Scientists Find Location That Might Have Inspired Plato’s Mythical Atlantis

The lost city of Atlantis has always captured the imagination of many a lover of the unsolved mysteries of the distant past.

A group of scientists from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), however, might fuel talks about the legendary city anew, as they discovered a submerged mountain off the coast of the island of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands cluster off the coast of West Africa administered by Spain, which fits the description of Plato’s mythical place

The enormous underwater mount comprises three inactive volcanoes and is part of an ancient archipelago, with the scientists claiming the ecosystem could have inspired the ancient Greek philosopher’s fabled place, as it seems like an ideal location for a civilization to thrive.

While no one is claiming to have discovered the legendary city, the find has stirred considerable interest online. The seamount’s location and geological features grippingly match Plato’s description of the lost civilization, suggesting the legend may have roots in actual geological events.

Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with ultra-high-resolution cameras and robotic arms, the group of scientists has launched an ambitious exploration under the GME-CSIC Atlantis program to better understand underwater volcanic and hydrothermal activity in the region, according to media reports.

One geologist cited by the Daily Mail explained that during the Eocene epoch, a geological epoch that lasted between 56 and 34 million years ago, the formation likely consisted of a chain of islands. When the volcanoes ceased to be active, the lava solidified, becoming denser and heavier, which caused the entire structure to sink to the ocean floor.

Atlantis was first introduced by Plato in his two dialogues, “Timaeus” and “Critias,” written in the fourth century BC. Plato credited the story to the Athenian lawmaker Solon, who allegedly heard it from Egyptian priests. According to their account, Atlantis was inhabited by an extraordinarily wealthy and advanced society that was ultimately destroyed by a cataclysm of epic proportions. Its remains were said to lie beyond the Pillars of Hercules—what is today known as the Strait of Gibraltar, leading into the Atlantic Ocean.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}