The Azores are a group of 9 small islands lying in the central northeastern Atlantic, northwest of Portugal. The Canary islands lie off the west coast Morocco. Plato place the islands of Atlantis to the west of the Gibraltar Straight, which is between these two island chains.
Since we are taking Plato’s (real) history literally, we should then expect to find artifacts from a very early civilization on both of them. The artifacts, (people) should be distinct from other known cultures and also be anomalous, outliers as it were. If thes requirements are met, bingo Atlantis evidence, however, if there are none, then the Atlantis history sinks.
Finding such artifacts would lend solid support to the account given by Critias in Plato’s dialogue; on the flip side if none exist it would bolster the case of modern historians against it.
The Strait of Gibraltar was the terminus for early Greek and Egyptian seafarers. They were warned that what lay beyond was a virtually unknown, watery abyss, (In fact the Atlantic Ocean.)
Nonetheless, tales of islands in that uncharted ocean, legendary and otherwise, have been reported since classical antiquity. Romantic songs of the ‘Fortunate Islands’ (or ‘Isles of the Blessed’) were sung by poets such as Homer and Horace
By the late 14th century a number of maps were published based on various sailing expeditions into the central and northeastern Atlantic. The Azores were known at this point in time..
However, the ships were not landing and exploring during those early expeditions. They were simply there to observe and collect data for detailed maps.
Nonetheless, once that task was finished the Portuguese did send ships to the Azores and sailors to go ashore and investigate. After that they began to colonize the islands throughout the 15th century and beyond.
Neither the early expeditionary ships, nor the eventual colonists, encountered an indigenous population on any of the Azores Islands. They were studied by early historians and geographers thereafter, and all agreed there were no signs of previous inhabitants at any time in prehistory either.
Once that conclusion was reached anthropologists and archaeologists paid no attention to them from then on, in that regard. There was no point, if humans had never occupied the islands, nothing for them to study.
Over the centuries, that fit the view of conventional historians who completely dismissed Plato’s Atlantis. On the other hand, it was a blow to those who considered that Plato’s account was based on historical fact. I am an example and I expected there to be some evidence of human occupation on the Azores as there was on the Canary Islands.
That would verify that it had either been part of Atlantis or on the periphery of it at least. The Azores were a fly in the Atlantis ointment for myself and other alternative researchers. For years, as I accumulated more and more evidence around the globe, the Azores haunted the back of my mind, a lurking shadow that cast doubt.
Then one day a few years ago some unexpected news came across my desk. The headline grabbed my attention: “Pyramid discovered underwater of Azores Islands”.
I was totally surprised. I raced through the piece. Here was the smoking gun proof I thought did not exist. But when I finished it I felt that twitch, in my deeper psyche, telling me something was not right.
If that gut feel is strong enough I go with it. The article did do something positive, however. It triggered me to launch into a new probe of the Azores. It did not go well for at first. I spent a lot of fruitless hours just digging for fool’s gold..
Then as I was about to toss in the towel, while searching through every kind of media and document source, I could think of, I finally got a hit. Well, it proved to be more than that, far more.
I ran across an obscure archaeological report. It was for real. A pair of archaeologists had conducted re3cent investigations of the islands. Their findings were incredible! They completely contradicted the old narrative that claimed there was zero evidence of previous habitation.
In the paper, I found that the archaeological community received a shock in 2012. That year a number of large rock walls, stone circles, and even the remains of some kind of road were found near the village of Serreta.
In addition, another group of more complex structures had also been examined near Mount Brazil, including several man made caves and megalithic dolmen. This was the real deal and I was thrilled, ecstatic, finally!
However, this undeniable evidence of prehistoric human activity, on the Azores, was NOT broadcast to the general public. I was more annoyed than surprised by the fact that the submerged pyramid grabbed the headlines.. The archaeologists were keeping their far more significant actual findings under wraps and that was a diversion.
The article about the underwater pyramid was published in 2013. A curious and suspicious sequence of events. 1) Archaeologists find proof of early humans, heretofore thought not have been on the Azores and 2) that is not broadcast to the general public but the sensational sunken pyramid is!
In fact, the public is never informed of these kinds of discoveries, which trouble the academic, historical community. The pyramid story has not been confirmed to date. Moreover, the real discoveries disclosed in the paper still have not been announced in the mainstream media.
It has been dribbling out to people via the web, however.
Those issues aside, for the moment, let us proceed with what I learned from the report referred to above. Several archaeologists had conducted initial investigations of the artifacts and areas they were found in.
What exactly did they uncover on these remote islands in the Atlantic that might be from or related to Atlantis?
Okay, pardon the cliff-hangar, honestly I am not using the technique to create suspense. Here, I genuinely feel the need as well as the desire to establish the physical reality of the islands.
Moreover, to set the stage that shows how incredibly powerful this discovery is. So, kindly bear with me. I assure you it will be worth your time and patience in the end.
The Azores are composed of nine islands situated in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean about 850 miles west of continental Portugal, about 550 miles northwest of Madeira, and 2,500 miles east of New York.
The main islands, and an islet cluster, are formed in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa,Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the center; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas Reef to the east.
