Ancient Sea Legends Confirmed By Modern Science
Willard Bascom notes that ancient sailors told tales of Atlantis, winged women, wandering rocks, the Hydra and the golden fleece. Modern nautical archaeology backs many of these legends as plausible historical echoes. The article is part of Oceans: Our Continuing Frontier, tracing sea lore through scientific evidence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Willard Bascom
University Extension
University of California, San Diego
National Endowment For the Humanities
Rome
Hercules
Atlantis
Aegean
Hydra
Tiryns
Jason
Argo
Black Sea
Sea of
Azov
Don River
Atlantis and ancient legends glimpse through ocean science
Willard Bascom discusses Atlantis as possibly linked to Thera and the Minoan collapse after the Thera eruption. He links Egyptian and Greek accounts to modern science and explains how ancient travelers imagined legends like winged sphinxes and wandering rocks. The piece blends archaeology, geology, and naval history with Homeric and mythic context.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Solon
Plato
Atlantis
Crete
Aegean Islands
Thera
Koh-i-noor diamond tale spans empires and legends
A review traces the Koh-i-noor from Mogul era to British crown jewels, recounting conquests and thefts across empires. The piece notes Bhutto’s request for return, then shifts to legends of Hercules and Hydra, Columbus, and ancient water springs while touching on unrelated maritime exploration and a University of California series disclaimer.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pakistan
Britain
Tower of London
East India Tea Co
Punjab
National Geographic Society
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
James Callaghan
Bhutto
Nadir Shah
Persia
India
Mogul
Delhi
United Nations
Lebanon
Alexander the Great
Tyre
Hercules
Columbus
Atlantic
Also Mentioned on This Page
The
Cedar Rapids
Sun
United Press International
Regents of University of California
Southern California
el Segundo
University of California, Berkeley
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
National Academy of Sciences
Committee On Meteorology
Maritime Research Advisory Committee
Hercules and the Hydra
Crimean Peninsula
Lahore
London
America
Central America
Brazil
Hiram III
Kentucky
Tennessee
U.S
Pacific
University of California
Don E. Kash
University of Oklahoma
LaVenta
Mexico
Africa
Americas
National Museum of Anthropology
Russel Taylor
DuPont
Verel
Eastman Chemical
Orlon
Arthur Paulin
New York City
Mr. Paulin
Armstrong’s
Oneida Stainless
Community
Cioneida
Trademarks of
Oneida Ltd
Armstrong Gifts & China
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!