It occurs to me that, reading through everyone's past posts, that each of us may have a different vision of Atlantis, what it was, and what we expect to see if and when it is eventually found.

*Some of us are envisioning an island, perhaps even a small one, while others a vast continent covering a third of the Atlantic.

*Some of us see the time era it was set in, 9,000 to 10,000 b.c. as the actual date, while others see it as an error of translation and place it at a more recent time period, say 1200 b.c.

*Some see it as a Bronze Age, even a high technology society, complete with aircraft and crystals, while others may feel that the technology of Atlantis might be over-estimated.

*Some believe Plato's account verbatim, others believe it had some embellishments.

For the purpose of this thread, for as many of you that wish to participate, I'd like each of us to describe how we envision Atlantis, taking into account all four of the factors I listed, and, if possible, explaining your reasoning behind each of them. I am not beginning this thread to cast any doubt on anyone's particular research, only as an opportunity for each of us to make our "best case" for the type of Atlantis we might be envisioning and let others reading make the decision.

No one has to be "right." Since Atlantis has yet to be found, none of us are really qualified to speak about how right or wrong about it any of us might be anyway. We are all just investigators trying to unravel the same mystery. I suppose that working together would be the main goal on this.

I realize that expressing any opinions you have on this will leave any of us open to criticisms. However, many of the long-time members have already made their own theories known already, and criticism shouldn't be new to any of us anyway.

So I would like to now open the discussion to these four questions:

(1) How big was Atlantis?

(2) What time era did it exist in?

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

For the moment, I'll leave off the most time-honored question of where Atlantis was, but any of you are free to tackle that one, too, if you wish.

(1) How big was Atlantis?

It could have been HUGE. If the Canary Islands, Madeiras and the Azores were the mountaintops, and parts of it extended into the Sargasso Sea, that is HUGE.

(2) What time era did it exist in?

I have to go with Brig on this one. People keep wanting to fudge with the dates, but they forget the story was supposed to have come down from the Egyptians, who were great at keeping time.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

Still to be determined. I wouldn't be surprised at flying ships, though people in the Atlantis forum seem to scoff at the idea. Who knows what the ancien world was really like? All we have is the debris they left behind. Metallurgy, too, could have been possible. Just because something doesn't wear well with time doesn't mean it never existed in the first place.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

It has to be an actual event, that's the whole point of the story. Either the Minoans vs. Mycenaens, the Egyptians and Hellenes and the Sea People. It could have even been fought with flying ships as opposed to chariots ships and Plato just didn't know how to describe them.

I'm thinking a very large island, connecting the Azores, Madeiras and Canary Islands altogether, not much bigger than that.

(2) What time era did it exist in?

Closer in time period to the 9000 years b.c. frequently mentioned in Plato. How could they have possibly counted that far back? 8,000 to 6,000 b.c. is more likely than 9,000 b.c., if you ask me.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

It's not so difficult for a society to achieve a Bronze Age society, and I find it really hard to believe so many people are resistant to the idea that they could have worked bronze back in 10,000 b.c., with all the evidence now buried by sea and ground.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

Of course it was based on a real war, humanity has fought large wars in every timer period it was in, and they have been sailing for tens of thousands of years. All the stuff that is printed in Plato seems pretty plausible to me.

Atlantis will be found someplace in the eastern Atlantic, with the capital city someplace close to the Straits of Gibraltar.

3500-6500bc (for Atlantis Royal City, not the island though which most likely formed around 35 million bC.)

6482 bC proposed final destruction.
Amperes/Torres/Gettysburg Seamounts
horseshoe abyssal plain

Not much different than our technology today yet not as superficial as relatively thought. Fits into our timeframe of 10,000 years to advancement today. I don't think they were more fossil fuel based as we are today, perhaps more towards magnetism and vibrating crystals,steam, electricity,copper coils possible,seafaring culture types. Typical of 10,000 to 5,000 bC lifestyles with the exception of advancements comparable to Egyptian/Crete lifestyles and Persian mathematical skills.
Metalurgical advancements, Orichalcum hybrid metals,astronomy,sciences,religions,schools,and Democratic laws.Archetypical rulership.Kings,sub-rulers,governments.

