?
40% of people know a lot of information about this problem, but the most part of respondents – 57% - know some information. And only 3% answered that they have never heard about Atlantis (Appendix 2).
3. On the third diagram I show the most popular sources of information about Atlantis.
People of different ages use different sources of information.
The most popular source of information are television, newspapers and magazines. Some students learnt information about Atlantis from school and conferences. People also use such sources of information as the Internet, books and friend’s stories (Appendix 3).
4. I also asked people to value the actuality of the problem of Atlantis according to 5 points scale.
The most part of respondents - 30% - gave 3 points to this problem. 4 points were given by 20% of people. 19% of respondents think that this problem is interesting and important and gave to it 5 points. 4 points were given by 18% of people. The least part of respondents gave 1 point (7%) and 0 points (6%) to the problem (Appendix 4).
5. Another my question was: Why do you think scientists continue looking for Atlantis?
This question had a free answer and answers were quite different.
The most popular answer was that “Scientists want to solve the secret of Atlantis” (26%).“They want to contribute to the development of history” – answered 21% of people. “They want to learn information about the past to foresee the future” – was the answer of 11%. 21% of respondents couldn’t give an answer.
Other variants were:
- They believe that Atlantis existed and want to prove it (9%);
- They have nothing to do (8%);
- They want to find gold and to become rich (5%);
- They want to find out about our forefathers and origin (4%);
- It is their job (2%) (Appendix 5).
According to the results I’ve drawn the conclusion that the most part of people know about Atlantis and use different sources of information. Not everybody is interested in this problem, but I think it is normal, because each affair has its own enthusiasts. Some people want to know if Atlantis is a myth or a reality and that is why the problem concerning Atlantis isn’t solved.
Atlantis – а myth or a reality? Working on my project “Atlantis – unsolved secret” I tried to answer this question. I can say that I’ve achieved the aim I put and have based the hypothesis about presence of facts, which prove the existence of Atlantis. To sum up the results of my work I can easily say that I have proved my hypothesis that irrefutable facts of Atlantis really exist. But at the same time some facts refute the existence of Atlantis and that is why this question isn’t solved.
Working оn my project I’ve investigated the history concerning Atlantis, found facts for and against the hypothesis of Atlantis existence. I have also analyzed the existing facts in accordance with up-to-date conception and examined the contemporaries’ opinion about the fact of the existence of Atlantis. And finally I have conducted a sociological survey among people of different ages. I have found out considering the results of my survey that some people are interested in the problem of Atlantis that is why the problem concerning Atlantis is up-to-date.
The question about Atlantis is still disputable. During thousands of years scientists and professors continue looking for Atlantis. But what makes them to do it? They examine existing materials and documents, hypothesis and finds. But it is impossible to find lost Atlantis using only known facts and arguments. That is why searches proceed. New groups of researchers goes on searches of lost Atlantis. Using modern devices they investigate the sea-bottom and try to find new facts. Repeatedly they did valuable archeological finds, but for all this time has not been found anything, that would prove the existence of the sunk continent.
Films devoted to Atlantis have been making, scientific articles have been writing.
But Atlantis isn’t still found and excites minds and hearts of many scientists and enthusiasts.
My research paper may be valuable for teachers and students and might well be used at the lessons of history and social science.
Working on my project I disclosed that ancient Greek philosopher Platon was the first, who told the world about Atlantis. He wrote two dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, where the character by name Кritiy informs Socrat a surprising history which has been told “to the wisest of seven wise”, to Solon, by the Egyptian priests from Sais, famous for its wise men. From this story we at the first time find out some information about Atlantis.
Disputes about Аtlantis have inflamed at once after Platon's death. It had joined antique writers and historians. Scientists wrote thousands of books devoted to the problem of Atlantis and they continue to do it. Some of them ruthlessly discredited Platon, others servilely echoed him. The interest to Atlantis did not die away at all times, and sometimes this problem appeared in the center of the attention of the scientific world and the wide public.At times this interest quickened by discoveries, but, unfortunately, more often inventions of journalists and jugglings of pseudo-scientists. Fortunately, last years opening of archeologists, astronomers and oceanologists has caused revival of the interest to Аtlantis.
Searches of Аtlantis, till now not found, gave useful stimulus to development of sciences about the Earth and sciences about mankind. They finally also have led to creation of discipline,which even now has not received the standard name and - for want of something better - is compelled to be content with the term “atlantology”…
In my opinion, the problem of Atlantis is topical in every time. Scientists continue writing books, articles, notes, in which they express their own minds about the problem of Atlantis. In my opinion, the problem of Atlantis will be up-to-date till Atlantis is found or scientists find irrefutable proofs of its inexistence.
The object of the research is theoretical basing of the existence of Atlantis.
The subject – Platon’s dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, which tell us about Atlantis at the first time. I want to compare this two Platon’s works with data of history and Natural sciences.
The purpose of my work is basing or refutation of the hypothesis about presence of facts, which prove the existence of Atlantis.
