Are we closer to finding Atlantis? New documentary suggests the mythical city WAS real and that large ships docked there in the Bronze Age
- 'Atlantis Rising' documentary records the search for the Lost City of Atlantis
- Stone anchors believed to be from Atlantis were found in the Strait of Gibraltar
- Experts discuss how a site in Southern Spain may have been the city's location
- But they believe the civilisation could have spread across the Mediterranean
- Many scholars believe the legendary city wasn't real, but used as an allegory by Plato to hint at how Athenians should live at the time he was writing
The mystery of the true location of the legendary city of Atlantis, which is said to have been destroyed overnight, has captured our imagination for thousands of years.
Now, the discovery of large stone anchors in the Strait of Gibraltar hints the powerful Bronze Age civilisation described by Plato may have existed.
A new National Geographic documentary called Atlantis Rising charts an epic search for the lost city from Santorini, Greece to the islands of the Azores, comparing theories based on literature about the enigmatic civilisation.
A new documentary by James Cameron has been released to understand more about the mythical city of Atlantis, pictured here as an artist's impression. The documentary looks at archaeological examples of architecture in Santorini, Greece and the islands of the Azores
Experts featured in the new documentary, produced by Titanic director James Cameron, draw on Plato's texts in a bid to reveal the lost city's location.
Filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici told IBTimes UK: 'We went back to this source and used the way he describes Atlantis as a treasure map, comparing the city's features with existing places.'
They did not expect to find a complete city, but set out to discover artefacts that had survived the ravages of time and may have been washed into the Atlantic by a mighty wave, thousands of years ago.
The team of scientists and marine archaeologists used advanced navigation techniques and multi spectral imaging to uncover clues about the Lost City of Atlantis, which some scholars believe to be entirely fictional.
However, Bill Lange, of Woods Hole Oceanic Institution said in the documentary: 'I have no doubt there are vast areas that were once inhabited by people that are now hundreds of feet underwater.'
Professor Richard Freund, University of Hartford, added: 'Plato is writing in a very specific time period, so when he says Atlantis was located at the strait of Gibraltar - he called them the Pillars of Hercules at the time - every single mariner, every single Greek reader, knew exactly where he was talking about.'
Clips of the documentary, which aired on 29 January, show marine archaeologists discovering a large stone anchor in what was the Pillars of Hercules.
The programme explores multiple locations documented in history in its bid to unlock the mystery of Atlantis. Pictured is one of the researchers consulting a hand-drawn map marking possible locations
The anchor, which measures 83cm across and has a hole in its centre, could be evidence of docks or breakwaters at the dive site.
Professor Richard Freund of the University of Hartford, said in a clip: 'It's a really amazing find.
'This anchor you can get very excited about.
'This is a 3,000, 4,000-year old anchor that is massive for a very large boat, which shows us that ancient large boats were sailing into this area 4,000 years ago.'
In fact, the team discovered six of these intriguing artefacts that could date back to the Bronze Age – the largest ancient anchor hoard to be found in the Atlantic near the Strait of Gibraltar.
Plato wrote that ships sailed the Atlantic stopping at the Azores (pictured). As part of the documentary, James Cameron takes a closer look at the recent discoveries relating to Atlantis made in this region
'Atlantis Rising' also divers explore the seas around Santorini and around the islands of the Azores, to compare a range of theories about the enigmatic civilisation
'These anchors could be 3,500 to 4,000 years old and establish a harbour in the Atlantic, where I didn't even dare dream to find anchors,' Mr Jacobovici told Indiewire.
'If we found six on a few dives, there must be thousands out there, confirming Plato's report of a port just past the Pillars of Hercules,' he said in the documentary.
The programme explores multiple locations in its bid to unlock the mystery of Atlantis.
For example, Plato wrote that ships sailed the Atlantic stopping at the Azores and experts touched on the recent discovery of pre-Roman structures on the remote islands that suggest ancient people sailed the vast ocean thousands of years before Columbus, in keeping with the famous tale of the lost city.
