Monthly Archives: March 2015

Mark Adams’ Atlantis in Morroco theory debunked

A new book, “See you in Atlantis” by Mark Adams, author of thebest seller “Turn right at Machu Pichu”, is supposed to be a light hearted but comprehensive overview of Atlantis theories. Unfortunately not that comprehensive as he appears not to have heard of the theory in “ATLANTIS and the Silver City”. He is getting good media coverage due to being a successful author and I wish him luck. I sent the following to the British Daily Mail as a comment on a report they carried in the Digital and Print editions

—————————————–

Atlantis….. on dry land.

Regarding your above news item in your 17th March edition.

In fact, a site for the Atlantis capital on dry land was first proposed in April 2013 in my book “ATLANTIS and the Silver City”, although it is not the one cited in your article. Millions have holidayed there and probably walked the medieval streets that now exist on the site originally occupied by the ancient capital city. Reviewers who were aware of the facts left us by Plato agreed that here was a book which for the first time detailed a theory that matched exactly what he wrote. Unfortunately, probably because I am not an academic, the media were disinterested.

Much of the great Atlantis plain that Plato referred to now forms the shallow seabed extending many miles south in front of Spain´s southern Andalusia and Portugal´s Algarve region, starting in the Atlantic just outside the straits of Gibraltar.. It´s sinking was caused by the gigantic seismic upheavals that have afflicted this region every 1000 to 2000 years over the past 12000 years. The last was in 1755 when an earthquake at least as big as the one that devastated Japan a few years ago (some geologists think it might even have even been up to ten times as powerful) resulted in a 600 kilometre diametre area of the seabed sinking 30 metres, coupled with a tsunami the height of a ten story building. The current Algarve region coupled with the adjacent Costa da Luz coastline in Spain is what remains of this Atlantis homeland described by Plato, with the mountains he referred to encircling it to the north. The site of Silves, the old Moorish capital of the Algarve matches the eighteen very exacting clues that Plato gave for the Atlantis capital, far too many and precise for it to be coincidence.

Mark Adams new book which prompted your report is supposed to be a comprehensive overview of all the latest theories but unfortunately does not cover the one I have just described. His favourite theory, the one featured in your news item, could not possibly have been the spot Plato was referring to for many reasons. One of the most telling is that the that the translation from Plato says that Atlantis existed in front of the Pillars of Hercules (The Straits of Gibraltar), not beyond as is frequently quoted. A recent update on that by an expert using what Plato actually wrote in ancient Greek rather than a later Latin version, indicated Plato was even more precise. He wrote that it was in the mouth of the Gulf in front of the Pillars. That definitely does not indicate that you have to exit the straits then hang left and sail for a few hundred miles to find Atlantis as your report suggests.

Another reason is that Plato said that Gades, which historians agree is modern Cadiz just outside the straits, was opposite the eastern extremity of the Atlantis homeland. This region was given by Poseidon, the founder of Atlantis, to Gaderius his second born son to rule over. The capital and the area around it were given to the first born, Atlas, and this was in the centre of the kingdom. That means the capital could not possibly have been anywhere close to Gades. Yet, in the theory Adams describes and the one giving rise to to your report, it is assumed Gades referred to Agadir the large port on the south west coast of Morocco and then claims the capital was just a few miles inland from it, It is clearly nonsense.

All that I can realistically claim is that I have proved where Plato was referring to and that he was indicating a real region that exists. Unfortunately I have not found anything stamped “Made in Atlantis”. Only exploration on the seabed will tell us if Plato was telling the truth about a great sunken civilisation or whether he made it up to impress his views on his local Greek audience as many think. The sunken plain would have had many cities and ports, and exploration should be straightforward as it is largely flat, shallow and slopes only a few yards every mile, I even know of one site where building remains were visible when the sea withdrew before that mega tsunami struck in 1755.