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 |  Subject: Was Sardinia home to Atlantis?  Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:57 am | |
| Was Sardinia home to Atlantis? Comet triggered an enormous tidal wave that wiped out ancient civilisation, experts claim
- Writer and Atlantis expert Sergio Frau says the southern end of Sardinia in the Mediterranean resembles an underwater Pompeii
- This may have been the inspiration for Plato's fictional Island of Atlantis
- Frau believes a tidal wave caused by a comet may washed the ancient civilisation away in 1,175 BC, taking the island back to a dark age
By SARAH GRIFFITHS FOR MAILONLINEPUBLISHED: 04:45 EST, 17 August 2015 | UPDATED: 06:36 EST, 17 August 2015The island of Sardinia may be Plato’s island of Atlantis, an expert claims.Writer and Atlantis expert Sergio Frau says the southern end of the Mediterranean isle resembles an underwater Pompeii, which may have been the inspiration for Plato’s fictional Island of Atlantis.He and another expert believe a tidal wave that was caused by a comet washed the ancient civilisation away in the second millennium BC, taking the island back to a dark age. +7Writer and Atlantis expert Sergio Frau says the southern end of Sardinia in the Mediterranean resembles an underwater Pompeii, which may have been the inspiration for Plato’s fictional Island of Atlantis (illustrated)Mr Frau, who is one of the founders of Italian newspaper La Repubblica, was joined by a dozen Italian scientists when visiting the island in June, La Monde via The Guardian reported.He believes the island is Plato’s Atlas, or Atlantis, contradicting the long-held view that inspiration for the fictional island lies somewhere in the strait of Gibraltar.The writer said that the southern tip of Sardinia resembles ‘a marine Pompeii submerged by mud’ where metal tools, ceramics, pots and oil lamps were found in the mid-20th Century, in a state suggesting people hastily abandoned the site.He wanted to uncover why Sardinia was plunged into a ‘dark age’ in 1,175 BC.Nuraghi, which are megalithic fortresses with a central tower dating from between the 16th and 12th century BC suggest the civilisation was quite advanced before disaster struck. +7The writer said that the southern tip of Sardinia resembles ‘a marine Pompeii submerged by mud’ where metal tools, ceramics, pots and oil lamps were found in the mid-20th Century, in a state suggesting people hastily abandoned the site. A map of the island is shown +7Nuraghi, which are megalithic fortresses with a central tower dating from between the 16th and 12th century BC suggest the civilisation was quite advanced before disaster struck in 1,175 BC. This image shows Su Nuraxi, at Barumini which is now a Unesco World Herritage Sitehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3200738/Was-Sardinia-home-Atlantis-Comet-triggered-enormous-tidal-wave-wiped-ancient-civilisation-experts-claim.html#v-4426574208001Sardinia's ancient fortress Su Nuraxi discovered in 1950 Between 9,000 and 20,000 of these mid Bronze Age structures have been registered over the past 20 years, including 20 on the plateau of Giara, which rises 1,968 feet (600 metres) above sea level, stretching over 16 square miles (42 square kilometres).The most complex is Su Nuraxi, at Barumini, which was discovered in 1950.The fortress, constructed from huge basalt blocks, is surrounded by a maze of circular walls – the remnants of a later hamlet.Its central tower is conical and covered with a dome dating from the 16th century BC, with four more turrets added in the 12th century BC. +7Atlantis was first described by the Greek philosopher Plato more than 2,000 years ago. A bust is picturedThe turrets are connected by underground tunnels as well as a storage cavity used to keep food at a steady 12°C throughout the year.No one is sure exactly what they were used for and suggestions range from defences, houses for lords and towers for signalling and spreading news, such as the fall of Troy.Another complex settlement at Su Mulinu, near Villanovafranca has been studied, including a large bastion dating from 1,400BC.Hundreds of terracotta oil lamps and gold, silver and crystal jewellery were found, as well as a limestone altar, which suggest the site was used to worship the sun.But from 1,175BC archaeologists say Sardinia entered a dark age and classical writers such as Plutarch claim islanders took refuge on high land or fled to Etruaria, which is now in central Italy.Ancient documents suggest a huge tidal wave swept over the island, forcing people to flee and now modern scholars have