(NECN: Brian Burnell) - Plato first described the legend of Atlantis but it may be legend no more. Lead by University of Hartford archeologist Richard Freund a team of scientists may have found the lost city buried in Spain. Satellite photos in 2003 revealed something under a huge marsh in the area. That lead to this expedition documented by the National Geographic Channel. Professor Freund's expertise in what amounts to MRI scans of the ground proved invaluable.
Professor Richard Freund, University of Hartford: "We used geophysics to map the subsurface and tell archeologists where to excavate."
They were able to zero in more closely on the images seen from space and they saw.
Professor Richard Freund, University of Hartford: "The signature of the walls. You can actually... the walls that you can see from space are actually there."
That alone does not prove the site is Atlantis. Core samples showed the walls dated to about the time the city was said to exist. Then it was time to turn to what has been written over the centuries about Atlantis. That it was located just beyond the pillars of Hercules which are the Straits of Gibralter and that is had been buried in mud. The research team then found what they believe to be the best evidence this is Atlantis. Memorial cities located 150-miles inland from the site.
Professor Richard Freund, University of Hartford: "And these were ancient cities that are built in the image of what Plato described as Atlantis."
These artifacts in the museum at the University of Hartford are not from the Atlantis site. Spain does let artifacts out but not from this site at this time. And there is another issue. The site spends an awful lot of time under water. That makes excavation difficult.
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The land upon which Atlantis was built was created by a tsunami and the city was eventually destroyed by a tsunami. The tragedy in Japan only adds to the fascination with the discovery of Atlantis.