I am going to answer the following problematic question in my work: Atlantis: a myth or a reality?
Research objectives:
• To investigate the history concerning Atlantis;
• To find facts for and against the hypothesis of Atlantis existence;
• To analyze the existing facts in accordance with up-to-date conception;
• To examine the contemporaries’ opinion about the fact of the existence of Atlantis
The hypothesis is: The irrefutable facts of Atlantis really exist.
I used theoretical and practical methods of research. Among them are comparative analysis of literature, method of control questions, testing, analyzing the results of testing.
My project consists of theoretical and practical parts.
The theoretical part presents the short contents of Platon’s dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”, the analysis of these texts in a view of data of history and natural sciences. In this part of my work I also consider opinions of many professors about the basic variants of the Atlantis site and the reasons of its destruction.
The practical part acquaints the reader with the results of sociological survey on revealing the interest of the contemporary society to the problem of Atlantis.
My research paper may be valuable for teachers and students and might well be used at the lessons of history and social science.
1. The literature about Аtlantis. Platon's dialogues.
The word “Аtlantis” has become a symbol of practically unsoluble riddle. The history of disputes concerning to Аtlantis totals almost two thousand years.
Platon's two works - dialogues “Тimey” and “Kritiy” – became the occasion for these disputes. In these dialogues the history of Atlantis is told by Кritiy, Platon’s great-grandfather, who as though literally transfers the conversation of Solon with the Egyptian priest. Kritiy also explains how he learnt this history. It was told to him by his grandfather (he also was called Кritiy), who heard it from Solon, the close friend of his father, Dropides.
It’s a well-known fact, that the time of dialogue is approximately 425 B.C.(for that moment Platon would be about 2 years old). Kritiy-grandson, Platon’s great-grandfather, was about 80 years old, and he has heard the history approximately for 70 years earlier ( that was approximately in 495 B.C.) from Kritiy-grandfather when he was 90. As Kritiy-grandfather heard everything from Solon, who concerned to his father generation, the dialogue of Solon with the priest could happen in 600 - 575 B.C. It turns out, that according to Platon Atlantis destruction has occurred in the middle of 10th millennium B.C.[ 4 ]
1.1. Certificates of “Тimey”.
“ … What event has occurred, whether it was in our region or in any other country, about which we receive news, all it since ancient times is embodied in our records, which we store in our temples. Meanwhile every time as soon as writing and all other will have time to be developed that is necessary for a city life, again and again at the fixed time streams,as a plague, are overthrown from the heaven, leaving from all of you only illiterate and not scientific. And you again begin everything from the beginning, as you have just been born, knowing nothing about the events, which had happened during the ancient times in our or in your country. Even if we take your family trees, Solon, which you have just expounded, in fact they differ almost in nothing from the children's fairy tales. So, you remember only about one flood, and in fact they also were before it. One time the noblest generation lived in your country. All your city and you descend from the small seed left by that people, but you don’t know anything about them, as those who had survived died, leaving no records about themselves. And meanwhile, Solon, before the greatest and destructive flooding that state, which nowadays is known under a name of Athenes, was the first in affairs of military valour, and stood above comparison on perfection of all its laws. The legend attributes to it such acts and establishments which are the finest, that we know under the sky.”
When Solon heard it, he was amazed and hotly asked priests to tell about these ancient Athenian citizens in order and with all thoroughness.
The priest answered him: “It is not difficult to me, Solon. I shall tell you everything for the sake of you and your state, but first of all for the sake of that goddess who has received, has grown and has brought up your and our city. However she has founded Athenes for the whole millennium earlier and later this our city, having took your seed from Gay and Gefest. Meanwhile the antiquity of our city establishments is defined in sacred records in eight millennium. So, nine thousand years ago lived these your citizens, about whose laws and greatest feat
I should in brief tell you …
Some of the great acts of your state are written in our records and serve as a subject of admiration. However between them there is one, which exceeds in greatness and valour all the others. In fact, under the certificate of our records, your state has put the end to impudence of the infinite military forces, which wanted to conquer all Europe and Asia and held the way from the Atlantic sea. In those days it was possible to get across the sea, because there was an island laid in front of that passage which was calle in your language the Heracl's pillars. This island exceeded in the size Libya and Asia taken together. It was easy for travellers to get to the other islands from it, and from islands - to the opposite continent, which covered the sea. On this island, which was called Аtlantis, there was a great and worthy surprise union of tsars, whose authority reached all island, many other islands and a part of the continent. And moreover, on this side of the passage they owned Libya down to Egypt and the Europe down to Tirrenya. And all this rallied power was thrown to cast into slavery both your and our grounds and in general all countries on this side of the passage with one blow. Then, Solon,your state showed to all the world the brilliant proof of the valour and force.Surpassing everybody in determination and experience in military science, at first it took the lead of ellins, but because of betrayal of allies it has appeared given to itself, in loneliness has met extreme dangers and still has overcome conquerors and has erected the victorious trophies. Those who else was not enslaved,it has rescueed from the threat of slavery; all others it has magnanimously made free. But later, when came the term for unprecedented earthquakes and flooding, in one awful day all your military force has been absorbed by the yawned earth. Similarly and Atlantis has disappeared, having plunged into abyss. After this disaster the sea in those places became non-navigable and inaccessible because of shallowing caused by huge quantity of silt which has left after the sunk island ”. [ 1 ]
1.2. Certificates of “Kritiy”.
Platon's other dialogue – “Kritiy” – gives detailed description of Atlantis, its relief, cities, a social order.
