Is Antarctica The Land Known as Atlantis?
It's a theory that has gained a second wind in recent weeks
The lost land of Atlantis is a source of great debate. Some people believe it was a utopian society, on which democracy was built. Others believe that it was nothing more than a creation by Plato to drive home a point about how people should conduct themselves.
There is evidence that while Plato is the only one to write about the land, it did exist. The Piri Reis map of 1513 shows that the land mass likely was real. It also shows something that a lot of people didn’t connect.
Antarctica may be the lost civilization of Atlantis.
When Charles Hapgood released his book, “Earth’s Shifting Crust,” in 1953, the theory of Antarctica being Atlantis hit the mainstream. He posited that crustal displacement could have moved the land away from Greece and out of the Atlantic Ocean.
Along with this theory came some history. Major earthquakes happen in the Atlantic Ocean, so it would not be out of the question. And one with enough power behind it could move a huge piece of land.
But is this all silly conjecture?
Some people say it is. One of the big points this group points out is the aforementioned fact that Plato is the only person who really talked about Atlantis. Because of this, the argument contends that the philosopher made it up.
The naysayers also say that just because the Piri Reis map shows a land mass that resembles Atlantis doesn't mean it existed. Because there’s no scientific evidence to prove the civilization existed, there’s no way that it could have been real.
What if it was real, though?
Scientists and others who rule out the possibility of Atlantis being real are ignoring breakthroughs that happen all the time. With advancing technology and a better understanding of how the Earth works, former theories have changed and evolved.
Take for instance the Binni Road, which is deep beneath the waters of the Bahamas. It is called the “Lost Highway to Atlantis,” and offers a clue to the mysteries of history. The discovery builds a bridge between the lost land being a piece of mythology and it being real.
Not enough to change minds?
How about the discovery of a lost city? One that no one actually knew existed for centuries. In November 2024, The Travel reported that the city of Dwarka was discovered beneath the Arabian Sea. Many people wrote the city off as nothing more than part of a religious text, a myth.
Sound familiar?
The fact that Dwarka was found should raise hope that one day Atlantis can also be found. It should also be noted that the city-state was not found in the original location where scientists and explorers believed it to be.
Because of this, some believe that the Atlantis debate should be flipped. They say that it should not be asking if the lost land was real, but rather where did it go?
Antarctica is one of the best theories that has arisen. Looking at the Piri Reis map indicates that Atlantis and the isolated continent were one and the same. There are also claims that what is buried under the ice could help uncover the answers.
Also lending some weight to Hapgood’s theory is that renowned genius, Albert Einstein, wrote the forward to his book. It is believed that is part of the reason why it took off the way it did.
One question should be at the center of the new debate, how did Atlantis move so far away from the original location?
Part of the Atlantis myth is that the island was sunk by an earthquake. Plato wrote that the land was filled with mountains, which fits with the Antarctica theory almost perfectly. But could the disaster have been enough to move the land mass so far away?
Maybe.
In 226 BC, there was a disaster known as the Rhodes Earthquake. Experts believe that it was one of the biggest quakes in history, given the amount of damage that was done to cities that remained standing.
Skeptics point to a lack of evidence for Atlantis existing in the first place. So, they don’t believe that a natural disaster could have been the reason why it disappeared. Even when faced with evidence of other so-called mythological cities being found, they contend that it doesn’t sound feasible.
Yet, the discovery of Dwarka would point to something being wrong with that argument. It is true that Atlantis has not been found yet. But the operative word would be “yet.”
And while an argument could be made that it is far-fetched that Atlantis is buried in the ice of Antarctica, history shows that the far-fetched can be the answer.
What do you think? Is Atlantis real? And if so, where do you think it is located?
Graham Hancock has some interesting theories about our history; his Ancient Apocalypse series was a good watch. I do think there's a lot we don't know about our history. If humanity were wiped out today, we would leave little trace to prove our modern yet very advanced civilisation.