Some people claim the city of Atlantis was on Thera, but there is no rectangular plain
on Thera, so they say the rectangular plain was on Crete if you divide the dimensions by 10.
The contour map below shows that there is no perfectly level rectangular plain on Crete either,
and that even when the dimensions are divided by 10, it would still be too large to fit on Crete.....
Relief map of Crete shows no rectangular plain
Enlargement of map shows there is no "smooth and level" plain on Crete.
Comparison of the plain around the Guadalquivir river, Spain, and the rectangular plain on the Altiplano, Bolivia.
above, graphic published by Georgeos Díaz-Montexano claiming that the smooth and level rectangular plain of 3,000 x 2,000 stades enclosed by mountains can be found in the region of the Guadalquivir river, Spain.
above, relief map showing the region of the Guadalquivir River, Spain. There is no level, rectangular plain in the proportion of 3,000 x 2,000 stades as claimed by Georgeos Díaz-Montexano whether using a Greek stade of 184 metres or a smaller Egyptian stade of 52.4 metres
Above, relief map published by Bartholomews "Atlas of the World", showing the region of the Guadalquivir River, Spain. There is no level, rectangular plain in the proportion of 3,000 x 2,000 stades as claimed by Georgeos Díaz-Montexano whether using a Greek stade of 184 metres or a smaller Egyptian stade of 52.4 metres
Sicily
Sardinia
Above left, enlargement showing the Campidano plain on
Sardinia and right, its location can be seen in the south-west corner of Sardinia.
This has also been claimed as the Plain of Atlantis yet it measures only
55 nautical miles by about 10 nautical miles (100km x 20km)
making it 550 stades by 100 stades instead of 3,000 stades by 2,000 stades
and whereas
Plato's plain was in the ratio of 3:2 this tiny
plain is more of a corridor in the ratio of 5:1.
Like Sicily and most other islands
in the Mediterranean, it has little correspondence
to the actual geographic description that Plato gave
apart from being mountainous and having hot and cold springs -
even Orichalcum which Plato called "the most precious of
the metals then known"
in the Sardinian theory has been converted into volcanic glass called Obsidian.
The Pillars of Hercules become relocated in the Straits of Messina, this small
island is hardly the size of "Libya and Asia combined", neither is it in the
Atlantic Ocean, it is not sunken or destroyed by earthquakes and there
is no evidence of any sunken island with concentric rings - in short,
along with virtually all the Mediterranean islands, it
is virtually the opposite of the island described by Plato.
Azores.
Atlantic Ocean.
Antarctica.
America.
Herodotus Book 1, para 181 tell us that the Tower in Babylon measured "a furlong in length and breadth."
That should have made the Tower 660 feet x 660 feet whereas in reality in modern times it has been quoted as
being 300 feet
on each side,
so there is a precedent for a smaller "stade" of 300 feet or more probably 297 feet or 330 feet if the Tower were built
in Babylonian units.
Plato: "Now as a result of natural forces, together with the labours of many kings which extended
over many ages, the condition of the plain was this. It was originally a quadrangle, rectilinear
for the most part, and elongated;
In the first place, then, according to the account, the whole region rose sheer out of the sea
to a great height, but the part about the city was all a smooth plain, enclosing it round about,
and being itself encircled by mountains which stretched as far as to the sea; and this plain had
a level surface and was as a whole rectangular in shape, being 3,000 stades long on either side
and 2,000 stades wide at its centre, reckoning upwards from the sea."
translation: R.G.Bury, LOEB Classical library.
Note, the plain measures 2,000 stades wide at its centre, measuring upwards or across from the sea,
not 3,000 stades upwards from the sea as shown by Georgeos Díaz-Montexano and others who similarly claim to
have found the plain, much reduced in size, in various locations.