When gods had divided all the ground into parts, the island Atlantis was given to Posejdon, the master of the seas. “Having brought into the world five couples of twins of a male, Posejdon grew them up and divided all island Atlantis into ten parts. To the senior son, who was born the first, he gave mother’s the house and neighboring domain as the greatest and the best share, and put his as tsar above the others. To his other sons, arhonts, he gave authority above many people and the extensive country, - tells Kritiy. – he gave to them the following names: to the senior and tsar – that name on which were named both island and the sea, that was called Atlantic, as the name of the one, who the first has received an empire, was Аtlant. To the twin who was born right after him and who received grounds of island from the Heracl’s pillars down to the present Gadir’s country, was given a name, which could be transferred in ellin’s language as Еvmel, and on the native adverb - as Gadir…All of them and their descendants lived there for many centuries, dominating above many other islands of this sea and besides, as it has already been told, extending all their authority from this side of the Heracl’s pillars down to Egypt and Tirrenya.”
From Atlant descended “an especially numerous and esteemed kin, in which the oldest always was a tsar and transferred an imperial dignity to the senior from his sons, from generation to generation keeping authority in the kin. They saved up such riches, which have never belonged to one imperial dynasty in the past and hardly probable will belong in the future, as in their order there was everything, that was produced both in the city and in the all country. Many things were imported to them from the other countries, but the most part of necessities for a life was given by island. First of all there were any kinds of mineral firm and fusible metals, and among them were minerals,which nowadays are known only under the name and then existed in practice: native оrihalk, taken from the bowels of the earth in different places of island. The wood delivered in abundance everything, that was necessary for building,for profeeding house and wild animals.On the island also lived enormous number of elephants, because it was enough food not only for all alive creatures occupying bogs, lakes and rivers, mountains and plains, but also for those animals, the biggest and gluttonous of all the animals”.
Atlantis earth was plentiful in all aromas, “whether they were in roots, in grasses, in wood, in flowers or in fruits”. And “any fruit fostered by the human, cereal, which we use in food or for cooking bread, different sorts of vegetables, any tree bringing viands or drinks,were produced by this sacred island fine, amazing and rich. Using these gifts of the earth, tsars built sanctuaries, palaces, harbours and shipyards and have put in order all the country, having attached to it the following appearance.
First of all they threw bridges across the water rings surrounded the ancient mother country, having constructed a road from the capital and back to it. They built a palace, where was a dwelling of the god and their ancestors, and then, taking it in the inheritance, one after the other decorated the palace more and more, every time endeavouring to surpass the predecessor, and eventually they have created amazing on size and beauty building … So has been arranged the place where lived tsars . If to pass three external harbours, there was a circle wall, which began from the sea and on its extent defended from the biggest water ring and from harbour on fifty stages; it was closed near the channel entered into the sea. The area near it was densely populated, and the channel and the greatest harbour were overcrowded by ships, on which from everywhere arrived merchants, and there were so many merchants there, that voicest, noise and knock were heard even in the afternoon and at night .”
Further Кritiy describes “the nature of the countryside and how it was arranged”. All the region laid very highly and abruptly broke to the sea. But the plain surrounded the city and surrounded by mountains, represented a smooth surface: “it showed an oblong quadrangle, generally rectilinear, and at the places where its form was broken, it was corrected, having dug round from different sides by the channel”. The length on the perimeter of the quadrangular plain was ten thousand stages. Each site of the plain “would deliver a one soldier-leader, and the size of each site was ten on ten stages. There were sixty thousand sites. And that incalculable number of simple soldiers, who came from mountains and from other countries, was distributed between leaders”.
Laws in Atlantis were established according to instructions of god Posejdon and traced “by the first tsars on the orihalk wall, which stood in the center of the island - inside of the Posejdon temple”. In this temple all ten tsars of Atlantis gathered once in five or six years “to confer with each other about the general cares, to assort, whether one of them has admitted any infringement, and to judge”. Before starting court, they armed only with sticks and lassos, caught a bull in the grove near the Posejdon’s themple. Then “the bull was brought to the wall and pinned up above its top so that blood flew down on letters”, tsars took an oath, “that they will administer the court according to the laws written down on the wall”.Having dressed black attires, tsars “took seats on the ground near the oath fire and at night, having switched off the lights in the temple, did the court”.
