The site of Atlantis at
Pampa Aullagas on the Bolivian Altiplano with its outer ring of land and inner
rings of water is presently a considerable number of feet above the surrounding
land level and also the lake level of nearby Lake Poopo.
In order for the circular
rings of water to function as harbours with access to the lake, the lake must
have been considerably higher and a higher level would also be necessary to feed
the perimeter canal and irrigation system which was said to have run around the
adjacent level rectangular plain. The Salar de Uyuni located
on the Bolivian Altiplano at an elevation of 3653m (11,985ft) above sea level, is the
world’s largest salt flat. The salar was formerly occupied by a series of large
lakes. The youngest was a shallow paleolake “Coipasa”, radiocarbon-dated
between 11400BC and 9500BC. The youngest deep
paleolake “Tauca” existed 16000BC to 11790BC.
Older paleolake “Minchin” 30,000
to 23,700BC in different phases.
An analysis of core samples
taken from the centre of the Salar de Uyuni shows that there are several layers
of salt and layers of lacustrine mud, showing that the plain was successively
covered by lakes alternating with dry spells.
These lakes were fed by
water flowing south via the Desaguadero River from Lake Titicaca in the north
and in these periods the precipitation was much greater than today. Atlantis is
presumed to have existed in one of the “wet” periods when its canals were fed by
the overflowing waters of Lake Titicaca.
The two most probable dates
for the end of Atlantis according to Plato are (a) 9,600BC which is Plato's date "9,000 years before Solon" or (b)
1200BC if we substitute “months” for “years”.
Going back in time, we can
say with certainty that Atlantis could not have existed in the period of the earliest paleolakes such as lake Ballivan
3860m (12,664ft) because that would not only submerge the level plain, but also the circular rings of land and most of the Atlantis mountain itself!
From 30,000 –
23,700BC the Altiplano was covered by Lake Minchin which also appears in some reports to have been a deep lake, though
other reports have identified distinct, shallower phases.
During the next wet spell from 23,000 – 13,000BC and particularly from 16,000 – 13,000BC or later, the Altiplano was covered by the paleolake Tauca.
From 11,000 – 9,500BC Lake
Titicaca overflowed again and during this period the central Altiplano was
covered by a shallow paleolake “Coipasa”, sometimes also considered as lake Tauca.
At first glance it appears unlikely that Atlantis would
have existed at the time of these paleolakes since if the southern part of the Altiplano had the same elevation it has today,
the waters of lake Tauca would have been sufficiently deep
to have drowned the various canals. But that does not take into account the fact that the southern part of the
Altiplano may have sunk in elevation so estimates of the depths of the paleolakes based on modern mapping may not reflect the actual depths based on the land elevations at the time of the lakes.
Studies suggest that Lake Tauca had two noticeable levels,
(a) 3760m (12,335ft) around 11,790BC and (b) 3720m (12,204ft) the latter phase perhaps corresponding to that
which elsewhere has been described as lake Coipasa.
Plato mentioned that the rings of the land levels were raised a sufficient height above the level
of the sea, so on the one hand, too high a lake level would drown the rings of land and too low a level
would not allow the circular channels to function as harbours.
Although the contour map does not show the circular channels which actually exist on site, it is clear that the
level of Lake Tauca at 3760m (12,335ft) would have been appropriate to enter the volcano filling the circular channels and creating
rings of water and rings of land and that the date is roughly in the timescale described by Plato, thus fulfilling Plato's
description of how the "god of the sea carved the rings out of the centre of the island, making it impassible to man since ships and sailing had not yet been invented!"
Following on from Lake Tauca or Coipasa, successive wet and dry
periods occurred with an extremely dry period from 4,000 –
3,000BC. However, with the wet period
beginning 2500 – 1900 BC, a paleolake formed in the River Desaguadero valley
suggesting that at this period the water levels might have been correctly
balanced to feed the canals of
Atlantis. It also suggests that Lake Poopo could have formed an almost
continuous sea stretching right up to lake Titicaca.
Following a “short” dry
spell of 400 years, the next wet spell was from 1500 – 1200BC offering an alternative possible date for the end of Atlantis since 1200BC is concurrent
with the invasion of Egypt by the “Sea Peoples” which could correspond to the
war against Egypt which Plato described.
30,000 – 28,000BC Lake
Minchin or 48,000 to 36,000BC wet 24,000 – 13,000BC (16,000 – 11,000 = Lake Tauca) dry 13,000 – 11,000BC onset of salt deposits Salar
de Uyuni marked demise of paleolake Tauca around 13,000BC indicating that lake
Titicaca had dropped below its outlet level, hence, it no longer fed the
paleolake.
Wet 11,000 – 9,500BC..Lake Titicaca overflowed
again and a paleolake occupied the central Altiplano (paleoake
Coipasa) Dry 9,500 – 8,000BC Wet 8,000 – 6,500BC Dry 6,500 – 5,000BC Wet 5,000 – 4,000BC Extremely dry 4,000 –
3,000BC Wet 2,500 –
1,900BC..paleolake in Rio Desaguadero valley ( a few metres above modern
level) Wet 1500 – 1200BC Wet 800 – 500BC Wet 200BC – 0 Wet 1500AD – present Lake Titicaca has been at or
near its overflow level since about 1500BC and small lakes (such as modern Lake
Poopo) have existed on the central Altiplano during much of this
period.
original full report on dating of the Altiplano lakes, CLICK here
the Altiplano has been successively submerged by inland seas
contour map of site at Pampa Aullagas with 20m intervals.
graphic showing how level of lake Tauca was correct to enter volcano creating rings of land and sea.
air photo of site at Pampa Aullagas with remaining rings of land outlined
view inside one of the channels on site at Pampa Aullagas
view of Pampa Aullagas from the rio Marquez