They extend for more than 370 miles and lie in a northwest- southeast direction. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some have no recorded activity since the islands were settled by the Portugal. Mount Pico is the highest point, at 2,351 m (7,713 ft.).
Though they are on the same latitude as Portugal and Spain, the islands do not have their continental climate. In fact for their northerly location, the climate of the Azores Islands is very mild.
That is the result of being influenced by their distance from the continents and the relatively warm currents of the Gulf Stream. ( The climate of the Azores is very hospitable, Critias (Plato) described the climate of Atlantis as being ideal.
Because of the marine influence, temperatures never get very hot or cold, but remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 °C (61 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) depending on season.
In the dialogue Plato notes that after the cataclysm, which sank most of Atlantis, what remained were small islands:
“Critias… “The consequence is, that in comparison of what then was… there are remaining only the bones of the wasted body, as they may be called, as in the case of small islands, all the richer and softer parts of the soil having fallen away, and the mere skeleton of the land being left…”
We can picture the volcanic Azores matching that description thousands of years ago after the main island was destroyed. They are after all like dry, rocky icebergs, these islands floating on top of the ocean with their volcanic peaks sticking up above the surface.
Critias: “But in the primitive state of the country, its mountains were high hills covered with soil, and the plains, as they are termed by us, of Phellus were full of rich earth, and there was abundance of wood in the mountains.”
He goes on to relate that even these remnants give us a glimpse of the rich fertile terrain that Atlantis once possessed. In fact volcanic islands have fairly rich soil and they regenerate plant communities faster than you might think.
Today these islands have green fields and forests and they give us a slice of what Atlantis may have actually looked like, (as shown in the following insert.)
Now, let us cut to the chase at this point.
The artifacts discovered and described in the report included megalithic dolmen; stone fences laid out in curious patterns; manmade caves (even a hypogeum) that included a stairway leading to a cistern complex…in addition, sophisticated, manmade objects and more, were listed.
That is what I found listed in the archaeologist’s paper. In fact, during subsequent interviews -- after they had spoken at a conference -- the researchers made the following comments:
“A monument located at ‘Monte do Facho’ shows inbuilt sink- shaped carvings linked to water conduits for libations. There are ‘chairs’ carved into the rock, a ceremonial-tank covered by vegetation, and dozens of post holes indicating the existence of a shelter over the area,” they told the interviewer.
Readers are being told of what sound like some pretty sophisticated artifacts. Sinks, chairs, a ceremonial-tank and so on. The archaeologists were obviously not describing any primitive Stone Age materials. The conventional, credentialed (APIA) researchers then added.
“The temples carved inside the hypogea (manmade caves) structures are large and very well-preserved and were drawn almost in a triangular shape...”
Their comments are enigmatic and most intriguing, but let us now turn to the particulars of this new evidence. We shall soon see that it clearly shows that humans once inhabited the Azores. Evidence which offers huge support for Plato’s Atlantis history.
We are not talking about a primitive culture either, but one with considerable architectural, engineering and construction prowess. We shall begin with megalithic structures, an example shown below.
📷Grotto de Medo
The above insert is of a megalithic structure partially concealed by surrounding rocks and vegetation. It is located near the edge of the northern limit of the city of Angora.
It is part of an archaeological zone extending about four kilometers towards the center of the island. This megalith stands among the recently (2012) classified “Archaeological Site of Grota do Medo”.
It is among a group of megaliths that are clustered in a dense concentration of about 200, m2. Initial investigations compared the site to similar artifacts found in Ireland. A second example follows.
There is nothing like a megalithic structure to shock the senses and wake up the mind! They are all over in the planet, numbering in the tens of thousands. Here we find massive boulders moved into position to form a dolmen-like grotto.
That ancient people could supposedly manipulate megalithic stones without the proper equipment seems impossible (the proposal has never been proven).. At least that is according to our understanding of their technological level.
However, megaliths exist and must be explained somehow. But the question is how? To find them on an island in the north Atlantic associated with Atlantis brings this issue to the fore.
The fact remains that modern scholars link the megalithic sites to Neolithic tribes. They do this while implying that they were somehow able to magically lift and maneuver these massive stones.
But they have never clearly articulated the process, which obviously can be duplicated (attempted) today since it only requires a megalith and a team of day-laborers.
The truth is, that historians never attempt to address and actually explain the mechanics of the operation. The accomplishment is left to the public imagination.
This is for a good reason, it is simply not possible given that Neolithic people only had their muscle power to do the job and that is inadequate. (Unless they had super or paranormal powers)
In the above insert we have another feature and artifact to puzzle over. We observe a series of rectangular notches chiseled out of a block. These are commonly found in similar blocks in Ireland and other countries.
The notches are present in numerous stones on the Azores island of Terceria as well. No archaeologist has come up with a satisfactory explanation for them.
Next is a comparison of the above notched stone on Terceria to one found on the island of Malta below; it would seem that the same workmen did both jobs.
The next insert (below left) shows a circular hole drilled into a stone that was found inside a small grotto on Terceria. A close examination reveals that the walls of the cavity are smooth and the circle quite symmetrical.
