October is often glorious, with little rainfall and sufficiently strong sunshine to still quickly bring a red glow to unprotected skin. Autumn colors continue beyond the end of November and any serious rain immediately heralds the first sprinkling of wild flowers. In late December, early almond blossoms break bud and wild narcissi and dainty daffodils nod in the fresh breeze. The lemon yellow as acacia (mimosa) blooms, completely covering the trees, is synonymous with January, as autumn blends seamlessly into spring.
There is no real winter, apart from a few frosts in places in early January, when the night skies are so clear that you yearn for a telescope.
The most satisfying months are from February to May. It is a joy to be alive, bathed in warm sunshine and breathing alpine-like air, for an average of twenty days each month. The fields and trees are swathed in blossom and, before March is out, the heady perfume of orange blossom is all-pervading.
From November to April there is usually rainfall, sometimes torrential, interspersed with spells of two or three weeks of sparkling blue skies. Daytime temperatures range from 15ºC to 25ºC; but when the sun sets, it is decidedly cooler and cold winds can make the air feel chillier still. It is very much a climate of warm sun but cold air. As soon as the sun dips, the temperature drops dramatically. One minute you are comfortable in an open-necked shirt, the next you need to don a woolly. Heating of some sort is definitely necessary in the home, especially from late afternoon onward. Only the masochistic swim in open-air pools; the water is far too cold. The precious rainfall has to be conserved and stored for summer irrigation.
That is just as Plato indicated. Other areas frequently suggested as sites for Atlantis—off the coast of West Africa, for example—are automatically ruled out, as winter temperatures there are far too high. The more temperate zones of northern Europe, where winter weather is foul and summers are seldom hot and dry, can also be dismissed. This idyllic Algarve climate is helped enormously by the 40-kilometer-deep tract of mountains immediately to the north. Thousands of years ago, in the era Plato alludes to, the range was even grander and would have played a vital role in protecting the area from the Ice Age and the five thousand years or so of thaw that followed it. In most places, the mountains are within 10 kilometers of the coast, in some areas they practically reach it, and—despite millennia of erosion, earthquake-induced landslides, and, most likely, some subsidence—they are still substantial. Numerous fertile valleys nestle in the folds, and many of the hillsides, particularly those farthest south and in river valleys, have been terraced in order to grow timber or orange trees.
There is, though, one doubt—especially relevant in view of the current uproar over global warming. Was the southwest Iberian climate in 9600 B.C. the same as it is today?
As the glaciers receded and the ice caps melted, from around 16,000 B.C., the earth warmed up. By approximately 11,000 B.C., the conditions were much like today’s, and the sea level was about 120 meters higher than before.
Then, around 11,000 B.C., there was a sudden and dramatic reversal known as the Allerød or Younger Dyas period. Temperatures dropped, as did sea levels, since the water was again being trapped in ice.53
Then temperatures once more suddenly started to rise, quickly reaching the previous levels before 9600 B.C.
This muddies the water swirling around the current man-made global-warming theories. The temperature tap has repeatedly, and often suddenly, opened or closed during periods when humans could not have been responsible.
It indicates that at the time Atlantis disappeared, the climate would have been the same as it is today. A few thousand years before that, however, as the empire was growing, it would have been cooler, though far more agreeable than in northern Europe.
There is something else worth noting that was a by-product of these climate changes. The great agricultural plains of the Sahara were converted into desert, presumably by global warming.
As for comparing Plato’s clues about climate, however, the inescapable conclusion is that he could just as well have been describing the conditions in southwest Iberia. They are identical.
Crops and Vegetation
One of the most intriguing aspects of Plato’s description of Atlantis is that sophisticated agriculture existed thousands of years before it is thought to have been developed. It would have necessitated a long period of careful selection and propagation first—or, alternatively, people with the advanced biological knowledge that we possess today. It was not a case of just collecting wild seeds, sticking them into prepared ground, and then harvesting: high-yield versions had to be developed before the intensive labor involved in farming could be really worthwhile. Archaeological records show that around 8000 B.C., the so-called “eight founder crops” suddenly appeared out of the blue in the Levant, the countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean. There were two varieties of wheat, together with barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chickpeas, and flax. Agriculture required settled communities and they, in turn, required the developed crops; they were interdependent. Only after these communities were successfully established could more complex societies develop, together with technical abilities and other occupations … civilization.
