Because Liang En had mastered the translation of Linear A, he quickly understood the content on the clay tablet. To his amazement, it recorded the method of smelting orichalcum.
According to the tablet, they would smelt copper ore with a type of black soil from overseas while conducting large-scale sacrificial rituals to pray to the gods.
However, even with thorough preparations, nine out of ten attempts would fail completely. Only in rare instances would the gods favor them, allowing them to produce this precious metal.
Due to the association of this metal’s creation with the gods, it was often used in sacrificial ceremonies, and only a few pieces were made into jewelry for the highest-ranking individuals.
“Could this place be the prototype of Atlantis?” After reading the text on the tablet, Liang En quickly associated it with the lost legend, as orichalcum was said to be a specialty of Atlantis.
According to Plato, the ancient Egyptian priest claimed that the island’s sinking occurred over nine thousand years ago, around 9600 BC, when the world was still in the Neolithic era, with no complex cultures.
But if you shorten this 9000 years to one-tenth, you’ll find that the time of Atlantis’s sinking coincides exactly with the volcanic eruption and destruction of the city on Santorini.
It can be said, and even should be said, that Atlantis did not exist in this world; it was a myth fabricated by Plato to describe the perfect city-state in his mind, making it impossible to find.
However, from current archaeological findings, many Greek myths always have a bit of historical basis. The ancient Greeks exaggerated and dramatized certain real-life situations.
For instance, the famous Trojan War was likely just a common conflict between city-states, but after countless embellishments, it turned into a mythological, epic war.
Thus, it can be inferred that the ruins on Santorini are likely the prototype for Plato's Atlantis.
From historical records, during the volcanic eruption on Santorini, it is very likely that the ancient Egyptians could hear and see the clouds reaching the stratosphere after the eruption.
A few days later, the Egyptians should have seen the pumice fragments carried by the sea currents to the northern coast of Egypt.
Interestingly, a recently translated stele, considered one of the oldest intentional records in history, likely describes this volcanic eruption. This 1.82-meter-long stele, called the "Storm Stele," has 40 lines of inscriptions describing continuous rain, dark skies, endless storms, and noise louder than people's shouts.
Apart from the Egyptians' observations, the volcanic eruption also affected the entire Minoan civilization. For a time, the Egyptians did not see visitors from Santorini or Crete.
If so, the Egyptians would have believed that this great island empire disappeared overnight, which was indeed the case for many people living on those islands.
The tsunami triggered by the eruption likely severely damaged Crete's buildings and navy, after which the Mycenaeans invaded and destroyed this civilization.
These are archaeologically confirmed events, evident from the transition from Linear A to Linear B scripts in Cretan palaces and the traces of war found there.
Therefore, the volcanic eruption on Santorini is likely the origin of Plato's story of Atlantis, and this discovery once again finds common ground between legend and historical truth.
These thoughts quickly flashed through Liang En's mind, and he realized that unless he publicly translated Linear A, his conjecture would be hard for others to accept.
“This is simply—” Liang En shook his head helplessly, realizing this was more troublesome than expected, even more so than not knowing anything.
“I think we should conduct large-scale excavations around this smelting workshop to see the surrounding situation,” Professor Harry suddenly said while Liang En was deep in thought.
“Since there seems to be something important here, we should conduct a large-scale excavation to see if there is anything valuable.”
As a member of the Golden Dawn, finding clues about the mythical orichalcum would not leave him indifferent, especially since this might be related to the legendary Atlantis.
Naturally, Harry hoped to make the smelting workshop ruins the focus of a thorough examination to see if there were any clues in this regard.
“Professor Harry, as you can see, our current core excavation is the ruler's residential area around the triangular plaza, and we really can't spare anyone right now,” the leader from the Irish museum said helplessly.
“No matter what, the smelting workshop is certainly not as valuable as this core residential area, so we can't change our excavation plan and direction now.”
Professional archaeologists are often annoyed by outsiders giving directions, but because the other party was an Oxford anthropology professor, an explanation was necessary.
“What if I hire people at my own expense?” Harry asked. “I believe that with Mr. Liang's help, there shouldn’t be any professional issues. If I cover the costs, can we proceed with the next step?”
“Well, that could be arranged,” the leader nodded after thinking for a moment. “But it will cost you quite a bit.”
“For the sake of truth, some money is worth it,” Professor Harry nodded, smiling as he pointed to the nearby publishing editor, “We have prepared 20,000 euros for this, and they are willing to cover half.”
“Yes, we are willing to pay half the amount as long as you allow us to continue filming,” the editor said excitedly.
As a publishing editor, he knew the significance of orichalcum and Atlantis, understanding the immense value behind these stories.
Although he hadn’t expected to encounter such explosive news by simply following Liang En and live streaming his actions, after contacting his chief editor, the editor immediately bought the rights to continue the live broadcast.
“Well, good luck then, and I hope you find what you’re looking for soon,” the museum leader shrugged.
“But don’t get your hopes too high. In most cases, we don’t find what we’re looking for during excavations.”
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
