The Lost City - Patra Jordan

It is believed that the ancient, mysterious and hauntingly beautiful site of Petra in Jordan has been inhabited (in one way or another) for approximately 9000 years although its existence was kept secret from the modern West until 1812, when Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt “rediscovered it” and revealed its magnificence to the world.  Petra - Jordan was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985 and it has been described as “One of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage”, by UNESCO.  In Arab tradition, Petra is the place where Moses struck a rock with his staff and water came forth, and where his sister, Miriam, is buried. The word Petra (as with Peter) means “rock” and is derived from the Greek and Arabic language. It is a wonderfully appropriate name as this ancient city is literally carved from the rose-red sandstone hills and outcrops. Although Petra in jordan is most commonly associated with the Nabataeans, it has been occupied by many different tribes and nations over the millennia.  The true mystery of Petra (the lost city) is just how little is known about its history although this is likely to change as each year new studies and excavations slowly reveal the secrets of the place. Evidence of Neolithic habitation of jordan and Petra in the form of six ascending rows of dwellings has been discovered near Baida and suggests that it may be one of the oldest recorded known sites of human habitation in the world. It has proven impossible to accurately identify when the history of Petra began in Jordan. Tradition has it that the first recorded people to live in the area were the cave-dwelling Horites. It is believed that the Edomites settled in the region during the first millennium B.C.  There is a reference in the Bible that they were one of the nations that refused to permit the wandering Jews lead by Moses to enter their lands.

The Edomites undertook a complete and systematic takeover of the region (Jordan) and established a stronghold that included the plains of the Umm al Biyarah plateau. The archeological remains of many dwellings that date from the 7th century B.C. have been found in the area.  In addition, the remains of cisterns for the collection of rain water dating from this time indicate that the occupants were already experimenting with the water management systems that were to become so important to the success of Petra, the city, in the future centuries.  The nation of Edom is known to have existed back to the 8th or 9th century BC.  The Old Testament dates it back several centuries further. Recent archaeological evidence may indicate an Edomite nation existed as long ago as the 11th century BC, but the topic remains controversial. (It is worth noting that in keeping with the mysterious origins of Petra, the American Museum of Natural History (website) contradicts the belief that Petra in Jordan was also Edom. A quote from their website on Petra states: "Petra's location in the Holy Land of Arabs, Christians and Jews added enormously to its allure. Some writers identified Petra — wrongly — with ancient Edom, cursed in the Old Testament for having barred Moses and the Israelites. In long-abandoned Petra, many visitors saw powerful confirmation of the prophet Jeremiah's words: "Edom shall be a desolation and every one that goeth by it shall be astonished.") During the 4th century B.C. a new nation emerged in the region – The Nabataeans.  Little is known about the origin of these people but it is believed that they were part of a migration from the south of the Arabian Peninsula.  This group progressively took control of what is today southern Jordan and established a sophisticated trading network with Petra as their Capital City. As their power grew, the Nabataeans quickly gained control of the trade routes from the Red Sea to the coast of the Mediterranean. No one is precisely sure what goods were being moved but it is likely to have been incense, myrrh, spices, gold and copper as well as precious stones and even some slaves.  It is recorded that in 312 B.C. the ruler of Syria, Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed"), who had succeeded Alexander the Great, initiated two great attacks on Petra.  The first was led by Atheneus and the second by his own son Demetrius.  Both military campaigns failed.  The almost impregnable rocky defenses of Petra and the determination of the Nabataeans won the day.  At the height of their power not only did Petra possessed the advantages of a natural fortress but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to Gaza in the west, to Bosra and Damascus in the north, to Aqaba and Leuce-Come on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf.