It is clear from what Plato wrote that Poseidon, the founder of Atlantis, and his fellow gods were well acquainted with this form of society and went about setting it up in each of their allotted territories. First, Poseidon peopled the land (clues 18 to 20), then organized an efficient irrigation system to maximize agriculture. Plato left no clue as to who this founder race was, where they came from, and how they acquired their knowledge, apart from telling us that they were gods.
Many have suggested that it was the survivors of this Atlantis ruling elite who brought their far superior culture and their crops to the Middle East’s Fertile Crescent, Egypt, and the Americas. This, it is proposed, explains the sudden appearance in each area of agriculture and more sophisticated societies, without any apparent evidence of prior development.
Don’t get the wrong idea about these gods. Apart from what Plato wrote, references to these ruling elites from other cultures, such as Sumeria, Egypt, India, and South America, make it clear that they were not supernatural beings, but rather flesh and blood. They had the same appetites, requirements, pleasures, and lusts that we do. I will leave readers to ponder the implications.
Returning to the comparison with southwest Iberia, Plato specified that “Atlantis” provided most of what was required for the uses of life (clue 40). This included root crops, herbs and pulses, all manner of fruits, nuts such as chestnuts, and plenty of timber (clues 48 to 52). As you will see, that description fits the Algarve as tightly as a Victorian corset pinched a lady’s waist.
The land yields two crops every year of fruits, wheat, maize, sunflowers, and animal fodder. Bountiful amounts of citrus, apples, pears, quince, plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, pomegranates, figs, loquats, grapes, olives, avocados, and nuts are harvested—although these are not all necessarily indigenous. A huge variety of vegetables is produced at intervals throughout the year. Runner and broad beans are particularly beloved, and a wide range of dried pulses makes attractive, colorful displays on market stalls.
Plato particularly mentions chestnuts (clue 51): “… and a good store of chestnuts.” It is the only crop or fruit he names individually, and that is an important indicator. Many of the Algarve’s hills, close to the plain, have groves of them, coincidentally providing rewarding harvesting grounds for edible mushrooms like exquisite chanterelles. Yuletide shopping expeditions in Algarve towns and cities wouldn’t be complete without the tempting aromas emanating from roast-chestnut stands.
It is usually assumed that Plato was referring to the sweet, edible chestnut variety, which is generically known as the Portuguese or Spanish chestnut. Where this originated is still debated. Eastern Spain is the favorite, but that is only to be expected as it is in the Mediterranean basin, in an area better documented than the little known far southwest of Iberia. That P
lato selected chestnuts for special mention indicates that they were spread across that area too.
They are not the only nuts that are prolific in the region. Most mature gardens have a walnut tree, and the Algarve is also famous for its almond blossom—so much so that the Tourist Board made it the region’s official symbol. Kilometer after kilometer of the countryside is smothered in pink and white blossoms in January and February … a visual substitute for snow.
Like citrus fruit, it is suggested that almonds were introduced by invaders such as the Romans or the earlier Phoenician traders; but there appears to be little, if any, proof of this. The possibility of anything much ever having been native to the area, or introduced during a much earlier epoch, is not even entertained. It is a repetitive theme. For thousands of years, the Algarve was little known, regarded as insignificant: a forgotten land.
The hypothesis developed in this book supports the opposite view … that an ancient civilization flowered here, probably preceding all others known in Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and the Middle East.
One of Plato’s clues that has been the subject of much debate is number 50, referring to a fruit with a hard rind, which the Atlanteans used for food, to make a drink, and to extract oil from (for ointments). The assumption perpetuated in many books is that this was the coconut. This led to a further assumption: that the Atlantis climate was tropical, thus leading to theories of all sorts of exotic locations for Atlantis. This is an excellent example of how the story is often twisted. The explicit clues provided by Plato most certainly do not indicate a tropical zone. Coconut palms would not have survived in an area where the seasonal chill factor made the water too cold for swimming in open-air pools during the winter.
