Atlantis:theAltiplano,BoliviaversusSantoriniandCrete

AtlantisisapartofastorybyPlatowhichdescribesvariousformsofgovernment.Indescribinghisidealformofgovernment
inatheoreticalAncientAthens,PlatomentionsthatitwouldbeappropriateinhisstoryforancientAthenstohavedefeated
someworthyenemyinwar,andindescribingasuitableenemy,heproposestouseastorywhichhesayswasoriginally
broughtfromEgypt.ThatwasthestoryofAtlantis,anislandlargerthanLibyaandAsiacombinedwhichlayintheAtlantic
OceanoppositethePillarsofHercules,butwhichsupposedlydisappearedintotheseainadayandnightofearthquakesand
floods.
MostarchaeologistscompletelyrejecttheideaofAtlantisbeingbasedonarealplace,orsometimessaythatitmighthave
beenbasedontheislandofThera(presentdaySantorini)largelybecauseTheraexplodedinavolcaniceruptionaround
1625BC.,yetPlatogaveaverylongdescriptionoftheAtlantisislandwhichisvirtuallytheoppositeofThera,particularly
describingalevelrectangularplainwhichwasinthecentreoftheislandandsurroundedthecityofAtlantis.Nosuchplain
existsonTherasoproponentsoftheTheratheorysaytheplainwasonCrete,60milesaway,eventhoughinrealityneither
CretenotitsplainmatchesPlato'sdescription.
ItseemslogicalthentoexaminewhatPlatoactuallysaidandseehowitcomparestoSouthAmericaasAtlantisandthe
AltiplanositeinBoliviaandexaminethatsitealongsidethealternativeCrete/Theratheory.
FirstofallPlatosaidthatAtlantiswasofasizecomparable
toLibyaandAsiacombined.

Creteisasmallisland,about180milesinlength,hardly
comparabletoLibyaandAsiacombined.

The"AtlanticIsland"i.e.Americaiseasilycompariblein
sizetoLibyaandAsiacombined.
AtlantiswaslocatedintheAtlanticocean,oppositethe
PillarsofHercules.

The"AtlanticIsland"i.e.AmericaisintheAtlanticOcean,
oppositethePillarsofHercules,nowcalledtheStraitof
Gibralter.

CreteislocatedintheeasternMediterranean,noweherenear
theAtlanticOceannorthePillarsofHercules

FromtheislandofAtlantis,arouteexistedviavarious
islandstothecontinentbeyondwhich"encompassedthe
trueocean"..

FromAtlantis/SouthAmerica,therouteviavariousPacific
islandsleadstothecontinentofAsiawhichsurroundsthe
trueoceanbeginninginAsiaintheEast,andendingin
Europeinthewest..

FromCretethereisnorouteviaislandstoacontinent
encompassing"thetrueocean".

Inthecentreoftheisland,midwayalongthelongestside
andnexttotheseatherewasaplainenclosedby
mountains.

LocationoftheplainputforwardastheAtlantissiteinCrete.

TheAltiplanoor"highplain"inBoliviaisinthecentreof
theisland,midwayalongthelongestside,nexttothesea
andenclosedbymountains.
Theplainwasrectangularinshape,"rectilinearforthe
mostpartandelongated""itwasoriginallyalongnarrow
rectangle"

ifyoureadthecontoursyoucanseetheplainonCreteisnot
anaturallyrectangularshape,neitherisitwelldefinedas
"enclosedbymountains".

TheAltiplanonexttoLakePoopoisrectangularinshape.
Theplainmeasured3,000by2,000stades.

TheAltiplanonexttoLakePoopoisrectangularinshape
andmeasures3,000by2,000"stades"of330ft

TheplainonCreteissaidtobetherightsizewhendividedby
10,butinactualfactevenwhendividedby10,theplainwould
stillbetoolargetofitonCrete.

Theplain

ThesmoothandlevelplainnexttoLakePoopoisclearly
definedasrectangularinshapebytheenclosing
mountains.

DividingPlato'sdimensionsby20mightmakeabetterfitfor
Crete,buteventhenthereliefmapshowstheplainonCreteis
notsmoothandlevelandhardtoidentifyanddefineas
enclosedbymountains.
TheplainonCretedoesnotmatchthedescriptionofPlato.

Theplainhadasmoothandlevelsurface.

ThelevelAltiplanohasasmoothsurface.

TheplainonCretehasanundulatingsurface.

Inthecentreoftheplain,nexttotheseatherewasa
mountain"lowonallsides".