Unfortunately, not a great deal is known about the Nabataeans of Jordan although there are references and hints to be found in the history texts. The first mentions a Nabataean King Harith or Aretas and dates from the third century B.C. and refers to the sanctuary that he provided for the High Priest Jason of Jerusalem when Antiochus confirmed Menelaus, the brother of Simon the Benjaminite in his place and thus forced Jason into exile. A more accurate timeline of the Nabataean kings can be established from 100B.C. onwards based on the appearance of more written references. The Roman general, Pompey, appears to have conquered the Nabataeans in 64 - 63 BCE.  Fortunately for Petra he believed that there were benefits to keeping an independent Nabataea that could operate as a buffer zone against the desert tribes. The power and prestige of the Nabataean kingdom in now modern Jordan reached its peak during the rule of Harith III Philodermus (84-56 BC) and Harith IV (9bc – 40A.D), Malik II (40-71 AD) and Rabbel (71-106 AD).  Still, even as the Petra City expanded the first signs that independent Nabataean rule was under threat were emerging.  From the North the influence of the Roman Empire was growing more powerful. In the South new trade routes were being discovered and developed that would bypass Petra and even Jordan. Some historians and environmental experts believe that this was also a period of noticeable climate change.  Petra had always been relatively dry and had developed a sophisticated system of aqueducts and water storage cisterns both to provide water and to protect the city from flash-flooding but now things were changing.  At a time when the successful city demanded more water - there was less rain.  The city of Petra had always depended on importing food but with the decline in trade it needed to find ways to provide its own.  This theory is supported by evidence of intense agricultural efforts by the Nabataeans which can still be seen in Southern Jordan and the Negev.  In this climate of change, the Nabataean kingdom still managed to resist the final absorption of their nation into the Roman empire and survive the growing economic hardships.

With the death of Rabel II in 106, the power of the Nabataeans became precarious.   The Roman Emperor Trajan (Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus) already famous for his military success in conquering the Dacia nation ruled by King Decebalus in 106 A.D. pushed further east and finally conquered Nabatea in 107 A.D.  Trajan ordered the governor of Syria, Cornelius Palma, to make Nabatea (Jordan) into a Roman province with the capital at Bosra. For the Nabataeans it was the end of their power and they began to decline as a nation although life for the average citizen probably went on as normal.  The short-lived province of Arabia Petraea was formed and although Petra was no longer the capital of the region it appears to have continued to grow and do well under its new rulers and was even awarded the title of metropolis or mother-city.  Even if it lacked true power, Petra still wielded tremendous influence in the region.  For example, when Emperor Hadrian visited it in 130 A.D. he was so impressed with its magnificence and aura of mystery that he renamed it Hadriana Petra (Sometimes now referred to as Adriana Petra.  Even as the Nabataeans declined the city experienced an influx of new people from Roman, Greek, Arabic and Semitic origin.  This mixing of cultures must have made Petra a remarkable and lively place and is perhaps the reason why it continued to flourish for some time to come.  It is during this period that many of the great monuments were constructed. However, Roman rule of the region was under constant threat and during the rule of Emperor Alexander Severus (222 – 235 A.D.) Just when the city of Petra was at the peak of its new power the first major disaster appears to have struck Jordan.  Many historians attribute this to an invasion by the neo-Persian Sassanid Empire.  Coinage stopped being minted and there is suddenly no more new and sumptuous tombs being built.  The final decline of Petra had begun.  One can only imagine and speculate what it must have been like as year-on-year fewer traders came to Petra as the city of Palmyra drew away the Arabian merchants.  As time passed the city would have perhaps taken on a rundown appearance.  A person can just imagine the remaining civic leaders talking over their food and debating when they too should leave.  Records show that Petra in Jordan did continue to be a successful city and a centre of religion. Christianity had certainly well established itself in Petra by the 4th century A.D. – 500 years after the Petra had become an important trade center. Athanasius of Alexandria (293 – 373 A.D.) mentions a bishop of Petra named Asterius. At least one of the rock tombs (The Tomb of the Urn) was used as a church. A second and more damaging disaster seems to have struck the rock city in the form of a series of powerful earthquakes.  The city had already had a history of tectonic spasms as it sits near the boundary of the Arabian plate but this quake was significantly more damaging than those that had come before. The date of this event is said to be May 19, AD 363 A.D. and is based coins found in the ruins and the testimony of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem in a letter he wrote.  According to the Bishop more than half of Petra (Reqem) was destroyed including Qasr Al Bint (House of the Daughter), The Colonnaded Street, The South Temple and the rock Amphitheatre.  Much more dangerous to the remaining citizens of Petra was the damage that the quake did to water system of the city.  Had the quake occurred earlier in the history of Petra the city may have rebounded fully but the slow decline of the past century and the loss of its status as a trading centre had broken the will of the people to completely rebuild their rock fortress. There are claims that “large Christian Churches carved from the rock ” were still being built and used during the early Byzantine era in Petra as late as 450 A.D. but although this comes from a reputable source the datelines don’t quite match up.  What appears to have happened is that further Earthquakes repeatedly struck the city and the region; each one causing successive damage.