The documentary also travels to Donaña National Park in Southern Spain, which was the subject of a previous 'Finding Atlantis' documentary.
The marsh used to be an open bay adjacent to the Pillar of Hercules – the ancient name given to the Strait of Gibraltar - where the anchors were discovered, suggesting it could have one been the site of the lost city.
The researchers did not expect to find a complete city, but set out to discover artefacts that had survived the ravages of time. Pictured is the Azure Window, a limestone natural arch on the Maltese island of Gozo, and one of the sites for exploration by the film makers
The researchers explored a number of areas, including Santorini, Greece, the Donana National Park and Campanario in Spain, and the Azores islands, marked on this map
The programme also includes author Georgeos Diaz-Montexano's idea that some Atlantian refugees fled inland to what is now Campanario, southern Spain and rock carvings in the area seem to show a record of the epic tale and its drowned port.
Pointing to one of the rock etchings, Mr Diaz-Montexano said: 'You can see around three inscribed boats here with about eight to 12 oars each.'
Experts used spectral imaging to take a closer look at the etchings, revealing a horse and boat which could be interpreted to be sinking beneath a wavy line depicting the sea, as well as concentric circles, which were a feature in Plato's description of the lost city.
The team of scientists and marine archaeologists used advanced navigation techniques and multi spectral imaging (pictured) to uncover clues about the Lost City of Atlantis
It has previously been suggested that the present day islands of Santorini or Malta may once have been Atlantis, but neither fits with Plato's description.
Mr Jacobovici told IBTimes UK that while Santorini was destroyed overnight by a volcanic eruption and was home to an advanced Bronze Age civilisation, it is not on the Atlantic side of the strait of Gibraltar, as described by Plato.
While the documentary is not able to pinpoint without doubt the site of the Lost City of Atlantis, it compares archaeological examples of concentric architecture, for example, with Plato's descriptions.
This led the researchers to surmise they may have been a 'mother city' of Atlantis – possibly in southern Spain – but the advanced civilisation spread across the Mediterranean.
'Southern Spain may have been the centre of a civilisation which spread to Malta, Santorini or all the other places we have investigated,' Jacobovici said.
However, artefacts uncovered on land and sea have yet to be examined in the lab to reveal their origins, meaning some scholars who believe the Lost City of Atlantis is an allegory constructed by Plato, may not be convinced.
Atlantis Rising aired on 29 January on the National Geographic channel.
SEA-GOING SUPERPOWER, OR WAS PLATO PLAYING POLITICS?
Atlantis was first described by the Greek philosopher Plato more than 2,000 years ago.
While many believe the story is a myth created by Plato to illustrate his theories about politics, others insist it is based on a real historical disaster.
According to Plato's account, written around 360BC, Atlantis was a major sea power located in the Atlantic.
It was larger than ancient Libya and Asia Minor (modern Turkey) put together, and was 'the way to the other islands, and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent'.
His account included detailed descriptions of the island - with mountains in the north and along the coast, and a plain in the south.
Its kings were descended from Poseidon - the god of sea - but their divine lineage became diluted as they mixed with mortals.
By around 9600BC the island had conquered much of Western Europe and Africa and enslaved its enemies.
This date would make the city nearly as old as the end of the last Ice Age and pre-dates the earliest recorded city states, found in what is now Iraq, so seems rather unlikely.
After a failed attempt to invade Athens, the entire island sank into the sea 'in a single day and night of misfortune' which may have involved a volcanic eruption.
Over the centuries, scholars have attempted to locate the real Atlantis - believing the account was based on a real ancient superpower.
One of the theories is that Plato was describing the Minoan civilisation on Crete and the neighbouring island of Santorini which was devastated by a massive volcanic eruption around 1600BC, but others believe the islands do not fit Plato’s description of Atlantis’ location.
Some believe the Atlantis myth was inspired by the Black Sea floods of around 5,000BC - an event that may have also generated the flood stories which appeared in the Old Testament.