The shape of the rectangular plain is broadly defined by the 13,000ft contour,
here marked in black with level ground shown in light green including the
Salars which are absolutely level and shown speckled white. I have marked the 12,000ft contour in blue
and a perimeter canal would probably have run somewhere between the 12,000ft contour
and the 13,000ft contour although levels are different today due to the sinking in elevation of this region.
It is very noticeable how the overall dimensions of the plain can be defined as 3,000 x 2,000 stades using the
half furlong of 330ft and measuring to the 12,000ft contours, particularly in defining the length of the plain
as the water seems to find a natural boundary today around the 12,000ft contour at the southern edge
of the Salar de Uyuni.
It is easily seen how feasible it would have been to construct a canal following the 12,000ft
contour which would make a circuit of the plain, possibly taking a short cut through Llica or Tres Cruces.
An actual section of wide channel remains at
Estancia Rosa Pata, between the present 12,000ft contour and the lake.
The plain can also be seen
as Lee called it "it was naturally a long regular rectangle".(118c)
Above left, traditional interpretation of the rectangular plain (published by LOEB Classical library) with location
of the ringed island in its centre, next to the sea.
Above right, Artists impression for comparison to the LOEB drawing
showing location of the ringed island at Pampa Aullagas in the correct position. In practice the perimeter canal would
have had to follow the contours around the plain allowing for volcanic outcrops as it says in the Jowett translation
"winding its way around the plain". See preceeding topographical map for actual topography.
Plato said the island metropolis with the concentric rings of land was
"near the plain, over against its centre, at a distance of about fifty stades, there stood a mountain that
was low on all sides" (translation R.G. Bury) and also
that it was "50 stades from the sea" and that is where we find the ruined island at Pampa Aullagas on the
level Altiplano, fifty stades from the inland sea called "Poopo Sea" or Lake Poopo and the only proposed Atlantis
site in the world which actually has concentric rings of land and alternating channels.
Argentina.
A recent theory by Doug Fisher claims that the region known
as Entre Rios (between rivers) bordering Argentina and Uruguay was the rectangular plain of Atlantis. Doug's figures are in Statute Miles.
A statue mile is 5280 feet while a geographic or nautical mile is 6076.824 feet. If Plato's stades were meant to
be Greek stades, then they would be
1/10th of a geographic mile.
Above, map showing the region between the rios Paraguay and the rio Parana. Anyone can check the scale and find
that it does not measure the 3,000 stades x 2,000 stades. It is easy to make a scale bar because
5 degrees of latitude are 300 geographic miles or 3,000 Greek stades. We can easily measure the enclosed area and
find that between the northern branch of the rio Parana and the entrance to the river system
in the south-east corner is more like 4,000 Greek stades, and we also find that the width of the area
at its narowest point
is 900 stades while at its widest point about 1400 Greek stades.
Besides, it does not match Plato's description because it was the plain which was "naturally" quadrangular,
and what it lacked of this shape they made right by a ditch or canal dug round about it. It does not say that
it was enclosed or formed by natural rivers. Additionally the whole region "rose sheer out of
the sea to a great height"
and the plain was "enclosed by mountains" which the land between the rivers is not, - here is what Plato says
(Critias 118c) "the part about the city was all a smooth plain, enclosing it round about, and being itself
encircled by mountains which stretched as far as to the sea; and this plain had a level surface
and was as a whole rectangualar in shape,
being 3,000 stades long on either side and 2,000 stades wide at its centre, reckoning upwards form the sea".
According to Doug's calculations, "Mesopotamia forms a slightly leaner rectangle with approximate
dimensions of 1,550 x 3,700 stadia (180 miles x 425 miles) compared to Atlantis' 2,000 x 3,000 stadia
(230 miles x 345 miles). However, this discrepancy can easily be attributed to the measurements having
been rounded to the nearest thousand." But Plato clearly states that it is 2,000 stades wide at it
centre and 3,000 stades long on either side, while if we "round up" 3,700 stades to the nearest
round number it would be 4,000 stades....
