In Search Of... (2018) s01e10 Episode Script
Atlantis: Part II
I'm in the midst of an epic journey to prove that Atlantis could be more than myth.
By using a checklist derived from the Greek philosopher Plato's writings, I've uncovered compelling evidence that this holy grail of lost civilizations may have been a real and sprawling empire.
It may even have rivaled ancient Egypt in size.
My quest has taken me all over the Mediterranean, from the sunken settlement of Pavlopetri No, no, no, no, no! Too close! Too close! Too close! to the ancient Palace of Knossos in Greece, where an advanced culture matched many of the characteristics on Plato's list.
Oh, my goodness.
That's a symbol of Poseidon.
And to the fabled island of Sardinia, where a set of mysterious caves revealed new clues about how far the empire of Atlantis may have spread.
I don't think it's hieroglyphics.
I think it's an alphabet.
So, then, we've really found something in our search.
Even in the face of dire warnings from scholars and experts alike Don't probe too much.
There are places out there that just want to be left alone.
And while my epic journey has already uncovered so many compelling clues that match Plato's checklist for Atlantis, I'm still on the hunt for more proof.
And my search continues now.
My Name is Zachary Quinto.
As an actor, I've played many supernatural characters that blurred the line between science and fiction.
I'm drawn to the unknown, the otherworldly, and those experiences so beyond belief, they call everything into question.
I'm exploring some of the most enduring mysteries that continue to haunt mankind in search of the truth wherever it leads me.
Long before ancient Egyptians laid down the first stone on the great Pyramids, or the rise and fall of the Roman civilization, it is said there was a mighty empire called Atlantis.
The only known record of the story was authored by the great philosopher, Plato, in 350 BC.
He wrote about a thriving island civilization built in concentric circles.
It was highly advanced in technology and culture, far above and beyond its prehistoric counterparts.
But all of this changed when Atlantis began to grow, conquering numerous territories, and giving in to greed and a lust for power.
According to Plato, the gods punished Atlantis with earthquakes and floods that obliterated the island, never to be seen again.
Today, the search for Atlantis remains a worldwide obsession.
Some experts believe the folklore surrounding this mysterious empire has embedded itself so deeply in our understanding of the world, it's impossible to let go.
How we define Atlantis today depends on who you ask.
For some people, it's a tangible place that sits at the bottom of the ocean.
If we could just find the ruins.
For other people, it's a metaphor of what happens when you become an imperialistic force that thinks you can rule anything you want.
The thing about a myth or a legend is there's always a nugget of truth in it.
How do we get from what Plato wrote 2,300 years ago to what people talk about today? Over time, it changes, it evolves.
And now it represents something lost and maybe can be found.
I'm determined to prove Atlantis was a real place and, jt as Plato described, a vast and powerful empire.
Is this also a tomb? This is a tomb also, yes.
I'm with Robert Ishoy at the Necropolis of Montessu, on the island of Sardinia.
Robert is a former U.
S.
intelligence specialist who's been searching for Atlantis for three decades.
Robert has led me to an underground site which even he has only heard about but never seen with his own eyes.
We're gonna have to crawl down in there to see 'em.
All right.
Let's do it.
All right.
And together, we're armed with a checklist of descriptions Plato wrote about Atlantis in his ancient text.
And Robert believes these caves could reveal groundbreaking new secrets.
Wow.
I've read about this site Uh-huh.
but to be in here and see this is amazing.
Right here, in front of us, where we stepped down Uh-huh.
This is clearly a bull horn.
Wow.
There's only half the horn left, and the horn on your side is missing.
Wow.
So, they carved this in as both a step down into the cave, and also the symbol that we saw in Knossos.
Exactly.
And it also ties us to Plato, because he clearly stated that on the island of Atlantis, they had the bull horn symbols.
What about these over here? I believe those are more representations of bull horns.
Uh-huh.
So we have the bull head here as a step, and we have more bull horns right there behind us.
And then look up here.
I think this is a petroglyph of an Egyptian boat.
That's a perfect replica of other Egyptian boats that I've seen on drawings right here in a tomb in Sardinia.
And this is important also, because the story that Plato tells us originated in Egypt.
Uh-huh.
And the Egyptians also refer to a sea people far to the west.
Uh-huh.
Just like Plato says Atlantis was far to the west.
Huh.
And they were very fearful of these sea people.
So we have two pieces of evidence that there was an Egyptian contact on this island as well.
Wow.
So it's all, like, in this one place.
We're tied back to Knossos with this bull, and we're tied to Egypt with this petroglyph of an Egyptian boat.
So, this civilization could've potentially been an empire, with outposts in Greece and with outposts in Egypt, if it was, in fact, based here in Sardinia.
Exactly.
This cave is compelling new evidence that Atlantis may have been a real empire.
Between these bull horns, and the connections I've seen at the Palace of Knossos in Crete, and the sunken settlement of Pavlopetri, the evidence is startling.
Is it possible that all of these places were part of Atlantis? Or that one of them was the center of a massive empire? I'm fascinated by the interconnectivity of these societies.
There is clearly a link between these places.
They carry the same symbols, the same kind of imagery and etchings.
Robert's passion for Sardinia being Atlantis has definitely got some momentum to it, I would say.
But does this mean Sardinia was the center of the empire itself? We have to keep looking.
Now, there's one more really important location I wanna show to you.
It's incredible.
Just north of this region, there's another little-known prehistoric site that Robert believes could be the smoking gun to link Sardinia to Plato's description of Atlantis.
Will this expedition lead us straight to the heart of the empire? This is massive, huh? This is one of the larger tower complexes that has been found.
When was this particular site discovered? In 1920s, the main tower was discovered.
It was completely covered with earth.
Uh-huh.
What could've caused such a vast area of megalithic structures to be completely concealed in soil? One explanation may be found in a new scientific discovery.
Recent evidence reveals that the island of Sardinia may have been struck by a comet 2,000 years ago, resulting in tidal waves that reached 500 meters high and leveling the entire southern coast.
This would explain how towers that rose several meters from the ground were completely buried in mud until the 1920s.
It's hard to tell, with all the lichen and the growth and the wear Right.
but if you look hard, you'll see that there were actually three colors of stones used black, red, and white.
Oh.
And that is another thing on the list that Plato stated.
Okay.
He says that they used those three color stones in building their structures.
And in a lot of ways, even though it's more rugged-looking than Knossos, the technology, I think, is even a little more advanced 'Cause it's older.
And older, and also the size of these towers.
Right.
It's amazing to think about how they were able to engineer that.
Yes.
They were able to figure out how to place these rocks in such a way, without using mortar.
Right.
And yet they're still standing after 4,000 years.