It is believed that an Earthquake more devastating that the one that wrecked the city in 363 AD struck in the year 551 AD.  By all accounts it ruined the rock cut city and further damaged the partially repaired water management systems. A person can only speculate what happened next.  Did the remaining citizens quietly gather their belongings and, as a column of refugees, depart together for other cities or did they drift away over the years as it became obvious that without the water system and significant trade the city of rock was finally finished. Most scholars believe that the power of the Byzantine Empire appears to have shielded the area from Muslim expansionism for some time but during 629 – 632 A.D. the Islamic conquest of the region (now Jordan) appears to have swept away the last vestiges of Christianity in Petra.  Records and references to Petra become increasingly scarce and it is accepted that by 700 A.D. the city of rock that had once housed 20,000 people was deserted except for the Bedouin and the flocks they tended. Finally it seems that history forgot Petra. The ruins of the city (and the region of Jordan) were briefly occupied during the First Crusade by Baldwin I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and remained in the control of the Franks until 1189 A.D. - who called it the Moyse Valley. (Château de la Valée de Moyse or Sela).  However the Crusaders true seat of power in the area was the magnificent Castle of Montreal (Mount Royal) or “Shobak” as it is known today, some 16 miles from Petra. Petra appears again in History during the late 13th century when the ruins of the Rock City became a place of curiosity during the Middle Ages and were visited by the Sultan Baibars (Baybars) of Egypt. For the following 600 years Petra becomes a forgotten City.  No doubt people new of its existence and according to Bedouin tradition it remained occupied by nomadic desert people and occasionally visited by Islamic explorers and travelers.  However, as far as Europe was concerned – it had slipped from memory to become no more than another legendary place in a mysterious world. Petra in Jordan was once again brought to the attention of the West by an explorer by the name of Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.  During his time in Syria he had visited Palmyra, Damascus and Lebanon but was intrigued with the stories of a ruined and ancient city forbidden to foreigners.  Pretending to be indifferent to Petra he persuaded his guides to take him though the Wadi supposedly on route to another destination and thus in 1812 became the first European to see the city and the tombs for hundreds of years.  He died in 1817 but his book - Travels in Syria (Jordaan) and the Holy Land (1822) - compiled from his papers revealed the existence of Petra to the western world. Today Petra in Jordan is described a “wonder of the world” and visited by increasing numbers of tourists.  Still largely undeveloped (and protected) it is possible for a visitor to reach into the sand and stones and pick up a shard of pottery or a fragment of carved sandstone. It is worth noting that it is strictly forbidden for any archeological remnants to be removed from the site. As we said earlier, the real mystery of Petra (Reqem / Sela / Rock / Jordan) is how little is known of its history and the nations that lived there.  Hidden under the sands and rocks are still undiscovered tombs.  As recently as 2003 a new series of rock cut tombs were discovered under the Treasury.  The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has recognised the importance of this great archeological site and is making concerted efforts to protect and preserve it for future generations as well as making accessible to an often awestruck public.

The following pages are a pictorial tour of Petra in Jordan and although there are 30 images, it is probably less than 10% of what there is to see.  If you are thinking of visiting this incredible place then give yourself at least two to three full days and stay in a hotel close to the entrance to save wasted traveling time.

Atlantis - The Problems

There have been many attempts to fit the facts of the story to reality. Here we accept the problems. The Athenian Inconsistency: Instantly, we run into trouble.  The archeological record for Athens, established by Carbon 14 dating, only begins in circa 3000bc. Taking into account the significant gap in dates, the possibility of a serious war between the Atlanteans (9,000bc) and the Athenians (3000bc), as presented by Timaeus & Critias, is simply not possible.

THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS

“Athens began its history as a Neolithic hill-fort on top of the Acropolis ("high city"), some time in the third millennium BC. The Acropolis is a natural defensive position which commands the surrounding plains. The settlement was about 20 kilometres inland from the Saronic Gulf, in the centre of the Cephisian Plain, a fertile dale surrounded by rivers. To the east lies Mount Hymettus, to the north Mount Pentelicus.” (Wikipedia 2007) This poses a very serious problem.  If we accept the story of Atlantis as accurate (a land far away) but admit that Plato’s (Solons’s) description of an early Athenian civilization is wrong then we are clearly choosing to accept only that which fits-the-story.  This is not acceptable Literary Forensics. Is there an explanation of this inaccuracy?  Well, there are two but neither is completely convincing.  In the first there is another civilisation that predates the Athenians that was as advanced as the Atlanteans and - through the confusion of recollection - the Greeks / Egyptian priests have amalgamated the two to become an earlier Athenian people or there was an actual advanced Athenian civilisation that is now at the bottom of the Mediterranean as Plato describes.  It’s interesting that he considered this problem in his writings and provided a solution.  If it is not historically accurate it does show remarkable psychological cunning and forethought. For the moment let’s accept that there was an earlier Hellenic / Athenian civilization that was destroyed by floods and rising sea levels.  Could a civilisation disappear so completely?  Well, yes they could.  Herculaneum & Pompeii, (1748) Troy (1870+) and Akhenaten’s desert city, Armarna (1887) have all been rediscovered in fairly recent years. (The dates indicated in brackets are when they were rediscovered.) Of critical importance is that these have all been on land not under the sea.  It is only in the past sixty years that serious, and expensive, exploration of sunken ruins has commenced.

Underwater exploration reveals sunken treasures		The powerful triremes - Fresco from Greece		Orichalcum Symbol of Atlantis "Aurichillikem"

So, while admittedly it is unlikely that such an Athenian civilisation existed, it could have. Plato may be on shaky ground but we still can’t prove him wrong. He himself admits that this early and advanced Athenian civilisation was swept into the sea. Is this incredibly cunning or is he just recording the facts as he knew them – you decide?  Just remember that only a few hundred (not thousands) of years ago you could have been put to death (or at least imprisoned) for saying that the world was not the centre of the universe.

Problematic Triremes and Advanced Technology

“The first definite reference to the use of triremes in naval combat dates to ca. 525 BC, when, according to Herodotus, the tyrant Polycrates of Samos was able to contribute 40 triremes to a Persian invasion of Egypt.” (Wikipedia 2007).

A trireme is an ancient wooden warship powered by three (tri) tiers of slaves using oars. Plato, through Critias, refers to this type of ship being used in Atlantis. It’s something of a problem that this type of ship exists so many thousands of years before it is historically first recorded. From the account of Critias, it is obvious that Atlantis was a successful society for many generations of kings and princes but to have triremes so early suggests a very advanced or long-surviving civilisation – way beyond the Athenians. However, contrary to much of the pure rubbish that has been written about Atlantis, there are very few references in the original texts to it being an unusually advanced civilisation as many modern authors, mystics and frankly weird individuals, would have you believe.  At no point in either the dialogue of Timaeus or Critias does a reference exist that that the Atlanteans were remarkable for their technology. Surely Plato wouldn’t have missed this important point? In fact, only three references to advanced technology exist. The first is to the Triremes, the second, by implication, is the Atlanteans ability to excavate large amounts of rock, and the third is to the mysterious metal – orichalcum.  With regard to later claims of Atlantis being the source of all advanced technology – this is nonsense. In the original texts there are no references to atomic crystals, unusual longevity, aliens or flying machines of any type. These references have all been alluded to in relatively recent times and have no source in the writings of Plato.  We’d like to say a lot more about these sensationalist claims but what we’d accuse them of could be construed as libellous So, using Literary Forensics, let’s examine the technology point-by-point.

Could the Atlanteans have had Triremes? Yes they could although it is unlikely in their early period. When exactly in their history did they have them? Certainly some time towards their final days because Plato’s text clearly states that in the beginning the Atlanteans were unable to sail and triremes definitely had sails.

Could the Atlanteans have excavated large amounts of stone and rock? The answer is yes. The fact that the Pyramids of Egypt exist proves this. It just takes lots-and-lots of people and a society that can afford to support them.

What was orichalcum? Here we have an obvious answer. It was probably a gold and copper alloy. Why do we believe this? Well, “ori” most likely refers to gold (aurum or aurium - Etruscan) and Chalcum is very similar to the Greek word “chalkos”or “chalkusm” meaning copper. At no point in the text of Critias are any magical properties assigned to this metal. All that is said is that it was reddish in colour, useful, coated the walls of the inner citadel and was valued almost as much as gold.

