Scientists Discover Lost World (8,000 Years Old)

BBC ^ | 2-15-2004

[blam]

Scientists discover lost world

A prehistoric lost world under the North Sea has been mapped by scientists from the University of Birmingham. The team used earthquake data to devise a 3D reconstruction of the 10,000-year-old plain.

The area, part of a land mass that once joined Britain to northern Europe, disappeared about 8,000 years ago.

The virtual features they have developed include a river the length of the Thames which disappeared when its valley flooded due to glaciers melting.

This is the most exciting and challenging virtual reality project since Virtual Stonehenge.

Professor Bob Stone

Professor Bob Stone, head of the Department of Engineering's Human Interface Technology Team, said they were working to ensure the visual accuracy of the environment.

"This is the most exciting and challenging virtual reality project since Virtual Stonehenge in 1996.

"We are basing the computer-generated flora on pollen and plant traces extracted from geological core samples retrieved from the sea bed."

Dr Vincent Gaffney, director of the University's Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity and lead investigator on the project said they still had a lot of work to do.

"We intend to extend the project to visualise the whole of the now submerged land bridge that previously joined Britain to northern Europe as one land mass, providing scientists with a new insight into the previous human occupation of the North Sea."

[Fedora]

> And even the name of that land perished, and Men spoke thereafter not of Elenna, nor of Andor the Gift that was taken away, nor of Numenore on the confines of the world; but the exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabeth the Downfallen, Atalante in the Eldarin tongue.
[The Silmarillion, Akallabeth, JRR Tolkien]

Tolkien bump :-) My personal opinion is that in that part of "Silmarillion", Tolkien is synthesizing: 1) the Biblical accounts of Eden, the Flood, and the exile of Israel; 2) Atlantis, along with the Greco-Roman story of Deucalion; and 3) the British legend of Avalon.

[Fedora]

Please add me to the list. Thank you.

[blam]

You ought to get FReeper 'farmfriend' to put you on the ping list. We've covered most of these areas a number of times already.

[blam]

"This places the story in the context of the Black Lake flood event."

The Black Sea Flood in 5600BC?

[muawiyah]

It was a freshwater lake before the salt water of the World Ocean poured in. Ergo, "BLACK LAKE", not "BLACK SEA".

[blam]

"It was a freshwater lake before the salt water of the World Ocean poured in. Ergo, "BLACK LAKE", not "BLACK SEA"."

Okay, that's what I thought you meant.

[2Jedismom]

My personal opinion is that in that part of "Silmarillion", Tolkien is synthesizing: 1) the Biblical accounts of Eden, the Flood, and the exile of Israel; 2) Atlantis, along with the Greco-Roman story of Deucalion; and 3) the British legend of Avalon.

I picked up on the "Atlantis" part, but never thought to put others to it! Interesting! Thank you!

[farmfriend]

You ought to get FReeper 'farmfriend' to put you on the ping list. We've covered most of these areas a number of times already.

I can do that.

[farmfriend]

Consider yourself added. If you ever change your mind, or I get you on the wrong list, just let me know.

[Ophiucus]

Either we've interpreted the Bible wrong or we've got our Scientific facts wrong.

Careful - that will get you slammed with the "heretic" and "blasphemer" label in some threads.

[Fedora]

Thanks! I've actually been lurking on these discussions for a while, find them fascinating and much appreciate the sharing of information. I have degrees in history and theology and I'm particularly interested in the historical aspect of Scripture, especially issues related to the interpretation of Genesis 1-11, so I like a lot of the stuff I see you guys posting here and find it very useful. Blam, have you ever published anything?--I think you do some really good research, I'd like to see how you piece together all this information you've assembled.

[Ophiucus]

if, for no other reason than that we have only one link to any knowledge about it at all.

Making events like the burning of the Library of Alexandria all that much more of history's most frustrating moments.

[Fedora]

> I picked up on the "Atlantis" part, but never thought to put others to it! Interesting! Thank you!

I'm glad to see someone else picked up on the Atlantis part :) Most of the other parts I missed the first time I read "Silmarillion", but recently I started rereading it and making notes on all the traditions Tolkien alludes to there, and those were some I noticed from that part of the book. That book is a very deep commentary on the relation between theology and myth, applying some ideas Tolkien advances in his essay on that subject, IMO. Anyway, seeing your reference on that made me smile :)

[freebilly]

then sex with an intelligent woman would be every bit as satisfying.

Mrs Freebilly is much smarter than Mr Freebilly....

[freebilly]

He just liked to enlarge the circle of his acquaintances.

It increased his odds for a date on Saturday night....

[freebilly]

It would have to pleasurable wouldn't it? Otherwise, people wouldn't do it.

How does this explain Dems voting for JohnKerry...?

[freebilly]

Plato was gay? Man, that sucks.

Remove the comma, and you have definition of "Gay".

[freebilly]

Don't think it was Tacitus. Herodotus? Sounds like him, anyway.

[jpsb]

Not quite the same, The Ancient Greek and much of the ancient world did not consider women to be the equal of man, and therefore undeserving of a man's love. Therefore the highest form of love was the love of a man for another man. But their idea of love and ours is not the same. More like companionship rather then love. Now was there alot of homosexual sex going on too? Yea, could be, but remember the Romans who borrowed heavily from the Greeks, despised homosexuals and killed outed homosexuals in their legions. Probably the most 'queer' city state was Sparta, not exactly Plato's home town.

[jpsb]

Hmmmm, not enough water, I'd say. I'll bet the settlement is really older then they think, more like 12,000. Or then the ice started to melt.

That do you think are we seeing the beginning of another iceing period? Kinda looks like it. It's damn cold here in Texas tonight.