More tellingly, as already discussed, Plato specifically referred to chestnuts, which simply do not grow in the same climatic zone as coconuts. The latter prefer tropical climes like that of Hawaii. They might just survive in lower temperatures, provided there were no frosts and provided they were planted in containers that could be brought under cover or indoors at night. In those circumstances, though, the palms would be unlikely to fruit.
Nevertheless, the puzzle remained: what on earth was Plato referring to? I kept returning to this problem for many months until one day, while walking the dog, I had a “Eureka” moment: as we reached the bottom of our drive, Coco paused to nuzzle and sniff in the leaf litter and fallen fruit of the carob tree. Suddenly the answer to the conundrum flashed before me. It had, literally, been under my nose all along—and was now under my dog’s. The mystery fruit was the humble carob.
The carob tree produces three- to six-inch broad bean–like fruits in summer. They are black when ripe and have a hard, brittle skin with several beans inside. These beans were used in the ancient Middle East to weigh against gold, due to their incredibly uniform weight—hence the word “carat,” used to define the quality of gold. During the Second World War years, when I was very young, almost the only sweets available to us were pieces of carob fruit. It softens as it is chewed, releasing a pleasant, faintly sweet, chocolaty taste. (SEE IMAGE 14 BELOW.)
(IMAGE 14) The fruit of the carob tree.
The carob tree is one of the most common in the Algarve, often seen alongside country roads. It needs little or no attention. In fact, it is more prevalent there than anywhere else in Europe or the Middle East, indicating that it could well be native to the area.
Carobs have become a valuable, much-sought-after crop. An extract from them is used for a diverse range of products, including white chocolate and a thickener for fruit drinks, as well as in the beauty and ointment industries.
Algarve country folk still make a kind of flour from them, used in baking certain types of breads and cakes. Carobs are also used to brew a potent alcoholic liquor. These products are found on sale at regional fairs, and restaurants offer cakes and puddings made with the flour for desserts.
Overall, that sounds pretty much as Plato described.
Finally, Plato specifies a good supply of timber (clue 43): “There was an abundance of wood for carpenters’ work.” The mountains mentioned earlier are known to have been originally covered in indigenous trees, much used for boatbuilding by the Carthaginians, Romans, and, later, the Moors and the Portuguese. Today’s elderly Algarveans remember the rivers being used to float timber down to the shipyards for this very purpose. The museum on Portimão’s quay has an area devoted to this industry and its traditions.
Animals
In clues 44 to 47, Plato indicates Atlantis had many tame and wild animals, particularly elephants. There was plenty of food for them, including those that lived in lakes, marshes, rivers, mountains, and plains. Note the word “tame.” It implies that animals were domesticated on Atlantis long before their introduction has been generally acknowledged by historians. The control of herds of cattle would have required the prior taming of horses and dogs. Again, this is at odds with the established view; horses were thought to have been first tamed around 4500 B.C. on the steppes in central Asia. This, however, ignores such visual evidence as engravings on bone and antlers found in caves in southwest France depicting horses with straps and bridles. These have been carbon-dated to between 10,000 and 14,000 B.C. Drawings in another cave have been found in La Marche in France, also of horses with bridles and straps.54 It would appear that Plato’s comments stand up in the light of the most recent evidence and horses were being used by man well before the demise of Atlantis. Coincidentally, the Portuguese Lusitanian breed is recognized to be very old, and the animals are much sought after for their temperament and intelligence.
The story is the same for dogs. There is mounting evidence that they have been man’s companion for a very long time. One touching example was an ancient grave, dated to a period long preceding the end of Atlantis, found to contain a human together with a puppy.55
Unfortunately, as a consequence of civilization and competition with man, many wild animals have now been eliminated in southwest Iberia. The process is still continuing; but 11,500 years ago, the area would have been rich in wildlife, including elephants. As elsewhere in southern Europe by that time, these would have been mainly of the pygmy variety.56 They were also prevalent on the large Mediterranean islands. Like numerous other wild animals, they had been driven inexorably south seeking refuge from the Ice Age and the slowly encroaching glaciers. Plato would almost certainly have been aware that elephants between one and two meters tall were still to be found in Sicily in his era, as they were not extinct there until the first century A.D. Elephants were also known to roam northern Morocco, itself almost certainly part of Atlantis if my theory is correct. They would inevitably have crisscrossed the original land bridge between Gibraltar and Africa.