Egyptian Zodiacal Cycle=1460 years
Chaldean Lunar Cycle= 1,805 years
1805-1460=345 years.
9000 years=9 x 345=3105 years

9600-3105=6495 bC.

What more can I say? Plato all the way with one teeny bit of worriesome info from Egyptian scrolls about the strikingly similiar Hykso's story and the Temple of Hercules,Egypt and Phoenician pillars,although not in collaboration with Plato's Gibraltar Pillars. In short, Indian Ocean/Red Sea/Nile theories including
Indonesia. Then there's Lake Tritonis.

Atlantic theory predominant.

Tribes of Atlantis by Riven website.
www.mts.net/~perasa

1. I believe it's in the Atlantic ocean, but it was more the size of Antarctica rather than Asia and Lybia combined as I still can't see how something that big could fit into the Atlantic as we know it.

2. Time frame, most likely existed around 10,500 BC or somewhere thereabouts only because if you take all the texts where Atlantis was described in some fashion or another, without a particular reference to names, it seems to point to that era. And don't forget how many times, that particular number 10500 has popped up.

3. Somehow I still believe that an ancient culture could have had technology that closely resembles our own. I find it relatively difficult to swallow the fact that in all the thousands of years humans existed, modern humans are the only ones who are technologically advanced. The possiblities that Vimanas and other 'flying machines' described in ancient texts or on ancient temple walls is real. I can't force myself to believe that all these were fictional accounts. If primitive man hadn't seen it for themselves, I don't think they would have drawn them in the first place.

4. Plato may have misconstrued some of the descriptions but I don't see why he would go out of his way to state in Critias that he was telling the truth if it was meant as pure fiction. Again, as I like say, "Every bit of myth has some touch of truth to it." That is especially true in this case if you don't dismiss the ancient texts. They all point to some technological culture and to further support the theory of Atlantis look at all the areas in the world where 'ancient nukes' have been suggested to have been used. The geological evidence is there but you have to sift through the crap to find it.

Well, that's my two cents!

Since it was "larger than Asia & Libya put together", I feel that it encompassed most of the Atlantic Ocean Area, since the Atlantis at that time was considered the "open sea" with the Pacific being the "real ocean". This lead me to believe that since a sea is smaller, it would surround a larger piece of land.

(2) What time era did it exist in?

The only time period that we have - translated for all to read - is Plato's account in both the Timaeus/Critias. In both, he refers to the time period of 9000 years, not once but 3 times.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

Enough to figure out how to dig giant trenches in the land for waterways in sizes almost unbelievable for us to imaging.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

Consequently, Plato could have been describing the "final" Atlantis, which would have been much smaller after the first two inundations.

1b. Location:
It would have to be somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, i.e., beyond the "Pillars of Hercules." But since Atlantis was so big, there could be remnants located in Spain, Morocco, Azores, Bimini, Yucatan, etc.

2. Time Era:
100,000-10,000 B.C. Plato was describing the last of the Atlantean civilization. He seemed to have no problem accepting the existence of an advanced society 9,000 prior to his day. Neither did the Egyptians, for that matter.

3. Technology:
Over such a long time period the technology would have varied considerably. At some point they did apparently have lighter-than- air craft, crystals, the death ray, etc. Plato may have been unaware of this. But if he were aware of it, how could he have described such technology, much less understood it?

4. Veracity:
I believe Plato took the story of an actual geological event and embellished it with Greek history and mythology from a different era. He probably felt a need to "fill in the blanks," so to speak. Today we have a simiar literary genre called the "historical novel."

(2) What time era did it exist in?

