A new documentary airing on the Discovery Channel indicates that the ancient lost city of Atlantis may indeed have been located on what is now known as the Greek island of Santorini.
Covered by 200 feet of ash from a volcanic explosion, almost unimaginable artistic riches, showing extravagant wealth, which have recently been discovered in the area known as Akrotiri on the island of Santorini have offered clues yet more enticing as to his true identity.
The eruption of the island – which was originally called Stronghili, or “round” – in 1650 BC decimated all life on the island and obliterated an entire city-state, which archaeologists have demonstrated was part of the Minoan civilization.
New evidence that Santorini could be the site of Atlantis
The great philosopher and writer Plato in his writings “Timaeus” and “Critias” described the beauties of the once great and militarily powerful island, whose inhabitants have become so self-loving and arrogant that the gods destroyed the city as punishment.
Plato said that the city once even besieged Athens itself with its naval forces, but the Athenians repelled the attack easily; the island nation was then punished by the gods for its hubris, sinking beneath the waves of the Aegean Sea.
The Discovery Channel’s new film, part of its “Blowing Up History” series, lends new credence to the theory that the island of Santorini may well be the location of the big city.
Recent discoveries, including those made last year, show exquisite craftsmanship found in the area called Akrotiri, Santorini, which may well be the location of ancient Atlantis.
Now protected by state-of-the-art roofs, researchers continue to unearth other treasures from the past that have been buried there, much like in Pompeii several centuries later, preserving a civilization lost forever.
A volcanic eruption preserved Santorini’s ancient history
The island’s culture flourished 3,000 years ago before its inhabitants were so violently killed by the volcanic eruption – but researchers say its civilization had existed for thousands of years before that time.
Since its discovery in the middle of the 19th century, more and more paintings, objects and buildings have been discovered, each indicating an extremely advanced and rich civilization.
The new documentary states: “Clues to the connection can be found in the incredible murals that decorate the walls of each home.
Just as Plato described, “These vibrant paintings depict a paradise full of swirling colors, flowers and exotic animals. They capture a snapshot of the locals. They testify to a highly sophisticated and rich civilization.
Although no other writer from this era – or any other era – has described Atlantis, Plato’s words have survived in history and thousands of historians have attempted to determine exactly where the legendary island.
However, the fact that it disappeared almost instantly after the ancient volcano’s cataclysmic eruption “leads many to believe that Santorini is the lost island of Atlantis”, according to the documentary.
“At its height”, states the film, “its narrow streets are cobbled with stone and its square is lined with picturesque houses that rise to three or four stories. An array of colored stone adorns the facades.
“The ruins suggest that a highly sophisticated civilization thrived here for thousands of years before its abrupt end.”
The film shows how the island was hit by a volcanic eruption, as described by Plato.
The gigantic eruption, considered one of the largest in thousands of years, created a cloud 20 miles high that rained ash on lands as far away as Egypt, 200 miles from Santorini.
Is Santorini the legendary lost civilization of Atlantis?
“Ancient writers described how the ash cloud plunged the world into darkness, causing a global winter for two years,” the narrator explains.
The explosion was so huge that it used almost all of the mountain’s land mass, creating a huge caldera inside the “arms” of Santorini, as the remains form a giant crescent shape.
The shape of the island was instantly changed forever after the fateful explosion.
More than 3,000 years later, the fascination with the possibility that this is in fact the lost Atlantis continues to intrigue archaeologists and historians today.
Certainly Plato is known to have borrowed some of his stories, allegories and metaphors from older oral traditions, and it may never be demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that Santorini is the legendary lost civilization of the Atlantis.
Yet there seems to be plenty of evidence that this impossibly wealthy island – with its cobblestone streets, fancifully decorated houses and luxuries of all kinds – may well be the same Atlantis that has gone down in history and folklore.