That's amazing.
So, advanced technology matches Plato's description as well.
Wow.
It's so crazy to see all these rocks stacked the way they are.
Wow.
It just seems like a big giant game of Jenga.
The evidence seems to be stacking up.
Clearly, this was an advanced society.
Robert also says that the shape of these towers mirrors the circular shapes so crucial to the imagery of Atlantis.
The fact that everything here is circular matches that island city Plato talks about perfectly.
Problem is, it's impossible to see their arrangement clearly from the ground.
I wonder if we were able to get a bird's-eye view of this place what that would reveal in terms of the circular nature of this design.
So we're asking one of the camera operators on our crew to take us on a tour of this structure in a way that only he can by drone.
Wow.
Oh, my God.
Coming up, will the viewIs it ready to go? Yes.
All right.
Let's do it.
We're about to explore these megalithic structures from a vantage point that few have ever seen.
could this site have once been the center of the ancient empire? Wow.
So, it's like one big circle, inside of which there are many little circles.
Circles around circles.
Plato clearly states that circles were important to Atlantis.
Right.
Right.
And these circles are found all over the Mediterranean.
I feel like there are more than just a handful of the items on the checklist that are found here.
The color schemes of the red, and the black, and the white.
The fact that the circular imagery is prevalent.
And the construction the engineering of this place in particular.
He states that this civilization was an empire Powerful, wealthy To have 7,000 structures like this, they had to have a lot of power and a lot of wealth.
You know, to hear you talk about it, we basically have found Atlantis here in Sardinia.
That's what I'm saying.
I am convinced that the island of Sardinia and this culture the Nuraghe culture was the civilization that Plato was referring to when he told the story about Atlantis.
I'm convinced of that.
I totally get it.
When you look at this checklist, I see how Sardinia is a leading candidate.
For the most part, yes, yes, yes.
You can go right down the list.
The evidence in Sardinia seems overwhelming.
But whether this island was the actual heart of the empire, or perhaps just a small piece of Atlantis, is still unknown.
And I want to dig deeper.
So far, I've been focusing on where Atlanteans might have lived.
But what about who they might have been? And is it possible that there are still Atlanteans living today? As a renowned professor and Atlantis expert Richard Freund points out, if Atlantis was real, the descendants of the ancient civilization could still be roaming the Earth as we speak.
No destruction I've ever seen always gets everybody.
So, those survivors where did they go? They didn't just evaporate.
Right.
So, I think some of them got on boats, and they're the ones that helped create the ongoing civilization.
I think some of them went into the central highlands of Spain and established these villages.
They were all built with reconcentric circles.
Wow.
And when you ask people, "Who are these people?" They say, "We don't know.
" Right.
But if the population of Atlantis really spread out across the globe, what hard evidence could we find of them living amongst us today, and what could they teach us about the real location of this lost empire? I'm meeting with an expert who may have a radical new answer to these questions, and proof that Atlantis was real, through the blood of its descendants.
I understand you have a real interest in bloodlines and blood types, and that there actually may be some connection between blood type and the descendants from the lost civilization of Atlantis.
Jessica Farrell is a hematology expert who created an online database that tracks thousands of Rh-negative individuals, and her site has amassed over one million visitors from around the world.
Tell me a little bit about how you became interested in this, first of all.
I had a pregnancy when I was younger, and I found out during my pregnancy that I was Rh negative.
And, unfortunately, the pregnancy was lost.
And I always thought that maybe it had something to do with me not knowing ahead of time about my blood type.
So, I just really started researching it.
To be Rh negative is one of the rarest blood types in the world.
Only 10 to 15 percent of the people on this planet are Rh negative.
It means they're missing a key protein.
Any time there's a negative at the end of the letter Uh-huh.
that means that it's Rh negative.
So, is A negative also Rh negative? Yes.
Anything with a negative is Rh negative? Anything with a negative is Rh negative.
Oh, okay.
Even more mysterious, people with this blood type tend to have higher IQs and unique physical features, like an extra rib or vertebrae.
Despite these rare traits, no one can explain this blood type's origin.
Plato described Atlanteans as a race of people who were half-human and half-god.
If they were an entirely unique race, there would have been some distinctive signature in their DNA.
Is it possible that the Rh-negative factor could be the genetic link? As a whole, there's no known earthly origin for the Rh-negative individual.
So, since there's no known origin, and we don't fit the typical model for how we got here Mm-hmmpeople make up a lot of stories.
There are a lot of theories, there are a lot of myths out there, but there's no actual fact to say where we came from.
So, is this the idea that it's I mean, that it's a different species? It's a possibility that it could be a different species.
Can't say for sure.
Wow.
I mean, the idea that there is another species of human being is something I've never considered or heard before.
It's such a fascinating notion.
So, are there characteristics that accompany Rh-negative blood type that don't accompany any other blood types? Rh-negative people do have a stronger, um, concentration of certain characteristics and traits.
And what are those characteristics? Um, so, we have a board set up over here to kind of look at.
Um, there Whoa! "Spock/pointed ears.
" Mm-hmm.
Do you have Spock/pointed ears? Um, it's not always necessarily an extreme point.
Oh, yeah.
But it's this little notch right here by the helix.
Oh, yeah.
Sure.
It's something that I noticed on your left ear.
Really? So, I would like to maybe go through the list of things to see if you've got some check marks that you could put up on my list.
Let's do it.
Let's see what we can come up with.
Coming up, will I uncover a personal connection to the descendan The story of Atlantis remains one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
In his ancient writings, Plato described the people of Atlantis as being half-god and half-human.
Under the guidance of hematology expert Jessica Farrell, I'm on a mission to determine whether the rare Rh-negative blood type could nk us back to the ancient empire.
So is this the idea that it's I mean, that it's a different species? It's a possibility that it could be a different species.
And is it possible I may actually have a direct connection to Atlantis? Rh-negative people do have a stronger concentration of certain characteristics and traits.
So, I would like to maybe go through the list to see if you've got some check marks.
Let's do it.
Let's see what we can comup with.
Well, I'm definitely a truth seeker.
Okay.
I would not say that I have a feeling of not belonging.
So, how about a mission in life? I think I have a mission in life.
I play Spock, so I feel like I have to have a love of space and science.
I think so.
A widow's peak? Little bit.
Really? Got a little bit of a widow's peak.
I do? Don't really have a cleft nose, lip, or chin.
You do.
I do? You do have a little bump right here Really?in your chin.
So, it looks like you've got about half the board filled up, so there's a chance that you're Rh negative.
Really? Though there is another way that we can test your blood type and figure out for sure.
We have a genetic expert here, and we can have him test your blood and figure out what your type and factor are.