Plato gives at least 3 different explanations for dating Atlantis, and they contradict each other.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

Atlantis was a chalcolithic society which smelted its own copper. The reason Plato emphasizes the villages on hillsides around the metropolis of Atlantis was because those hillbillies were cutting wood to operate the copper smelters. Triremes were anachronistic.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

Solon originally heard about the Ennead gods of Heliopolis, and a Saite variant in which the goddess Neith created the Ennead gods. Set was the "bad guy" in Egyptian mythology. And Set morphed into Atlantis in the theme which Solon called Atlantis. In ancient Egyptian mythology Neith told the Ennead gods that Horus should rule as king (rather than the evil Set, who had killed Osiris). This remained a relevant theme throughout Egyptian history, because every Pharoah claimed to be the new Horus-figure, who thus had a right to rule Egypt.

Size: Definitely an island, the reason why people can't find Atlantis is because they are always thinking 'continent,' in my opinion.

Time period: Anywhere from 5,000 to 2,000 b.c.

Technology: Bronze Age, with Plato making, perhaps, some exaggerations

Size: if Greenland, big as it is, can still be called an island, I'll have to call Atlantis a large island, smaller than Greenland.

Time period: The 10,000 to 8,000 b.c. time frame works the best for me.

Technology: I don't see them as having a high tech society, and even though there is no evidence of metallurgy prior to 6,000 b.c., I'm thinking that it was very likely possible that the Bronze Age society that Plato described did exist. Maybe evidence of metallurgy before that time is simply buried and hasn't been found yet.

Truth of Plato's account: Yes, in fact it is right there in front of us even though we haven't seen it yet. Here is my new theory:

The original Libyans (who were most likely of Berber origin), were also the Atlanteans. Plato says that they conqered Libya and the fact that worship of the god Poseidon seems to have originated in that area would seem to be further evidence of an Atlantis connection. The original Libyans were described as caucasian in origin, some even had blonde hair. In my opinion, they conquered ancient Egypt while it was still in it's infancy and became it's ancient god-kings, like Osiris and Isis. Egyptian civilization was based on Atlanteans, in fact, the line of pharoahs are probably descendents of Libyan (Atlantean) blood.

Era it Existed in: I believe that Atlantis existed in the 8,000 to 10,000 b.c. time frame. The time period we can't be absolutely certain of because (as has been covered in the past here) the Greeks may have been simply using the largest number in their system in order to measure time. I definitely see the Atlanteans as a prehistoric people, though, with only a slight possibility of being coinfused with others, such as the Sea People.

Technology: I believe I differ most sharply with others here in that I don't believe that it was the high technology society envisioned by some. I could be wrong, but I believe that Plato's 'embellishments,' might have been along the lines of making a Stone Age culture appear to be a Bronze Age society, the only type of society he knew. A war occurred then, but in my opinion, it was a war between Neolithic people using Stone Age weapons. That may be disappointing to some, actually it intrigues me. I have come to see the story of Atlantis much like the tale of King Arthur: we picture Arthur's knights riding into battle in shining armor. Yet, if the Arthur tale is to be believed, it happened in the fifth or sixth century and plate armor wasn't even invented until the 1300's, a romantic illusion.

Truth of Plato's account. The rest of the account, definitely the Athens/Atlantis war can definitely be taken as "true," including the Atlanteans' massive engineering works of which he makes a point of saying are "true." How they built them is something I am currently puzzling on. I believe when Plato discusses how advanced the Atlanteans are, their "divine spark of godhood," he meant the people themselves, not simply their society. In other words, I believe the Atlanteans were physically stronger than others, so strong, in fact that their race gave rise to the legends of our pagan gods of our times, the great men in the Bible.

There is ample proof of a war between Stone Age people in the era of 8,000 to 10,000 b.c. The cave paintings in the Magdalenean era differ sharply from those of other time periods. Rather than portraying animals, the hunt, they show figures in warfare against one another, in the same era Plato suggests for Atlantis. Again, a Stone Age war, not something fantastic, but it suggests a war nonetheless.

