What was Atlantis? 🏞️

 

According to many texts, Atlantis was an old empire that got wiped out around 9,000 years before Plato‘s time. It was first described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato around 360 BCE as a powerful naval empire that sank into the ocean. It acts as a cautionary tale of hubris, symbolizing an advanced, but immoral civilization destroyed by gods.

Plato describes Atlantis in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias. A legendary island civilization described, Atlantis was a powerful and wealthy island kingdom located “beyond the Pillars of Hercules” (commonly interpreted as beyond the Strait of Gibraltar). It was said to be highly advanced and militarily strong, but over time its society became morally corrupt and expansionist. As a result, it was ultimately destroyed by divine punishment and supposedly sank beneath the sea “in a single day and night”.

In Plato’s description, Atlantis was an impressive civilization featuring concentric rings of land and water, grand temples, advanced engineering, an organized political system ruled by semi-divine kings, and abundant natural resources.

Despite these detailed descriptions, most modern scholars argue that Atlantis was not a real place, but a philosophical allegory used by Plato to illustrate moral decline and possibly to critique imperial societies such as Athens. There is no confirmed archaeological evidence that Atlantis ever existed.

However, more modern theories and new evidence suggest that Atlantis may have been a real place and civilization. Some suggest it could reflect memories of ancient catastrophes such as post-Ice Age flooding, while others link it to lost civilizations or misinterpreted historical accounts. Popular modern hypotheses place Atlantis in regions such as the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, or even the Sahara (for example, the Richat Structure theory).

Atlantis remains famous because it blends philosophical storytelling, historical mystery, and humanity’s fascination with lost advanced civilizations. Over time, it has become a cornerstone of mythology, esoteric traditions, alternative archaeology, and modern popular culture.

 

Researchers and Books of Atlantis 📚

 

Further down this post there are videos from Jimmy Corsetti and Matthew LaCroix who have researched into the lost empire including possible locations and modern archaeological findings that provide further evidence of the ancient city.

Matthew LaCroix is the founder of ‘The Stage of Time‘ and describes himself as, “An author, ancient history researcher, and media creator who has extensively studied the secrets of lost civilizations, megaliths, and ancient texts for over a decade.” He and Billy Carson co-wrote bestseller ‘The Epic of Humanity‘ (the first video below discusses this). 

Jimmy Corsetti is the founder of Bright Insight where he makes video presentations on topics such as ancient mysteries, conspiracies, and the cosmos to create conversations, and get people to think for themselves. He’s an independent researcher, Master of Business Administration (MBA) with Marketing focus and a Bachelor of Communication & Sociology; Minor: Religious Studies. This includes in depth research on subjects such as, lost ancient civilizations, the cosmos, philosophy, and spirituality.

 

Atlantis Research Videos 🎥

 

The videos below give further insight into research on Atlantis, all agree that Atlantis was a real place.

Videos 1, 2, & 3 – ‘Bright Insight’ on Atlantis & its Location

In these videos, Jimmy of ‘Bright Insight’ argues that the Richat Structure (also called the “Eye of the Sahara”) is very likely the lost city of Atlantis described by Plato. Here are some of the main points.

1. The Richat Structure’s Strong Physical Similarities to Plato’s Atlantis

• Concentric rings – Matches Atlantis’ layout of 3 water rings + 2 land rings.
• Size – Roughly the same diameter as Plato’s measurements.
• Geography – Mountains to the north (with rivers), opening to the south (toward the sea), large flat plains surrounding it, and central freshwater source despite surrounding saltwater wells.
• The number and precision of matches to Plato’s Atlantis appear to go beyond coincidence.

2. Location Clues from Ancient Sources

• Atlantis story originates from Egypt, recorded by Solon and passed to Plato.
• A map attributed to Herodotus allegedly shows “Atlantis” in Northwest Africa.
• The region contains the Atlas Mountains.
• A legendary king named Atlas (same name as Atlantis’ ruler) is linked to the region’s ancient inhabitants (Berbers/Mauri).
• Name and map connections link to Plato’s Atlantis.

3. Geological Explanation (How Atlantis “Sank”)

• The Richat Structure formed from a collapsed and uplifted dome.
• This could match Plato’s story of Atlantis; earthquake leads to sinking, which leads to later uplift.
• The area may have once been at sea level, then rose over time due to geological activity.

4. Evidence the Area Was Once Underwater

• Saltwater deep underground far inland.
• Freshwater spring at the center (as Plato described).
• Reports of whale bones in the desert and marine remnants after rain.
• Past existence of rivers, massive lakes, and a greener Sahara.
• Evidence suggests the region was once coastal or submerged.

5. Archaeological Hints

• Pottery
• Arrowheads
• Jewelry
• Stone spheres
• Cave art showing elephants (also mentioned by Plato)

6. Catastrophic Destruction Theory

• Massive flooding (possibly from an ocean tsunami, Sahara lake drainage, or Mediterranean overflow)
• A rapid, violent event (matching Plato’s “one day and night” destruction).
• This could explain why no major structures remain.

7. Broader Narrative

• Ancient civilizations may have been far older and more advanced than mainstream history claims.
• Institutions and academia allegedly ignore or suppress such possibilities.
• The Richat Structure is “hidden in plain sight” and deserves excavation.

Videos 4 & 5 – Matthew LaCroix on Atlantis

Matt LaCroix argues that Atlantis was a real, ancient global civilization, and that new archaeological discoveries around the world continue to support this idea rather than the mainstream view that Atlantis is purely myth. Points made include those listed below.

1. Atlantis as a Global Civilization (Not a Single City)

• Atlantis was a widespread civilization or cultural network.
• It influenced multiple ancient regions.
• Evidence appears worldwide, not localized.

2. Archaeological “Anomalies” Used as Evidence

• Sites that appear too advanced or too old for mainstream timelines, that show shared knowledge or lost common origin.
• Göbekli Tepe – Extremely early monumental architecture, suggesting advanced symbolic culture earlier than expected.
• Megalithic sites – In Egypt, South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

3. Cataclysm/Flood Narrative

• Atlantis was destroyed by a global or regional catastrophe; rapid climate change, flooding at the end of the Ice Age, and/or sea level rise.
• This destruction can explain sudden cultural resets, loss of advanced knowledge, and disconnected ancient civilizations.

4. “Forbidden History” Theme

• Mainstream archaeology underestimates ancient human capability; ignores or downplays anomalies and fits discoveries into a rigid timeline.
• Alternative archaeology is a “puzzle slowly being reconstructed”.

5. Shared Ancient Knowledge

• Pyramid-like structures across continents (as shown in this post).
• Astronomical alignment in temples.
• Symbolic similarities in mythology.
• These are not independent inventions; they come from a shared ancestral source (Atlantis).

6. Summary

• Archaeological sites around the world (especially very ancient and mysterious ones) suggest the existence of a lost advanced civilization often identified as Atlantis.
• This may have influenced multiple cultures before being destroyed in a global catastrophe.

You can read more on Atlantis here and on ancient history here.