But “the nature inherited after the god” was exhausted. Then atlants “weren’t able to bear the riches and lost decency”,having lost the finest of the values though they “seemed to be more perfect and the happiest just when impetuous greed and force boiled in them”.
And then Zevs, the god of gods, thought“about the most generous generation, which has run into so pity depravity, and decided to impose a punishment on it to learn it comeliness. Therefore he called the gods to the most beautiful of his monasteries, situated in the center of the world, and has addressed to them with the following words …”
On these words the text of “Kritiy” breaks: Platon has suddenly died, not having finished the dialogue.Other ancient sources about Аtlantis,except for “Timey” and “Kritiy”, do not remain. It also wasn’t possible to find out the texts speaking about Atlantis in Sais and in other cities of Egypt.[ 2 ]
1.3. The analysis of Platon’s texts.
We have been already convinced that the responsibility for occurrence of the Atlantis problem was born only by Platon and by his dialogues “Timey” and “Kritiy”. Now, if we wish to be convinced of truthfulness of the Atlantis description we should analyse Platon’s texts. Having analysed them, we shall try, according to the information in them,to recreate Atlantis history and to define, where Atlantis was situated, and also to find contradictions in texts and to compare them to new data of archeology, geology, ethnography and other sciences.
We shall begin the narration with the analysis of divergences in texts, but at first we shall try to understand Platon. Is he guilty that dialogues have so much mistakes? Perhaps, Platon strictly adheres to Solon’s text. However, he speaks about it himself. And maybe, Solon was incorrectly informed by the Egyptian priests from Sais(Solon visited Egypt presumably in 593-584 B.C. or in 570-560 B.C.).Or maybe the chain of informants was more longer and texts were deformed by someone before priests and Solon. And do we know, whether dialogues “Timey”and “Kritiy” were deformed after Platon's death and how the meaning of some phrases changed while translating them into Latin?
Not only I noted divergences in texts of dialogues, about which it will be a question below. Other authors also speak about them. Thus some of them reject Platon, others protect him, as it tried to do and I. We shall begin with those divergences to which Atlantis opponents refer more often:
In dialogue “Timey” the Egyptian priest from Sais tells us, that “nine thousand years ago lived these yours citizen, about whose laws and about whose the greatest exploit I want to tell you in brief …” In dialogue “Kritiy” Platon says: “First of all we shall remember, that, according to the legend, nine thousand years ago there was a war between those people, who lived on that side of the Herakl’s pillars and all those who lived on this side …” Here it is again told about 9000 years, but action occurs for 100 years earlier or later, during a holiday in port Peraeus. Platon forgot, that there was a difference in 100 years. It is possible to object, that the difference is not too great. If we speak about events, which have occured 9000 years ago, 100 or 200 years do not play a role. Other contradiction is more important. Was there an Egyptian state 8000 years ago, how about it tell Solon and the Egyptian priests? And whence did those sacred books and manuscripts appear? And if they existed, whether it is possible to lean on them?
“… According to the legend, nine thousand years ago there was a war between those people who lived on that side of the Herakl’s pillars and all those who lived on this side…”; “… In one awful day all your military force has been swallowed up by the yawned earth: similarly and Аtlantis has disappeared, having plunged into abyss”.
The first citation is taken from the dialogue “Kritiy”, the second is the story of the Egyptian priest to Solon. Having compared both citations, we see, that Platon, actually, does not say, when there was an accident. From them we find out, when there was the war.But the island Atlantis has plunged on the bottom of the sea "later". We do not know, whether it was right after the war, during it or much later. Probably, it would be told about it in more detail in the termination of the dialogue “Kritiy”. However, according to the context, Zevs wished to call gods and to tell them that they have to punish аtlants for their arrogance. Punishment should be both a defeat in the war and immersing of the island into the sea. And though it is not spoken about it directly, nevertheless there is an interrelation between the atlants aggression, their defeat in the war and immersing of the island. Therefore the word “later” in the text we interpret as “directly after that”.
In the description of the conflict between atlants and great-athenes there is one divergence to which till now nobody paid attention. In dialogue “Timey” Platon writes, that аtlants have established the domination down to Egypt and Tirreniya, and in “Kritiy” it is spoken, that great-athenes owned all the grounds up to the Herakl's pillars. And it means, that great-athenes have attacked the first and were aggressors as all the countries were under the authority of Athenes before the main atlantes attack. Nevertheless this contradiction is serious.
We have already considered in brief only divergences from the text of dialogues. But already these some pages testify that contradictions in the text are, and everyone should agree, that they reduce truthfulness of dialogues. And if to concern to them more strict it is possible to tell, that they not only reduce value of dialogues, but also do them almost improbable.[ 5 ]
1.4. Platon's dialogues in a view of data of history and natural sciences.
And now we shall consider the most important parts of Platon’s dialogues. First of all we shall consider those parts of the texts, where Platon "has hit the nail on the head",those parts where his texts amazingly coincide with historical,geographical, geological and other data.