There is an even vaster section of
open plain to the west in the Chaco. Furthermore the supposed site of the city on Doug's map is a river delta composed
of alluvial material while the capital city of Atlantis was a mountain made of rock - it was also composed of alternating
rings of rock and water - none of which can be detected at Doug's city site at the river entrances
on satellite imagery ... which is not circular but violin shaped! Again, the site of the city was in the centre of the plain
which "enclosed it round about", and an island at the entrance to the rios Parana and Uruguay isn't enclosed round about by the plain....
Instead of a canal to the sea, this island is in a fork of the river with channels on either side and for that reason
I considered it a few years
ago while looking for the site of Tarshish because it would have made a good base for the Atlanteans or Phoenicians
making their first landfall after ocean voyages. So it remains an interesting island all the same. The region "Entre Rios"
although not corresponding to the Atlantis description is also an interesting choice because of a geographical
curiosity - that it is the same number
of degrees South that its counterpart in Iraq is North. It would be interesting to do further studies there
to see if any remains of ancient canals can be detected since there is another large area in South America called
the Beni (in Bolivia) which not only has also been claimed as the Plain of Atlantis but is also criss crossed by
thousands of straight line canals and circular mounds where people used to live.
It should be noted that the centre of the site, instead of being a volcanic island or mountain, is a lake,
it is also a feature on an alluvial plain and appears to be what one would call a "double ox bow"
formation of the river. It would remain to be visited to see what was there.
In fact the plains in the Beni region constitute quite a large area
and are not a natural rectangle, particlarly being open on the north-west side and on the south east side where
they continue into the Llanos de Guarayos.
All the same it gives the reader an idea of just how vast this continent is, when it can accommodate not only the Entre Rios plain described by Doug Fisher,
but fit another four plains of similar size into the Chaco, apart from the Beni plain described by David Antelo, several more again which could be fitted into Amazonia
then of course in addition we have the original Atlantis plain enclosed by mountains found on the Altiplano.
Some more World Views
Above, this interesting projection shows the land masses of the world in equal area so
Greenland appears the correct size, about one seventh the size of South America. It is not
hard to see the continent which is opposite the Pillars of Hercules
and which Plato said was "larger than Libya and Asia combined." "Libya" at that time meant
North Africa, and Asia is thought to have meant the Near and Middle East. The vast size of
South America is often not fully appreciated on most map projections which show Greenland as about the same size
as South America due to stretching of the map in northern latitudes (Mercator projections).
We can also compare
the sizes of Crete, Sicily or Sardinia for example and they become mere dots compared to the size of the continent of Atlantis/America.
Some claim that this is the plain of Atlantis on Sicily!
This tiny area on Sicily is only 20 miles long by about 10 miles wide! And even then, it
is the wrong way round, measuring upwards from the sea!
Enlargement showing there is no smooth and level rectangular plain enclosed by mountains on Sicily.
Above, There is no rectangular plain in the Azores and there is no sunken continent in the Azores.
Above, There is no rectangular plain or sunken continent
in the Atlantic Ocean and according to modern geologists, it would be impossible for
a complete continent to sink in the space of a day and night as Plato said.
According to the latest studies, the age of the Antarctic ice is 400,000 years, Click for report.
Antactica is a popular choice amongst some enthusiasts
but at the time Plato spoke of
it was already under ice for thousands of years,
Above, Antarctica free of ice would be only half its present size
and whether with or without the ice, there is no
rectangular plain on Antarctica
Above, there is a continent opposite the Pillars of Hercules which is the size of "Asia and Libya combined".
Above, the continent which has the rectangular plain
in the centre of the continent is South America.
Above, in the centre of this continent using the
description Plato gave "in the centre of the continent, next to the sea
and midway along its greatest length", we find the rectangular plain Plato described..
The Altiplano, Bolivia.