We're gonna inflict a moment of temporary pain.
Great.
We've called in a genetic expert, Dr.
Peter D'Adamo, to oversee the blood test and deliver the results.
I'm just gonna look away.
It's a clear indication that you're B, uh, negative.
Uh-huh.
Uh, you see, you reacted to the "B" here.
Right.
Okay, so So, you're Rh negative.
Wow.
So that's a pretty rare group that I'm a part of.
The results that I'm B negative mean I'm part of that rare 10 to 15 percent of the world's Rh-negative population, because anyone whose blood is negative falls into this category.
Does this more likely, or less likely, put me in the lineage of Atlantis? It puts you on the "more likely.
" Wow.
That's amazing.
I was not expecting to have such a direct and personal link to the descendants of Atlantis.
It makes me wonder, could genetics offer a new and groundbreaking road map for finding the location of the ancient empire? And if so, where else could I search for evidence of Atlantis? The closest thing that I think we've came to that's factual is where we have the highest concentration pool of Rh-negative individuals, and where current modern science and genetics has taken us is to the Berber people.
With the highest concentrations of Rh-negative blood types in the world, the for scholarsorth Africa hav throughout history.
Scientists believe the Berber ancestry may stretch back 10,000 to 30,000 years, yet little is known about its origin.
Today, one of the largest modern populations of Berbers is in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.
In fact, many Berbers now make their home in the Atlas Mountains, which, of course, is the root of the word, "Atlantis.
" So, is there evidence of the Atlantis empire hiding in plain sight in Morocco? I'm headed there now, and I'll be teaming up with renowned Atlantis expert, Andrew Gough.
He believes that this unexplored area may check more boxes on Plato's list than anywhere I've hit so far.
I'm convinced that people have been looking in the wrong places.
When you decode and just follow the lead of Plato's 51 clues, it leads you to Morocco.
Andrew.
Zach.
How are you? Nice to meet you.
Hi.
Really nice to meet you.
Yeah.
Thanks so much for being with me.
It's my pleasure.
So, I understand you have a theory about the lost civilization of Atlantis.
A bit of an outlier theory.
What is it? For me, it was in the Med.
It was Crete, maybe Sicily.
Uh-huh.
Sure.
Um, Santorini.
Of course, it had to be a fit.
Ticked so many boxes.
But I think the clues have been there all along.
Only thing that's left is Morocco.
Is Morocco? To find Atlantis, we have to give up everything that we want it to be.
The idea that Morocco's the last place that people are really looking Atlantis expert Andrew Gough has been investigating historical mysteries for decades.
He is certain he can show me evidence that proves Atlantis was real, and that the heart of the empire may have been located in the harsh desert lands of Morocco.
The idea that Morocco's also the last place that people are really looking is kind of a thing that excites me.
It's like a new frontier.
It's like opening up a whole new arm of this story and looking at what could be.
And I feel like there's a lot of possibility to do that here.
Right now, Andrew and I are headed to one of the highest peaks in the Souss-Massa region to dive into this radical new theory from above.
This is amazing.
Welcome to Atlantis.
What secrets could this surprising location reveal that tie us back to Plato's description of Atlantis? How did your studies lead you to this place? When this German scientist put all of Plato's 51 physical geographical criteria into a computer program, the only place that was left standing was Morocco.
You know, I had to rethink it and say, "You know what? He's right.
Forget these fanciful ideas.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
" Look behind us.
We have the High Atlas Mountains.
Wow.
Plato says that the central city of Atlantis was just to the south of a really high mountain range.
Uh-huh.
We're also the exact distance that Plato said the central city was away from the natural harbor, which is the Atlantic Ocean.
Uh-huh.
The Atlas Mountains There's a theme here.
Yeah, you're not wrong about that.
And, you know, Atlas, of course, was the first king of Atlantis.
Not only did Plato write that Atlantis was ruled by King Atlas, in Plato's time, the pleural form of the word "atlas" was "atlantes," and ancient Greek maps refer to the Atlas Mountain ranges as "Atlantes.
" What he also said was that there were concentric circles created by Poseidon.
Now, because Poseidon's a god, that means man didn't create those.
It's part of the natural landscape.
Uh-huh.
Now, there's no water here.
Right.
But geological studies and the ancient maps show that there were old rivers that went from here to the ocean, alternating land and water.
So, there are three rivers and two concentric circles, just like Plato said.
Up here, of course, is the Pillars of Hercules.
Right.
If you read the way Plato says it, Atlantis was outside the Pillars of Hercules.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
So it's outside in the ocean somewhere.
In ancient times, the Pillars of Hercules were a maritime boundary marker that signified the entrance to the ancient Greek world.
Today, this area is known as the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Plato's account, Atlantis was situated in front of the Pillars of Hercules, and according to scholars like Professor Richard Freund, this single clue could be a huge breakthrough in identifying the lost empire of Atlantis.
When I go out into the field, the first thing that I always ask is, "What is it that really "is so specific and so exacting, it'saking a real strong point that you can't get away from?" So, in the case of Plato, there's one really big identification point of the geographic Mm-hmmthe Pillars of Hercules.
Three laws of archaeology Uh-huh.
location, location, location.
Right.
Geographically speaking, Morocco is the only location I've seen that is actually situated in front of, or directly outside of, the Pillars of Hercules.
But does this prove I'm standing at the heart of the Atlantis empire right here in Morocco? As you can see, it's exactly what Plato said.
The story of Atlantis has remained one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
This is amazing.
Welcome to Atlantis.
Now I'm on a mountainside in Morocco with historian Andrew Gough.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
We've uncovered compelling new evidence to suggest that the lost empire of Atlantis may have existed in this most unlikely of places.
Up here is the Pillars of Hercules.
Right.
If you read the way Plato says it, Atlantis was outside the Pillars of Hercules.
But as strong as these connections are to Plato's list, I still have unanswered questions about how Atlantis could be hiding here in Morocco.
But it's not an island, so how does that factor into what we know about Atlantis? The answer is in the word that Plato uses.
He calls it an island, but he spells it N-E-S-O-S, which has multiple meanings.
Anything that's bordered is considered a virtual island.
That's why he uses the term "island.
" You can see it's three sides it's bounded by mountains, one side by water.
That's why it's an island.
Uh-huh.
And that's why no one's ever looked for it in a place like Morocco.
As the evidence here in Morocco continues to line up with Plato's writing, I have to wonder, where are all the ruins? Is it strange that there hasn't been anything found at all? I mean There e ancient settlements that people have found, but they're all over Morocco.
What it needs is a proper archaeological survey by air and by ground.
It's gonna take some cutting-edge technology to prove that there was a settlement here.