suggested it was caused by a comet.Experts say a wave may explain the flat Campidano plain, which stretched from Cagliari to the Phoenician port of Tharros in the south of the island. In a conference held in Sardara, Stefano Tinti, a geophysicist and expert on tidal waves, explained that until the 1980s, experts did not know that tidal waves had devastated towns in the Mediterranean.But now 350 events have been pinpointed in the last 2,500 years.He said that a comet landing in the sea near to a coast could have caused walls of water 1,640 feet (500 metres) high to ruin the nuraghi and sweep across the plain of Campidano.So far there is no evidence to support his comet theory, but the professor believes his idea may explain why complex dwellings were abandoned so quickly.He said: ‘A falling comet strikes the sea at a speed of 20km a second. It takes less than a second for the wave to propagate, with a four or five fold increase in size.’  +7Such writing suggests a huge tidal wave swept over the island, forcing people to flee and some experts think it may have been caused by a comet striking near the coast, causing a 'wall' of water some 1,640 feet (500 metres) high to ruin the nuraghi +7The most complex of the Island's Bronze Age structures is Su Nuraxi, at Barumini, which was discovered in 1950. The fortress, constructed from huge basalt blocks, is surrounded by a maze of circular walls (pictured) – the remnants of a later hamletThe theory of a huge wave is supported by ancient documents. In the Old Testament, Ezekiel writes: ‘What city is like Tyrus [possibly Tharros], like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?‘…In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters.’An inscription in the temple of Ramesses III in Ancient Egypt, tells the tale of how foreign people saw an earthquake and water engulfed their land.A sea god called Nun sent a massive wave to destroy towns and villages.Frau and other experts believe these foreigners were Sardinian mercenaries employed by the pharaoh and that the tale is based on fact.Azzedine Beschaouch, former head of the Unesco world heritage centre said Frau’s research has shown the nuraghe civilisation was one of the focal points of the ancient world.He said experts need to give scientific, historical, cultural, political and emotional substance to the island’s mysterious past. SEA-GOING SUPERPOWER, OR WAS PLATO PLAYING POLITICS? Atlantis was first described by the Greek philosopher Plato more than 2,000 years ago.While many believe the story is a myth created by Plato to illustrate his theories about politics, others insist it is based on a real historical disaster.According to Plato's account, written around 360BC, Atlantis was a major sea power located in the Atlantic.It was larger than ancient Libya and Asia Minor (modern Turkey) put together, and was 'the way to the other islands, and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent'.His account included detailed descriptions of the island - with mountains in the north and along the coast, and a plain in the south. +7According to Plato's account, written around 360BC, Atlantis was a major sea power located in the Atlantic (a map is shown drawn by 17th century scholar Athanasius Kircher)Its kings were descended from Poseidon - the god of sea - but their divine lineage became diluted as they mixed with mortals.By around 9600BC the island had conquered much of Western Europe and Africa and enslaved its enemies.This date would make the city nearly as old as the end of the last ice age and pre-dates the earliest recorded city states, found in what is now Iraq, so seems rather unlikely.After a failed attempt to invade Athens, the entire island sank into the sea 'in a single day and night of misfortune'.Over the centuries, scholars have attempted to locate the real Atlantis - believing the account was based on a real ancient superpower.One of the most plausible theories is that Plato was describing the Minoan civilisation on Crete and the neighbouring island of Santorini which was devastated by a massive volcanic eruption around 1600BC.Some believe the Atlantis myth was inspired by the Black Sea floods of around 5,000 BC - an event that may have also generated the flood stories which appeared in the Old Testament.Read more:
- Was Sardinia home to the mythical civilisation of Atlantis? | Science | The Guardian
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3200738/Was-Sardinia-home-Atlantis-Comet-triggered-enormous-tidal-wave-wiped-ancient-civilisation-experts-claim.html#ixzz3j4nBWdOq
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