Can an entire civilization vanish without a trace? Was Plato, philospher, teacher, and historian lieing? Or was Plato recounting actual events ? It is true no one believes the story of a half-human, half-god race. However, the possibility of an advanced civilization on an island does exist.
Archaeologists believe this island is called Thera. Thera is part of a group of islands known as the cyclades in the Mediterranean ocean. Even today Thera remains an active volcano. In the center of the island was the port city of Akrotiri. Akrotiri was part of the mighty Minoan civilization.
Around 1628 b.c. Thera errupted. The massive erruption destroyed part of the island and the entire city. Geologist have considered this to be one of the most singurarly destructive events in history.
In Plato's dialogues Atlantis is destroyed 9000 years before his time, not 900. The story of Atlantis orginally started in Egypt. Solon was told the story of Keftiu by the egyptians. Solon later made the name Keftiu greek by changing it to Atlantis. We actually get most of our information about the Minoans from the egyptians, because they traded with each other. The minoans used a language called linear A. When the egyptians translated the language they may have confused the symbols for 100 and 1000, because they differ only slightly. This error would have placed the tragedy 9000 years before Plato instead of the actual date of 900 years.
The minoans were a wealthy powerful race from about 3000 b.c. to 1450 b.c. Archaelogical evidence of the minoans exist on Crete and Thera. Thirty years ago on the island of Thera they began to excavate an exstinsive underground civilization. This could be the source of the Atlantis story.
In Plato's dialogues Atlantis is beyond the pillars of Hercules, not on the islands of Greece. The Greeks would not have believed in an advanced civilization before them. Therefore, Plato probably placed the civilization beyond the pillars, where the Greeks put most far off civilizations in their stories.
In the story of Atlantis the civlization is completly destroyed by the gods. Although Crete was not destroyed the destruction on Thera probably greatly weakened the minoan empire. The massive tidal waves, extreme heat, refugees from Thera , and ashe fallout eventually collasped the minoan civilization.
There are a lot of distinct simularites between the Atlanteans and the Minoans. Both civilizations were wealthy, advanced cultures, interested in art and bueaty. Both peoples had vast control over countries and trade. The remains of Thera are circular, around a lagoon with a small island in the middle of the lagoon. This may have started the story of the rings of Atlantis. In the dialogues Plato talks about the red, white and black stone being quarryed from underneath Atlantis. The first thing you notice about Thera is the awesome cliffs made up of red, white and black stone. Plato also writes that the kings would lasso a bull to sacrifice to poseidon. The only example of this type of activity in ancient history is in the ruins of the ancient minoans. There is evidence that the minoans had bull rings and hunted bulls with ropes. Both Thera and Atlantis experienced massive earthquakes and floods ,so that "only the bones of wasted body" remained. Finally archaeologist have uncovered sophisticated systems of sewers, drinking and bath water pipes in Crete and Thera. Minoans heated their homes from hydrothermal vents. They had hot cold water. Platos describes baths and hot and cold streams in his dialogues.
The theroy that the story of Atlantis was derrived from the actual events on Thera seems to be the most popular. But not the only theroy. Keep reading andAdventure Jones will continue to explore these other theroies.