Right.
It might be beneath the ground what we're looking for or it may have been hauled away.
Could Atlantis really be hiding in rubble? Or perhaps be buried under the soil of Morocco? If so, it wouldn't be the first time that an ancient civilization was discovered after centuries of being right under our noses.
From the legendary city of Troy, which was unearthed by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870, revealing nearly 4,000 years' worth of artifacts and the site of the Trojan War, to the Great Pyramid of Cholula, an ancient Aztec temple found hiding inside a mountain in Mexico after centuries of obscurity.
Many people don't realize that it is actually the largest pyramid in the world, with a base nearly three times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Much like these great archaeological finds, Andrew believes he's found evidence to suggest Atlantis is hiding in plain sight right here in Morocco, amongst piles of rubble that have been hauled away from the surrounding area.
This could be the most important site in the whole Atlantis story.
Well, it's not what I had in mind, but okay.
Not what you'd expect.
A stone quarry.
But look at the stones.
Black, white, and red the color that Plato said all the stones were in Atlantis.
When we were at the central circle that concentric circle that Plato calls the central city in Atlantis, you said, "Where are the temples? Where are the artifacts?" They're here.
For me, this is like that last scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, when they put the Ark of the Covenant into the warehouse, because trucks And I've seen them.
They've been doing this for decades.
They roll into the central city, and they just pack up all of the stone, and they bring them here.
And you can see that they use them for construction.
So you're telling me that you feel like relics and archaeological finds from the site, which could be the center of the city of Atlantis, have just been carted off and ground up and thrown here in piles of rubble? Absolutely.
And this is probably where all the statues, all the archaeological evidence the temples, the pillar where they sacrificed the bulls Any proof of what Plato described as Atlantis being in Morocco that elusive proof lies in rubble.
Our efforts to find the empire of Atlantis in unlikely places are supported by experts, such as Jeff Belanger, who believes the key to finding the lost civilization is still out there.
The thing about the study of history and I'll include archaeology in that is that we'll never know everything.
New discoveries happen all the time that completely change all the textbooks.
So I would welcome the idea that there are some ruins out there that showed we really were further along in development and civilization than we thought 10,000 years ago.
That would be amazing.
If new discoveries are being made all the time, then my quest to prove Atlantis was real, and may be here in Morocco, must continue.
So, what else can you show me to support your argument? In fact, we've saved the best for last.
Wow.
My worldwide journey to prove that Atlantis may have been a real and thriving empire has ultimately landed me in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.
Here, I've already seen compelling evidence to suggest that this ancient land checks more boxes on Plato's list than any other location I've seen.
Look behind us.
We have the High Atlas Mountains.
Wow.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
And historian Andrew Gough is about to show me what he claims is his most compelling evidence yet We've saved the best for last.
where Atlantis supposedly meets the sea.
Wow.
This is stunning.
Fantastic, isn't it? Let's not forget, the number one reason no one's ever thought of this before is, they're looking out there for an island, right? Right.
For something that's submerged, underwater.
Right.
But we now know "nesos" doesn't have to be all surrounded by water.
So, that's a game changer, right? Yeah.
I'll say.
But the thing that really seals it for me is, this very spot is where the High Atlas Mountains meet the sea, which matches what Plato says when he says the natural harbor, the docks, were cut into red, white, and black bedrock.
And you would need a place like this because you were a seafaring nation.
It fits Plato's description to a T.
So, you feel like Morocco has more of these hallmarks than Sardinia or Greece? Absolutely.
If we were to go through each of these Uh-huh.
we would find Morocco has 44 Wowof the 51.
Elephants, yes.
Huge mountain range just to the north, check.
Natural harbor, check.
You go down the list No other candidate for Atlantis has had half as many ticks on the boxes as Morocco.
I mean, it's a pretty compelling argument, I have to say.
When you add it all up and you take things piece by piece, certainly makes me think about this question, you know? Is this place real? Is the myth just this incredibly enduring example of human storytelling? Think we need to separate the fact that there are many fantastic ancient civilizations who were wiped off the face of the earth because of one cataclysm or another.
And their stories are worth telling, but they're not Atlantis.
I hope we can prove it, but right now, it's just a really good logical theory.
We need to dig.
You know, that's when you find some relics.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That would be a start.
Well, hopefully, we can get a step or two closer to doing that.
I hope we can.
If a dig were to happen in the Souss-Massa plain, it's impossible to imagine what may lie hidden beneath.
As with much of the Atlantis mystery, we could be just one shovel away from discovering the location of a vast and mythical empire.
And perhaps that's what keeps the intrigue alive.
In the meantime, we continue to hold our breath as we await results from experts, such as Greg Heyworth and Ken Boydston.
I don't think it's hieroglyphics.
I think it's an alphabet.
An actual alphabet.
I think it's an alphabet.
If they actually found writing, that's huge.
So, then, we've really found something in our search.
Yes.
Their groundbreaking spectral imaging work on a cave in Sardinia may eventually reveal new clues that tie us back to Plato's ancient writings and Atlantis itself.
But for now, we wait and hold out hope.
Along my journey, I've seen compelling evidence all over the Mediterranean, from Pavlopetri to Crete, Sardinia, and now Morocco.
It suggests that Atlantis was a very real and powerful empire, even if we can't identify where it was anchored just yet.
And while I'm more convinced than ever that the Atlantis empire is more than a myth, experts from all over the world continue to disagree about where we might find the lost civilization.
People talk about Ireland, Cuba, Jamaica I mean, places all over the world, right? You can't even believe that there's people in India, Indonesia, China, Israel Mm-hmm.
Finland, Sweden I mean, Antarctica Right.
People all over the world establish their own location Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm as the Atlantis.
What they're trying to do is, they're trying to connect themselves.
Right.
I believe that the island of Atlantis is very close to my original theory right off the Eastern Mediterranean.
I believe that there is indeed an underwater civilization that's very sophisticated here in the Bermuda Triangle.
There were Spanish archaeologists who were working on this project in a marsh in southern Spain, and they identified with a photograph from space a very clear circular area that goes out all the way to the Atlantic.
Uh-huh.
These had to be created.
Mm.
There's no such thing as a pure circle like that.
Right.
Right.
Is there a real Atlantis? I mean, we're talking about this incredible, legendary empire.
And from everything I've seen, I believe it really could have existed.
But where was this massive empire located? I don't know yet.
I feel like there are certainly more historical underpinnings to the myth than I ever thought before I started this journey.
And I think that's actually part of what makes the myth of Atlantis so incredible, so exciting, and, uh, so powerful.
And I've grown certain that the day is coming soon when the true location of the Atlantis empire will finally come to light.