Themountain"lowonallsides"isthesiteoftheAtlantiscity
whichwaslocatedonalevelplainnexttothesea.SinceThera
isanislandintheseaanddoesnothaveaplain,theplainis
supposedlytheplainontheseparateislandofCrete,sixty
milesaway.Nosuchmountainhasthereforebeenidentified
ontheplainonCreteasthemountainissupposedlytheisland
ofThera(Santorini)andalthoughCretehadapalaceculture,it
isnotforexample,KnossoswhichissupposedlyAtlantisbut
anowvanishedislandwhichexistedinthecentreofthe
volcaniccalderaofThera.
SoTheradoesnotfitatallthedescriptiongivenbyPlato.

ThismountainislocatedatthevillageofPampaAullagas
whichisinthecentreoftheplainandnexttotheinland
seaofLakePoopo.

viewofthecalderaatSantorini.
viewofthemountainatPampaAullagasfromthesea(LakePoopo),the
part"lowonallsides"isthelowplateausurroundingthevolcaniccone
andwhichcontainstheconcentricrings.

Therewereconcentricringsoflandandseaonthe
mountain,twooflandandthreeofsea,"likecartwheels".

ThemountainatPampaAullagashasconcentricringsof
landandsandybasedchannelswhichcontainedwater
whenthelakelevelwashigher.

NosuchformationexistsonTherawhichisadeepcaldera
withanislandinthecentre..

calderaatThera.

concentricringsatPampaaullagas
"Themountainwaslocated50stadesfromthesea."

ThemountainatPampaAullagasis50stadesfromthe
sea,(LakePoopo).

Theraisnot50stadesfromthesea,butinthesea.

"Theseainthosepartswasblockedupbytheshoalmud"

LakePoopoisblockedupandofshallowdraft.

ThecentreofSantorini/Theraisdeepwaterandcruiseliners
cansailin.

"Thepartaboutthecitywasallasmoothplain,enclosing
itroundabout."

ThemountainontheAltiplanoissurroundedbythe
smooth,level,rectangularshapedplain.
Atadistanceof50stadesfromthecentralisland,awall
ranroundinacircle.

TheplainonCreteisnota"smoothandlevelplain"and
certainlydoesnotsurroundthemountainwhichissupposdely
Thera60milesnorthinthesea.

AtPampaAullagasthereareremainsofanembankment
50stadesfromthecentralisland.

InThera,itwouldnotbepossiblebecausethewallwouldbein
thesea.
Thestonesontheislandwerered,blackandwhitein
colour.

Santorinihasred,blackandwhitestones.

AtPampaAullagasthestonesarered,blackandwhitein
colour.

Theperimeterwascoveredinawallofstone.

Theraisboundedbysteepcliffs.
AtPampaAullagastheperimeteriscoveredinawallof
stone.
Theouterringislandwascoveredinawallofbronze.

Bronzeisanalloyofcopperandtin,bothplentifulonthe
Altiplanowhichisaminingcentreandeasilytransported
tothecitysite.

AlthoughtheremaybecopperonCrete,therewouldbenotin
anditwouldbeabsurdtosay,ashasbeensuggested,thata
valuablemetalsuchasbronzewouldbeimportedtoplatea
wallsurroundingacity.

Themiddleringislandwascoveredinawalloftin.

TherearenotindepositsonCreteorThera.
TinisinplentifulsupplyontheAltiplanowithminesatthe
otherendofLakePoopo,inOruro,Huanuni,Llalagua,
Catavietc.
Theinnerislandwascoveredinawalloforichalcum.It
wasthesecondmostvaluablemetalaftergold,couldbe
polishedandsparkledlikeredfire.

TherearenoorichalcumdepositsonCreteorThera.

Orichalcumisanalloyofcopperandgoldwhichoccurs
naturallyintheAndeswhereitiscalled"tumbaga".Itis
oftenindistinguishablefromgoldandsometimescalled
"redgold"dependingonthecopperpercentage.
Thetemplecomplexwassurroundedbyawallofgold.

TherewouldnotbesufficientgoldonCreteorTheretoplatea
wallsurroundingapalacecomplex.

GoldwasalsoplentifulontheAltiplanoandagoldmine
existstodaynearOruroatthenorthendofLakePoopo.
Thetempleswereplatedingold,silverandorichalcum.

ThetemplesintheAndeswereplatedinsheetsofgold,
silverandorichalcum.

TemplesonCretewerehighlydecorated,butnothungin
sheetsofgold.

Thepinnaclesofthetempleswerecoveredinsilver.

TherearenosilverdepositsonCrete.

SilverwasplentifulatnearbyPotosi,alsoOruro.
Theymadelifesizestatuesingoldoftheirancestors.

AlsoinancientPeru,theymadelifesizestatuesingoldof
theirancestors.
"Thewealththeypossessedwassogreatthelikewill
nevereasilybeseenagain."

