Sunken Cities: Pavlopetri, Greece
ImgurA diver explores Greece’s sunken city.
The ruins of the ancient Mycenaean town of Pavlopetri date back to the Neolithic period (2,800 BC) and unveil a cultural hub of ancient Greece.
Pavlopetri is believed to have been a thriving harbor town. Some 5,000 years ago, when Western civilization was still in its infancy, it was a port that dominated the Mediterranean. It had incredibly well-designed roads, temples, and homes, all showing a planned city that unrivaled by any in its time.
ImgurThe remains of one of oldest sunken cities ever discovered.
For 2,000 years, it thrived. As Western civilization rose, Pavlopetri was at the center of it all, working as one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean Sea.
And then, suddenly, it was gone. A great earthquake shook the town and pulled into the sea.
Today, the city remains incredibly well intact, especially given that is the oldest of all the sunken cities we have found. There are full buildings that can be entered, streets that can be followed, and temples that can be explored.
ImgurThe sunken city, Pavlopetri.
It is an incredible insight into an ancient city. Marine archaeologists have found weaving looms, still intact after thousands of years underwater. Weights were still attached to it, suggesting that they would have been worked by women and children.
The city had roads, two-story homes with gardens in the front yards, and even water systems with channels and pipes.
It was a city unlike any other; one that some believe may even have been the inspiration behind Atlantis itself.
If you enjoyed this look at ancient sunken cities, read up on the fabled lost continent of Lemuria. Then, discover the craziest Greek Gods of ancient mythology.