And I can't wait to see what else we'll learn.
Maybe one day it'll turn up.
By using a checklist derived from the Greek philosopher Plato's writings, I've uncovered compelling evidence that this holy grail of lost civilizations may have been a real and sprawling empire.
It may even have rivaled ancient Egypt in size.
My quest has taken me all over the Mediterranean, from the sunken settlement of Pavlopetri No, no, no, no, no! Too close! Too close! Too close! to the ancient Palace of Knossos in Greece, where an advanced culture matched many of the characteristics on Plato's list.
Oh, my goodness.
That's a symbol of Poseidon.
And to the fabled island of Sardinia, where a set of mysterious caves revealed new clues about how far the empire of Atlantis may have spread.
I don't think it's hieroglyphics.
I think it's an alphabet.
So, then, we've really found something in our search.
Even in the face of dire warnings from scholars and experts alike Don't probe too much.
There are places out there that just want to be left alone.
And while my epic journey has already uncovered so many compelling clues that match Plato's checklist for Atlantis, I'm still on the hunt for more proof.
And my search continues now.
My Name is Zachary Quinto.
As an actor, I've played many supernatural characters that blurred the line between science and fiction.
I'm drawn to the unknown, the otherworldly, and those experiences so beyond belief, they call everything into question.
I'm exploring some of the most enduring mysteries that continue to haunt mankind in search of the truth wherever it leads me.
Long before ancient Egyptians laid down the first stone on the great Pyramids, or the rise and fall of the Roman civilization, it is said there was a mighty empire called Atlantis.
The only known record of the story was authored by the great philosopher, Plato, in 350 BC.
He wrote about a thriving island civilization built in concentric circles.
It was highly advanced in technology and culture, far above and beyond its prehistoric counterparts.
But all of this changed when Atlantis began to grow, conquering numerous territories, and giving in to greed and a lust for power.
According to Plato, the gods punished Atlantis with earthquakes and floods that obliterated the island, never to be seen again.
Today, the search for Atlantis remains a worldwide obsession.
Some experts believe the folklore surrounding this mysterious empire has embedded itself so deeply in our understanding of the world, it's impossible to let go.
How we define Atlantis today depends on who you ask.
For some people, it's a tangible place that sits at the bottom of the ocean.
If we could just find the ruins.
For other people, it's a metaphor of what happens when you become an imperialistic force that thinks you can rule anything you want.
The thing about a myth or a legend is there's always a nugget of truth in it.
How do we get from what Plato wrote 2,300 years ago to what people talk about today? Over time, it changes, it evolves.
And now it represents something lost and maybe can be found.
I'm determined to prove Atlantis was a real place and, jt as Plato described, a vast and powerful empire.
Is this also a tomb? This is a tomb also, yes.
I'm with Robert Ishoy at the Necropolis of Montessu, on the island of Sardinia.
Robert is a former U.
S.
intelligence specialist who's been searching for Atlantis for three decades.
Robert has led me to an underground site which even he has only heard about but never seen with his own eyes.
We're gonna have to crawl down in there to see 'em.
All right.
Let's do it.
All right.
And together, we're armed with a checklist of descriptions Plato wrote about Atlantis in his ancient text.
And Robert believes these caves could reveal groundbreaking new secrets.
Wow.
I've read about this site Uh-huh.
but to be in here and see this is amazing.
Right here, in front of us, where we stepped down Uh-huh.
This is clearly a bull horn.
Wow.
There's only half the horn left, and the horn on your side is missing.
Wow.
So, they carved this in as both a step down into the cave, and also the symbol that we saw in Knossos.
Exactly.
And it also ties us to Plato, because he clearly stated that on the island of Atlantis, they had the bull horn symbols.
What about these over here? I believe those are more representations of bull horns.
Uh-huh.
So we have the bull head here as a step, and we have more bull horns right there behind us.
And then look up here.
I think this is a petroglyph of an Egyptian boat.
That's a perfect replica of other Egyptian boats that I've seen on drawings right here in a tomb in Sardinia.
And this is important also, because the story that Plato tells us originated in Egypt.
Uh-huh.
And the Egyptians also refer to a sea people far to the west.
Uh-huh.
Just like Plato says Atlantis was far to the west.
Huh.
And they were very fearful of these sea people.
So we have two pieces of evidence that there was an Egyptian contact on this island as well.
Wow.
So it's all, like, in this one place.
We're tied back to Knossos with this bull, and we're tied to Egypt with this petroglyph of an Egyptian boat.
So, this civilization could've potentially been an empire, with outposts in Greece and with outposts in Egypt, if it was, in fact, based here in Sardinia.
Exactly.
This cave is compelling new evidence that Atlantis may have been a real empire.
Between these bull horns, and the connections I've seen at the Palace of Knossos in Crete, and the sunken settlement of Pavlopetri, the evidence is startling.
Is it possible that all of these places were part of Atlantis? Or that one of them was the center of a massive empire? I'm fascinated by the interconnectivity of these societies.
There is clearly a link between these places.
They carry the same symbols, the same kind of imagery and etchings.
Robert's passion for Sardinia being Atlantis has definitely got some momentum to it, I would say.
But does this mean Sardinia was the center of the empire itself? We have to keep looking.
Now, there's one more really important location I wanna show to you.
It's incredible.
Just north of this region, there's another little-known prehistoric site that Robert believes could be the smoking gun to link Sardinia to Plato's description of Atlantis.
Will this expedition lead us straight to the heart of the empire? This is massive, huh? This is one of the larger tower complexes that has been found.
When was this particular site discovered? In 1920s, the main tower was discovered.
It was completely covered with earth.
Uh-huh.
What could've caused such a vast area of megalithic structures to be completely concealed in soil? One explanation may be found in a new scientific discovery.
Recent evidence reveals that the island of Sardinia may have been struck by a comet 2,000 years ago, resulting in tidal waves that reached 500 meters high and leveling the entire southern coast.
This would explain how towers that rose several meters from the ground were completely buried in mud until the 1920s.
It's hard to tell, with all the lichen and the growth and the wear Right.
but if you look hard, you'll see that there were actually three colors of stones used black, red, and white.
Oh.
And that is another thing on the list that Plato stated.
Okay.
He says that they used those three color stones in building their structures.
And in a lot of ways, even though it's more rugged-looking than Knossos, the technology, I think, is even a little more advanced 'Cause it's older.
And older, and also the size of these towers.
Right.
It's amazing to think about how they were able to engineer that.
Yes.
They were able to figure out how to place these rocks in such a way, without using mortar.
Right.
And yet they're still standing after 4,000 years.
That's amazing.
So, advanced technology matches Plato's description as well.
Wow.