Here is other evidence to support my conclusions, much of it from the book "Plato Prehistorian":

During the Magdalenian era (roughly 16,000 to 9,000 b.c.), the horse figures prominently in cave art in Spain and France. Many of you are also probably aware that the horse was the animal of Poseidon.

-As the Azilians take hold of Europe around 10,000 b.c., the cave paintings change. For the first time, human figures dominate, the figures of people engaged in war, using spears, bows and arrows. Rather than depicting them in the process of the hunt, they seem to be fighting each other. It is a depiction of a prehistoric war.

-The Azilians made a harpoon, consistent with Poseidon's trident, and painted designs on pebbles. Many points (arrowheads) begin to also appear at this time, and the earliest Azilian sites date to approximately 10,000 b.c.

-In the Middle East, great fortifications such as the walls of Jericho first appear.

Size: very near continental. At the minimum, it would have taken in the Canaries, Madeiras, Cape Verde and the Azores, possibly stretching out into the Sargasso Sea. One place people haven't looked for with Atlantis is the middle of the equator, in the ocean near Africa. We've already seen there are sunken cities near Morocco. I'm betting that the enterprising investigator will find something there someday.

Era: 50,000 to 9,650 b.c. Personally, I have always believed that Atlantis lasted a long time on the earth because I for one, can still feel it's "presence" here. The Cayce stuff, while not accepted by most serious Atlantologists, does have some merit, I think, and the fact that it lists three phases of destruction for Atlantis just happens to "feel" right.

Technology: Atlantis was "sunk," I believe by an ancient nuclear war. As already alluded to, there is evidence of that all over the world in terms of vitrified green rock and other evidence I presented in my thread "War with the Rama."

(2) What time era did it exist in? between 250,000 bc and 12,500 bc

Atlas Kingdom has a huge Plain of ~ 600 X 400 Km. These formed 60000 Lots.

Additionally the Mountainous Regions within Atlas Kingdom,… QUOTE>> And of the inhabitants of the mountains and of the rest of the country there was also a vast multitude, which was distributed among the lots and had leaders assigned to them according to their districts and villages. <<UNQUOTE

Further there were NINE other Atlantean Kingdoms:

QUOTE>> Such was the military order of the royal city-the order of the other nine governments varied, and it would be wearisome to recount their several differences. << UNQUOTE

(2) What time era did it exist in?

The Atlas Kingdom or Atlantis Proper mostly got destroyed and sunken under the sea during ~ 9600 BC.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

Minimum level of Technology could have consisted of leveling a huge plain of size 600 X 400 Km. Digging trenches of minimum 2000 Km Length with 100 Feet Depth and 600 Feet Width and minimum 12000 Km Length with 100 Feet Depth and 100 Feet Width. Off course they did it in many generations. Harbors and bridges could also be made. Orichalcum, Tin & Bronze may find direct reference and Iron may have some oblique reference. Ships can also be added.

Our modern technology could jump from bicycle to space in just 200 years.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

It may be based upon a real event in the following manner:

As the Priest perhaps knew Strait of Sunda by virtue of the primordial pre-historical story and all of them including Plato, knew Strait of Gibraltar by its own physical existence. Then the most relevant paragraph and also perhaps the most riddling part of Plato’s Atlantis story in “Timaeus” can have the following explanation, obtained by natural superimposition of the prehistoric story over and above the contemporary geography existing then during the times of Plato in the following manner:

Please see on Page 2 of Timaeus:

QUOTE>> For these histories tell of a mighty power which unprovoked made an expedition against the whole of Europe (of Plato) and Asia (of Plato), and to which your city (of Plato i.e. Athens) put an end. This power came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean (South China Sea), for in those days the Atlantic (South China Sea) was navigable; and there was an island situated in front of the straits (of Sunda) which are by you called the Pillars of Heracles; the island was larger than Libya (of Plato) and Asia (of Plato) put together, and was the way to other islands (Taiwan, Japan, Sulewasi, Philippines etc.), and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent (South and East Asia) which surrounded the true ocean (Pacific Ocean); for this sea which is within the Straits of Heracles (Straits of Gibraltar) is only a harbour, having a narrow entrance, but that other is a real sea (South China Sea), and the surrounding land may be most truly called a boundless continent (South and East Asia).

Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent (South and East Asia), and, furthermore, the men of Atlantis had subjected the parts of Libya (of Plato) within the columns of Heracles (Gibraltar) as far as Egypt (of Plato), and of Europe (of Plato) as far as Tyrrhenia (of Plato). This vast power, gathered into one, endeavoured to subdue at a blow our country (Ancient Egypt with Nile) and yours (Ancient Greece of Plato) and the whole of the region within the straits (Straits of Gibraltar); and then, Solon, your country (Ancient Greece of Plato) shone forth, in the excellence of her virtue and strength, among all mankind. She was pre-eminent in courage and military skill, and was the leader of the Hellenes. And when the rest fell off from her, being compelled to stand alone, after having undergone the very extremity of danger, she defeated and triumphed over the invaders, and preserved from slavery those who were not yet subjugated, and generously liberated all the rest of us who dwell within the pillars (Straits of Gibraltar).

But afterwards there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea. For which reason the sea in those parts (Strait of Malacca) is impassable and impenetrable, because there is a shoal of mud in the way; and this was caused by the subsidence of the island. <<UNQUOTE

This was what I could understand and here I could not find any mention of Atlantis being in the West.

However in case, if it is archeologically impossible to locate Atlantis in Asia, then the second place of my choice may be that the Atlantean Warriors arrived from land situated in middle of the Modern Atlantic Ocean.

Time Period it Existed in: 6,000 to 15,000 b.c., at the minumum. The megaliths off the shores of Cuba are 2,200 feet below the surface indicating a more ancient inundation. Some of these areas have been described as "Mayan," but the Mayans were of more recent origin, so the megaliths have to be the work of a far older people.

Technology: I would need more evidence to suggest that Atlantis was the high technolgy society we would all like to think of it as. On the other hand, I do feel that the human race is missing much of it's history and, as has been said here many times, "we are a species suffering from amnesia." I would like to believe in ancient flying machines and such, but have yet to see evidence for them.

Truthfulness of the account: I believe that the story was more well known in Greece and Egypt than is frequently given credit for. There was debate even in Plato's time according to it's veracity, up until they were compiling the Library of Alexandria, but Plutarch does seem to suggest it's true, with a few enhancements. Plato, incidentally, was not the first Greek to use the word "Atlantis." As has already been discussed here, while Plato was still a boy, another Greek writer, Hellanicus, entitled one of his works "Atlantis." Only a fragment of it exists, but it does mention Atlas and his daughters. Perhaps it has little to do with Plato's Atlantis, or perhaps it is a second account, substantiaing the more famous version by an earlier writer, we may never know.

Time period: 40,000 to 8,000 b.c. I'm being so specific because that is the evidence we have of mankind's sea-faring nature. The Atlanteans greatest achievement was probably that they sailed the earth at a time when most of it was in the grip of an Ice Age. I'm not exactly a believer in Charles Hapgood's "Shifting Crust" theories, but he does make some excellent points about an ancient sea-faring race. I believe that ancient maps and the evidence of settlements in places like Australia and Indonesia in the earliest eras was, perhaps, due to the Atlanteans.

Technology: Plato's theme seems to be one of the greater worth and character of humanity at this earlier time. I believe that what they built was not so important as who they were: a more spiritual people, more in tune with the earth. I see the Atlanteans as the best of an ancient stock of human arisen from a greater form of man long ago: stronger and more capable than most of us now. I believe that things such as farming originating in 10,000 b.c., happened out of necessity, not cultural advancement.

It's size, I personally don't think could have been as big Plato describes, but I think more a large island, bigger than New Zealand, but smaller than Aus.

(2) What time era did it exist in?

Pre- 9000 BC.

(3) What sort of technology did it have?