1.4.1. Concurrences of Platon’s data to our knowledge.
The great-athenes earth was described so: " All it lasts from the continent far in the sea as cape, and from different directions it is shipped in a deep vessel of abyss ". Ancient Greeks could not even assume the presence of depths of more than several tens meters. Probably, Platon, proceeding from presence of abrupt coast, has done a correct conclusion, that in places, where rocks sharply break into the sea, there should be greater depths.
At the beginning of the dialogue “Timey” it is spoken: “ In Egypt, at the top of Delta, where Nile misses on separate streams there is Sais region; the main city of this region is Sais... The Patroness of the city is a certain goddess who is in Egypt dialect called Nejt...”. This decrisption completely corresponds to the validity.
In dialogue “Kritiy” Platon writes: “... The waters, which are every year given vent from Zevs, did not perish, as now, flowing down from the bared ground into the sea, but were absorbed in the ground, filtered from above into emptiness of the ground and were saved up in clay boxes. That is why there was no lack of sources of streams and the rivers everywhere ”. And again Platon shows such knowledge, which in ancient Greece could not be.
In the description of the Atlantis destruction Platon puts beside two spontaneous disasters - earthquake and flooding. The modern geology says, that they occur together during a tsunami. Approximately in XV century B.C. there was an explosion of a volcano on the island Tira, which is situated in the Aegean Sea. The greate wave of a tsunami has reached continental Greece, Crete, Egypt and other parts of the East Mediterranean. In opinion of some researchers, memories about this accident have been to Platon a source for the description of the Atlantis destruction.
Platon’s description of wars of great-athenes with atlants reminds wars of Greeks with Persians. Athenes were compelled to be one at the war, Persians also wished to subordinate Greece “with one blow” and Greeks also released Asian Greek cities from the Persian yoke.
“There was also a temple, devoted to Posejdon which had stages at length, three pleters at width and height respective it”. It means, that at length the temple had 190 meters, and at width - 90 meters. The proportion 2:1 is usual enough for the Greek temples. V.Brandenshtejn results figures 69х31 for Parthenon and 109х51 for Apollo's temple in Miletus. About the Posejdon themple Platon writes, that it was surrounded by the gold fencing, but the same was spoken and about the temple of Aphrodite on Chyprus.[ 3 ]
1.4.2. Discrepancies of Platon’s data and data of
Historical science.
Let's note also discrepancies of Platon’s data with data of the historical science.
We find out from Platon's dialogues, that 11500 years ago existed a developed civilization on the island Atlantis and in Greece. However, the most ancient civilizations, known to the science, are civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, concerning to the beginning of the fourth millennium B.C. Platon writes about atlants writing, but the most ancient monuments of writing also concern to IV millennium B.C. and also to Egypt and Mesopotamia. Z.Demyul cites data that the most ancient settlement in Greece, which inhabitants were engaged in cattle breeding, concerns to the middle of the eighth millennium B.C.
According to Platon, atlants knew gold, tin, silver, copper, оrihalk and iron. But it means they lived during the epoch of iron, and their soldiers were armed by the iron weapon. Therefore great-athenes were also armed by the iron weapon; differently how have they won аtlants? But we know precisely, that in Greece iron has appeared not earlier than in XI century B.C.
Platon writes, that the kilometer channel was dug from the main Atlantis city to the sea. It was about hundred meters in width and about 30 meters by depth. The hight of the largest ocean courts makes 10 meters, and the largest ship canals have depth of 12 meters.
Platon writes, that the island had a rectangular form with the sides of 2000 stages and 3000 stages (579 х 386=223'494 км2). Before it he writes, that the island was more than Libya (Africa) and Asia (Asia Minor) taken together. It is also an obvious discrepancy. Even if we take geographical knowledge not ancient Greeks, but more ancient great-athenes,it turns out,that even the part of Africa known by them was too large.
Platon writes, that the army of the main island Atlantis consisted of 840`000 soldiers, 120`000 horsemen and 10`000 chariots, the fleet totaled 1200 ships with 240`000 sailors. Herodot cites about Persian Kserks army the following data: 1`700`000 pedestrian soldiers, 80`000 horsemen, 1200 large ships, 3000 small ships. However, the majority of historians consider, that these figures are obviously exaggerated. In D.Kagan's opinion, the question is about 180`000 soldiers and 800 ships. So, probably, Platon took the description of army from Herodot.
According to the forces of army it is possible to reason about the population of Аtlantis. It turns out about 20-30 million people while scientists consider, that the general population in those times was about 1,5 million people.
We have considered those parts of dialogues which are the most contrary to the conventional historical facts. But the main discrepancy is time discrepancy. Everyone who is interested in the history of the appearance and development of ancient civilizations cannot agree with the fact of the existence of Аtlantis 11 500 years ago. Maybe, Platon was mistaken in dating, having added a superfluous zero. And maybe he counted the time on lunar years, instead of solar.