It's so crazy to see all these rocks stacked the way they are.
Wow.
It just seems like a big giant game of Jenga.
The evidence seems to be stacking up.
Clearly, this was an advanced society.
Robert also says that the shape of these towers mirrors the circular shapes so crucial to the imagery of Atlantis.
The fact that everything here is circular matches that island city Plato talks about perfectly.
Problem is, it's impossible to see their arrangement clearly from the ground.
I wonder if we were able to get a bird's-eye view of this place what that would reveal in terms of the circular nature of this design.
So we're asking one of the camera operators on our crew to take us on a tour of this structure in a way that only he can by drone.
Wow.
Oh, my God.
Coming up, will the viewIs it ready to go? Yes.
All right.
Let's do it.
We're about to explore these megalithic structures from a vantage point that few have ever seen.
could this site have once been the center of the ancient empire? Wow.
So, it's like one big circle, inside of which there are many little circles.
Circles around circles.
Plato clearly states that circles were important to Atlantis.
Right.
Right.
And these circles are found all over the Mediterranean.
I feel like there are more than just a handful of the items on the checklist that are found here.
The color schemes of the red, and the black, and the white.
The fact that the circular imagery is prevalent.
And the construction the engineering of this place in particular.
He states that this civilization was an empire Powerful, wealthy To have 7,000 structures like this, they had to have a lot of power and a lot of wealth.
You know, to hear you talk about it, we basically have found Atlantis here in Sardinia.
That's what I'm saying.
I am convinced that the island of Sardinia and this culture the Nuraghe culture was the civilization that Plato was referring to when he told the story about Atlantis.
I'm convinced of that.
I totally get it.
When you look at this checklist, I see how Sardinia is a leading candidate.
For the most part, yes, yes, yes.
You can go right down the list.
The evidence in Sardinia seems overwhelming.
But whether this island was the actual heart of the empire, or perhaps just a small piece of Atlantis, is still unknown.
And I want to dig deeper.
So far, I've been focusing on where Atlanteans might have lived.
But what about who they might have been? And is it possible that there are still Atlanteans living today? As a renowned professor and Atlantis expert Richard Freund points out, if Atlantis was real, the descendants of the ancient civilization could still be roaming the Earth as we speak.
No destruction I've ever seen always gets everybody.
So, those survivors where did they go? They didn't just evaporate.
Right.
So, I think some of them got on boats, and they're the ones that helped create the ongoing civilization.
I think some of them went into the central highlands of Spain and established these villages.
They were all built with reconcentric circles.
Wow.
And when you ask people, "Who are these people?" They say, "We don't know.
" Right.
But if the population of Atlantis really spread out across the globe, what hard evidence could we find of them living amongst us today, and what could they teach us about the real location of this lost empire? I'm meeting with an expert who may have a radical new answer to these questions, and proof that Atlantis was real, through the blood of its descendants.
I understand you have a real interest in bloodlines and blood types, and that there actually may be some connection between blood type and the descendants from the lost civilization of Atlantis.
Jessica Farrell is a hematology expert who created an online database that tracks thousands of Rh-negative individuals, and her site has amassed over one million visitors from around the world.
Tell me a little bit about how you became interested in this, first of all.
I had a pregnancy when I was younger, and I found out during my pregnancy that I was Rh negative.
And, unfortunately, the pregnancy was lost.
And I always thought that maybe it had something to do with me not knowing ahead of time about my blood type.
So, I just really started researching it.
To be Rh negative is one of the rarest blood types in the world.
Only 10 to 15 percent of the people on this planet are Rh negative.
It means they're missing a key protein.
Any time there's a negative at the end of the letter Uh-huh.
that means that it's Rh negative.
So, is A negative also Rh negative? Yes.
Anything with a negative is Rh negative? Anything with a negative is Rh negative.
Oh, okay.
Even more mysterious, people with this blood type tend to have higher IQs and unique physical features, like an extra rib or vertebrae.
Despite these rare traits, no one can explain this blood type's origin.
Plato described Atlanteans as a race of people who were half-human and half-god.
If they were an entirely unique race, there would have been some distinctive signature in their DNA.
Is it possible that the Rh-negative factor could be the genetic link? As a whole, there's no known earthly origin for the Rh-negative individual.
So, since there's no known origin, and we don't fit the typical model for how we got here Mm-hmmpeople make up a lot of stories.
There are a lot of theories, there are a lot of myths out there, but there's no actual fact to say where we came from.
So, is this the idea that it's I mean, that it's a different species? It's a possibility that it could be a different species.
Can't say for sure.
Wow.
I mean, the idea that there is another species of human being is something I've never considered or heard before.
It's such a fascinating notion.
So, are there characteristics that accompany Rh-negative blood type that don't accompany any other blood types? Rh-negative people do have a stronger, um, concentration of certain characteristics and traits.
And what are those characteristics? Um, so, we have a board set up over here to kind of look at.
Um, there Whoa! "Spock/pointed ears.
" Mm-hmm.
Do you have Spock/pointed ears? Um, it's not always necessarily an extreme point.
Oh, yeah.
But it's this little notch right here by the helix.
Oh, yeah.
Sure.
It's something that I noticed on your left ear.
Really? So, I would like to maybe go through the list of things to see if you've got some check marks that you could put up on my list.
Let's do it.
Let's see what we can come up with.
Coming up, will I uncover a personal connection to the descendan The story of Atlantis remains one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
In his ancient writings, Plato described the people of Atlantis as being half-god and half-human.
Under the guidance of hematology expert Jessica Farrell, I'm on a mission to determine whether the rare Rh-negative blood type could nk us back to the ancient empire.
So is this the idea that it's I mean, that it's a different species? It's a possibility that it could be a different species.
And is it possible I may actually have a direct connection to Atlantis? Rh-negative people do have a stronger concentration of certain characteristics and traits.
So, I would like to maybe go through the list to see if you've got some check marks.
Let's do it.
Let's see what we can comup with.
Well, I'm definitely a truth seeker.
Okay.
I would not say that I have a feeling of not belonging.
So, how about a mission in life? I think I have a mission in life.
I play Spock, so I feel like I have to have a love of space and science.
I think so.
A widow's peak? Little bit.
Really? Got a little bit of a widow's peak.
I do? Don't really have a cleft nose, lip, or chin.
You do.
I do? You do have a little bump right here Really?in your chin.
So, it looks like you've got about half the board filled up, so there's a chance that you're Rh negative.
Really? Though there is another way that we can test your blood type and figure out for sure.
We have a genetic expert here, and we can have him test your blood and figure out what your type and factor are.
We're gonna inflict a moment of temporary pain.
Great.
We've called in a genetic expert, Dr.