Now here is a remarkable occurrence. A researcher happened to be in Dubai (Dubayy) in the United Arab Emirates. He wanted a bracelet made of copper to alleviate a wrist ache (a friend of his had recently had one made) but didn’t want the staining caused by verdigris (the green residue of oxidising copper). He visited the Gold Souk in Old Deira and asked for a bracelet to be made of copper and gold. The elderly arab metalsmith, (Mohammed Bin Ahmad – originally from Oman) who was at least 70 and who couldn’t speak very much english, nodded and said “Zane! Aurichillikem.”

Well, Plato, so far so good. We’ve looked at your story and a lot of it ties in with the historical record. Where you’ve allude to aspects that seem unbelievable, and allowing for reasonable doubt, we’ve been unable to prove you wrong.

But … if you’re telling the truth – where is the physical evidence of Atlantis?”

“Whenever you have eliminated the impossible,
whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Atlantis Real or Myth?

Was it real or is it just a myth? So many attention seekers have exaggerated or distorted the story that it has become synonymous with a "Fantasy" or an impossible quest. Real or Myth? Could Atlantis have existed as an actual country?  The answer could be yes.  Is it likely that Atlantis really existed exactly as described in Plato’s writings? The answer is likely to be no. Before we explore the possibility of an Atlantean civilization it is important to appreciate that many scholars believe that Plato’s description of his conversation with T & C was only ever a way of introducing the concept of a utopian society.

A VERY LIKELY LOCATION FOR ATLANTIS To find Atlantis it is sensible to use a system that cross references what we know from the original source. An island (or part of one) that was near Gibraltar, sunken in the sea, was warm and had had access to rough gold.

A society that collapsed because it failed to adhere to its moral and founding principles. But … intriguingly, there is more to this story than some skeptics would have people believe.

(Just remember this – non-mainstream theories that don’t conform to popular academic thinking rarely get college or university grants.  Professional scientists would rather lose a limb than have their reputations called into question. Atlantis? let's not go there.)

The only way to assess the validity of the story of Atlantis is through Literary Forensics.  This is a process that examines each key point and determines how well it stands up to historical record (proof) and scientific evidence.   Before you give up reading this section let us say that if the evidence was overwhelmingly against Atlantis, we wouldn’t have bothered compiling these pages. The best place to begin is also the most startling and often overlooked.  Plato refers to the following text:

“Thereupon one of the (Egyptian) priests, who was of a very great age, said: O Solon, Solon, you Hellenes are never anything but children, and there is not an old man among you. Solon in return asked him what he meant. I mean to say, he replied, that in mind you are all young; there is no old opinion handed down among you by ancient tradition, nor any science which is hoary with age. And I will tell you why. There have been, and will be again, many destructions of mankind arising out of many causes; the greatest have been brought about by the agencies of fire and water, and other lesser ones by innumerable other causes.”  (Plato - 360 BC -Translated by Benjamin Jowett)

Whether the Egyptian priests referred to in the writings ever existed, Plato (Timaeus) clearly understands that the Earth, this small blue planet, is periodically subjected to intense natural disasters involving fire and water.  That he understood and recognised this fact is absolutely not in question and it shows an incredible appreciation of natural science that doesn’t become apparent again for almost 2,000 years.  He accepts, as do his companions, that catastrophic flooding is more common than most people alive today would like to admit. He also refers to the fact that the climate has changed and refers often to deluges and floods powerful enough to destroy coastal cities as well as references to cliffs and buildings having been eroded into the sea. 

For this claim there is significant archaeological evidence and Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea does indeed have underwater ruins and at least one often visited submerged city. 

(See, for example, The Lycean city of Kekova, Naukratis, Thera and Santorini.)

According to Graham Hancock, author of Underworld; (since the last ice age) “More than 15 million square miles of habitable land were submerged underwater, resulting in a radical change to the Earth’s shape and the conditions in which people could live.”

Another reference:

“To coordinate the explorations of his skin-diving friends, Gargallo has organized the Mediterranean Institute of Underwater Archaeology. In his apartment off Rome's Piazza, di Spagna, he has a map of Italy and Sicily with coloured pins indicating the site of 20 to 30 ruins known to his skin-divers. There is a big underwater city near Venice. Another, off Mondragone, north of Naples, runs along the bottom for nearly three miles.” (Time Magazine -1959)

This also shows that contrary to what “global warming” experts would have people believe, the Earth’s climate has been continuously changing (warming) without the help of man.