Let's distract from the specified assumptions and try to find a place in real history for that Аtlantis which was described by Platon.[ 7 ]
2. The basic variants of the site
of Atlantis.
1.The Atlantic ocean
From the text of Platon’s dialogues it is absolutely clear, that Аtlantis was situated in the Atlantic ocean. According to priest, the atlants army “headed from the Atlantic sea”. The priest says, that a big island laid opposite the Herakl's pillars. The island was more “than Libya and Asia taken together”, and it was possible to get across from the island “to the all opposite continent”, in which America was easily guessed.
Therefore many professors, especially those who trust date 9500 years B.C., consider, that one time Аtlantis was situated in the Atlantic ocean, and it is necessary to search for its traces either on the bottom of the ocean, or near to existing islands which 11500 years ago were high mountain tops.
In 1665 in the book “Mundus subterraneus” (“The underground world”) German Jesuit Athanasius Kirkher proved, that Аtlantis existed in the Atlantic ocean and showed a map with its outlines. It is very interesting to know,that these outlines precisely correspond to lines of ocean depths, unknown to people in that time.
In XIX century I.Donnelly wrote the book “Аtlantis, the antediluvian world”, considered “a bible” of atlantologs. He places Atlantis in the same place where Kirkher, but, having reduced it in the size.For Donnelly Аtlantis was a bible paradise, a place of the Greek gods staying and the country of the Sun cult!
2.The Mediterranean Sea
About two and a half thousand years ago in the Mediterranean Sea there was the strongest accident in the all history of mankind. Explosion of the volcano Strongile was in three times stronger, than eruption of the volcano Krakatau. This explosion generated a wave of tsunami in height of some tens, and even hundred meters which have fallen upon the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientists consider, that this accident was the reason of the destruction of cretemickens culture existed 3000 years ago. It is not surprising, that so grandiose natural cataclysm the attracted attention of many researchers. Some of them came to the conclusion, that, describing Аtlantis, Platon described Tira (where volcano Strongile was) or Crete.
Islands of the Mediterranean Sea perfectly correspond to all details of Platon’s texts. However, the Mediterranean Sea is not so extensive, as “Libya and Asia taken together”. But the Central Atlantic also isn’t so large. Well, it becomes clear, that it is conscious and very strong exaggeration.
3.The Iberian Peninsula
The name of one of the first ten Atlantis tsars – Gadir - has reached to our time in the name of the Gadir area. Gadir is a Phoenician settlement, present Kadics. This name gave the basis to some researchers to consider, that Atlantis was situated on the Iberian Peninsula near a mouth of the river Kvadalkvivir.
Near Gadir laid other known city, Tartess. Its inhabitants were etrussky and they proved, that their state was 5000 years old. German K.Shulten (1922) considered, that Tartess was Аtlantis. In 1973 near Каdics on the depth of 30 meters they have found the rests of ancient city.
About one million Basques live now in the north of Spain.Their language is not similar to one of the known languages of the world. The certain similarity is between it and languages of the American Indians. It gives the basis to assume, that Basques are descendants of atlants.
4.Brazil
In 1638 the English scientist and politician Frensis Bacon Verulamsky identified Brazil with Аtlantis in the book “Nova Atlantis”. Soon was published the new atlas with the map of America, made by the French geographer Sanson. In that map even provinces of Poseidon’s sons in Brazil have been specified. In 1762 Robert Vogudi published the same atlas. They say, that when Volter saw those maps he was laughting.
5.Scandinavia
In 1675 Swedish professor Оlays Rudbek proved, that Аtlantis was in Sweden, and its capital was Uppsala. As he said, it with evidence appeared from the Bible.
6.Africa
Herodot, Pomponiy Mela, Pliniy the Senior and some other antique historians wrote about the atlants tribe,living in Northern Africa in the Atlas.As they said,atlants didn’t see dreams, didn’t use names, didn’t eat anything alive and damned the rising and setting sun.
On the basis of these messages Borhardt approves, that Аtlantis was situated on the territory of modern Tunis, in desert Sahara.In its southern part there are two lakes, which, according to modern data, are the rests of the ancient sea. Atlantis would be in this sea. [ 5 ]
In general Atlantis was found in all parts of the Earth.We shall not stop in detail on these theories, but it was found in Central America, in passage La Manche (F.Gidon), in the Pacific ocean, on Cuba, in Peru, in Great Britain, in the area of Great Lakes in the USA, in Greenland, in Iceland, on Spitsbergen, in France, in the Netherlands, in Denmark, in Persia (Pierre-Аndre Latrej, France, XIX century), on the Bermudas, on the Bahamas, on the Canary Islands, on the Antilles Islands (John Mak-Kyulokh, Scotland),on the Azores, in the Azov, the Black and the Caspian seas, in Palestin and in many other places. [ 9 ]
3. Is there a hope to find Аtlantis?
Only the find of the Atlantis rests on the sea-bottom can finally solve the problem of the Atlantis existence. If this event will happen, most likely it radically will change all representations of mankind about own history.
