‘The real Atlantis’ discovered off the coast of Greece

It’s much older than its mythical equivalent.

Pavlopetri is believed to be around 5,000 years old, but it wasn’t found until the 20th Century, and experts are still working out its secrets and uncovering its treasures.

In the southern part of the Peloponnese region in 1904, a geologist named Folkion Negris found it.

However, it wasn’t until 1967 that Nicholas Flemming from the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Southampton stumbled upon the site again.

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The researchers then mapped out the old town, which had at least 15 separate buildings, as well as courtyards, streets and tombs.

They also picked up some artefacts from the sea floor, including pots, knives and a small bronze statue, which they reckoned was from around 2800 to 1180 BC. But the buildings of the city itself were found to have been built between 1650 and 1180 BC.

You might think that the discovery of a long-lost city hidden beneath the ocean would create a fair bit of excitement. But, as it turned out, it wasn’t until another 40 years went by that the Pavlopetri site got any more attention.

In 2009, a team of international experts from the Greek Government’s Department of Underwater Antiquities, the Australian Centre for Maritime Research, and the University of Nottingham started a five-year project to dig up and explore the town in depth.

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They also uncovered ceramics that confirmed the city was around during the Mycenaean period (the final stage of the Bronze Age in ancient Greece), plus evidence that suggests it had been settled from about 3000 BCE up to 1100 BC, during which time it would have had a population of around 500 to 2,000 people.

What ultimately sent Pavlopetri to the bottom of the sea remains a mystery. Although, some experts believe it may have been a earthquake that happened either around 1000 BC or 375 AD.

have enthusiastically suggested that Pavlopetri was the real-life inspiration for the sparkling “lost” continent that still captures our imagination today.

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