Peter D'Adamo, to oversee the blood test and deliver the results.
I'm just gonna look away.
It's a clear indication that you're B, uh, negative.
Uh-huh.
Uh, you see, you reacted to the "B" here.
Right.
Okay, so So, you're Rh negative.
Wow.
So that's a pretty rare group that I'm a part of.
The results that I'm B negative mean I'm part of that rare 10 to 15 percent of the world's Rh-negative population, because anyone whose blood is negative falls into this category.
Does this more likely, or less likely, put me in the lineage of Atlantis? It puts you on the "more likely.
" Wow.
That's amazing.
I was not expecting to have such a direct and personal link to the descendants of Atlantis.
It makes me wonder, could genetics offer a new and groundbreaking road map for finding the location of the ancient empire? And if so, where else could I search for evidence of Atlantis? The closest thing that I think we've came to that's factual is where we have the highest concentration pool of Rh-negative individuals, and where current modern science and genetics has taken us is to the Berber people.
With the highest concentrations of Rh-negative blood types in the world, the for scholarsorth Africa hav throughout history.
Scientists believe the Berber ancestry may stretch back 10,000 to 30,000 years, yet little is known about its origin.
Today, one of the largest modern populations of Berbers is in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.
In fact, many Berbers now make their home in the Atlas Mountains, which, of course, is the root of the word, "Atlantis.
" So, is there evidence of the Atlantis empire hiding in plain sight in Morocco? I'm headed there now, and I'll be teaming up with renowned Atlantis expert, Andrew Gough.
He believes that this unexplored area may check more boxes on Plato's list than anywhere I've hit so far.
I'm convinced that people have been looking in the wrong places.
When you decode and just follow the lead of Plato's 51 clues, it leads you to Morocco.
Andrew.
Zach.
How are you? Nice to meet you.
Hi.
Really nice to meet you.
Yeah.
Thanks so much for being with me.
It's my pleasure.
So, I understand you have a theory about the lost civilization of Atlantis.
A bit of an outlier theory.
What is it? For me, it was in the Med.
It was Crete, maybe Sicily.
Uh-huh.
Sure.
Um, Santorini.
Of course, it had to be a fit.
Ticked so many boxes.
But I think the clues have been there all along.
Only thing that's left is Morocco.
Is Morocco? To find Atlantis, we have to give up everything that we want it to be.
The idea that Morocco's the last place that people are really looking Atlantis expert Andrew Gough has been investigating historical mysteries for decades.
He is certain he can show me evidence that proves Atlantis was real, and that the heart of the empire may have been located in the harsh desert lands of Morocco.
The idea that Morocco's also the last place that people are really looking is kind of a thing that excites me.
It's like a new frontier.
It's like opening up a whole new arm of this story and looking at what could be.
And I feel like there's a lot of possibility to do that here.
Right now, Andrew and I are headed to one of the highest peaks in the Souss-Massa region to dive into this radical new theory from above.
This is amazing.
Welcome to Atlantis.
What secrets could this surprising location reveal that tie us back to Plato's description of Atlantis? How did your studies lead you to this place? When this German scientist put all of Plato's 51 physical geographical criteria into a computer program, the only place that was left standing was Morocco.
You know, I had to rethink it and say, "You know what? He's right.
Forget these fanciful ideas.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
" Look behind us.
We have the High Atlas Mountains.
Wow.
Plato says that the central city of Atlantis was just to the south of a really high mountain range.
Uh-huh.
We're also the exact distance that Plato said the central city was away from the natural harbor, which is the Atlantic Ocean.
Uh-huh.
The Atlas Mountains There's a theme here.
Yeah, you're not wrong about that.
And, you know, Atlas, of course, was the first king of Atlantis.
Not only did Plato write that Atlantis was ruled by King Atlas, in Plato's time, the pleural form of the word "atlas" was "atlantes," and ancient Greek maps refer to the Atlas Mountain ranges as "Atlantes.
" What he also said was that there were concentric circles created by Poseidon.
Now, because Poseidon's a god, that means man didn't create those.
It's part of the natural landscape.
Uh-huh.
Now, there's no water here.
Right.
But geological studies and the ancient maps show that there were old rivers that went from here to the ocean, alternating land and water.
So, there are three rivers and two concentric circles, just like Plato said.
Up here, of course, is the Pillars of Hercules.
Right.
If you read the way Plato says it, Atlantis was outside the Pillars of Hercules.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
So it's outside in the ocean somewhere.
In ancient times, the Pillars of Hercules were a maritime boundary marker that signified the entrance to the ancient Greek world.
Today, this area is known as the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Plato's account, Atlantis was situated in front of the Pillars of Hercules, and according to scholars like Professor Richard Freund, this single clue could be a huge breakthrough in identifying the lost empire of Atlantis.
When I go out into the field, the first thing that I always ask is, "What is it that really "is so specific and so exacting, it'saking a real strong point that you can't get away from?" So, in the case of Plato, there's one really big identification point of the geographic Mm-hmmthe Pillars of Hercules.
Three laws of archaeology Uh-huh.
location, location, location.
Right.
Geographically speaking, Morocco is the only location I've seen that is actually situated in front of, or directly outside of, the Pillars of Hercules.
But does this prove I'm standing at the heart of the Atlantis empire right here in Morocco? As you can see, it's exactly what Plato said.
The story of Atlantis has remained one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
This is amazing.
Welcome to Atlantis.
Now I'm on a mountainside in Morocco with historian Andrew Gough.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
We've uncovered compelling new evidence to suggest that the lost empire of Atlantis may have existed in this most unlikely of places.
Up here is the Pillars of Hercules.
Right.
If you read the way Plato says it, Atlantis was outside the Pillars of Hercules.
But as strong as these connections are to Plato's list, I still have unanswered questions about how Atlantis could be hiding here in Morocco.
But it's not an island, so how does that factor into what we know about Atlantis? The answer is in the word that Plato uses.
He calls it an island, but he spells it N-E-S-O-S, which has multiple meanings.
Anything that's bordered is considered a virtual island.
That's why he uses the term "island.
" You can see it's three sides it's bounded by mountains, one side by water.
That's why it's an island.
Uh-huh.
And that's why no one's ever looked for it in a place like Morocco.
As the evidence here in Morocco continues to line up with Plato's writing, I have to wonder, where are all the ruins? Is it strange that there hasn't been anything found at all? I mean There e ancient settlements that people have found, but they're all over Morocco.
What it needs is a proper archaeological survey by air and by ground.
It's gonna take some cutting-edge technology to prove that there was a settlement here.
Right.
It might be beneath the ground what we're looking for or it may have been hauled away.
