Google Rejects Atlantis Claim
In a story that was first reported by the British tabloid newspaper, the Sun, the recent addition of sea-floor topography to Google Earth has revealed an area that some claim could be the lost city of Atlantis. Situated in a region called the Madeira Abyssal Plane, a grid of criss-cross lines lying on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean 620 miles off the coast of north west Africa near the Canary Islands was spotted by aeronautical engineer Bernie Bamford as he browsed through Google Ocean. The perfect rectangle – which is reportedly the size of Wales – bears a resemblance to a modern city street grid. It is located at the co-ordinates 31 15’15.53N 24 15’30.53W. One of the world’s leading authorities on Atlantis and curator of historical archaeology at New York State University, Dr Charles Orser called it “fascinating”.
He said: “The site is one of the most prominent places for the proposed location of Atlantis, as described by Plato. Even if it turns out to be geographical, this definitely deserves a closer look.”
Google, in reply to the claims, says that the undersea grid lines are data artefacts rather than sunken streets.
“What users are seeing is an artifact of the data collection process. Bathymetric (or sea-floor terrain) data is often collected from boats using sonar to take measurements of the sea floor. The lines reflect the path of the boat as it gathers the data. The fact that there are blank spots between each of these lines is a sign of how little we really know about the world’s oceans.” In the past a number of amazing discoveries have been made in Google Earth including a pristine forest in Mozambique that is home to previously unknown species and the remains of an Ancient Roman villa. Geospatial applications like Google Earth and Google Maps are proving invaluable in a varity of uses including scientific, cultural and social endeavours. They are tools to helping us to understand and discover more about the world in which we live. For now Atlantis remains lost but who knows what may be revealed in the future!
Written By: Alistair Langston
Images Copyright Google Earth
I find the Sardinia Atlantis idea of Sergio Frau very plausible, demanding further scrutiny. With Google Earth satellite software, I show organized, concentric circle habitations all across various ocean floors including the Mediterranean.
The straits between Sardinia and Tunis are very narrow, showing ancient canal type structures, also showing massive mud inundations, concentric circle habitats, and converging roads/causeways.
I discuss these issues in my internet article on Architecture Week’s Fireside Forum, Ancient Underwater City-scapes, Visible with Google Earth?
The URL lookup is
http://fireside.designcommunity.com/topic-19642-90.html
What hasn’t been mentioned are the coincidentally similar etymology of the surrounding area… Zalita, Galita, Italia, which I believe are part of the Ahh-tee prefixing structure of the Atlantis name. The name of Atlantis has many cousins, such as “A-u-t” the Egyptian name of Osiris and Set, “Ha-i-tee” Sun and Moon, “Ah-ten” Sun Disk, “Ah-tee-los” Light of Aten, Ah-tee-na Athena, and of course Atlas. All of these names dance around the possibility of associated with Atlantis. “Ahh-tee-land-God”
Not that I am throwing my entire vote towards Sardinia, I am saying it should take further scientific review.
I think we as a people need to seek out the knowledge of our past. We need to explore the glaciers, turn up every grain of sand, and explore every inch of the ocean floor. Our planet still has many secretes about our human history. I think we are a fallen race that has forgotten allot. Its not right when we marvel at myths of cure all medicines, theories of ancient flight, and megalythic structures that couldn’t have been built before present day engineer.
I sometimes feel like we are a floundering race, doomed to repeat our ancester’s failiers.