Most likely it is possible to find sunk Atlantis at the top of underwater mountain or on underwater plateau. However, the presence of an underwater mountain somewhere does not prove the existence there the rests of an ancient civilization.
Scientists can receive the information about the sea-bottom in several ways: personally having visited the bottom with aqualung (not deeper than 100 meters), in the diving suit (up to 160 meters) or in the operated underwater devices (up to 500 meters), by means of soil tubes, drags or bottomladles, underwater photographing or TV.
• An aqualung - is the most convenient for the archeologist, however it is useful only for small depths; research of the bottom by means of an aqualung takes a lot of time.
• A diving suit - is inconvenient, as on great depths it strongly limits freedom of actions and freedom of movement of diver.
• Underwater devices - are convenient for search, however don’t provide the due freedom of actions.
• Soil tubes - cannot give representation about the objects which on the sea-bottom, describe only small part of the bottom, do not work on firm rocks (or buildings and roads).
• Drags or bottomladles – don’t give representation about the position of the objects on the sea-bottom, and also about the rests of architectural constructions.
• Underwater photographing or TV - are the most convenient for the search of sunk Аtlantis.
And nevertheless even the latest modern technics cannot replace human eyes. So praised underwater TV will not show us everything that a geologist or an archeologist will see on the sea-bottom through a window of the underwater device.
Using these ways, scientists investigate the World ocean. Repeatedly they did valuable archeological finds, but for all this time has not been found anything, that would prove existence of the sunk continent. Rates of underwater researches increase all the time, so from the technical point of view, the hope to find some objects in the ocean is. [ 3 ]
4. Chances for preservation.
In fresh water all metals have chances for preservation, but in salty sea water their chances are more illusive, because metals are influenced with salts. Salt exerts destructive influence on metals, besides process of decomposition is accelerated by the action of galvanic currents. Pure copper and copper alloys disappear in 200 - 400 years. However, if thickness of copper object is significant, on a surface the layer of carbonates, protecting an object, can be formed. Gold is stable, if it is pure gold. Some metals can be kept, if seaweeds or corals will quickly cover them. But in this case detection of these objects becomes almost improbable.
Well, and how do other materials behave in the sea? The wood is extremely unstable in seawater and almost nothing remains after it in 100 – 200 years. The ceramics can sustain some thousand years, but only in that case if the surface of amphoras or other objects is carefully polished and not damaged. Nothing remains in some decades from not burnt bricks. Dead pearls also do not maintain the influence of seawater and break up. Bones are also astable. Only the ivory can sustain rather long period of staying under the water.
So, if any ruins have been staying on the sea-bottom for 11.500 years, practically nothing would remain after them. And if they have been rescued by a thick layer of deposits their detection would be too more difficult. [10]
5. Destruction of Atlantis.
Many professors believe that earthquake could be that act of nature, which has lowered Аtlantis on the bottom of the ocean.
The main concussion proceeds for some seconds, and all earthquake can last up to several tens minutes. It means, that the day allocated by Platon suffices for earthquake. During the earthquake the ground sinks on some meters. Ten-meter subsidence was fixed in Japan. In 1692 the city of pirates Port-Roual on Jamaica plunged into the sea on 15 meters. 15 meters are quite enough to hide the most part of flat island under the water. It is not excluded, that during the Atlantis destruction there was too stronger earthquake. The Azores and Iceland in Atlantic and the Aegean sea in Greece are the areas of the raised seismicity.
Earthquakes with an epicentre on the sea-bottom cause a tsunami – another kind of natural accident.
The tsunami literally means “long waves in port” (Japanese). Scientists use this term for designation of huge destructive waves. More often the tsunami arises because of earthquake, but it can be also caused and by underwater eruption of the volcano, and destruction of the coast.
The height of a tsunami wave in the open ocean can be only some meters. Speed of the wave in the open ocean can make 1000 km in an hour.
First the sea recedes; its level goes down. Then runs a wave in a height of some meters. After 5 - 10 minutes runs the second wave, hardly below. And after 10 - 20 minutes comes the third, the highest wave. It can be up to several hundred meters.
Thus, the tsunami can destroy a coastal zone of the continent or even the whole island in two hours.
Strangely enough, something similar has occurred approximately in 1500 B.C. in the Mediterranean Sea, near the island Crete...
It is possible to consider the following version of the Atlantis destruction usual for supporters Аtlantis in Atlantic:
One time there was a developed civilization on the island in the Atlantic ocean. Inhabitants of this country tought ancient Egyptians and Maja to measure the time, to build pyramids and many other things. Atlants have put into the Egyptian pyramids different numbers, as if addressing this message to descendants.
