INTERVIEW: Is Atlantis a myth? Discovery wants to find out.
Photo: Stel Pavlou and Jess Phoenix star in Hunting Atlantis, a new show on Discovery. Photo courtesy of Discovery / Provided by press site with permission.
Although most in the academic world likely believe the myth of Atlantis to be just that, a myth, there are still some theories that exist around the world about this so-called lost civilization, which was first detailed by the philosopher Plato. The Discovery channel is getting in on the “solving” game with a new series called Hunting Atlantis, premiering tonight, July 21, at 9 p.m.
On the show, author Stel Pavlou joins with Jess Phoenix, and the two journey to different archaeological sites to find information that might confirm or dispel their suspicions. For Pavlou, who has written two fictional books about Atlantis, this series is a culmination of a decades-long obsession with finding out whether Plato’s story was true or not. He acknowledges that classicists and archaeologists, by and large, believe Atlantis to be fictional and allegorical.
“It started about 20-25 years ago,” Pavlou said in a recent phone interview. “I was actually researching a novel about Atlantis, and I just really got into the subject. Once the novel was put to bed, the idea of the place didn’t go away, so I ended up putting a website together where I just started collecting theories and facts and bits and pieces for my own enjoyment.”
Pavlou’s research took him to historic Egyptian king lists, which he admits are a bit dry and esoteric for a Discovery audience. These lists show the different years of reign for Egyptian kings, and Plato also stated that the story of Atlantis originated in Egypt. “I figured, well, why don’t I look at it from the Egyptian perspective,” he said. “These lists, which have been kept for a couple thousand years, didn’t tell you when two kings ruled at the same time, so you end up double-counting on Egyptian king lists accidentally.”
Because of this “double-counting,” Pavlou’s theory is that Atlantis existed at a different time than what is commonly believed (again, many people think Atlantis is completely fictional, the stuff of myth and legend). On the show, Pavlou and Phoenix immerse themselves in different environments to see what they can turn up. On one episode, they head to the Black Sea and investigate what is believed to be a skeleton buried in gold treasure. Another episode takes them to a Greek island where there are remnants of a massive marble pyramid. The Adriatic coast of Croatia also makes an appearance as the team investigates underwater relics from an ancient bridge system.
Do any of these modes of inquiry lead to definitive proof? Probably not, but the journey — the “hunting” — should make for engaging television.
“My theory just puts Atlantis at a certain date, and if I had to guess, then I’m figuring it’s a society that we’ve already found, that we’re already aware of,” he said. “And we have not joined the dots.”
In other words, the hunt continues, this time with the TV crews in tow.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Hunting Atlantis, featuring Stel Pavlou and Jess Phoenix, premieres tonight, July 21, at 9 p.m. on Discovery. Click here for more information.