It is hard to say, but given the amount of advanced technological peices dug up, AND written about, I would say quite advanced.

(4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

What did Plato's contemporaries think was the origin of the story?
Given Plato wasn't the only one to write about a great old land, i think it is quite possibly a real, historical event.

(Pardon the brief answer)

A small peninsula extending off the coast of Spain.

2) What time era did it exist in?

A stone age culture beginning 9000 years before Solon, however becomming a bronze age culture 900 years before Solon.

3) What sort of technology did it have?

Art in Bronze, tin, silver and a gemstone technology.

4) Did Plato come up with Atlantis as a mere literary invention or is it based on an actual event in the Hellenic past?

quote:

---

Any good Geologist will tell you that no continent has sunk in the past 12,000 years.

---

Everytime I hear something like this, I wonder what a sunken continent is exactly supposed to look like, after all, if we're to believe science, we are never supposed to have had one on the world before.

Era: A very long time ago, 40,000 to 10,000 b.c. minimum, and it might have lasted even longer than that.

Technology: I'm thinking that the technology was both mystical and modern, if that makes any kind of sense. They knew astronomy, how to navigate the seas and how to build great engineering works. Yet, I also think that they made different choices than in our society: meaning, for the most part, they embraced the earth, not ravaged it for natural resources. Plato mentions them digging things from, the earth, like orichalcum...could this have also been the Atlantean crystal mentioned by Edgar Cayce?

Era: 10,000 to 8,500 b.c.(although Atlantean civilization prior to that may have lasted tens of thousands of years). If the calamity was really as great as we can imagine, it would have stayed in people's memory for millenium, but people keep forgetting that the story wasn't actually passed down through oral tradition alone. As in the dialogues, the Egyptians were the ones to maintain the records in a "sacred register." I also believe, not surprisingly, that Egyptian civilization is far older than traditional archaeology gives it credit for (of course, try and tell traditional Egyptologists that).

Technology: I wouldn't be disappointed with a Stone Age technology, but the Atlantis I picture may well have had more modern technology, yet still looked very different to the one we have built now. Civilization may not have started 12,000 years ago, but the world may well have been re-emerging from some great cataclysm back in 9650 b.c.

Truth of the Account: People like to claim that Plato was the only source for Atlantis, but other ancient people also have their legends of a land that went beneath the waves. Eden itself could actually be a metaphor for what happened with Atlantis: Adam and Eve lose their divine nature, they are sent east of Eden (the Mediterranean), with the whole land vanishing at a later time (the Great Flood).

Size: A mid-sized island in the Mid-Atlantic, possibly a larger verison of the Canaries and Madeiras, including those islands.

Era: The destruction occured in 10,000 to 6,000 b.c. We can't be exactly sure of the time.

Technology: Bronze Age, possibly iron. Atlantis may well have been more modern, but we have evidence of that that yet.

We could think that if 6482bC was the period of great world disaster,and 10,000 years was said to be gone bye before Christ, and that Atlantis lived to that age, that would mean that we are 8500 years into our advancement and we have 1500 years left to complete the 10,000 year technologicaly advanced cycle. This also coincides with the onset of our history of civilization.

What would we be like in 3504?

Inter Stellar?

So if Atlantis was near it's 10,000 year cycle it could have been extremely advanced in terms of flight travel and a strange description of a helicopter in a Abydos temple more relevant. Perhaps, though not what science teaches us.

The impression I get is that once in the 26000 year planetary cycle, there is a great disaster of sorts. Logically, this would be at a point of greatest planetary magnetic forces. 12,000 years have gone by since the Atlantis magical 10,000 date so we should have 16,000 years left in our cycle,add 3,500 years for my date of 6482bC and we're at a comfortable 19,500 years to go.

Live it up!

