The Lost Continent

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the origins of the lost continent myth in both western and eastern hemispheres. The writer explores the legend of Atlantis, as documented by Plato, the earlier Mayan legend of Mu, and the Tamil legend of Lemuria, all representing lands and civilizations which disappeared under an ocean, and provides an overview of theories that have attempted to account for the existence of such legends. However, none of these theories can be reconciled with the science of plate tectonics. The writer concludes that in the absence of tangible and dateable evidence there is no way to prove or disprove the existence of Atlantis.

From the Paper:

"One of the most persistent and pervasive legends about the world involves the concept of the Lost Continent. In these legends, and the name is essentially quite unimportant at this point, an island, part of a peninsula, or other land-mass of varying sizes depending upon the account, once existed above the surface of the ocean. The legends typically say that in ancient history, a civilization of people lived on that land-mass or "continent", they are generally perceived to pre-date written history and, in many accounts, were an "advanced" civilization producing works of art, music, philosophy, science above and beyond their time. At some point a catastrophic natural disaster occurred to the continent reducing it to rubble and either gradually or suddenly, it fell beneath the surface of the water never to be seen or heard from again."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Collins, Andrew. 2000. Gateway to Atlantis: The Search for the Source of a Lost Civilization. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1st Edition, New York
• Erlingsson Ulf and Wibjorn Karlen. 2003. Atlantis from a Geographer's Perspective. Lindorm Publishing, Oslo.
• Flem-Ath, Rand and Colin Wilson. 2002. The Atlantis Blueprint: Unlocking the Ancient Mysteries of a Long-Lost Civilization. Delta, Chicago.
• Forsyth, Phyllis Y. 1980. Atlantis: The Making of Myth. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
• Hancock, Graham. 2004. Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilizations. Three Rivers Press, New York.

More papers on The Lost Continent:

• Analytical Essay # 64152 : "The Lost Continent: The Story of Atlantis"
• Essay # 64799 : "The Reality of Atlantis"
• Analytical Essay # 51437 : "Culture and Society in Literature"

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