Amelia Andriacco
There are many legends about lost cities and undiscovered worlds. People have risked their lives looking for cities of gold and lost cultures. Whether you believe in them or not, these legends have been written and told for centuries. Though they have not been discovered yet, people continue to search for evidence and create theories. Here are 6 legendary places people have yet to find.
6. The Lost City of Z
The Lost City of Z is said to be the home of an ancient civilization living in the Amazon. Though it was largely believed that no society could live and thrive in the rainforest, Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett believed otherwise. The British explorer set out to find the ancient civilization, believing it could redefine history. In 1925, while searching for the society, Fawcett disappeared without a trace.
Fawcett’s theories were based on more than just fantasy. He discovered a document, Manuscript 52, that describes a lost city with grand architecture, inscriptions, and hidden treasures.
While the Lost City of Z has not been discovered specifically, new evidence strongly supports the existence of ancient civilizations within the Amazon. New Light Detection and Ranging technology has revealed infrastructure and fortified villages, suggesting the existence of highly complex Amazonian civilizations.
5. Lemuria
The theory behind this ancient civilization was born out of a scientific observation. Zoologist Philip Lutley Sclater noticed that lemurs were found in Madagascar and India, but not in Africa or the Middle East. To make sense of this unusual distribution, Sclater theorized that sunken land bridges were behind it.
Scatler theorized that our ancestors might have lived on the sunken landmass. Thus, the legend of the lost city of Lemuria was born. Through time, theories of Lemuria grew. It is said to be a world where humans live in harmony and unity with nature. Some theorize that Lemurians still exist within secret inner-earth sanctuaries.
4. Shambhala
This legendary place appears in ancient Hindu texts. The story is that barbarians were united under an evil king in search of something new to conquer. When they believed they had conquered everything, the mountains of Shambhala were revealed to them. As they tried to attack the city, Shambhala’s king led his army against the “dark forces,” bringing peace.
Shambhala is a place where only the pure of heart–those who have achieved enlightenment–can live. It is said to be a legendary place of love and wisdom, where people are immune to suffering, want, or old age.
3. El Dorado
Interestingly, the myth of El Dorado did not originally refer to a legendary place, but to a person. For the Muisca civilization, a newly appointed King would row to the center of Lake Guatavita, covered in gold dust. He would cast gold and jewels into the water as an offering for the gods. Upon hearing this tale, Spanish conquistadors concluded that a person covered in gold suggested a kingdom full of gold.
Since then, many explorers have risked their lives searching for this legendary place made of gold.
2. Atlantis
One of the most legendary places is the lost city of Atlantis. According to the writings of Plato, Atlantis was an extremely technologically advanced utopia. It had an abundance of natural resources and enough power to conquer parts of Europe and Africa. According to legend, the society became corrupt over time. As punishment from the gods, Atlantis was flooded around 9,600 B.C.
Atlantis is said to remain deep in the ocean, yet to be discovered.
1. Bermuda Triangle
After a series of disappearances and unusual compass readings in the western North Atlantic Ocean, the legend of the Bermuda Triangle was born. It is believed that these disappearances are caused by invisible forces, leading to the Bermuda Triangle. Some theories involve concepts like time warps, underwater civilizations, and extraterrestrial life.
While the Bermuda Triangle has not been confirmed by science, the mystery is what makes it so intriguing.