Since 1904, researchers have been aware of what just might be the real-life inspiration for the fictional lost city of Atlantis.
Because of long-continuing research about the sunken town of Pavlopetri, archaeologists now know more about this ancient city than ever before. Is Pavlopetri the real-life Atlantis that people have been searching for?
The Myth of Atlantis
Atlantis was first created by ancient Greek philosopher Plato as part of an allegory on the hubris of certain nations. Once an incredibly powerful empire, the Greek Gods turn on the fictional city (and sink it into the ocean) when they attempt to conquer Ancient Athens.
Although it is not a terribly important part of Plato’s work, the idea of Atlantis has exploded in the world of literature. Atlantis or Atlantis-inspired cities in media tend to be technologically advanced, utopian-leaning, glittering lost empires.
Discovering Pavlopetri
In 1904, a geologist named Folkion Negris found something strange: a sunken ancient town. It was found off the coast of Greece’s southern Peloponnese region.
The town was dubbed Pavlopetri and is thought to be about 5,000 years old. The town has a long history of exploration, and researchers are still uncovering information about it today.
Exploring a Sunken City
The underwater town was widely unexplored until 1967. That year, Nicholas Flemming—who worked at the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Southampton—rediscovered the site.
In 1968, Flemming and a group of archaeologists from the University of Cambridge spent about six weeks surveying the sunken city. It is about 10 to 13 feet under the surface of the water.
Finding Ancient Treasures
The researchers mapped out the ancient town to the best of their ability. They discovered at least 15 buildings, as well as courtyards, streets, and tombs.
They also found several artifacts, like blades, pottery, and an especially interesting small bronze figurine. They believed that this figurine was from between 2800 and 1180 BC. They guessed that the buildings themselves were from 1650 to 1180 BC.
Further Attention in 2009
It took another 40 years for anyone to explore the city of Pavlopetri further. An international team of researchers from the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the Hellenic Centre for Maritime Research, and the University of Nottingham decided they wanted to explore the town in more detail.
In 2009, the group of researchers began a five-year project to excavate and explore Pavlopetri in detail.
Larger Than Initially Thought
Because of the exploration done in 1968, Pavlopetri was thought to be a rather small town. During the 2009-2013 survey of the sunken city, the team discovered an additional 97,000 square feet (9,000 square meters) of ruins.
The newly-found area of the city included several buildings, including a large rectangular hall. They also found a previously hidden street and the buildings which lined it.
A Bustling Town
During the excavation, the researchers found ceramics which confirmed that the city existed during the Mycenaean period. The Mycenaean period was the last phase of the Bronze Age in ancient Greece, which occurred from 1600 to 1100 BC.
Additionally, there was evidence that Pavlopetri had been occupied from around 3000 BCE up to 1100 BC. This makes Pavlopetri the oldest sunken town that has been found. During the time when the city was active, it would have had a population of 500 to 2,000 individuals.
Why Did it Sink?
Scientists are still unsure why Pavlopetri is currently at the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps it was a victim of rising sea waters. Most researchers believe that it almost certainly sank during some catastrophic event.
Some researchers believe that it sank in an earthquake. There are two most probable possibilities: one around 1000 BC or another around 375 AD.
The Inspiration for Atlantis?
Many people throughout time have debated about what ancient empire might have inspired Plato to create the fictional Atlantis. Although some people have suggested Pavlopetri might have been the inspiration, it probably wasn’t in actuality.
Plato was alive from roughly 427 to 348 BC. Although some experts think that Pavlopetri sank in 1000 BC, others believe it was in 375 AD, which is far after Plato’s death. Additionally, Pavlopetri was almost certainly not a power-hungry and hubris-filled empire. Pavlopetri and Atlantis did suffer a similar fate, but for now it seems that the search for the real-life Atlantis is still ongoing.