Many experts believe we are actually living in an ice age and this pleasant enough climate we enjoy is just a warm interglacial period. Geological evidence has confirmed that the last Ice Age completely finished only 10,000 years ago.  So again, Plato is accurate in his statements.

So, let’s for the moment, assume that the description of Atlantis is both literal and accurate.    If so, then Atlantis existed 11,500 to 9,300 years ago towards the later period of the last ice age.  This is highly significant because sea levels would have been dramatically different than they are today.

According to geological studies, sea levels have risen 130 metres or 400ft in since the last Ice age.  Also, it rules out any northern locations for the city as they would certainly not had the temperate climate described by Plato. (However, places that are extremely hot today would have been just pleasantly warm.)

“Church and White (2006) found a sea-level rise from January 1870 to December 2004 of 195 mm, a 20th century rate of sea-level rise of 1.7 ±0.3 mm per yr and a significant acceleration of sea-level rise of 0.013 ± 0.006 mm per year per yr.”

However, for the past 6,000 years (a few centuries before the first known written records), the world's sea level has been gradually approaching the level we see today. (Wikipedia 2007)

If this is so, and there is no reason to doubt it, then a considerable amount of land that is now underwater would have been habitable.  Now we start to see some evidence that the context of Plato’s writings about Atlantis stand up to historical fact.

The Sunken town of Kekova		Underwater Ruins - Greece		Tidal Cliffs - Unstable

The Island

The Island of Atlantis, as described by Plato, is often perceived to be huge, the size of Asia and Libya (North Africa) combined.  Published satellite imaging of the underwater regions of the world clearly indicates that no such land mass ever existed. (Still, this is not a perfected science and as recently as 2004, new underwater mountain ranges were being discovered)  More relevant is the fact that any earthquake powerful enough to completely destroy all evidence of this Island, one at least the size of modern Australia, would have effectively ended 95% of all life on earth. (If not through the quake itself then through the ensuing volcanic activity.)

 So is this description of Atlantis wrong?  Well no – not actually.  The answer lies in the ancient Greeks appreciation of the size of the world and the way they thought about it.  Two factors need to be considered.  Firstly, the world was that which was occupied by people and thus not the vast empty landmasses in between such as the Sahara. (Robertson and Vincent - 2004) Secondly, the further away from Greece the landmass, the less certain they were of its exact size.  So in effect it is reasonable to conclude that Atlantis may not have been as big as it appears to be described.  This is not an error on the part of Plato – he was recording facts as he understood them.  The error is modern mans with his vastly superior understanding of the geography of this world.

What of the description of the Island Atlantis?  Several key points stand out.  The Island has a small central mountain (cone) surrounded by ripples or water filled depressions.  There are many fissures, not manmade, in the ground. There are lakes surrounding this cone.  Hot and cold springs are evident. The lands surrounding this central mountain are very fertile. There are cliffs at the edge of the sea.

This is a very clear, consistent and accurate description of a volcanic island.  The central cone could be an ancient (dormant) volcano.  Hot springs are definite indications of geothermal activity. Lands surrounding volcanoes are often very fertile - just look at the fields surrounding Naples and Mount Vesuvius.  Finally, volcanic islands, particularly those of the Atlantic often have steep cliffs where they meet the sea.

The critical aspect of this description of Atlantis is not just what it describes – rather it is the fact that the components are consistent with each other.  In other words, it sounds like the depiction of a real place rather than one conjured from the imagination.  More importantly, Plato did not have easy access to the Internet or the Encyclopedia Britannica to check his facts – he wrote them as he understood them.  This makes this description even more remarkable.

The Lost City of Atlantis?

The mystery of the lost city of Atlantis still captures the imagination of millions. Was it real or just myth. Here are the basic facts. Lost civilizations really still exist. New discoveries are happening even as you read this. Places like the Nazca Lines Google Earth can now be clearly seen. New cities have just been found in the Amazon. Just because we haven't found Atlantis doesn't mean we never will. If you are genuinely interested in the story of Atlantis then the only place to start is the source - the writings of Plato and the stories of Timaeus and Critias.

POSEIDON - GOD OF THE SEA - FATHER OF ATLANTIS An Atlantean symbol of power and kingship

When you remove the gods, the parables and the sociological interpretation from the text you are left with the following key points.

