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Did an Ancient Civilization Ever Live in Antarctica?

It’s time to pour a bucket of cold water on the innumerable theories, myths, and mysteries. Antarctica is not Atlantis.

By Benjamin Plackett
Jan 15, 2024 7:00 PM
A scuba diver discovers the lost city of Atlantis conceptual theme
Atlantis under the ice? Nope. (Credit: funstarts33/Shutterstock)

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The southern polar regions are a forbidding place. Antarctica’s harsh climate and thick ice coverage have made archaeological explorations — or explorations of any kind — exceptionally challenging. This has added a sense of mystery to various theories that humans could once have occupied the continent as a permanent civilization.

Scientists, however, have given a decidedly chilly reception to the prevailing hypotheses. Let’s go through them one-by-one. 

Historic (and Hypothetical) Maps

This room in Kilitbahir Castle (Kalesi) is also known as the place where Piri Reis drew his contentious world map. (Credit: fotopanorama360/Shutterstock)
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