270 The Real Story Of Atlantis An Underwater Utopia

The ancient civilization of Atlantis was a utopia. It was lush and full of food and
wildlife. And the people of Atlantis were wise and just. They were a knowledgeable
society capable of amazing feats of architecture and engineering. Most people believe
that the story of Atlantis is just a legend, but some say it was a real place that was
destroyed by a flood and earthquakes.

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato learned of the lost civilization of Atlantis from a
relative named Solon. Plato said that Solon visited Egypt around 600 BC, where he
learned of Atlantis from priests at the Temple of Sais. The priests said that Atlantis was
destroyed 9,000 years before the time of Solon. This would place Atlantis at
approximately 9600 BC. According to author and historian Graham Hancock, this
timing is significant.

Throughout history, many explorers have searched for the lost city of Atlantis, but have
failed to find it. These days, the story of Atlantis is generally thought of as a myth, but
that might be changing. New evidence points to a global disaster, which could have
caused its destruction.

After the last great ice age ended about 15,000 years ago, the world began warming
again. Then after thousands of years of warming, temperatures plummeted and then rose
again rapidly 1200 years later. This event is called the Younger Dryas. At the beginning
and end of the Younger Dryas, the rapid climate change wreaked havoc on our world.
This event ended in approximately 9600 BC the same time that Plato said Atlantis was
destroyed.

Some scientists believe that the climate change of the Younger Dryas was caused by
comet fragments. Regardless of the cause, the sudden warming would have caused
flooding in some areas.

Many ancient cultures tell stories of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. In
the Bible, Noah builds a boat to save people from a catastrophic flood. According to
other legends, destruction comes from the sky, which could actually be stories of
comets. Other ancient stories speak of a time when the world was on fire or a time when
the earth shook. Graham Hancock claims that these ancient legends and what we know
of the earths history of climate change both support Platos story of the destruction of
Atlantis. Indeed, the timing of the Younger Dryas and the timing of Platos account of
Atlantis appear to be spot on.

Vocabulary
civilization
an advanced stage of society or culture
utopia
a paradise, a perfect place
feats
accomplishments
myth
a traditional but not factually accurate story about the early history of a people
plummeted
fell rapidly
wreaked havoc
to ruin or destroy something
spot on
accurate