• Solon (638 BC–558 BC) was a famous Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and Lyric poet who allegedly heard the story of Atlantis from Egyptian priests that he was visiting that claimed that the Athenians had forgotten their true history because from time-to-time their civilization had been largely destroyed by catastrophes.
  
• The Egyptian priests referred to the “Declamation of Heavenly Bodies”, meaning meteorites, which cause devastation on the planet. -----The Egyptian priests understood that from time-to-time there were serious natural catastrophes that involved fire and water (from which they had been largely immune). They attributed these to the actions of the Gods
• A war once took place between the Athenians and the Atlanteans The Athenians apparently came from Athens.
• The Atlanteans apparently came from an island beyond the pillars of Hercules (Straights of Gibraltar)
• The war took place 9,000 years before the time of writing which was approximately 2,500 years before today – so in effect 11,500 years ago.
• Atlantis was allegedly an island greater in size than Libya and Asia combined.
• Atlantis was eventually destroyed by an earthquake.
• The Athenian Gods were at peace with each other.
• The story had been forgotten by the Athenians because of a great deluge whereby only the illiterate people of the mountains had survived.
• Solon inferred that the event took place before the time of Theseus.
• At the time the Athenians ruled a land from the Isthmus (of Corinth) to the heights of the Cithaeron (a mountain range in what is today central Greece) and Parnes. Oropus was the boundary on the right and the river Asopus the boundary on the left.
• The Athenian land was fertile and able to support a great army.
• Many floods had taken place during the 9,000 years prior to the recording of the story.
• Many of the cliffs surrounding this (Athenian) land had been eroded and fallen into the sea. Many of the woods that once existed have disappeared. The land was less eroded and less rainfall was swept into the sea.
• The climate was more temperate.
• The Acropolis was larger and surrounded by soil and not the outcrop of rock it is now.
• They had Gymnasia.
• There were once more springs that disappeared after an earthquake.
• The Athenians were healthy, beautiful people that were well prepared for war.
• Poseidon was patron and God of Atlantis. (God of the sea and earthquakes)
• Atlantis was an Island with a small mountain at its centre with fertile plains surrounding it.
• The central mountain had rings of water surrounding it.
• Water flowed from underground - some hot, some cold.
• Crops flourished in the fertile soil.
• Poseidon’s first child (born on Atlantis) was named Atlas and the ocean around the Island was named Atlantic.
• From beyond the Pillars of Hercules the lost city of Atlantis controlled islands and lands as far as Egypt.
• They had extensive trade with other countries.
• Orichalcum (an unknown red coloured metal or alloy possible a mixture of copper and gold) was common on the Island.
• The Island was well forested.
• There were a great number of elephants on the Island.
• The Island had chestnut trees.
• The City / island existed long enough for many rulers / kings to develop it.
• The lost city of Atlantis had a canal from the sea to an inner lagoon.
• Three kinds of stone, one red, one black and one white were quarried on the Island of Atlantis.
• They used brass to cover their dwellings and brass, tin and orichalcum to cover the outer walls of their cities.
• Poseidon’s temple at the centre had a barbaric appearance and the roof (interior) was made of Ivory.
• In the temple there was a statue of the god in a chariot.
• The lost city of Atlantis made use of private and public baths and then saved the water for use on their fields.
• The later docks had Triremes and many naval supplies.
• The Island had cliffs on most sides but was otherwise a plateau with a small mountain at its centre and mountains to the North.
• The North of the Island had high and beautiful mountains.
• The plain featured a circular ditch (canyon) of such size (a 100 ft in depth) that it could not have been manmade.
• The military had war chariots.
• They benefited from winter rains.
• Their shields were small.
• The land was divided into ten kingdoms each with its own city.
• No King was to ever make war on another Atlantean King.
• This rule lasted for a great time but in the end the Kings became victim to mortal desires and sins.

That’s it. These are the key points. The remainder of the story as recorded by Plato is lost. 

The Pyramids of Egypt		Athens		Plato

So, what this means is that everything else that you have ever read, that is not a direct translation from the Hellenic (Greek), is either made-up, psychically received or conjecture. For the full transcript of the original document, click here.

While it is unlikely that the lost city of Atlantis ever existed as a single place, the description presented by Critias is remarkably precise for a narrative. Plato himself asserts that Atlantis is a real place.