"As to the population, each of the lots in the plain had to find a leader for the men who were fit for military service, and the size of a lot was a square of ten stadia each way, and the total number of all the lots was sixty thousand. And of the inhabitants of the mountains and of the rest
of the country there was also a vast multitude, which was distributed among
the lots and had leaders assigned to them according to their districts and villages. The leader was required to furnish for the war the sixth portion of a war-chariot, so as to make up a total of ten thousand chariots; also two horses and riders for them, and a pair of chariot-horses without a
seat, accompanied by a horseman who could fight on foot carrying a small shield,
and having a charioteer who stood behind the man-at-arms to guide the two horses; also, he was bound to furnish two heavy armed soldiers, two slingers, three stone-shooters and three javelin-men, who were
light-armed, and four sailors to make up the complement of twelve hundred ships. Such
was the military order of the royal city-the order of the other nine governments
varied, and it would be wearisome to recount their several differences."

Size: Either as big as the Atlantis that Cayce spke about or as small as Thera. Actually, I wouldn't much care, both might have their advantages.

Era: Either 9000 years b.c., of 1475 b.c., again, to me it makes no difference.

Technology: Bronze Age or high tech, I suppose I can live with either.

Truth: Obviously, I want everything Plato wrote about to be true. However, if there are some exaggerations in it, I don't care. Most great stories have them

OFCOURSE "New"Athens was not built on the same spot as the Old One! "ATHE"not Athens was its original Toponymical Name! PRESENTLY, today "Athe"is a provincial name of South-Yeman with capital Ras Adan(=ADEN.)
this "Modern"harbourtown is built on a caldeira of an ancient Mud Volcano Krater.
in the CraterLake is the Mud Shoal and the ruins of Atlantis burried. The split halves of Aden's HORSE SHOE-crater are Mnt.SION and MNT. Moria and THUS "Old-SION"is also rediscovered. SOME say that Atlantis; Hyperboria; Hesperids; and Paradise are synonymous... and so at a glance; in Dec 2004 :"WE"have made THREE discoveries in a Row!
(BUT I, expect that it will take the whole of 2005; for the other members; left alone the Thread Webmaster, to relise this too.!
other AtlantisWeb owners have fallen in that Tourist TRAP: not seeing that Old-Athens is the same as Atlantis_City:"Poseia"

Time Period: My research into the origin of Poseidon (under "Other Ancient Mysteries") has made me feel comfortable pushing the Atlantis story back to six thousand b.c. I have to fudge a little bit to get the extra two to three millenium in, but I believe I will find a linkage and get there. Poseidon worship may have started in Libya and was even in the north, to the Baltic. I'm thinking he is the oldest of the Greek gods, "married" into the rest of the pantheon.

Technology: Still to be determined. A Bronze Age culture would not be so incredible to have existed back in 9000 b.c., I try to remain noncomittal about the notion of a modern Atlantis society!

Truthfulness of Plato: I believe that the Atlantis account was copied on hieroglyphics on the Temple of Neith in Sais, Egypt, which is why it preserved the test of time. I believe that Sais is far older than we are led to believe and that Egyptian civilization might be as well.

I believe that the learned Greeks in Greek society were all priviliged to the information about Atlantis, that Plato heard the story in such circles as a child, and that he had seen Solon's original writings (said to be much longer), and made them into a story at the end of his life, perhaps to recapture his lost innocence.

1) How big was Atlantis?
I think that the area of influence of Plato´s Atlantis was along all the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean: in America, North West Africa, West and North Europe,and in the western half of the Mediterranean, including all islands, for Atlantis was a maritime power. Because the area was so big, the 10 kings assembled only once in 5 or 6 years. The natural trading center for this large empire must have been near Gibraltar. From an island in the center of the Atlantic Ocean it would have been much more difficult to reach all the mentioned places.

2) What time era?
Plato described a society in the Bronze Age. This Atlantis was probably founded about 10000 BC and destroyed between 2200 and 1630 BC (the dates of great destruction levels, detected at many places around the Mediterranean)

3) What sort of technology?
In the period just before destruction: Bronze age technology. Army had war chariots, shields and spear, archers, slingers.

4) Plato described an actual event. It was not known by the Greeks due to the destructions.