Could Atlantis really be hiding in rubble? Or perhaps be buried under the soil of Morocco? If so, it wouldn't be the first time that an ancient civilization was discovered after centuries of being right under our noses.
From the legendary city of Troy, which was unearthed by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870, revealing nearly 4,000 years' worth of artifacts and the site of the Trojan War, to the Great Pyramid of Cholula, an ancient Aztec temple found hiding inside a mountain in Mexico after centuries of obscurity.
Many people don't realize that it is actually the largest pyramid in the world, with a base nearly three times larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Much like these great archaeological finds, Andrew believes he's found evidence to suggest Atlantis is hiding in plain sight right here in Morocco, amongst piles of rubble that have been hauled away from the surrounding area.
This could be the most important site in the whole Atlantis story.
Well, it's not what I had in mind, but okay.
Not what you'd expect.
A stone quarry.
But look at the stones.
Black, white, and red the color that Plato said all the stones were in Atlantis.
When we were at the central circle that concentric circle that Plato calls the central city in Atlantis, you said, "Where are the temples? Where are the artifacts?" They're here.
For me, this is like that last scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, when they put the Ark of the Covenant into the warehouse, because trucks And I've seen them.
They've been doing this for decades.
They roll into the central city, and they just pack up all of the stone, and they bring them here.
And you can see that they use them for construction.
So you're telling me that you feel like relics and archaeological finds from the site, which could be the center of the city of Atlantis, have just been carted off and ground up and thrown here in piles of rubble? Absolutely.
And this is probably where all the statues, all the archaeological evidence the temples, the pillar where they sacrificed the bulls Any proof of what Plato described as Atlantis being in Morocco that elusive proof lies in rubble.
Our efforts to find the empire of Atlantis in unlikely places are supported by experts, such as Jeff Belanger, who believes the key to finding the lost civilization is still out there.
The thing about the study of history and I'll include archaeology in that is that we'll never know everything.
New discoveries happen all the time that completely change all the textbooks.
So I would welcome the idea that there are some ruins out there that showed we really were further along in development and civilization than we thought 10,000 years ago.
That would be amazing.
If new discoveries are being made all the time, then my quest to prove Atlantis was real, and may be here in Morocco, must continue.
So, what else can you show me to support your argument? In fact, we've saved the best for last.
Wow.
My worldwide journey to prove that Atlantis may have been a real and thriving empire has ultimately landed me in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.
Here, I've already seen compelling evidence to suggest that this ancient land checks more boxes on Plato's list than any other location I've seen.
Look behind us.
We have the High Atlas Mountains.
Wow.
This could have been the central city of Atlantis.
And historian Andrew Gough is about to show me what he claims is his most compelling evidence yet We've saved the best for last.
where Atlantis supposedly meets the sea.
Wow.
This is stunning.
Fantastic, isn't it? Let's not forget, the number one reason no one's ever thought of this before is, they're looking out there for an island, right? Right.
For something that's submerged, underwater.
Right.
But we now know "nesos" doesn't have to be all surrounded by water.
So, that's a game changer, right? Yeah.
I'll say.
But the thing that really seals it for me is, this very spot is where the High Atlas Mountains meet the sea, which matches what Plato says when he says the natural harbor, the docks, were cut into red, white, and black bedrock.
And you would need a place like this because you were a seafaring nation.
It fits Plato's description to a T.
So, you feel like Morocco has more of these hallmarks than Sardinia or Greece? Absolutely.
If we were to go through each of these Uh-huh.
we would find Morocco has 44 Wowof the 51.
Elephants, yes.
Huge mountain range just to the north, check.
Natural harbor, check.
You go down the list No other candidate for Atlantis has had half as many ticks on the boxes as Morocco.
I mean, it's a pretty compelling argument, I have to say.
When you add it all up and you take things piece by piece, certainly makes me think about this question, you know? Is this place real? Is the myth just this incredibly enduring example of human storytelling? Think we need to separate the fact that there are many fantastic ancient civilizations who were wiped off the face of the earth because of one cataclysm or another.
And their stories are worth telling, but they're not Atlantis.
I hope we can prove it, but right now, it's just a really good logical theory.
We need to dig.
You know, that's when you find some relics.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That would be a start.
Well, hopefully, we can get a step or two closer to doing that.
I hope we can.
If a dig were to happen in the Souss-Massa plain, it's impossible to imagine what may lie hidden beneath.
As with much of the Atlantis mystery, we could be just one shovel away from discovering the location of a vast and mythical empire.
And perhaps that's what keeps the intrigue alive.
In the meantime, we continue to hold our breath as we await results from experts, such as Greg Heyworth and Ken Boydston.
I don't think it's hieroglyphics.
I think it's an alphabet.
An actual alphabet.
I think it's an alphabet.
If they actually found writing, that's huge.
So, then, we've really found something in our search.
Yes.
Their groundbreaking spectral imaging work on a cave in Sardinia may eventually reveal new clues that tie us back to Plato's ancient writings and Atlantis itself.
But for now, we wait and hold out hope.
Along my journey, I've seen compelling evidence all over the Mediterranean, from Pavlopetri to Crete, Sardinia, and now Morocco.
It suggests that Atlantis was a very real and powerful empire, even if we can't identify where it was anchored just yet.
And while I'm more convinced than ever that the Atlantis empire is more than a myth, experts from all over the world continue to disagree about where we might find the lost civilization.
People talk about Ireland, Cuba, Jamaica I mean, places all over the world, right? You can't even believe that there's people in India, Indonesia, China, Israel Mm-hmm.
Finland, Sweden I mean, Antarctica Right.
People all over the world establish their own location Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm as the Atlantis.
What they're trying to do is, they're trying to connect themselves.
Right.
I believe that the island of Atlantis is very close to my original theory right off the Eastern Mediterranean.
I believe that there is indeed an underwater civilization that's very sophisticated here in the Bermuda Triangle.
There were Spanish archaeologists who were working on this project in a marsh in southern Spain, and they identified with a photograph from space a very clear circular area that goes out all the way to the Atlantic.
Uh-huh.
These had to be created.
Mm.
There's no such thing as a pure circle like that.
Right.
Right.
Is there a real Atlantis? I mean, we're talking about this incredible, legendary empire.
And from everything I've seen, I believe it really could have existed.
But where was this massive empire located? I don't know yet.
I feel like there are certainly more historical underpinnings to the myth than I ever thought before I started this journey.
And I think that's actually part of what makes the myth of Atlantis so incredible, so exciting, and, uh, so powerful.
And I've grown certain that the day is coming soon when the true location of the Atlantis empire will finally come to light.
And I can't wait to see what else we'll learn.
Maybe one day it'll turn up.