We must wonder, exactly what tools were employed to achieve these sophisticated results?
Such holes are also quite common at megalithic sites in Ireland (right insert above) and around the globe. No archaeologist, nor any independent historian for that matter, has idea of why these holes were painstakingly carved out of otherwise natural stone.
But a close look at both will reveal that they were well-finished, the walls made smooth and the circular openings quite precise.
We must again wonder what tools were employed to drill a hole through solid rock. It would indeed be a very difficult if not an impossible job to carve them out with rude, stone tools without leaving obvious gouge marks.
The next insert shows another feature that is also common at megalithic sites in Europe. They are known in Ireland as bullauns. The top image is from Ireland and the lower is from Terceria.
Ireland
📷
Azore Boullans
We find another striking feature at this site shown in the insert below. There are numerous similar structures in Europe, generally referred to as ‘Armchairs of, or the Devil’s armchair’. The next insert shows the one found on Terceria.
The armchair has been carved out of solid rock. These can also be found in England and France. Note that the chairs have armrests and they both seem suited to people of normal stature.
In Europe these armchairs are associated with the Druids. They were known to be part of a ‘nemeton’; a sacred place or grove that was usually located near a spring and formed the heart of Druid ritual practices.
Many of the above artifacts required either construction methods and/or tools that we know nothing of, because they were somehow lost and forgotten. That presents us with quite a paradox.
However, delving into and trying to solve that difficult puzzle is not within the scope of this article. I am just delighted to find these artifacts that I had long been hoping actually existed.
The fact that we see these megalithic structures on the Azores is thought-provoking and mind-stretching indeed. The additional fact that they are identical, in many features, to those found in Ireland (Europe in general), is simply stunning.
Many students of megaliths have come to the conclusion that there was once a global, megalithic culture. Since we are here dealing with a small island in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, perhaps it may be a direct remnant of Atlantis.
We may be peering at the mother of the megalithic cultures that spread around the globe. The foregoing is an introduction to some of the largest enigmas found on the island.
However, there are a variety of other discoveries that we must delve into to get the full picture of the culture that once inhabited the Azores. We turn here to an introduction found in the archaeologist’s preliminary report.
“Within the North-West limits of the village of Serreta, on the island of Terceria as part of an area of forests, there are two or three Km2 (maybe more) of mysterious ruins of constructions, standing on a sterile terrain, covered with trees which impair a clear view of the settlement. Some sort of roads cross the entire area…”
The next insert shows one of the constructions referred to above, part of a rock wall.
Another surprising, even extraordinary, discovery occurred recently on the Island of Pico. Of course the local inhabitants know of them and simply called them “maroiços” and went about their business.
We see the same basic design elements and the same kind of stonework applied. A staggering 140 pyramidal structures of varying sizes -- the tallest rising up about 45’-- have been discovered thus far on the Azores.
The pyramids add a dimension of volume to the stonework and considerable man-hours of labor as well, which implies a substantial, yet small, island-population in dim antiquity.
Artificial caves were also found at a location called Monte Brasil shown in the next insert. A second cave site was located as well, contained numerous additional structures located on the ‘Pico de Zimbreiro’, the west peak of that mountain.
There was again an extensive collection of artifacts. One cave contained a cistern, while the other had a system for gathering and distributing water to several manmade cavities on the ground; which are facing the sea, at a distance of about 90.’
[We have now gone far enough in our audit to see that the artifacts on the Azores are entirely consistent with both the early megalithic, and the pyramid-building eras and cultures.]
In fact, the several ‘caves’ presented above are only two of what are
- according to the APIA’s archaeologists, - “More than five hypogea type monuments and at least three ‘sanctuaries’ proto-historic, carved into the rock, were found.”
As noted above a monument located at “Monte do Facho” shows inbuilt sink- shaped carvings linked to water conduits for libations. The researchers added, “There are ‘chairs’ carved into the rock, a ceremonial tank covered by vegetation, and dozens of post holes indicating the existence of a shelter over the area,” they said.
The familar trapezoid door below, that is found in Iberia, the Eastern Mediteranean and even Peru, was discovered at cave sites.
The artifacts listed above are an incredible discovery, alone! We need no more, the fact that the Azores were inhabited in prehstory is established.
However, we are not finished with the Azores just yet. The author has saved the best (or perhaps the most mysterious artifact (if you will) for last; yet one more shocking piece of evidence to consider: The ‘Cart Ruts’ of Sao Braa
Anyone familiar with the enigmas of Malta will recognize them immediately. The term ‘Cart Ruts’ is another misnomer given by historians. They use their fertile imaginations to envision that these deeply gouged tracks, in solid bedrock, were made by centuries of passing, donkey or horse-drawn carts.
But where is the evidence of horses, donkeys or carts on the Azores? The Portuguese did not find any traces of wild equine left behind by he early inhabitants, Wait a minute,.. you said that these islands were uninhabited over and over for the last 500 years!
Now, our erstwhile academics will cook up a new stew, that is really just a heavily seasoned version of the same old stew we’ve been fed about ancient history for centuries. They will soon inform the public of their ‘astonishing discoveries’ in the Azores, that have nothing to do with
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