But 11500 years ago a meteorite or a comet fell to the Earth and caused the Atlantis destruction. Falling of the meteorite wakened sleeping volcanoes. Eruptions and earthquakes have begun. Falling of the meteorite and leaving Аtlantis under the water have caused a huge wave, which temporarily flooded Europe, Egypt, Minor Asia, America, Southern and East Asia. This wave killed mammoths in far Siberia, having laid them on “cemeteries”. Because of falling the meteorite the terrestrial axis was displaced and it has caused strong climatic changes. Rescueed аtlants have scattered world-wide, having carried the history about the Atlantis destruction.[ 7 ]
6. Searches proceed.
“The new group of researchers goes on searches of lost Atlantis,” - writes today the British Daily Telegraph. According to the edition, in November the known geologist, professor Jacque Kollin-Zhirar and heads of expeditions to "Titanic" will present in the Royal geographical society (London) the group, which will follow the lead of adventurers, scientists and travellers who made such attempts last two millenium.The rests of the Atlantis, for the first time described by Platon in 360 B.C., they will search in strait of Gibraltar, approximately in 32 km to the southwest from Spanish Tariffs.
The researches sponsored both private and legal persons, will begin in the summer of the next year. Using deep-water devices for studying the underwater world, research mission will search for the rests of buildings, temples, prehistoric tools and weapons on the sea-bottom, marks Daily Telegraph.[ 8 ]
Practical Part
In my practical part I have conducted a sociological survey among the people of different ages.
100 people took part in this opinion poll. I have asked the following four age
groups: 14-17 years, 18-30 years, 31-50 years, 51 year and older. I asked 25 people from each group.
The results I’ve got are as follows:
1.The first question was: Do you believe, that ancient high-developed civilizations existed?
82% of people answered that they believe in ancient high-developed civilizations and 11% don’t believe in them. Some respondents –7% - couldn’t give an answer (Appendix 1).
2. The second question was: How much do you know about Atlantis?
40% of people know a lot of information about this problem, but the most part of respondents – 57% - know some information. And only 3% answered that they have never heard about Atlantis (Appendix 2).
3. On the third diagram I show the most popular sources of information about Atlantis.
People of different ages use different sources of information.
The most popular source of information are television, newspapers and magazines. Some students learnt information about Atlantis from school and conferences. People also use such sources of information as the Internet, books and friend’s stories (Appendix 3).
4. I also asked people to value the actuality of the problem of Atlantis according to 5 points scale.
The most part of respondents - 30% - gave 3 points to this problem. 4 points were given by 20% of people. 19% of respondents think that this problem is interesting and important and gave to it 5 points. 4 points were given by 18% of people. The least part of respondents gave 1 point (7%) and 0 points (6%) to the problem (Appendix 4).
5. Another my question was: Why do you think scientists continue looking for Atlantis?
This question had a free answer and answers were quite different.
The most popular answer was that “Scientists want to solve the secret of Atlantis” (26%).“They want to contribute to the development of history” – answered 21% of people. “They want to learn information about the past to foresee the future” – was the answer of 11%. 21% of respondents couldn’t give an answer.
Other variants were:
- They believe that Atlantis existed and want to prove it (9%);
- They have nothing to do (8%);
- They want to find gold and to become rich (5%);
- They want to find out about our forefathers and origin (4%);
- It is their job (2%) (Appendix 5).
According to the results I’ve drawn the conclusion that the most part of people know about Atlantis and use different sources of information. Not everybody is interested in this problem, but I think it is normal, because each affair has its own enthusiasts. Some people want to know if Atlantis is a myth or a reality and that is why the problem concerning Atlantis isn’t solved.
Atlantis – а myth or a reality? Working on my project “Atlantis – unsolved secret” I tried to answer this question. I can say that I’ve achieved the aim I put and have based the hypothesis about presence of facts, which prove the existence of Atlantis. To sum up the results of my work I can easily say that I have proved my hypothesis that irrefutable facts of Atlantis really exist. But at the same time some facts refute the existence of Atlantis and that is why this question isn’t solved.
Working оn my project I’ve investigated the history concerning Atlantis, found facts for and against the hypothesis of Atlantis existence. I have also analyzed the existing facts in accordance with up-to-date conception and examined the contemporaries’ opinion about the fact of the existence of Atlantis. And finally I have conducted a sociological survey among people of different ages. I have found out considering the results of my survey that some people are interested in the problem of Atlantis that is why the problem concerning Atlantis is up-to-date.
The question about Atlantis is still disputable. During thousands of years scientists and professors continue looking for Atlantis. But what makes them to do it? They examine existing materials and documents, hypothesis and finds. But it is impossible to find lost Atlantis using only known facts and arguments. That is why searches proceed. New groups of researchers goes on searches of lost Atlantis. Using modern devices they investigate the sea-bottom and try to find new facts. Repeatedly they did valuable archeological finds, but for all this time has not been found anything, that would prove the existence of the sunk continent.
Films devoted to Atlantis have been making, scientific articles have been writing.
But Atlantis isn’t still found and excites minds and hearts of many scientists and enthusiasts.
My research paper may be valuable for teachers and students and might well be used at the lessons of history and social science.
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