| Around 355 BC Plato described an ancient, | | | | Therefore, there is a strong probability that |
| exotic island kingdom catastrophically buried | | | | the ancient city of Atlantis is an ancient |
| beneath the sea when its once-virtuous people | | | | submerged city of the Sumerians.If one traces |
| angered the gods with their indulgence in sin | | | | the origin of the story of Atlantis to |
| and corruption. The city of Atlantis was a | | | | Sumerians one may enquire as to who the |
| marvel of architecture and engineering. The | | | | Sumerians were and where they came from? They |
| city was composed of a series of concentric | | | | were not local people because they spoke a |
| walls and canals about 9000 years before the | | | | language foreign to the parts. For a long |
| time of Plato. When the people of Atlantis | | | | time it was thought that their language was |
| became corrupt and greedy, the gods decided | | | | an isolated one, unrelated to other |
| to destroy them. A violent earthquake shook | | | | languages. However, the picture has now |
| the land, giant waves rolled over the shores, | | | | changed as a result of further studies. The |
| and the island sank into the sea, never to be | | | | study of their language along with |
| seen again. In Plato's book, Timaeus, a | | | | anthropological examination of Sumerian |
| character named Kritias describes that an | | | | skeletons helps to trace out their origins.It |
| account of Atlantis has been in his family | | | | has been found that the Sumerian language is |
| for generations. According to the character, | | | | an Austric language spoken by a group of |
| an Egyptian priest told the story to his | | | | ancient Australoid people found in India, |
| ancestor, Solon.The first thing to realize is | | | | South East Asia and Australia (The Austric |
| that it would be surprising if the | | | | Origin of the Sumerian Language, Language |
| description of Atlantis by Plato is precise | | | | Form, vol. 22, no.1-2, Jan.-Dec. 1996.). An |
| and accurate, not because Plato was not | | | | examination of ancient Sumerian skulls has |
| accurate, but because the story had been | | | | further confirmed that the ancient Sumerians |
| passed down through thousands of years, | | | | indeed belonged to the Australoid race. An |
| initially verbally and not through writing. | | | | evolved branch of the same tribe appears to |
| This description reached Plato through | | | | have established the Indus civilization as |
| Egyptian Priests. It would be difficult to | | | | well as the Sumerian one after the |
| pin down the exact date of the submergence of | | | | submergence of their coastal cities. In |
| Atlantis for the same reason. However there | | | | North-western India they would have |
| is little doubt that any truth in the story | | | | encountered Neolithic people of Indo-European |
| would be prior to 3300 BC. There is no | | | | origin with which manpower they established |
| instance of writing of full descriptions | | | | the Indus cities. An analysis of skeletal |
| prior to 3300 BC. Some evidence of writing | | | | remains from Indus valley confirms this |
| brief description with pictorial symbols of | | | | mixture. The Sumerian language persisted side |
| consignments is all that exists in the form | | | | by side with local languages as with the |
| of writing from a period before 3300 BC. The | | | | official language of the rulers being |
| names, sizes and time spans are possibly | | | | Sumerian. In the Indus valley, Sumerian would |
| inventions or modifications as the story was | | | | have persisted along with local Aryan |
| handed down the centuries.The essence of the | | | | languages. So far scholars have been trying |
| story, that of an ancient well-planned and | | | | to decipher the Indus script based on a |
| prosperous city that preceded known | | | | comparison with Dravidian and Aryan |
| civilizations on earth may however be true. | | | | languages, and failed. A more fruitful |
| In fact archeologists and historians have | | | | attempt may be made if they used Austric for |
| postulated the existence of such a | | | | this purpose. Just as in Mesopotamia, ancient |
| civilization. Planned cities and other | | | | Sumerian was eventually replaced by the |
| technologies suddenly began to spring up in | | | | language of the majority (Akkadians) in the |
| the Indus valley, Mesopotamia and Egypt in | | | | Indus valley it would have been replaced |
| the period 3500-3000 BC as if they had | | | | eventually by an Indo-Aryan language.If we |
| dropped from the sky. Since design and | | | | assume for the moment that the Sumerians |
| construction of these cities involved | | | | originated on the west coast of India and |
| engineering skills that take time to develop | | | | that their ancient capital city was submerged |
| it has been suspected that they came from an | | | | then we have to enquire if any such evidence |
| already developed civilization that has not | | | | has been found. The recent discovery made in |
| yet been discovered. Various suggestions have | | | | the Gulf of Cambay, made some sit up and |
| been made as to where Atlantis might be | | | | watch with interest. It clearly established |
| located ranging from the Antarctica to South | | | | the existence of an ancient civilization that |
| America and even other planets.A relevant | | | | was submerged in the sea. The methodologies |
| line of enquiry is to find where the Egyptian | | | | adopted to study this find, were novel and |
| priests got the story of Atlantis. The most | | | | different, wherein advanced marine |
| probable direction is Sumer or Ancient | | | | technologies and the most modern scientific |
| Mesopotamia. There is also the possibility | | | | applications of various disciplines were put |
| that the first dynastic priests of Egypt were | | | | to use. Most of the structures that were |
| in fact Sumerian-Akkadians. The first | | | | discovered in the Gulf of Cambay had many |
| dynastic Pharaoh of Egypt - Menes united | | | | similarities to the Citadel, Great Bath, grid |
| upper and lower Egypt, and constructed a new | | | | pattern habitation, granary, etc. of the |
| capital at Memphis by diverting a part of the | | | | Harappan civilization. But many of the |
| Nile. The engineering skills required for all | | | | artifacts and typology were different and |
| this appears to be from Mesopotamia as well. | | | | distinctive and with the presence of many |
| It takes considerable time and apprenticeship | | | | micro tools appeared to be much older than |
| to develop the required engineering skills | | | | the Harappan. The northern metropolis has |
| even if one is very brilliant. There is no | | | | well made pottery pieces, wattle daub etc. |
| evidence of these skills existing in Egypt | | | | from about 7506 BP onwards. It indicates |
| prior to Menes (or Manas, the Egyptians did | | | | well-organized city living. Hence it is |
| not write vowels and these have to be | | | | possible that this metropolis came up after |
| guessed). Menes as well as his priests and | | | | 8450 BP but much before 7506 BP. After the |
| engineers were probably all Mesopotamians | | | | submergence of the southern metropolis, the |
| although of the work force was local. In any | | | | ancients appear to have shifted and founded |
| case, even if it is contested that Menes and | | | | the northern metropolis. This wonderful twin |
| his engineers were not from Mesopotamia, it | | | | prehistoric metropolis of Cambay lasted from |
| cannot be contested that ancient Egypt had | | | | about 13000 BP to about 3000 BP making it the |
| several links with ancient Mesopotamia that | | | | most ancient and largest city civilization |
| went beyond just trade.Further, the | | | | not only in Asia but also in the entire |
| likelihood of the Atlantis stories being of | | | | world. Scientists described, in a manner |
| Sumer origin is strengthened by the fact that | | | | similar to Plato, the submergence of the city |
| the submergence of ancient cities was a | | | | due to violent earthquakes and ensuing |
| strong part of the Sumerian mythology. It | | | | floods. The existence of a submerged circular |
| dominates their historical tradition. The | | | | harbor as described by Plato has also been |
| destruction of the ancient city as a result | | | | found in a neighboring site. |
| of sin was also a part of their beliefs. | | | | |