Below,
relief map based on Bartholomews "Atlas of the World", showing the rectangular level
plain in the Altiplano, Bolivia. It is next to the inland sea called lake Poopo and in the correct
proportions of 3,000 x 2,000 stades using
a stade of about 300 feet (92 metres). Since the Altiplano is such a large area, we do not know exactly where they
would have measured from so the stade could vary between half a Greek stade at say 303ft or more probably be
a "Sumerian" stade of 297ft which would be 180 Sumerian cubits or it could equally well be a stade of 330 feet which would be half a Sumerian furlong and 200 Sumerian cubits.
See Atlantis stade and actual plots found in Mexico.
Above, the width of the plain at its centre, measuring "upwards from the sea" (Bury translation)
is
very much 2,000 stades using the 300ft stade (or 297 feet stade).
There again, forgetting Bury's version of "measuring upwards from the sea",
if the dimensions of the plain were the overall
dimensions such as in Jowett's "Across the centre inland it was 2,000 stadia" and it was meant that the width was the width at the
widest point in the general area of the sea, then measuring as
in the above diagram, from the 12,000ft contour on the western
side across the width of the actual plain including the sea gives a width of 2,000
"stades" or half furlongs of 330 feet.
Considering the plain was divided into allotments,
it probably depended on which units best fitted with the units used for the allotments, and the stade of
a half furlong of 330 feet is double the stade of 165 feet which seems to have been used to
measure the circular site at Pampa Aullagas and which has also been found in allotments of 10 x 10 stades in Mexico.
The reader can easily scale the image since one degree of latitude is 60 x nautical miles.
Above, the allotment of 10 x 10 stades of 330ft can be divided into 20 x 20 "setat" of land
or it can be divided into 4 quarters each of 10 x 10 stades of 165ft and correspondingly, 10 x 10 setat of land,
so each quarter could support 10 landholders or familes and under the decimal Inca system the lowest
economic unit was a block of 10 workers controlled by a "straw boss". (see atlantis stade)
Satellite photo of the site at Pampa Aullagas. The remains of three sandy
channels separated by two rings of land can be seen on the western side of the island.
Since identification and publication of the rectangular plain of Atlantis as the Altiplano in Bolivia, two
other proponents of South America have come along putting forward the Beni and Argentina respectively as the plain of Atlantis,
but if we look closely these locations again do not fit the description as well as the Altiplano.
Above, Doug Fisher's map showing the claimed area.
Above, the island at the entrance to the rio Parana.
Above, Doug's interpretation of the ringed island in the delta
uses only the western portion of the island..
Above, the site chosen is not circular and has no indication of any circular channels.
Above, it would not be possible to construct the seawall at a distance of
50 stades from the outer ring because it would fall in the river estuary.
The Beni, Bolivia.
No so long ago the theory was put forward by Bolivian engineer David Antelo that a region of the Beni
was the plain of Atlantis, and following on from a circular drawing he found in a cave he identified
by Google Earth a circular formation on a river near lake Roja Aguado which he claimed was the original city of Atlantis. I believe
he has subsequently modified his claims to state that it was not the Atlantis of Plato, but the Atlantis of the Antis Indians
and "land of the Musus". This may be because the canals and earthworks in this region are not thought old enough to belong to Plato's Atlantis. It is worthwhile to view the film
"Atlantida de las Musus - Beni" which shows some of the many straight line canals found in the region.
Above, David Antelo's interpretation of the site.
Google Earth satelite image of the site.
Above, the rectangular plain claimed by David Antelo as the Plain of Atlantis. Like the plain
of Doug Fisher, it is similarly bounded by natural rivers rather than defined by mountains or man-made canals.
In this case the northern boundary is said to be the rio Guapore
and the western boundary
is said to be the rio Madre de Dios.
Another equal area projection showing the continent opposite the Pillars of Hercules.
The geosphere composed from satellite images gives a sense of Atlantis/South America as an island....
