Explorations Into Alternative History

with Natasha Rendell

Throughout the ages, there have been myths and legends and mysteries.  A world abounding with wonderous possibilities, and yet, constantly we are told by the scientific community and archaeologists, all the experts, that anything out of the ordinary is improbable. That every unusual structure found is simply a natural formation, thus closing the discussion or any further investigation.

For my part, I believe that the history of humankind has much more to it than what is currently held to be the truth. Indeed, should we not be more open to the possibility that over aeons of time our planet has been home to many advanced civilisations that have risen and fallen, lost for all time. What are people so afraid of that they constantly close their minds and stifle their intuition whilst debunking any unusual discovery?

However, it cannot be forever ignored that the line between legend and historical fact has become blurred, as demonstrated by the discovery of the city of Troy. Another such legend is that of an advanced civilisation named Atlantis.

Atlantis has always fascinated many people as the search continues for this elusive settlement, yet perhaps, just maybe, it has been found.

In 2013, in the Azores Archipelago, one thousand miles off the coast of Europe, approximately a third of the way to North America across the Atlantic, a large underwater pyramid was discovered during an ocean depth survey by Diocleciano Silva. GPS technology puts the height to be 60 meters with a base area of 8000 sqm, and it is said to be perfectly shaped and orientated by the cardinal points.

The area in which this structure was discovered has been submerged for about 20,000 years, and the view is held by the experts that the earliest known advanced human civilisation in Mesopotamia did not begin until about 17,000 years later, around 3000 BC. Thus, they conclude that it is unlikely that humans built this structure. The Portuguese navy has also stated that it is a natural formation. Indeed, the official historical record states that the Azores Islands were uninhabited until Portuguese expeditions colonised them in the 15^th century.

Even so, an alternative theory is gaining ground. Some experts have stated that rock art and remnants of human-made structures on the islands suggest that the Azores were occupied by humans many thousands of years ago. Some of the structures appear to be from the Stone Age, suggesting a civilisation existed at the time that was advanced enough to travel so far and colonise these remote islands. And of course, during the last ice age, the water level would have been much lower, allowing easy access.

A raging debate as to the origin led the Portuguese government to establish a commission to investigate the claim. In 2013, they declared that any perceived remnants of an advanced civilisation were either natural formations or structures of more modern origin.

Plato spoke of an ancient civilisation which he had heard of by way of Solon, who in turn had learnt of it from ancient Egyptians. It was said to be located in the Atlantic Ocean, just beyond the Pillars of Hercules (the Straits of Gibraltar), roughly 5000 km from Athens. The Azores Archipelago, 1000 miles off the coast of Europe, is approximately 4540 km from Athens.

The study of history should be more flexible, not so limited and more open to the possibility that we really know very little about our past, about our origins. Perhaps our recorded history would do well to not be so set in stone. So what if history books and teachings have to be constantly revised? Much of our past has been destroyed by the volcanic nature of our planet, buried under countless layers of lava, covered by rising waters after the end of the last ice age 13,000 years ago or shaken to pieces by earth tremors.

Maybe this pyramid is actually a remnant of Atlantis, maybe it is not. But let our minds be open and not close ourselves off from possibilities and a rich, much longer than previously thought, history of our species.

Author: Natasha Rendell

Natasha’s upcoming novel Imagining Nefertiti is out March 2026. She is the author of Imagining Jesus and co-author of Wisdom’s Fragrance.

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Blog Text: Copyright © Natasha Rendell 2025, All Rights Reserved.
Image Credits: Scuba Diver Swims through an Underwater Cave by NEOM

Sources:
https://greekreporter.com/2025/03/24/pyramid-discovered-under-sea/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis
YouTube:
Giant Underwater Pyramid Found Near Azores Island
Is Plato’s Lost City of Atlantis the Azores Islands?