I know of an elephant’s tusk in a private collection that was exposed on an Algarve beach after a particularly violent storm. It has not been tested to ascertain its age, so the following explanations are possible:
• It could be from the period when elephants roamed the area.
• The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal was noted for the elephants he trained and used in warfare to terrify the enemy. Imagine the horror of suddenly facing a herd of huge, rampaging beasts you had never encountered before while armed only with spears, tridents, or swords. It was an ingenious ploy and must have caused mayhem. An Algarve legend has it that, when recalled from a campaign in Africa to fight the Romans, Hannibal returned, complete with elephants, sailing via the Algarve and establishing a port at Alvor called Porto Hanibalis. It is said that he exercised the elephants and trained them for his famous epic trek across the Alps by walking them into the mountains to a spa called Caldas de Monchique, where they slaked their thirst before returning to the coast. The beach where the tusk was found is next to Alvor; it could have been from one of his herd. Incidentally, Anibal is a not-uncommon boy’s Christian name in the Algarve.
• It could have been from a Portuguese caravel, an oceangoing boat, returning from Africa a few hundred years a
go with ivory as part of its cargo, shipwrecked in a storm.
We will never know unless the tusk is carbon-dated.
Interestingly, in 1967 an issue of Science magazine reported that a research ship had recovered mastodon and mammoth teeth two to three hundred miles off the Portuguese coast, indicating that the area could have sunk alarmingly. The earthquake in 1755 alone resulted in the seabed sinking over a three hundred–kilometer radius, well within range of the mammoth finds. The combined subsidence caused by the many other huge quakes in the last twelve thousand years could have been considerable.
One of the animals left that would still have been common up to a few centuries ago, the wild boar, was hunted to virtual extinction but has now been given the freedom to rapidly repopulate the mountains. It is increasingly foraging farther south and wreaking havoc overnight in holiday villa gardens. Deer have been reintroduced, and game birds such as the red-legged partridge are prevalent. Mixed herds of goats and sheep are still a common sight, complete with marshalling shepherds and foraging over wide areas.
The wild Iberian lynx, common in the mountains as recently as a hundred years ago, is now almost extinct.57 It is the most threatened species of wild cat in the world. Sterling efforts are being made to save it at special breeding centers in Spain and the Algarve.
It is little appreciated that many of the African wild animals originated in Europe. They include, for example, rhinos, giraffes, and antelopes. They migrated south over land bridges that once existed between countries and continents—like Gibraltar and Morocco.
Clue 99 refers to sacred bulls roaming free in the temple and, as part of an alternate fifth- and sixth-year ceremony, one of them was captured by the ten rulers with only staves and nooses, then sacrificed. That sounds very much like a Plato adornment. The detail given is just too fanciful and it would have been unlikely that bulls would be permanently roaming free—with the inevitable excrement—amongst so much pristine adornment. No one would have been able to worship freely without being in fear for his life. Would you bend over, eyes closed, to pray to heaven, given a fair chance that a sharp horn would be planted in your backside, hoisting you there? Nevertheless, it does have echoes in parts of the current proceedings in Portugal’s bull rings. The poor bull is tormented by a skilled toreador on horseback, who repeatedly pierces its neck with barbs. Eventually the bull, its neck running with blood and somewhat winded, is allowed a brief respite while a team of unarmed, colorfully attired men, the Forcados, enters the ring on foot. Their leader starts to goad the bull into charging him while the rest of the team members line up behind him. It is barbaric, but an incredibly brave and riveting spectacle, as the bloodied bull thunders into a full head-down charge. The Forcado stands his ground and literally throws himself on the bull’s head, hands on his hips, letting the horns through the space between his arms and sides. The bull tries to toss him, but he usually clings on, limpetlike, often almost upside down with his legs flying in the air. All but one of the remaining team then pile in behind to support him, forcing the bull to a standstill. The last Forcado runs around the back and anchors the animal by pulling its tail. The men then disperse and the bull is finally released. (SEE IMAGES 15A, 15B, AND 15C IN THE PHOTO INSERT.)
Atlantis and the Silver City Page 10