ThiscustomneverexistedonCrete.


TheAndespossessedafabulouswealthingoldandsilver
whichwasmelteddownandshippedasbulliontoSpain
bytheConquistadors.

NothingcomparableexistedonCrete,althoughahighly
advancedculture,itsartistictreasurescouldnotcompareto
thewealthofgoldandsilverwhichexistedintheAndes.

Thefirstinhabitantswereborninpairs

ThethemeoftwinsisverypopularinAndeanceramics
andmetalurgywhilstitisrecordedthatthefirst
inhabitantswereborninpairs.

NothingcomparableexistedonCrete.

Therewerefivepairsoftwinsonsand10kingdoms.

InAndeanlegend,Viracochahadfivepairsoftwinsons,
Aymarakingomswerealsoorganisedinpairs.

NothingcomparableexistedonCrete.

Theeldestsonwascalled"Atlas".

Atlastraditionallysupportedtheheavens.Thisregionof
theAltiplanoisknownaswhereHeavenmeetsEarthand
theAndesmountainscanbeseentosupporttheheavens.
"Atl"isalsoanAztecwordmeaning"water"or"inthe
middleof".VolcanSajamaontheedgeoftherectangular
plainisthehighestmountaininBoliviaandrisesto22,798
feet(6949metres)whilevolcanTunupa(shownabove)isin
themiddleoftherectangularplainand"Tunupa"wasthe
Andeanequivalentofthegod,Poseidon.
atlAntis.

ThereisnosuchassociationonCrete.MountIda,isthe
highestmountainonCrete.ItissacredtotheGreekTitaness
Rhea,andonitsslopes,accordingtolegend,liesthecavein
whichZeuswasborn.Asanislandhighpointat8051feet
(2,454m)itisthemountainwiththehighesttopographic
prominenceinGreece.

AntisisaQuechuawordmeaning"copper".Itisalsothe
nameofatribeofindianslivinginPeruandonequarterof
theincaempirewascalled"Antisuyo"meaning"kingdom
oftheAntis"rightnextto"Atlantis".

ThereisnosuchassociationonCrete.

Everyfithandsixthyeartheysacrificedbullsanddrank
fromgoldengobletsalsopouringalibationontothefire.

InCrete,therewasaceremonyofbullvaulting.

IntheAndes,llamasacrifice,pouringalcoholontothefire
anddrinkingfromgoldengobletswasatraditional
ceremony.TherewasnowordinGreektotranslate
"llama",ananimalunknowntothem.
Therewerehotandcoldspringsandbathsforthekings
fedbyhotsprings.

WhentheconquistadorsfirstmettheIncaking,hewasin
abathfedbyanaturalhotspring.Hotandcoldsprings
existontheAltiplanonexttoeachother.

HotspringsexistonSantoriniandthepalacesonCretehad
advancedplumingreportedlywithhotandcoldrunningwater.

Canalswereduginstraightlinesacrosstheplain.

NosuchstraightcanalsareassociatedwithCrete.
StraightcanalsaretypicaloftheAltiplano.
Theplainsupportedachequerboardpatternofirrigation
channels.

AchequerboardpatternofcanalsexistsontheAltiplano.

NosuchchequerboardpatternofcanalsexistsonCrete.

Elephantsroamedtheisland.

TherewerenoelephantsonCretewhichisfamousforitsbull
culture.
Remainsofmastodons(elephants)havebeenfoundin
Bolivia.
TheAtlantistaleisofacitypunishedbythegodsandsank
intothesea.

ABolivianlegendtellsofacitypunishedbythegodsand
sunkintothesea.

NosuchlegendexistsonCrete.

Atlantiswasdestroyedbyearthquakesandfloods.

Around1500BCLakeTiticacaburstthroughitssouthern
shore,submergingalargetractoflandandcreatingan
extensiontotheTiticacalakewhichisnowknownas
"winaymarca"
Itcanbeseenthatifassessedonalogicalbasis,allthe
evidencepointstoSouthAmericaandtheAltiplanoasthe
basisofPlato'sdescriptionofAtlantiswhileThera/Crete

Santoriniexplodedaround1625BCandtsunamismayhave
reachedCrete,buttheCretanorMinoancivilsationwas
destroyednotbytsunami,butbyinvadersfrommainland
Greeceatalaterperiod.

Yetarchaeologistscontinuetoignorethisandcontinueto
presentdocumentarieswhichexamineverylittleoftheactual
descriptionandattempttorepresentSantorini/Creteasthe

hasnosuchcorrespodenceandisvirtuallytheoppositeof basisforAtlantis.
Plato'sactualdescription.